Before him sprawled the City of Xingling, going on for endless ruin and despair. The people beneath, wallowing in this misery, scrambled through their streets no different from startled rats, not knowing-a care-aught about anything except their bleak existence. No longer did these petty lives matter to Xian Hei. His eyes, once clouded by doubt and confusion over his reincarnated body, now blazed with determination. The Nine Veils of Shadow had changed him.
The alien darkness of yore had now become an extension of his self. With every passing moment, the technique seeped deeper into his soul, molding his essence, his power, his mind. Now free from the constraints of a prior life or the limitations set on the poor, mortal shell of Li Shen, Xian Hei was a new predator in this world full of prey. But Xian Hei knew his journey was only just beginning, the intoxication of new power came with costs in one way or another.
In fact, to truly control the Nine Veils, the teachings of such should be more than that: he needed to feed into and cultivate the darkness within himself, to the point that everything else was consumed by the darkness. This was a path from which he would have to draw the pain of others, drink deep from the well of suffering, and in so doing rise to a power against which no mortal or immortal could stand. His first target was clear. --- The Crimson Lotus Sect had once been nothing more than a shadow in Xian Hei's former life—an organization of ruthless cultivators, known for their unforgiving ways and insatiable thirst for power. But after his fall, he realized the truth. They were the ones who had destroyed him, the ones who had betrayed him, and they would be the first to feel the consequences of their actions.
The stronghold of the Crimson Lotus Sect lay on the western side of Xingling, concealed behind a multi-layered series of defenses.
An obsidian stone and blood-red banner tower stood as a reminder of its power and dominance that refused to be shaken.
Xian Hei narrowed his eyes as he stared out across the city at it.
His heart beat faster—not from fear, but from the exhilaration of knowing that the path to vengeance lay within those walls. "I'll make them regret their existence," he muttered under his breath, the air around him thickening with the weight of his promise. Xian Hei started to walk, his footsteps quiet but sure, each movement an emanation of purpose. He was no longer the shattered Li Shen who once crumbled with fear; he was a shadow and an omen-the Crimson Lotus Sect was about to find out how far he had fallen, and how much further he was going to rise. ---
First and foremost, he had to infiltrate it. The Crimson Lotus Sect was no ordinary sect: elite, secretive, each guarding their territory with fierce loyalty and exceptional skill-just to approach their headquarters would be madness. But Xian Hei was no fool. He would not have to force his way through their defenses but instead make use of the weaknesses of the same defenses.
He had watched from the shadows for days on end, a pattern of routine and weakness developing in the comings and goings of the sect's disciples. To them, they were untouchable, and it was an arrogance that had made them predictable.
The leaders of the Sect were proud; their vanity was written across their faces. They held feasts in their most luxurious halls, boastful of their power and wealth as the low-ranking disciples served them like obedient dogs. Xian Hei had seen enough. His next move would be calculated, precise, and above all, devastating. His chance came that evening when a high-ranking disciple of the Crimson Lotus was returning from a mission.
A woman, Lian Yin, one of their most trusted assassins, walked through the lesser part of the city.
Xian Hei watched her, his eyes glinting with interest.
She was a proficient practitioner of blood magic, and her aura was fully impregnated with dark, viler energy.
She was a predator, just like him. But unlike him, she was oblivious to the growing shadow that wanted to consume her. Xian Hei stepped from darkness, his presence not seen until the moment he willed to be noticed. Lian Yin froze with a sense of something-anything-raising the hair upon the back of her neck. In an instant she was whirling around, her hand going toward the dagger at her side. But before she had the time to draw it out, Xian Hei was upon her, going a great deal faster than she fathomed. Without so much as a word, he clutched her by her throat and slammed her backward against the nearest wall. "Who." she stammered, reaching in an effort to be freed, yet her power meant little in comparison. His dark eyes from Xian Hei locked with hers; for one small second, the fear reflected in hers, and this was one thing he could have never believed as a man.
"You're going to tell me everything about your sect," he said, low and full of promise. "And you will do it willingly."
Lian Yin's eyes slitted and she hissed between gritted teeth as her eyes flashed to call her magic.
But Xian Hei was faster.
He laid his hand on her chest, and the shadows stirred around him, curling like snakes.
It enveloped her, cutting off the ability to focus, to concentrate.
The Nine Veils of Shadow roared into life inside him, surging his power, siphoning from her the fear and the anger, turning it into fuel for his growing strength.
Lian Yin's breathing accelerated, and she struggled even harder, but it was all in vain; the strength of him was overwhelming, suffocating. "I can feel your hatred," Xian Hei whispered, his voice a caress. "But it won't be enough to stop me." With the binding shadows tight, she spoke finally, her voice breaking with reluctant obedience. "The Sect… they're gathering in the Red Lotus Hall tomorrow. The Grandmaster is planning a ritual. A ritual to call upon the Blood Moon." Xian Hei's gaze sharpened. The Blood Moon. The Crimson Lotus Sect had long sought to unlock the forbidden powers of the ancient blood rituals, using the moon's power to break through their limits. It was the kind of ritual that could turn the balance of power in the realm-and it was exactly the kind of ritual Xian Hei needed to destroy them. "Good," he whispered. "That will be the day your sect's destruction begins."
He released her, and she fell to the ground. She gasped for air, but the fight was gone. He had already won.
---
The next day, Xian Hei stood outside of the gates of the Crimson Lotus Sect's stronghold and watched as the disciples mustered for the ritual. None had detected his presence, but the Nine Veils of Shadow whispered in his ear, begging him to strike. He could feel it-the power of the Blood Moon ritual: a great dark energy calling to him like a siren's song.
He had fed upon the sufferings of this world, but he knew when it was time to garner the actual fruits of his labor. The Crimson Lotus would be the first in a row to be vanquished before his fierce storms.
As the ritual got underway, the sky above the sect darkened, the crimson glow of the moon casting an eerie light over the scene. Xian Hei stepped forward, his power crackling in the air. It was time-the moment when he would show them all what true darkness was truly capable of.
The moment the moonlight shone on them, the practitioners were all covered under the shadow of Xian Hei, which means a situation of death and destruction.