The Demon Locking Prison, constructed a century prior, loomed in the shadow of the Green Lotus Sect's rear mountains. After decades of relentless expansion, its grandeur now rivaled the sect's main halls. Within its depths lay caged spirit beasts and ferocious demons—a forbidden zone accessible only to Sect Leader Liu Ruyan.
Yet today, hundreds of disciples gathered at its entrance, their eyes fixed on the colossal gates. Though hours had passed, not a soul dared show impatience. All knew their leader's seclusion aimed to breach the Spirit Transformation Realm—a triumph that would propel the sect into the ranks of the Great Xia Twelve Sects.
Rumble—
The gates shuddered, sliding open with earth-shaking finality.
Liu Ruyan emerged, her aura condensed into a palpable force. The skies answered her ascent: daylight fractured into rippling auroras, while a hundred-meter-tall spectral figure materialized behind her—a divine silhouette mirroring her form, its features blurred yet radiating transcendent grace.
"Manifested Spirit Soul!" A disciple gasped, sparking a wave of awe. "Only Spirit Transformation experts can project their souls! The Sect Leader… she succeeded!"
Cheers erupted. Liu Ruyan's breakthrough wasn't just personal—it was the sect's ticket to glory.
Her lips curved faintly. Humility? That was for stagnant old sects. The Green Lotus Sect, young and hungry, would carve its name in blood and ambition. With a flick of her sleeve, the prison gates sealed shut.
Her gaze swept the crowd before settling on a blindfolded woman at the forefront—Nan Gongling, her second personal disciple in a century. "Ah Ling," she called, "attend me."
The swordswoman stepped forward, her presence sharp as unsheathed steel. A black silk band obscured her eyes, yet her bow was flawlessly precise. "As you command, Master."
In the sect leader's hall, Liu Ruyan reclined on her throne, studying the disciple kneeling below. Nan Gongling's talent dwarfed her own—reaching Foundation Establishment's late stage in two decades, despite her congenital blindness. But talent alone wouldn't bridge the gap between Green Lotus and the Great Xia Twelve Sects.
"The sect's elevation hinges on next year's Great Xia Sect Tournament," Liu Ruyan began. "To replace the weakest of the Twelve—the Crimson Moon Sect—we must dominate the disciple bracket."
Nan Gongling hesitated. "This disciple… will strive."
A diplomatic no. At Foundation Establishment, even peak prowess couldn't rival the Twelve Sects' Golden Core prodigies. A year was no time to close that chasm.
Liu Ruyan's fingers tightened. Twenty more years of waiting? Unacceptable. Her sect would rise—now.
From her spatial ring, she drew the Sect Leader's Token, its jade surface glinting like a challenge. "Ah Ling," she said, voice low with resolve, "I can grant you an opportunity."