The tremor didn't stop for hours.
Disciples whispered that the mountain's heart had awakened. Elders reinforced formations across every peak. Even the outer array—unchanged for centuries—flared once before falling silent.
By sunrise, the Blood Moon Sect buzzed with rumors again.
Saintess Yao stood on the highest balcony of the Eclipse Hall, her white robes catching the morning wind. Below, the mountain shimmered faintly red, veins of light running through the stone like living blood.
Elder Hei approached, his mask dull under the dawn light. "It was no illusion," he said. "The Mirror Emperor's hidden formation under the mountain reacted to the Heir's presence."
Saintess Yao didn't turn. "He found it."
"Unintentionally," Elder Hei replied. "But the result is undeniable. His Spirit Sea deepened again overnight. The mountain's pulse now follows his rhythm."
"Then the Blood Moon recognizes him," she said softly.
Elder Hei hesitated. "Or fears him."
That earned him a glance. The Saintess's eyes, silver under her veil, seemed to cut straight through the mask. "You doubt the Heir?"
"I fear repeating history," he said simply. "The last time our Sect followed an Emperor, the heavens burned."
Saintess Yao turned back toward the horizon. "Perhaps. But the world has forgotten the taste of fear. Maybe it's time it remembered."
---
Meanwhile, Lin Qing was trying to convince Li Chun that his breakfast didn't need to be delivered by kneeling.
"Just put it on the table," he said. "Not a ritual offering."
Li Chun obeyed reluctantly, eyes still full of awe. "Heir Lin Qing, the Elders have summoned you again. They say there's urgent news from the Crimson Province."
Lin Qing paused mid-bite. "Is that another 'divine event' I accidentally caused?"
"No, Heir Lin Qing. It's a secret realm."
That got his attention.
In the Sect's inner council chamber, Elder Hei stood beside a floating map of red light. It showed the northern territories of the Azure Heaven Continent—mountain ranges, spirit rivers, scattered sects like faint stars.
"The Crimson Abyss has reopened," Elder Hei said gravely. "A remnant of the ancient battlefield between the Mirror Emperor and the Immortal Clans. Its entrance lies within the Crimson Province, four days' flight north."
Lin Qing's eyes narrowed. "And everyone wants what's inside."
"Of course," said another Elder. "Every hundred years the Abyss reveals relics of unimaginable power—Emperor-level treasures, Dao fragments, divine bones. Last time, even the Immortal Clans' proxies came hunting."
Elder Hei folded his arms. "We received word that both the Radiant Dawn Holy Land and the Thousand Serpent Cult have dispatched forces already."
Li Chun paled. "Those are both top-tier powers!"
Saintess Yao entered then, her presence quiet but commanding. "That is why we must send someone equal to their pride. The Heir."
Lin Qing blinked. "Equal to—hold on, I just learned how to breathe better last week."
Saintess Yao's veil shifted, amusement flickering in her tone. "And yet the mountain itself moves when you exhale."
Elder Hei bowed. "The Crimson Abyss opens only to those below the Saint Realm. The Heir's current cultivation—Spirit Sea Mid Stage—is perfect."
Lin Qing sighed. "So, a dungeon run."
"The Sect will provide an escort," Elder Hei added. "Outer disciples from the Iron Hall and two Inner Hall cultivators. Their task is simple—guard you until the gate closes."
"I see," Lin Qing said. "And what happens inside?"
"Chaos," the elder said flatly. "Only one rule governs the Abyss: what you seize is yours, if you can keep it."
Later, after the meeting, Lin Qing walked through the training courtyard alone. The air was thick with excitement—disciples sparring harder, elders whispering preparations. The Sect smelled of oil, metal, and ambition.
He stopped at the edge of the terrace. The horizon glowed faintly red, where the distant province burned like an ember.
Li Chun hurried after him. "Heir Lin Qing! The Crimson Abyss—it's said that those who enter can see fragments of the Mirror Emperor's final battle!"
"That so?" Lin Qing said. "Then maybe I'll ask him what he was thinking starting one."
Li Chun blinked. "Ask… who?"
"No one important," Lin Qing said. "Get ready to travel."
That evening, as the Sect's bells tolled dusk, Saintess Yao found him packing in his quarters. She leaned against the doorframe, silent for a moment before saying, "You don't seem nervous."
Lin Qing tightened the straps on his storage pouch. "I'm surrounded by people who worship me. I could trip and they'd call it enlightenment. Hard to stay nervous."
Her eyes softened. "You make light of it, but the Abyss isn't kind. It swallows those who hesitate."
"Good thing I don't plan to."
"Elder Hei believes you should only explore the outer rings," she said. "But the inner sanctum… holds what he fears."
"And what do you think?"
Saintess Yao studied him for a long moment. "I think the Sect has waited too long for someone who doesn't fear heaven's eyes. So if you find something that doesn't belong to this world—take it."
Lin Qing tilted his head. "That sounded vaguely treasonous."
"Only if you fail," she said, and turned to leave.
That night, the Blood Moon hung directly above the Sect, its reflection staining the mountain crimson.
Disciples knelt across every peak as the Heir stepped onto the departure platform.
Elder Hei raised his hands. "The Blood Moon watches. Let its light guide the Heir to glory."
The teleportation array flared to life beneath Lin Qing's feet.
He looked down once more at the Sect that had nearly worshipped him into insanity.
"Keep the banners down while I'm gone," he muttered.
Then light swallowed him whole.
Far above, Saintess Yao watched the crimson beam vanish into the night sky. Elder Hei stood beside her, arms folded.
"Do you think he'll survive?" he asked quietly.
She didn't answer right away. Her gaze lingered on the fading light, thoughtful.
"Survive?" she whispered. "If the Mirror Emperor's blood truly flows in him, survival isn't the question. It's how much of the world he'll shake along the way."