The courtyard was silent.
Moonlight filtered through the swaying bamboo. After the Marrow Cleansing Pill took effect, the residual qi settled inside Lin Xian like molten gold cooling in a divine furnace.
Just as his breathing evened out—
Pain exploded.
Lin Xian's body arched violently.
It wasn't ordinary agony. It was as if a burning needle pierced straight through his pupils, stabbing into his soul.
His scream never made it past his throat.
His vision warped violently. The world bent, folded, and fractured into overlapping layers of light. Up became down. Distance collapsed. He saw too much at once—every flicker of spirit light tearing across his mind like broken glass.
Then—
BOOM!
Twin pillars of golden radiance erupted from his eyes, tearing upward through the night like divine lances. The clouds above churned violently, spiraling outward as if forced to make way for a sovereign's gaze.
The eruption ripped another scream from him.
It felt as if his skull was being torn open from the inside, light forcing its way out through flesh and bone. His soul convulsed, stretched to its limit, threatening to tear apart under the pressure.
Lin Xian collapsed to his knees.
Ancient runic sigils ignited within his irises.
One became two.
Two layered into four.
The patterns rotated, overlapped, fused—until they sank deep, stabilizing into a far more profound configuration.
Seconds stretched into an eternity.
Then, slowly—
The agony receded.
The wind died.
The bamboo froze mid-sway.
Even the moonlight dimmed slightly, as if the heavens themselves were instinctively lowering their heads.
Lin Xian raised a hand, touching the corner of his eye. His reflection shimmered faintly on his fingertip.
A slow, knowing smile curved his lips.
Nirvana God's Eye — Second Form.
Facade of a Thousand Faces.
With a casual flick of his finger—
His appearance shifted instantly.
Wrinkles carved themselves into his face. His spine bent. In a blink, he became a gray-haired elder radiating the weary dignity of age.
Another flick—
His frame expanded, muscles bulging, aura violent and crude. A burly axe-wielding brute stood where Lin Xian had been.
Another flick—
His presence vanished completely.
No aura.
No spiritual fluctuation.
Nothing.
He became empty air.
---
As the power settled, a memory—not his own, but etched into the very technique—unfolded behind his eyes...
A celestial palace floated amid immortal fog, its alabaster halls suspended between heaven and void. Cloudlight drifted lazily through open arches, carrying the faint scent of incense and cold jade.
Golden pillars rose like divine spears, each carved with coiling dragons whose eyes gleamed faintly, as if half-aware. Immortal runes pulsed beneath the surface, warding the hall from profane ears.
At its center, an immortal reclined upon a jade throne, robes of sun-gold spilling over the steps. His laughter echoed—loud, careless, drunk on authority.
"Let them struggle," he scoffed, swirling his wine. "When the seal breaks, even the lower heavens will kneel. By then, it will be too late to matter."
The secrets he spoke were poison to the realms.
Above him, hidden among the palace rafters—
Lin Xian.
His form clung to shadow where no shadow should exist. To divine sense, he was nothing more than a forgettable servant sent to polish beams long ago—face plain, posture meek, fate insignificant.
His aura was gone. Not suppressed. Gone.
His breathing slowed until even the palace formations failed to register it. His heartbeat thinned to a whisper so faint it mimicked death itself.
«Facade of a Thousand Faces.»
Below, the immortal laughed again, unaware that fate had already stepped behind him.
A whisper of movement.
A single step upon air.
The faintest flicker of golden light bloomed—then vanished, like a thought aborted midway.
The immortal's laughter cut off mid-breath.
His eyes widened, confusion freezing upon his face. His wine cup slipped from nerveless fingers, shattering soundlessly against the jade floor.
A thin red line appeared across his throat.
Then his head slid free.
It rolled once, twice, before coming to rest at the foot of the throne—expression still arrogant, still convinced of invincibility.
His body collapsed a heartbeat later.
Silence reclaimed the hall. The dragon-carved pillars dimmed, their runes failing to comprehend what had just occurred.
Lin Xian was already gone.
Only a cooling corpse remained, and a secret that would never reach the heavens.
---
He had slaughtered emperors.
Assassinated saints.
Erased immortals from history.
All while wearing another person's face.
A shadow among shadows.
A blade forged from deception.
And now—
Reborn.
Sharpened.
Stronger than ever.
---
"Mrrrooow?"
The soft, upward-curled sound snapped him back to the present.
Xiao Jin hopped neatly onto his lap, tail swaying with exaggerated grace like a tiny emperor inspecting his domain. His golden fur shimmered faintly under the moonlight, eyes bright with unmistakable arrogance.
Lin Xian snorted quietly. "Trying to see if I still look like your human?"
"Mrrr-RAO~!"
Xiao Jin raised a paw and patted Lin Xian's cheek—gentle, but loaded with royal entitlement.
Then he spun twice in Lin Xian's lap and flopped belly-up, paws curled inward.
A clear demand.
"…You were majestic for half a second," Lin Xian sighed. "Then you turned into a spoiled brat again."
Xiao Jin rolled upright, puffed out his chest—
"Mrrr-ow!"
(I am ALWAYS majestic!)
Lin Xian flicked his forehead.
"MRAOW—!!"
Xiao Jin sprang onto two legs and slapped Lin Xian's wrist with both paws, movements sharp and indignant—like a furious miniature martial artist defending his honor.
Lin Xian laughed softly, warmth bleeding into his voice. "Yes, yes. Very fearsome."
Xiao Jin lifted his chin proudly, then leaned forward and booped Lin Xian's nose with one paw.
Mercy granted.
The night felt warmer for it.
---
Lin Xian returned to the residence.
Inside, Lin Yuan sat beneath a dim lamp, scroll open in his hands. His posture was straight, expression stern—but fatigue lingered at the edges of his eyes like unspoken worry.
The moment Lin Xian entered, Lin Yuan looked up.
His gaze sharpened.
He felt it immediately—the air in the room had thickened, carrying an aura far heavier and more condensed than before, pressing down with quiet, undeniable presence.
"…You broke through."
"Mm." Lin Xian nodded calmly. "I'll be heading to Black Veil Forest soon."
Before Lin Yuan could respond—
"XIAO JIIIIN—!"
The voice cut through the night like a dagger of pure sunshine.
Lin Xue'er burst into the room, twin ponytails bouncing wildly. Her pink robe fluttered as she ran, eyes bright and sparkling with unrestrained joy.
Xiao Jin froze atop Lin Xian's shoulder.
His ears flattened.
Then—
He bolted.
"Ah—! Come here you fluffy villain!" Lin Xue'er lunged.
"MrrrRWAAO!"
Xiao Jin leapt onto Lin Yuan's desk, skidded across stacked scrolls, knocked over a brush, then sprang onto a shelf in one fluid motion.
Ink splattered.
Lin Yuan pinched the bridge of his nose. "I just cleaned those…"
Lin Xian laughed openly now.
Lin Xue'er puffed her cheeks. "Don't run! Let me hug you!"
Xiao Jin peeked down from the shelf, eyes glinting mischievously—then flicked one of her ponytails with his tail.
"Hey! Don't touch that!"
She reached for him.
"Mmph-riiiu~!"
Xiao Jin chirped smugly and leapt straight onto her head, balancing perfectly like a tiny lion claiming a throne.
Lin Xue'er froze.
"…Brother," she whispered. "He's… he's on my head."
Lin Xian covered his mouth. "Congratulations. He acknowledges you."
Xiao Jin sat proudly, surveying the room like a ruler inspecting his domain.
Until—
Lin Xue'er reached up.
Xiao Jin gasped dramatically.
"Maaaow!"
And dove straight back into Lin Xian's arms.
Lin Xue'er stomped. "He bullies me every day!"
Lin Yuan finally spoke, voice dry but faintly amused. "He does the same to all of us."
She huffed—then softened, eyes lifting to Lin Xian. "Brother… be careful in Black Veil Forest, okay?"
Lin Xian reached out and patted her head. "I'll return before the competition."
Xiao Jin gently tapped her forehead with one paw.
"Miiu."
(Don't worry.)
Her eyes widened. She smiled.
"You better protect my brother then."
Xiao Jin lifted his chin, radiating pride.
Lin Yuan nodded slowly. "Go, Xian'er. We trust you."
Warmth filled the room like a lantern glow on a winter night.
Lin Xian bowed slightly. "Then I'll take my leave."
Xiao Jin leapt back onto his shoulder, tail flicking like a small banner of war.
---
Lin Xian left the Lin Clan before dawn.
Mist pooled thickly over the ground, coiling around ancient trees like pale serpents. The forest breathed—slow, heavy, and watchful.
The moment he passed beyond the city walls—
He felt it.
Footsteps, masked with skill.
Killing intent—faint, disciplined, restrained.
At least twenty.
All trailing him.
Lin Xian's lips curved into a slow, cold smile.
"So the Zhao Clan still refuses to give up."
Xiao Jin yawned lazily on his shoulder, then glanced backward with undisguised disdain.
Twenty?
That's it?
The pursuers revealed themselves.
One.
Five.
Twelve.
Nineteen—
Twenty-three assassins in total.
All masked.
All radiating killing intent thick enough to warp the air.
Their cultivation ranged from Peak Mortal Vein to mid Spirit Foundation. At the front stood three figures clad in black armor, fox-faced masks gleaming faintly. Their auras pressed outward like sharpened blades.
"Spread out. Surround him," one ordered quietly.
"He's alone."
"He's heading deeper… is he stupid or—"
"Hmph. Mortal Vein trash," another scoffed. "Even if he broke through, he's early-stage at best. We have numbers."
A voice added coldly, "The Patriarch wants his head intact."
"And the kitten?"
"Crush it."
Xiao Jin's fur exploded outward.
"Grrrrr—!?"
(I'll kill them.)
"Let's find a proper place to welcome our guests," Lin Xian said calmly.
He stepped deeper into the forest.
Instantly—
His presence dissolved into the mist.
Breath slowed.
Aura tightened.
Killing intent coiled inward like a drawn bowstring.
The assassins advanced—confident, fast, unaware they were walking straight into a predator's domain.
Lin Xian halted atop a moonlit branch, the wind teasing his white hair.
"Come," he whispered.
His shadow stretched unnaturally long.
Golden eyes burned in the gloom.
"Since you came this far…"
His smile sharpened.
"…none of you will leave."
To be continued…