First Encounter with Su Xiao, an Unexpected "Cultivation Deviation"

Dawn filtered through the window lattices and spilled onto Jia Nan Academy's bluestone paths, stretching the shadows of the early-rising students. As usual, Xiao Yan left his quarters with an herb basket on his back, intending to gather a few supplementary ingredients for alchemy in the rear mountains—a daily routine meant to maintain his image as a "diligent cultivator."

He had barely left the western wing when he encountered a group approaching him. Leading them was a handsome young man dressed in the robes of an elite Inner Academy disciple. A faint smile played at his lips, but his gaze held a measure of scrutiny and arrogance. Three or four followers trailed behind him, each with a formidable aura, their eyes full of respect for the young man.

"Isn't this Junior Xiao Yan?" the young man spoke first, his voice carrying a deliberately warm note. His gaze swept over Xiao Yan's herb basket. "I heard you performed quite impressively in the recent Fire Energy Hunting Competition. You certainly made us senior students see you in a new light."

Xiao Yan stopped, something stirring in his mind. There was something familiar about this young man. Thinking back carefully, he recognized him as one of the people the servant near the Medicine Hut had contacted during yesterday's soul investigation. More importantly, the deeply concealed trace of cold, sinister energy within him was identical to that of the Soul Hall's spies.

System notification: Target Su Xiao, elite Inner Academy disciple, early-stage Dou Wang cultivation. Confirmed Soul Hall spy responsible for monitoring the movement of alchemy resources within the Inner Academy.

So it really was him. Xiao Yan kept his expression unchanged and cupped his hands. "Senior Su Xiao, you flatter me. I merely had a bit of luck."

Su Xiao laughed heartily, stepped forward, and patted Xiao Yan's shoulder, speaking with easy familiarity. "You're far too modest, junior. I heard that not only do you have considerable talent for cultivation, but your alchemy skills are quite refined as well. As it happens, I need a batch of Spring Return Pills. Would you be interested in working with me? I'll provide the ingredients, and once you succeed, you can keep thirty percent. How does that sound?"

His palm appeared to rest casually on Xiao Yan's shoulder, but he secretly released a thread of Dou Qi, attempting to probe Xiao Yan's capabilities. At the same time, his fingertips seemingly brushed Xiao Yan's sleeve by accident, and a black needle as fine as an ox's hair silently landed on the edge of his herb basket. Without the constant vigilance of his Emperor Realm Soul, Xiao Yan would never have noticed it.

A faint, corrosive aura unique to the Soul Hall lingered around the needle. It was clearly some kind of tracking device capable of marking its target without a sound.

Xiao Yan sneered inwardly, but his face showed hesitation. "I appreciate your confidence in me, senior, but my cultivation is still shallow. I'm afraid I may not be up to the task..."

"There's no need to belittle yourself, junior." Su Xiao interrupted him, a barely perceptible flash of urgency crossing his eyes. "I saw your alchemy techniques during the freshman assessment. Though slightly unpolished, they showed plenty of inspired skill. The Spring Return Pill may be a fifth-grade pill, but if you put your heart into it, success isn't necessarily beyond you."

As he spoke, he subtly watched Xiao Yan's reactions, seemingly eager to steer him in a particular direction.

Xiao Yan pretended to consider it before finally saying, "Since you have such faith in me, senior, I'll give it a try. But alchemy can't be rushed. I'll need a few days to prepare."

"Of course, of course." Seeing him agree, Su Xiao's smile widened. "Then I'll await your good news. Shall we meet in three days at the courtyard east of the Medicine Hut?"

"Certainly." Xiao Yan nodded.

After a few more pleasantries, Su Xiao turned and left with his followers. Upon reaching the corner, he looked back at Xiao Yan for a long moment. The warmth in his eyes had vanished, leaving only cold calculation.

Once Su Xiao was far away, Xiao Yan lowered his gaze to the black needle on the rim of his herb basket. His fingertips moved slightly, and an almost imperceptible wisp of Heavenly Flames slipped out, instantly reducing the needle to ashes without leaving even a trace of its aura.

"Su Xiao... It seems the Soul Hall has more spies in the Inner Academy than I imagined." Xiao Yan's gaze darkened. As an elite Inner Academy disciple, Su Xiao had access to resources and information far beyond those available to ordinary students. Leaving him alive would undoubtedly pose an enormous hidden threat.

More importantly, judging by Su Xiao's eagerness to recruit him, the Soul Hall seemed extremely interested in the academy's alchemy resources. They might even be plotting something.

"Perfect. I'll use his 'accident' to strike the mountain and frighten the tigers."

Xiao Yan wasted no more time and headed toward the rear mountains with his herb basket on his back. He did not act immediately, instead gathering several medicinal ingredients first. Along the way, he deliberately passed near the cultivation area Su Xiao and his companions frequented, nodding to them as though they had met by chance. His performance as someone who "kept to his place and followed the rules" was watertight.

After noon, the Inner Academy's training grounds gradually grew lively. Su Xiao was cultivating beside a stone platform with his followers nearby. He sat cross-legged, Dou Qi swirling around him, evidently attempting to break through a minor cultivation stage.

Xiao Yan watched from a distance, his soul power extending silently like an invisible thread. Su Xiao was circulating his cultivation method with all his strength, his mind completely focused, and noticed nothing of the approaching soul power.

Xiao Yan's target was not Su Xiao himself, but the Qi Gathering Stone in front of him, which he used to assist his cultivation. These stones were resources distributed by the Inner Academy and could accelerate the accumulation of Dou Qi. Their structure was unstable, however, and a powerful energy impact could easily cause them to explode.

The Soul Hall's cultivation methods were inherently cold and domineering, and erratic energy was common during cultivation. All Xiao Yan needed to do was gently nudge the energy flow inside the Qi Gathering Stone with his soul power at a critical moment in Su Xiao's circulation, creating a subtle resonance with the Dou Qi inside his body and triggering a loss of control.

The technique was exquisitely delicate, like adding a feather to one side of a scale. Seemingly insignificant, it was enough to upset the balance without leaving any trace of outside interference.

The moment gradually ripened. The Dou Qi around Su Xiao began to turn violent. He had clearly reached the critical point of his breakthrough. Veins bulged on his forehead, his face flushed red, and his breathing grew labored.

Now.

Standing among the crowd, Xiao Yan looked no different from the other students watching the spectacle. Only his fingertips moved, almost imperceptibly.

In an instant, the energy flow inside the Qi Gathering Stone abruptly stalled. Then, like an ignited powder keg, it unleashed a violent surge of energy.

Bang!

With a muffled explosion, the Qi Gathering Stone shattered, sending raging energy in every direction. Su Xiao bore the brunt of it just as his cultivation method reached its critical point. The sudden impact disrupted his internal energy, and the Dou Qi within him instantly spun out of control, rampaging through his meridians like a wild horse that had broken its reins.

Pfft!

Su Xiao spat out a mouthful of blood. His body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, slammed into the stone platform, and slid to the ground. After a few convulsions, he lay motionless. His Dou Qi was in utter chaos, his meridians had ruptured in several places, and his aura rapidly weakened—clear signs of cultivation deviation.

"Senior Su Xiao!"

"Quick, get an elder!"

The surrounding students instantly erupted into an uproar and rushed over in panic. Su Xiao's followers went deathly pale and hurried forward to check on him, only to discover that he had already stopped breathing, his eyes still open in death.

"H-how could this happen? He was fine just a moment ago..."

"It looks like the Qi Gathering Stone exploded right when Senior Su Xiao was breaking through..."

"What a shame. I heard he was about to reach mid-stage Dou Wang..."

Discussion rippled through the crowd, most of it filled with regret and bewilderment. No one noticed that Xiao Yan, who had been standing in a corner, had already turned and quietly left. The herbs in his basket swayed gently with his steps, as though nothing had happened.

Only Xiao Yan knew that another Soul Hall spy had vanished from Jia Nan Academy for good, all through a "cultivation accident."

He raised his head and looked toward the Medicine Hut, a cold gleam flashing through his eyes. Su Xiao's death might unsettle certain people lurking in the shadows, but this was only the beginning.

Beneath the Inner Academy's calm surface, the hidden currents had never ceased. And he, the blade concealed in the shadows, had only just begun to swing.