The stone door of the secluded chamber slowly opened. Xiao Yan stood with his hands behind his back, the Dou Qi rippling around him no longer as feeble as before.
After breaking through to the Da Dou Shi realm, his gaze had grown deeper. Nourished by Dou Qi, his once slightly frail frame had become straight and well-proportioned. Only the eerie gleam that occasionally flashed deep in his eyes betrayed a composure beyond his years.
Morning sunlight streamed through the lattice windows into the training grounds. The moment Xiao Yan entered, he heard familiar shouts.
Several clan disciples his age were sparring. One match had reached a critical point, and the force of colliding green Dou Qi swept dust from the ground.
"Xiao Yan?" A clear voice rang out. It was Xiao Mei, one of the younger girls in the clan. She stared at his unexpected arrival in astonishment, nearly dropping the longsword in her hand. For the past six months, Xiao Yan had scarcely left his home, and the clansmen had all assumed he was still despondent over his broken engagement.
Xiao Yan nodded slightly, his gaze settling on the deadlocked match.
The youth in blue training clothes had already reached Seventh Stage Dou Qi and was using his superior cultivation to suppress his opponent. Victory seemed imminent. Just then, he drove a heavy punch toward his opponent's chest. Xiao Yan frowned slightly and flicked a finger.
A nearly imperceptible wisp of Dou Qi shot through the air, striking the side of the blue-clad youth's punching force.
That powerful attack inexplicably veered half an inch off course, grazed his opponent's shoulder, and slammed into the ground, raising a cloud of dust.
"Huh?"
The blue-clad youth stared at his fist in bewilderment, unable to understand why his attack had suddenly missed.
The youth he had been suppressing seized the chance to counterattack and actually turned the match around.
None of the surrounding clansmen noticed Xiao Yan's intervention. Only Xiao Zhan, standing in the distance, had a sharp gleam flash through his eyes. He walked over slowly, regarding Xiao Yan with a complicated mixture of relief and pride. "Yan'er, you..."
"Father."
Xiao Yan stepped forward, quietly reining in the Dou Qi within him until only the appearance of fourth-stage Dou Qi remained.
"I merely made a little progress during these six months of seclusion."
Xiao Zhan gave him a long look but did not expose his son's concealment.
He had clearly sensed the Dou Qi fluctuations coming from the secluded chamber the night before. They had unmistakably signaled a breakthrough to Da Dou Shi. But he also knew his son must have a reason for keeping a low profile, so he simply patted his shoulder.
"The clan will be distributing resources this afternoon. Come take a look."
That afternoon, in the clan's council hall, the administrator was handing out the month's cultivation resources according to cultivation level.
When Xiao Yan's name was called, several clansmen on good terms with him cast concerned looks his way. Most others watched indifferently.
"Xiao Yan, fourth-stage Dou Qi. You are entitled to three basic Body Tempering Pills and ten low-grade Dou Qi stones."
The administrator recited the allocation mechanically and pushed the resources to the front of the table.
Just as Xiao Yan reached for them, a hand suddenly stretched out from beside him and swept the resources away. It belonged to Xiao Hu from a collateral branch. His fifth-stage Dou Qi cultivation had always made him look down on Xiao Yan.
"These resources would only be wasted on you. You might as well give them to someone who needs them more."
The council hall fell silent at once, every gaze converging on the pair. Xiao Hu wore a provocative smile, lightly tapping the jade pill bottle with his fingers.
Xiao Yan's gaze chilled slightly. His right hand rested on the edge of the table in a seemingly casual gesture as hidden force quietly stirred. Xiao Hu felt his wrist go numb, and the fingers holding the jade bottle loosened against his will. Just before the bottle struck the floor, Xiao Yan's left hand flashed out and caught it, his movements flowing like clouds and running water.
"I'd rather keep my own things."
Xiao Yan's voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable force. His fingers tightened slightly around the bottle, and several cracks appeared in the hard white jade, frightening the nearby administrator pale.
Xiao Hu's expression changed abruptly. He could feel that the strength of the Dou Qi flowing from Xiao Yan's fingertips far surpassed his own. But how could he show weakness before so many eyes? He slammed a hand onto the table and stood.
"Xiao Yan, you dare provoke me? Come to the training grounds if you have the guts!"
"No need."
Xiao Yan put the resources into his Storage Ring and turned to leave.
As he passed Xiao Hu, he spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
"Fifth-stage Dou Qi isn't enough."
Watching Xiao Yan's departing back, Xiao Hu clenched his fists but did not dare follow. That fleeting clash of Dou Qi had left fear lingering in his heart. The genius who had fallen silent for three years seemed to have truly returned.
Night fell once more. Xiao Yan had just returned to his room when a familiar, sinister laugh sounded in his mind.
"Heh heh heh... The Da Dou Shi realm. Not a bad pace."
Xiao Yan's gaze sharpened. He went to the window and, after confirming that no one was watching him, asked quietly:
"What is it?"
"Your first mission has arrived." The Soul Hall Steward's voice carried an authority that brooked no question.
"Traces of an Otherworldly Demon have recently appeared in Black Wind Village, thirty li west of Wutan City. The contaminated villagers have already lost their reason. Leaving them alive will only create a hidden danger."
"Otherworldly Demon contamination?"
Xiao Yan's brows drew tightly together. He had seen the term in ancient records; the Soul Hall's texts used it to describe creatures corrupted by an evil power from beyond their world.
"Can they... still be saved?"
"Heh heh heh... Once someone has been contaminated by an Otherworldly Demon for more than seven days, their soul has already been devoured. All that remains is a shell." The voice held no emotion.
"Your mission is to purge all of Black Wind Village. Leave no one alive. This is a trial to test your abilities, and your first practical use of the Soul Absorption Technique."
Xiao Yan's heart jolted. Purge the entire village? That meant slaughtering innocent villagers with his own hands! He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.
"They're only victims..."
"Softhearted folly!" The Soul Hall Steward's voice suddenly turned harsh. "Those shells will keep spreading demonic Qi. Leave them unchecked, and even Wutan City will suffer! Do you think you're cultivating the Soul Absorption Technique to save the dying and heal the wounded? Remember your identity. A Soul Hall Walker has no need for mercy!"
The icy words stabbed into Xiao Yan's heart like blades. He recalled the terms of the contract and the power growing stronger within him each day. After a long silence, he forced out a question.
"When?"
"Set out at midnight three days from now. Use this." A pitch-black token fell out of thin air. Xiao Yan reached out and caught it. Twisted soul patterns were carved into its surface.
"It will let you identify the contaminated. Once you finish, immerse the token where the demonic Qi is thickest. Someone will collect the results."
The token felt icy in his hand, as though it carried some kind of curse. Xiao Yan gripped it tightly, brushing his thumb over the eerie patterns.
"What do I need to prepare?"
"Just bring your sword." The voice regained its mocking tone.
"Remember, make it clean and swift. Don't disappoint this old man. Heh heh heh..."
The laughter faded, and silence returned to the room. Xiao Yan stared at the pitch-black token in his hand. Moonlight from the window fell upon it, reflecting a cold, eerie gleam. He went to the bookshelf and pulled out a map, placing a finger on Black Wind Village. It had once been an ordinary village he had visited with his father as a child.
"Purge..."
He murmured the word, conflict and resolve flashing through his eyes. The joy of his breakthrough had vanished completely, replaced by a crushing weight. This was the price of cooperating with the Soul Hall. From the moment he accepted this mission, his hands would be stained with blood.
Late that night, Xiao Yan wielded the Black Iron Heavy Sword on the training grounds. Sword light sliced through the darkness. Every swing carried the Dou Qi of his newly attained Da Dou Shi realm, yet also an agitation he could not conceal.
Sweat soaked his clothes, but he paid it no heed. Only when the horizon turned the pale white of a fish's belly did he lower his sword and stand still.
As the morning sun rose, Xiao Yan tucked the token inside his robes, his usual calm restored to his face. He went to pay his respects to Xiao Zhan as always and collected a clan assignment as always. Only as he passed the resource storehouse did he cast an extra glance at the shelves holding antidote pills.
At midnight three days later, an inconspicuous carriage drove out through Wutan City's western gate. Xiao Yan sat inside, toying with the pitch-black token between his fingertips and feeling it gradually grow warmer.
In Black Wind Village, thirty li away, awaited the first test he would answer as a Soul Hall Walker-and the true beginning of his journey down a dark road.
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