The night was as dark as ink, and the wind whistled through the Chen Clan palace, sweeping past the eaves and stirring up the faint light of the golden palace lanterns.
Tonight, the Chen residence was unusually oppressive. Even the spiritual veins that usually flowed seemed to have stopped moving. Only the cold moonlight shone through the glass windows, inch by inch, onto the ancient floor tiles.
In a secluded study in a side courtyard of the main hall, a faint rustling sound could be heard.
Xi--Suo--
The scrolls were turned, the jade box was opened, and the wooden cabinet door was slowly pushed open. The sound was extremely soft, yet it was like a needle falling into the heart of a lake in the silent night.
The patrolling disciple approached with a frown, carrying a soul lamp; the light cast a long shadow on the wall.
"Who... who's inside?"
He spoke cautiously, his voice trembling slightly.
There was no response. Only the wind outside the window, carrying a faint smell of blood, seeped into the room through the cracks.
"Come out!" the patrolling disciple shouted, stepping across the threshold—
The next moment--
Puff--!
A cold glint flashed silently past, and before he could even finish breathing, a narrow line of blood bloomed from his throat. The blood splattered into dust under the light, his pupils froze instantly, and his body stiffened as he fell to the ground with a muffled thud.
The dark figure remained in the same stance as after drawing its sword, the thin blade in its hand gleaming faintly with blood.
He slowly withdrew his weapon, his movements as calm as if he were handling a routine matter.
Thunder rumbled outside the window, and the wind whipped the curtains.
The shadowy figure pushed aside the fallen corpse and continued searching behind the bookshelf.
The jade box, letters, and talisman slips were opened one by one; he seemed to be searching for some kind of "record"—
He tucked a tattered scroll bearing the Aohuang Seal Illustrated Records " into his sleeve.
"Found it..." he murmured softly, his voice hoarse, with a hint of a smile.
Then, he turned around and disappeared back into the night.
The curtains were blown open by the wind, and the moonlight revealed his departing figure—a figure with blood-red eyes.
It gleamed with a cold, eerie light unique to the Aohuang Divine Beast in the darkness.
The blood-stained corpse was not yet completely cold, but the candlelight in the room flickered in the still air.
The dark figure slowly raised its head, the hood slipped down, revealing a face that belonged to "Chen Xiang"—
But at this moment, those eyes, which should have been calm, were glowing with an eerie blood-red light, and deep within their pupils seemed to burn with dark red flames.
He lowered his head slightly, his fingers gently tracing the tattered pages he had snatched from the library. It was one of the secret treasures of the Chen Clan hall—the "Aohuang Seal Illustrated Records," engraved with ancient, Soul Annihilation golden patterns, each stroke containing a forbidden power capable of shaking the rules of the world.
"Heh... the Chen Clan... truly has a deep foundation, even managing to hide such a treasure."
"What a pity..."
A wicked smile slowly crept onto his lips in the crimson glow.
"Such a treasure, if it fell into the hands of you mortals, would only be sealed away in the decay of time... Only I—"
His voice was deep and hoarse, like a whisper from the abyss.
Only then can it rediscover the meaning of 'destruction'.
As soon as he finished speaking, the skin on his palm slowly cracked, and in the next instant, a stream of crimson light burst forth from his body!
The air distorted in that energy, and the spiritual patterns on the ground melted away, turning into rolling blood mist.
His figure gradually changed amidst the blood-red light—
Its skin transformed into jet-black, iron-like scales, and barbed, bony wings extended from its spine.
The shadow behind him coalesced like a nightmare into the phantom of the Aohuang Divine Beast, a ferocious creature capable of devouring heaven and earth and shattering the rules of existence.
Its laughter grew increasingly maniacal, and its voice boomed like thunder:
"The Chen Clan... you lifted my seal just to use me..."
But now—I'm the one using you.
He suddenly raised his hand, and the air exploded. He used the breath of the Aohuang to reshape the scroll "The Aohuang Seal Illustrated Records" into a blood-red talisman seal, which he then swallowed into his body.
"Ha ha ha ha--"
Laughter exploded throughout the Chen Clan compound, echoing like a spell in the night.
Under the crimson moonlight, the palace's shadows became menacing and eerie.
At that moment, a glint flashed in the crimson eyes of the Aohuang Divine Beast,
It wasn't joy, but rather—the gluttonous desire before destruction.
The night was cold and still, with thick, dark clouds churning above the Chen Clan's residence. The wind howled low, like the murmurs of countless wronged souls.
Chen Xiang in the night mist, his figure half-hidden, half-revealed, his blood-red eyes reflecting eerie patterns of light, a cold smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"The Chen Clan is indeed well-established... They even managed to hide such a Destiny Sequence Treasure Box. Haha... But to fully recover, I'm still missing one thing—'human soul blood'."
His voice was hoarse, as if he were murmuring, or perhaps mocking the void.
Immediately, his figure transformed into a black shadow, drifting lightly into the back garden. There, in a tranquil jade pavilion, outside the silver gauze curtains, only a bronze lamp swayed in the wind. The lamplight illuminated a woman sleeping soundly on the bed— Chen Ruoli, a disciple of the Chen Clan's Only Book Realm. Her soul was pure, flowing with intense spiritual waves of the Book Order, making her a prodigy Chen Clan was focusing on cultivating.
Chen Xiang's eyes grew increasingly gloomy. He raised his hand and gestured, and a wisp of crimson "Aohuang Blood Breath" flowed from his fingertips, turning into fine threads in the air and silently seeping into the woman's body.
The light flickered slightly, and a strange red mark suddenly appeared between the woman's brows. She seemed to sense something in her dream, her brow furrowing slightly, yet she remained unconscious.
The next moment--
The air in the room suddenly froze.
A power from the primordial abyss spread silently, the colors of heaven and earth were instantly stripped away, and the flame of the bronze lamp turned black. The woman's body slowly floated up, a faint red light emanating from her, a sign that her soul blood was being drawn in the opposite direction.
Chen Xiang's shadow gradually twisted and transformed into the true form of the Aohuang Divine Beast.
That is something that cannot be described in human language.
Countless lines of blood hung from beneath its four wings. The beast's head was as ferocious as a bone carving, and a deep abyss eye split open in the center of its chest, sucking up the dissipating soul light from the woman's body.
"Indeed... the Soul of the Only Book Realm, truly an extraordinary experience."
The voice of the Aohuang was deep and drawn out, like an ancient god who had been thirsty for ten thousand years savoring a long-awaited offering.
The woman's soul was extracted in an extremely short time, transforming into countless streams of light that entered the chest pupils of the Aohuang Divine Beast. Each wisp of soul light that touched its body surface transformed into tiny runes, merging into its blood-red scales.
Her body gradually became transparent in the silence, first her skin turned to dust, then her bones shattered into invisible dust, and finally even the breath of her soul was completely swallowed up, leaving only the bedding on the bed trembling silently.
Chen Xiang transformed back into human form, raised his hand to wipe away the blood from the corner of his lips, and his face returned to its original gentle and refined appearance.
He looked at the empty room and chuckled coldly in a low voice, "To protect the name of the Chen Clan is to sacrifice the blood of the Chen Clan... This is the irony of fate."
As soon as he finished speaking, his figure slowly merged into the void, as if he had never existed.
The entire jade pavilion fell silent once more, save for the flickering black lamp, which emitted a faint crackling sound, as if weeping in the darkness.
Before dawn, a deathly gray light shrouded the entire Chen Clan estate. The once magnificent and spiritually vibrant palace was now enveloped in a chilling and anxious atmosphere. The wind whipped up dust, which whistled through the corridors as if lamenting some unspeakable fear.
The main hall of the Chen Clan was now wide open, and a dozen or so stewards and guards gathered in front of it with alarmed expressions, whispering amongst themselves.
"Starting from midnight last night, the spiritual energy in the entire South Garden and the Inner Cabinet Library became strangely chaotic... When I went to investigate, I discovered that even Chen Dai and Chen Wei were missing!"
"My senior uncle Chen Rong from my lineage is also gone; even his imprint in his sea of consciousness has completely disappeared—this is definitely not because he went out, but because he was completely... erased!"
"Heavens! The auras of more than a dozen Only Book Realm were simultaneously severed! This is half of the Fate Soul pillars of the Chen Clan!"
As the murmurs grew louder, a furious shout suddenly shattered from inside the palace gates—
"Enough!"
The bronze palace doors shook violently, and the Chen Clan's Grand Elder strode out, his anger blazing. He wore a dark gold robe, his white hair flew wildly, and his eyes flashed with fury and barely suppressed fear.
"Do you think I can't hear you? More than a dozen experts at the Only Book Realm, vanished overnight, not even their remnant souls remain. If word gets out, the entire Source of Epochless · Middle Layer will think our Chen Clan is cursed!"
He slammed his palm on the jade table. The table shattered into dust instantly, and the scattered spiritual light illuminated the hall, reflecting his furious face.
"Someone come here!"
Dozens of guards outside the hall knelt down simultaneously and replied in unison, "Present!"
"Investigate thoroughly! From the South Garden to the Library, from the Soul Hall to the Spirit Well in the Back Mountain, leave no corner unchecked! Find every trace of aura, every single spiritual mark!"
"Yes, sir!"
Dozens of figures disappeared into the morning mist like streaks of light.
The air inside the hall was so heavy it was suffocating; only the whispers of the Chen Clan's eldest elder echoed:
"That night... Chen Dai, Chen Wei, Chen Rong, Chen Shuang, Chen Lie... they were all gone."
He clenched his fists, his spiritual energy erratic. "This power is too strange, it's like... my soul blood has been drained, even my life force has been devoured."
However, just as his anger was surging, a barely perceptible shadow swept across the rooftop of the Chen mansion from the depths of the entire residence.
That was the figure of "Chen Xiang".
He walked slowly in the shadows of the corridor, a barely perceptible smile playing on his lips.
Each step he took was accompanied by extremely faint crimson ripples that seeped from his footprints and then merged into the ground, as if devouring the aura of the entire mansion.
He muttered to himself, his tone eerily flat:
"A dozen or so Only Book Realm are far from enough. The Chen Clan has only just begun to awaken its destiny."
He looked up at the crimson dawn rising on the horizon, his eyes flashing with an abyss-like crimson light, and smiled slightly.
"Dawn... truly the perfect time to devour."
The night had not yet fallen, and the morning light was suppressed beyond the sky by thick, dark clouds. Inside the inner hall of the Chen Clan, wisps of purple-gold lamplight flickered amidst the sandalwood smoke, and a dense Spiritual Qi surged, illuminating Chen Xintong's calm yet dangerous face.
She sat upright on the jade platform, her slender fingers lightly tapping the table, each touch causing a barely perceptible spatial tremor. Outside the hall, dozens of guards and elder-level retainers knelt on the ground, their faces pale, not daring to utter a word.
The old servant, who looked like a steward, knelt at the front and reported in a trembling voice:
"Reporting to Madam, after searching all night, we still haven't found any trace of the spirits of Chen Dai, Chen Wei, Chen Rong, and the other sixteen. Even their imprints of consciousness have completely disappeared from the genealogy stone... This is definitely not an escape or going out; it's as if... their existence has been erased."
As soon as the words were spoken, the air in the hall seemed to freeze.
Chen Xintong slowly raised her head, her red sleeves fluttering slightly, her gaze so cold it seemed to freeze the void. "Erased? Ha... Do you think I haven't seen the art of Annihilation? Sixteen beings at the Only Book Realm, not even a trace of their souls remaining—what kind of being could do that?!"
With a single strike, the table shattered, the golden rune array burst forth with spiritual light, and the air resonated with a powerful rage.
"The Li Clan? -- No, impossible." She murmured, her expression sinister. "Chen Wei is a Dark Clan disciple I personally trained; she would never betray me. Unless -- unless none of this was done by a human being."
At this point, her voice lowered, carrying an almost icy rationality.
She slowly rose, her long red silk robe trailing behind her, gently sparking tiny sparks.
"Issue my order—seal off the inner palace and forbid any leaks of information. All Chen Clan disciples must return to their residences immediately; anyone who leaves the palace without cause will be executed without exception!"
"Yes!" came a resounding reply from outside the hall.
Chen Xintong remained silent for a moment, then turned to the old servant beside her. "Go, set up as I instructed. Activate the triple barrier and the seventy-two-style soul-locking array. Investigate every trace of soul energy in every hidden well, secret chamber, and talisman tower. Whoever it is, they will eventually slip up."
The old servant bowed his head. "Yes, sir!"
Chen Xintong turned her back to everyone, gently closed her eyes, and slowly exhaled. The anger in her eyes was replaced by calmness, and in its place was an extreme level of caution.
"There is one more thing—" Her voice echoed in the hall, like a divine decree from afar.
"You—" she pointed to the eldest guard captain, "Quietly leave the manor, cross the West Ridge Ancient Road, and head to the Heavenly Emanation Fault. Tell Chen Jieli the whole story, word for word. Remember, it must be relayed personally. Only he can make the decision on this matter."
The head guard was startled, his face turning deathly pale. "Madam, you mean... you're inviting him to the Chen residence in person?"
Chen Xintong smiled coldly, her eyes like falling stars. "At this point, no one but him can stop the impending storm."
She slowly walked to the window, watching the blood-red morning light gradually fall upon the Chen Clan palace.
The wind blew her long hair, her robes fluttered, and her entire silhouette resembled a statue standing still in the eye of a storm.
"Go quickly," she whispered, "Tell Chen Jieli — the Chen Clan is likely about to face a true 'dawn of bloodshed'."
Night fell completely into a silent abyss. The wind stirred the soul lamps outside the palace, and the flickering flames cast a dark red light on Chen Xintong's face, like burning blood.
She stood quietly by the window, her hands clasped behind her back, her gaze passing over the towering buildings and landing on the sky outside the Chen residence, swallowed by the night mist. At that moment, her eyes were so deep that they seemed to pierce through the darkness and see the thread of fate beyond time.
All sounds in the palace were Entering Stillness by her thoughts. Only her breathing was light and even, and even the sound of her sleeves slipping down seemed to be suppressed in the air.
After a long silence, she spoke slowly, her voice so low it was as if she were talking to herself:
"Chen Wei... Chen Dai... sixteen Only Book Realm, their Soul Seal annihilated overnight... This was not a simple assassination, nor was it a trace of the Annihilation Technique."
She raised her hand, her fingertips lightly tracing the remaining incense ash on the table. The trails of the drifting ash faintly revealed twisted, blood-red runes. Her brow furrowed slightly.
"It's like... being swallowed up."
As she uttered those three words, her voice abruptly stopped, and her eyes darkened. It was as if she had suddenly realized something terrifying, and her heart clenched sharply.
"If that's really the case..." She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and her nails almost dug into her palms.
"Chen Jieli, you must get here as soon as possible. Otherwise—"
Her voice trembled slightly, but then instantly turned as cold as ice:
"Otherwise, this storm might not even be able to weather, even for the Chen Clan."
The sound of wind swept in from outside the window, lifting the hem of her red dress and gently patting the jade steps. The palace lamps flickered, casting her shadow on the wall—a shadow that slowly twisted in the firelight, as if foreshadowing the fate of the entire Chen Clan being torn apart by an invisible black hand.
Chen Xintong slowly raised her eyes, gazing at the last sliver of the moon in the night sky. Her lips curled slightly, and her voice was like shattered glass in the cold night:
"This matter... is definitely not that simple."
She slowly turned around, her eyes as deep as a red lotus at the bottom of hell, and whispered:
"I'm afraid... the Chen Clan is about to face its greatest challenge in history."