The tournament had ended. The victors were celebrated, the defeated forgotten. And now its time for everyone to return to their respective sect.
As the Crimson Vale Sect elders and disciples made their way back on the back of a giant winged spirit beast over a forested area, the air grew unnaturally still. The sun hung low, veiled by drifting clouds. That's when hundred and fifty foot in the sky turned darker than black.
Shadow Domain Compression.
Vision, spiritual sense, and sound were swallowed whole. The Spirit Fusion Realm elders of the Crimson Vale Sect were caught off guard. Their cultivation was formidable, but not enough to pierce the domain much less their panicking disciples that were below them in realm.
They were completely blind and helpless.
Jalen moved like a whisper. He was merged with the shadows themselves. He became intangible, invisible, and utterly silent.
Eclipsed Soul Vanishing.
A flicker of motion. A blade of darkness.
Twin Void Severance cleaved through one elder's defenses, severing his spirit threads. He collapsed, his body fading into the shadows. He got devoured.
The second elder was practically taken down in the same manner.
Renzo Vale, the youth who had humiliated Lloyd, stumbled around in terror. Shadow spears—Silent Spear Manifestation—pierced all four of his limbs, pinning him midair. Then one struck his dantian. His cultivation base shattered.
He screamed, but no one could hear him. No one could see him. The darkness was absolute.
But Jalen didn't stop there.
He crippled the other disciples as well. He knew they could eventually restore their cultivation, but it would take time. That wasn't the point. This was meant to sting—to humiliate the Crimson Vale Sect.
Then Jalen turned to the final elder. The one who had secretly attacked Lloyd during the tournament. The one likely behind the assassination attempt on Lloyd and his sect members.
He had saved the best for last.
First, he unleashed Spirit Wind Needle, piercing the elder's spiritual defenses and shattering his soul. Then, one of the blades of Ebon Severance—his supreme-grade shadow tool—sank deep into the elder's core. Finally, Jalen activated Shadow Devour.
The elder tried to resist. Flame qi burst from his body in desperation. But it was useless.
The shadows coiled around him like a serpent. They consumed him—body, spirit, and soul.
No trace remained.
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Shadow coiled around him like a serpent. He unleashed flame qi, but it was useless. The shadow consumed him—body, spirit, and soul. No trace remained.
Five minutes.
That's all it took.
When the shadow domain dispersed, all that remained was chaos.
The spirit beast they had been riding was already fleeing—its wings beating furiously as it sped away, terrified for its life.
The crippled disciples, weakened by their shattered cultivation foundations, plummeted from the sky like meteors. But just as they neared the ground, a powerful gust of wind surged upward, cushioning their fall and preventing a gruesome impact.
Far away, Jalen—who had been observing from a distance—quietly switched places with his clone. The clone dissolved into mist.
Not even the spirit imprints embedded in the disciples could identify him. The only thing they recorded was a void—an absence so complete, so absolute, it defied analysis.
___
Far away, Lloyd and his group arrived at the Raine Sect's mountain sanctuary. The journey had been long, but uneventful—at least for them.
As they crossed the sect's threshold, the real Jalen silently took the place of his clone.
No one noticed the switch.
They were home.
The Raine Sect was modest in size but rich in legacy. Nestled within the eastern range of the Great Wave Continent, it was known for its diverse elemental cultivators, refined formations, and strict discipline.
Its patriarch, Shanell Granger, was a woman of quiet power—a Peak Immortal Realm expert whose presence alone could silence a hall. She had ruled the sect for over two centuries, guiding it through wars, alliances, and internal strife.
Supporting her were five Immortal Realm elders: Three at the early stage, and two at the mid stage. Together, they kept the sect functional and formidable.
They gathered in the Grand Pavilion, waiting.
Rumors had already spread among the sect's upper ranks and disciples: Lloyd, their number one disciple, had returned. And he wasn't alone.
Those who had witnessed Jalen's true cultivation were bound by silence. Master Alando had made it clear—Jalen's realm was not to be discussed. To most, he was simply Lloyd's younger brother. An anomaly. A mystery.
When Jalen and Lloyd, escorted by Elder Alando, entered the Grand Pavilion, the room fell into a hush. Five Immortal Realm elders stood in quiet anticipation alongside the sect's patriarch. Their gazes turned toward the youth walking beside Lloyd—not with deference, but with quiet authority.
Jalen didn't bow. He didn't speak.
He simply stood—eyes calm, aura suppressed so deeply it was as if he were an ordinary mortal.
Shanell studied him, her expression unreadable. Master Alando had already informed her and the elders of the boy's cultivation—an Immortal Realm prodigy, barely seventeen. But standing before him now, they sensed nothing. No qi. No pressure. No resonance.
It was unnatural.
Even a mortal had a spiritual rhythm. But Jalen was like still water—so still it defied nature.
Lloyd stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"I heard from Master Alando what happened at the tournament," Shanell said, her voice warm but measured. "Well done. You did your best."
Lloyd nodded, saying nothing more.
Then Shanell turned to Jalen and, to the surprise of the elders, offered a slight bow.
"If young master doesn't mind," she said, "may I know your name, so I may address you properly?"
Jalen returned the gesture with a simple bow.
"It's Jalen."
"Nice to meet you, Jalen," Shanell replied. "And thank you for saving our disciples."
Jalen nodded once. No more words were exchanged.
The room was filled with questions—unspoken, heavy, and pressing. But none dared voice them. To ask about his cultivation, his origin, or his techniques would be rude. And dangerous.
Jalen could feel it. The restraint. The curiosity. The quiet awe.
He was a young man with Immortal Realm cultivation. That alone was enough to shake the foundations of any sect. But the way he carried himself—the silence, the precision, the absence of ego—made him even more enigmatic.
When the sect elders and Shanell finished praising Lloyd for his performance, they gifted him spirit items to aid his cultivation.
Then, without ceremony, Jalen and Lloyd activated Luminous Veil Step. In an instant, both vanished from the pavilion, leaving behind only a faint ripple in the air.
Shanell stood still for a moment, then turned to Master Alando.
"Grant Lloyd special privileges," she said. "Effective immediately."
Master Alando bowed. "Understood."
It was the luck of the heavens, he thought. To find a rare genius like Lloyd—an eighteen-year-old at Peak Moon Realm—was already a miracle. But now, his brother stood in the same realm as the patriarch herself.
That wasn't luck.
That was fate.
And fate rarely came without a price.
Surely, these two couldn't be from an ordinary background. Their bloodline, their talent, their silence—it all pointed to something greater. Something hidden.
The elders exchanged glances, each silently wondering the same thing.
Who are they really?