The theft of the Ghost Dragon Heartbloom and the silent annihilation of three Peak Nascent Soul leaders from the Crimson Blade Legion sent the entire Celestial Sword Syndicate into violent chaos. The loss of a Tier-9 legendary herb was secondary to the chilling fact that three elite experts vanished without a trace of a struggle.
The Escape Through Chaos
Ling Tian and Lin Yue plunged into the deepest, most unstable canyons of the Thousand-Pillars Wasteland. Ling Tian used his remaining Void Step Pills and continuously executed the Primordial Chaos Shadow Steps, maintaining maximum velocity and stealth.
The Syndicate's pursuit was relentless. Within an hour, massive squadrons of sword cultivators—all Mid-Nascent Soul and above—were scouring the region. Their search techniques, while powerful, were clumsy against Ling Tian's perfected camouflage.
"Master, their spiritual sense sweeps are powerful! They are moving in grids," Lin Yue whispered anxiously as they hid inside a small, sealed cavern. "If they combine their senses, they will find us!"
"They rely on quantity, not quality," Ling Tian stated, wiping the sweat from his brow. The sustained use of the escape technique and core suppression was draining even him. "We cannot stay here. We must move toward the spiritual turbulence zone."
Ling Tian led them toward the region where ancient formation failures caused constant, localized spiritual storms—areas too dangerous for routine Syndicate patrols.
Internal Turmoil in the Syndicate
Meanwhile, back at the Syndicate's headquarters, the Sect Master, Lord Shen, a formidable expert nearing the Spirit Severing Pinnacle, was enraged.
"Three Peak Nascent Souls gone! No explosion, no residue, no sign of what killed them!" Lord Shen roared, slamming his fist onto his jade throne, shattering it. "Was this the work of the Jade Lake Palace? Did they dare retaliate for their loss?"
Elder Fan, the head of the Crimson Blade Legion, knelt, his face pale. "Sect Master, the attack was too subtle for the Jade Lake Palace's crude methods. We found a faint, strange energy signature near the altar—pure, primordial, utterly destructive. It resembles ancient records of Chaos Energy."
The revelation of "Chaos Energy" sent a shiver through the assembly. It spoke of a power level far beyond the current realm's understanding.
Lord Shen's eyes narrowed with cold calculation. "Chaos Energy... Could this be a rogue descendant of the ancient Immortal Emperors? Focus the search! Use the highest-grade tracking array! We must capture this perpetrator. Their methods are a threat to our entire system!"
The Syndicate's pursuit immediately intensified, shifting from a simple manhunt to an urgent, high-stakes operation.
The Return to the Citadel
After another two days of grueling, continuous flight, Ling Tian and Lin Yue finally broke free of the Syndicate's search radius.
They arrived back at the Hidden Peak Citadel, exhausted but intact.
Hu Lie, looking relieved, rushed to meet them. "Master Ling Tian! You're back! The Jade Lake Palace sent patrols, but we used the array and your pills to cripple their attempts."
Ling Tian ignored Hu Lie's report, focusing entirely on the prize. He retrieved the Ghost Dragon Heartbloom from the Jade Preservation Box.
The herb pulsed with vital energy—the ultimate catalyst.
"Lin Yue, Hu Lie," Ling Tian commanded, his voice tight with fatigue and anticipation. "Guard this Citadel with your lives. Do not allow a single soul to disturb me. I enter immediate seclusion."
He looked at the herb, then at the vast energy flowing from the Mid-Grade Immortal Vein.
"It is time to ascend," Ling Tian murmured, his eyes glowing with violet-gold light. "The Peak Golden Core is finished. The true Immortal Stage, the Nascent Soul Realm, awaits."