The Cursed Lands stretched out before Li Xuan like the open jaws of a beast—dense, hostile, and hungering for blood. The earth here was cracked and dry, soaked in centuries of spiritual corruption. Few dared enter. Fewer returned.
But Li Xuan walked forward like he belonged.
System:
—Mission 1: Eliminate Blackwind Bandits [Active]
—Mission 2: Collect Soul Grass [Cursed Lands – High Risk]
—Mission Mode: Dual Engagement (Progress: 0%)
—System Points: 137 / 500
—Warning: Multiple hostile forces detected within 500 meters—
His saber, Heaven-Shearing Executioner, lay strapped across his back like a slumbering beast, and despite its immense weight, it moved with him like it was part of his body.
The wind shifted.
He stopped.
In the distance, figures emerged—bandits clad in black, scarred and lean, blades drawn.
"Looks like we got ourselves a little rabbit," one sneered. "And he's alone."
"No spirit beasts, no backup. He's ours."
Li Xuan didn't answer.
Instead, he unsheathed the saber. The weight cracked the stone beneath his feet.
System:
—Enemy Cultivation: Mid Qi Condensation (x3), Peak Qi Condensation (x1)
—Suggested Strategy: Kill the leader first. Demoralize the rest.—
"I know," Li Xuan whispered.
With a single step, Phantom Step activated.
He vanished.
Appeared behind the peak-realm bandit.
And brought the saber down like a falling mountain.
BOOM!
The man didn't scream. He didn't even process death. Just a blur—then a body, halved, blood soaking the cursed soil.
The other three froze.
"What the hell?!"
"Monster!"
But Li Xuan was already among them.
A swing shattered ribs. Another took off an arm. The third tried to run—Phantom Step closed the distance—and the saber sang once more.
—+4 Kills. Brutality Bonus: Activated. System Points +21—
—Current SP: 158 / 500—
Li Xuan exhaled. Then turned toward the deeper forest.
—
Two hours passed. Soul Grass was found in patches—each stalk guarded by parasitic spirit worms and blood-hungry vines. A normal cultivator would have struggled, dodged, maybe retreated.
Not Li Xuan.
He walked through the poison clouds and cursed vines like a reaper.
Executioner fed on the blood of corrupted beasts.
By the time the sun dipped below the treetops, he had a full pouch of Soul Grass, thirteen kills behind him, and enough materials to flood the sect market.
System:
—Mission Complete: 'Purge Blackwind Bandits'—
—Mission Complete: 'Collect Soul Grass'—
—Total SP Earned: +57—
—Current SP: 215 / 500—
But just as he prepared to leave, a new notification flared.
System:
—[???] Event Triggered: Shadow Mirror Detected
—Classification: Forbidden Artifact
—Options: Engage / Flee / Observe—
Li Xuan paused. "Show me."
A ripple in the air revealed a broken obsidian mirror, half-buried in blood-soaked soil. It pulsed. Reflected not his image—but his shadow. In the mirror, his eyes were pitch black, mouth twisted into something monstrous.
"…Interesting."
He stepped forward.
System:
—Engagement Confirmed. Shadow Trial Initiated—
Suddenly, the world twisted.
The air thinned. The forest vanished.
And he stood… face-to-face with himself.
But this Li Xuan wore no cloak. No armor. Just flesh—and pure, bottomless bloodlust.
No words.
They lunged at the same time.
Steel rang. Fists collided. Bones cracked.
This wasn't a test of skill. It was identity.
The battle lasted minutes. Or maybe hours.
Both used Phantom Step. Both had the saber. But only one had something deeper—a presence sharpened through death, missions, and ruthless purpose.
Li Xuan bled.
But he smiled through the pain.
Then, with a roar, he locked the mirror clone's saber—and crushed his jaw with a brutal elbow. One more twist—and the saber pierced through the doppelgänger's spine.
Shattered.
Gone.
System:
—Shadow Trial Cleared. +41 SP Earned. Forbidden Insight Gained: 'Kill Instinct' (Passive)—
—SP: 256 / 500—
Li Xuan stood still for a moment.
Breathing.
Grinning.
His body was trembling—not from fear, but from the high of pushing past the edge again.
Back at the academy.
Word had already begun to spread.
"He's back from the Cursed Lands…"
"With two missions done?"
"And he came back with a new saber…"
Outer disciples whispered. Inner disciples frowned.
Elders watched.
One, in particular, stood at the cliff above the academy's central tower. Elder Qingye, master of the Punishment Hall.
He narrowed his eyes at the returning youth.
"This one," he muttered. "He walks like he owns the mountain. He'll either break the heavens… or drown under them."
—
Later that night, Li Xuan sat on the edge of a spirit rock behind the academy, saber leaning beside him.
The system's voice came again—smoother, clearer than before.
"You bleed easier now," it said. "Yet you grow stronger."
Li Xuan smirked. "Growth without blood isn't real."
System:
—Companion Flame Serpent: Stirring. Reactivation Possible with Tribulation Spark—
—Next Mission Queue Ready—
—Suggested Upgrade Path: Cultivation Precision, Saber Mastery, Inner Sect Trial Preparation—
He looked up at the stars.
"Show me all of it," he said. "The whole damn sky. I'll cut my way there."
The saber beside him pulsed once. Like it agreed.
—
Cultivation Status: Late Qi Condensation (95%)
System Points: 256 / 500
Techniques: Phantom Step, Qi Compression, Close Combat, Kill Instinct (Passive)
Weapon: Heaven-Shearing Executioner
Storage: Active
Academy Status: Outer Disciple (Feared)
Current Allies: None (yet)