The hidden chamber trembled as Shen Zong lifted the coiled shadow whip and the black gauntlet, feeling the surge of demonic energy merge seamlessly with the Cursed Lotus Scripture. Each movement made his veins hum, each breath feeding the cursed mark on his chest.
"This… is only the beginning," he murmured, calm and cold. "Let's see how far the world is willing to push me."
---
Outside the ruins, the mountains echoed with the footfalls of elite cultivators. Representatives from both the Azure Cloud Sect and the Verdant Peak Sect had converged, forming an uneasy coalition.
At their head was Elder Qingfeng, a veteran of countless battles, his jade sword radiating aura that cut through the air like a storm. Beside him, Sect Disciple Xian Mo glared at the ruins, his confidence tempered by respect from their previous encounter.
"The boy has relics now," Xian Mo muttered. "This will not be a simple retrieval. We face something beyond mortal comprehension."
Elder Qingfeng's eyes narrowed. "Then we act with precision. No rash attacks. He is strong, but his power has limits. Find them—and eliminate him."
---
Shen Zong emerged from the hidden chamber, the phantom lotus behind him pulsating violently. He tested the gauntlet first. A single strike against the ground sent black energy surging outward, ripping through stone and trees, leaving scorched craters.
Qi Refinement… Fifth Stage! The scripture whispered.
Next, he tested the shadow whip. A flick of his wrist extended the weapon hundreds of meters, its tendrils devouring nearby residual qi, including the faint aura left by ancient spirits lingering in the ruins.
He smiled faintly. "Come. Bring your best. Let me see the strength of those who would oppose me."
---
The coalition advanced cautiously, their steps precise, their formation tight. Elder Qingfeng struck first, jade sword raised, slicing through the air with blinding speed. Xian Mo followed, summoning a storm of green qi, the combined pressure threatening to crush mountains.
Shen Zong's phantom lotus bloomed fully, petals snapping outward. Shadow tendrils intercepted every attack, absorbing and redirecting qi. The whip lashed, striking Xian Mo's sword and sending the young cultivator stumbling backward.
Elder Qingfeng's eyes widened. The boy… controls the very battlefield.
Shen Zong moved like water, graceful yet lethal, using the relics' power to enhance his already ruthless precision. One by one, the coalition's attacks were neutralized, their energy siphoned by the lotus and channeled into his body.
Blood and energy flowed, but Shen Zong remained calm, his mind sharp, analyzing every move. Each enemy became a lesson, each clash an opportunity to grow.
Finally, with a calculated flick of the shadow whip and a surge from the gauntlet, Shen Zong sent Elder Qingfeng and Xian Mo crashing into the ruins, the impact creating a cloud of dust and stone. When the dust cleared, the two cultivators lay battered, their qi significantly drained, their pride shattered.
Shen Zong stood among the ruins, chest mark pulsing with new strength. "The stronger the opponent, the more the lotus blooms," he whispered. "And soon… I will surpass even those who created this world."
---
Far away, hidden in the shadows, scouts from other powerful sects and demonic organizations observed silently. They had seen the display: the Cursed Lotus, relics of the Fallen Saints, and a boy who had survived against the mightiest disciples of two sects simultaneously.
The storm of interest, fear, and ambition had begun.
And Shen Zong, calm and ruthless as ever, was ready for the world to strike.