The three days before the mission's departure were a blur of quiet, focused activity at the Azure Serpent Lake. The usual air of peaceful diligence was gone, replaced by a tense, somber energy. Hu Jian and Lin Tao patrolled the perimeter with a grim intensity, their eyes scanning the peaks for any signs of trouble. Brother Kai, meanwhile, had emptied his personal storage ring, creating a small mountain of items on the main table of the pagoda.
"This is a high-grade detoxification pill," he said, his weathered finger tapping a small, green vial. "It can neutralize over a hundred common swamp venoms. Crush it under your tongue if you're bitten. Don't hesitate." He pushed a tightly rolled, oilskin-wrapped map forward. "This is an old map of the Fen's outer regions. It's not perfect—the swamps shift—but it marks several known danger zones and a few relatively safe resting spots. Study it."
He continued, his voice a low, urgent rumble, "These are Water-Repelling Talismans. They'll keep the damp and the leeches off you. And this," he held up a small, silver locket, "is a Soul-Guarding Amulet. It's a low-grade spiritual tool, but it can defend against a single mental assault from a Rank 4 beast. It was a gift from my own master, many years ago. You take it."
Li Yu looked at the pile of treasures, then at the deeply worried faces of his subordinates. He had been an orphan, a lone wolf, for most of his life. This feeling of being cared for, of having people genuinely fear for his safety, was a strange and unfamiliar warmth in his chest.
"Thank you," he said, his voice sincere. He accepted the map and the pills but pushed the amulet back towards the old steward. "Brother Kai, this is too precious. It is a memento from your master. I cannot take it."
"What use is a memento to a dead man?" Brother Kai insisted, his voice gruff. "I am at the Second Stage of Qi Condensation. My soul is stable. You are still in the Body Tempering Realm. Your spirit is vulnerable. Take it, and don't argue with me."
Hu Jian, ever the pragmatist, chimed in. "He's right, Junior Steward. Besides, you're the one going into the snake pit. We're just here feeding the fish." He paused, a thoughtful look on his face. "Speaking of snakes, my grandfather used to tell stories about the Whispering Fen. He was a rogue cultivator in his youth. He said the Serpent's Breath Lotus is always guarded by a powerful beast, usually a Venom-Spitting Hydra or a Swamp Naga."
"Worse than that," Lin Tao added, his voice barely a whisper. "There are legends of something deeper in the Fen. Something ancient. They call it the 'Abyssal Mire-Wyrm.' They say it's a true descendant of an ancient dragon, a creature whose very presence can poison the land. Of course, it's just a story to scare children."
Li Yu's heart skipped a beat. An Abyssal Mire-Wyrm. A true descendant of a dragon. The blood-red Koi in his dantian, which had been dormant, pulsed with a sudden, intense longing. The name itself resonated with his own «Abyssal Leviathan Physique». It was a sign, a thread of fate in the coming darkness.
On the final evening before his departure, he received a summons. He met his master not in her study, but on the highest, open-air balcony of her pagoda, overlooking the entire sect as the sun bled into the horizon.
"The Whispering Fen is a place where the lines between life and death are thin," Elder Ning said, her gaze fixed on the distant, darkening swamps. "Elder Jin believes he is sending you to your grave."
"This disciple will not disappoint Master," Li Yu replied calmly.
"I know you won't," she said, a hint of pride in her voice. "But your enemies are not just the beasts of the swamp. The team leader for this mission is Jian Feng's elder cousin, Jian Long. He is at the Fourth Stage of Qi Condensation, a cunning and ruthless individual. He will be the leader of this little hunting party. He will try to isolate you, to lead you into a trap, to make your death look like an accident. Do not give him the chance."
She turned to face him, her eyes sharp. "You have shown me your strength. But in the Fen, strength alone is not enough. You must be the serpent in the grass, the shadow in the water. Survive. That is your only objective. The lotus is secondary. Your life is what matters."
She handed him a single, exquisitely crafted silver talisman. It was covered in complex, flowing runes that seemed to shimmer with the light of the moon. "This is a Void-Shift Talisman. It is a one-time use, life-saving treasure. When activated, it will instantly teleport you a thousand feet in a random direction. Do not use it unless you are facing certain death. It is the only aid I can give you that will not violate the rules of the mission."
"Thank you, Master," Li Yu said, accepting the precious talisman. It was a final, tangible piece of her protection.
The morning of the departure was a grand affair. A dozen core disciples were gathered at the sect's main plaza, a collection of the sect's brightest young talents. A massive, flat-decked flying ship, held aloft by glowing formation stones, waited to transport them.
Li Yu arrived last, his presence immediately drawing a wave of whispers and stares. He saw Jian Long at the head of the group, a tall, handsome disciple with his cousin's arrogance but none of his hot-headed impulsiveness. His eyes were cold and calculating, and when they met Li Yu's, they held a clear, murderous promise. He was surrounded by a clique of other disciples, all of whom wore the subtle insignia of Elder Jin's faction.
To his surprise, he also saw a familiar, cold face standing apart from the main group. Su Ling, the First Elder's disciple, was also part of the mission. She gave him a brief, almost imperceptible nod, her expression unreadable. Her presence was an unexpected variable. Was she a friend, a foe, or simply an observer?
The mission was led by an inner sect deacon, a stern, middle-aged man at the peak of the Qi Condensation Realm. He did a quick headcount, his gaze lingering on Li Yu for a moment with a mixture of pity and curiosity, before giving the order to board.
The journey was a tense, silent affair. Li Yu found a quiet corner at the back of the ship's deck, far from the hostile glares of Jian Long's group. He closed his eyes, appearing to meditate, but his spiritual sense was on high alert, monitoring the conversations and the subtle shifts in the disciples' auras.
"Look at him," one of Jian Long's lackeys sneered, his voice a low whisper but easily overheard. "The famous Junior Steward. He looks like a frightened rabbit. I wonder how long he'll last once we're on the ground."
"Don't underestimate him," Jian Long's voice was a cold, sharp blade. "He is a slippery one. But the Fen has a way of swallowing those who are too clever for their own good. We will simply follow the mission's objectives. If he happens to get lost in the poisonous fog, or stumbles into a hydra's nest… well, such accidents are common in the Whispering Fen."
Their intentions were laid bare. They were not just planning to kill him; they were planning to do it in a way that was perfectly deniable.
After six hours of flight, the landscape below began to change. The lush, green mountains gave way to a vast, sprawling swampland that stretched to the horizon. A thick, sickly green-grey mist clung to the ground, obscuring the dark, stagnant water and the twisted, skeletal trees. The air grew heavy and humid, carrying a faint, sweet scent of decay. This was the Whispering Fen.
The flying ship descended, hovering a hundred feet above a small, relatively solid-looking island that would serve as their base camp. The deacon gave his final instructions.
"The Serpent's Breath Lotus grows in the deepest, most dangerous part of the Fen, the Serpent's Heart basin. The journey will take three days. We travel by day and set up defensive formations at night. Your team leader is Senior Brother Jian Long. His orders are to be followed without question. Do not stray from the group. Do not touch anything you do not recognize. Your survival is your own responsibility. Now, disembark."
One by one, the disciples leaped from the ship, their bodies shrouded in Qi as they landed gracefully on the damp earth. Li Yu was the last to jump. He landed softly, the ground squelching under his boots. He could feel it immediately—a thousand different aquatic and amphibious life forces all around him. The air was thick with the consciousness of venomous serpents, giant, multi-limbed insects, and sullen, ancient crocodilian beasts. The entire swamp was a massive, interconnected ecosystem of predators.
He looked up at Jian Long, who was staring at him with a cold, predatory smile. The trap was set. The hunt was about to begin.
Li Yu met his gaze, his own expression perfectly calm. He took a deep breath of the foul, decaying air, and a strange, exhilarating feeling washed over him. The Koi in his dantian pulsed with a wild, joyful energy. The fear and tension he had felt in the sect were gone, replaced by a profound sense of belonging.
They thought they had thrown him into a death trap. They had no idea. They had just sent him home.