The clang of swords echoed through the training grounds as outer disciples of the Crimson Cloud Sect sparred under the watchful gaze of their instructors. Their robes, embroidered with crimson clouds and golden trim, marked their status within the sect. Kai Shen, however, wore no such robe. His attire was plain, patched at the seams, and smeared with dust from the countless tasks forced upon him.
He knelt by the weapon racks, polishing blades that he wasn't even allowed to touch during training. The metallic tang of oil mixed with the earthy scent of the courtyard as the disciples practiced forms with loud shouts of exertion.
"Hey, servant!" a sharp voice barked, cutting through the din.
Kai didn't look up. He knew better.
"I'm talking to you, rat!" The voice belonged to Liang Yu, one of the sect's rising stars, a smug grin perpetually plastered across his face. The clang of his sword being tossed to the ground made Kai flinch. "Polish that for me. Now."
Kai's hands tightened around the rag in his hand, but he forced himself to nod. "Yes, Senior Liang."
As Kai reached for the blade, Liang stomped on his hand, pinning it to the dirt. A ripple of laughter came from the other disciples nearby.
"Careful, you might chip it with those filthy hands," Liang sneered, pressing harder.
Pain flared in Kai's knuckles, but he clenched his jaw and refused to cry out. The humiliation burned, but it was a familiar heat, one that had seared him every day since he'd been taken in as a servant six years ago.
"Enough, Liang," came a soft, melodic voice.
The laughter died instantly. Kai looked up to see Lin Xue, the Sect Master's youngest daughter, walking toward them. Her flowing robes shimmered like sunlight on water, and her presence seemed to silence the courtyard.
Liang stepped back, his cocky demeanor slipping into a sheepish grin. "Just a bit of fun, Junior Sister Lin. No harm done."
Lin Xue's eyes, bright and piercing, met Kai's for a moment before she turned back to Liang. "Disciples should focus on their training, not tormenting those beneath them."
"Yes, of course," Liang muttered, bowing hastily.
As Lin Xue walked away, Kai gathered the blade and resumed his work. His heart ached, not from the pain in his hand, but from the unspoken truth in her words: "those beneath them." In her eyes, in everyone's eyes, that was all he would ever be.
The Shadowed Hall
Late that night, the weapon hall was silent. The moon cast pale light through the slats of the wooden walls, illuminating the rows of swords and spears. Kai sat cross-legged on the stone floor, staring at his reflection in a polished blade.
"Is this really it?" he whispered to himself. "A life of servitude? Of bowing to the likes of Liang Yu?"
The bitterness in his voice surprised him. He rarely allowed himself to think this way—it was dangerous. Hope was dangerous. But tonight, something was different.
The doors creaked open, and Kai scrambled to his feet, hastily setting the blade aside. Two figures entered, their robes bearing the insignia of inner elders. Kai quickly bowed, keeping his head low.
"You're certain it will work?" one of the elders murmured.
"It must," the other replied. "The Spirit Vein Awakening ceremony requires a sacrifice, and the Void Pill needs a vessel."
Kai froze, his heart pounding.
"What about the servant?" the first elder asked, his voice laced with disdain.
"Who would care if a mere servant disappears?"
The words struck Kai like a blow. He didn't need to hear more. Blood roaring in his ears, he waited until the elders moved deeper into the hall before slipping out through the back door.
The Forbidden Forest
Kai ran. His bare feet pounded against the dirt path leading away from the sect grounds and into the Black Hollow Forest. The elders' words echoed in his mind, mingling with a rising sense of dread.
"A sacrifice," he muttered. "They were going to kill me."
The forest was alive with the sounds of nocturnal creatures. Twisted trees loomed overhead, their gnarled branches casting jagged shadows. No disciple was allowed here; the elders had declared it a cursed place.
Kai stumbled to a halt, gasping for breath. He leaned against a tree, his body trembling.
"What now?" he whispered.
A low growl answered him.
Kai turned, his eyes widening as a massive shadow emerged from the underbrush. It was a spirit beast—a wolf-like creature with black fur streaked with silver, its eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.
The beast lunged.
Kai barely managed to dive aside, rolling across the ground. Pain shot through his shoulder as he scrambled to his feet. The wolf circled him, its movements unnaturally fluid.
"I don't want to die," Kai hissed, his voice shaking.
The wolf pounced again, but this time, something within Kai snapped. A pulse of energy erupted from his chest, and the world seemed to tilt.
Darkness swirled around him, and for a moment, he thought he was falling. Then he realized—the darkness was coming from him.
The wolf froze mid-leap, its glowing eyes wide with fear. The black mist coiled around it like tendrils, dragging it toward Kai.
"No," he whispered, horrified. "What is this?"
But the energy ignored him, devouring the wolf's essence. When it was over, the beast lay motionless, its body withered and pale.
Kai staggered back, clutching his chest. The darkness receded, leaving him trembling and cold.
In the silence that followed, a voice echoed in his mind, low and ancient:
"Child of the Void, your path begins."
Shadows of the Crimson Cloud Sect (Part 2)
Kai clutched his chest, gasping as the last tendrils of black mist dissolved into the night air. The voice that had echoed in his mind moments ago now lingered like a faint whisper in the back of his consciousness.
"Child of the Void," it said again, softer this time.
"What… what are you?" Kai stammered, glancing at the withered corpse of the spirit beast at his feet.
The voice didn't answer. Instead, a faint glow appeared in the corner of his vision—a translucent panel, flickering like a half-lit lantern.
Name: Kai Shen
Health: 23/100
Void Energy: 5/10
Status: Weakened
Abilities Unlocked: Void Absorption (Rank 1)
Kai stumbled back, his heart racing as the panel hovered in front of him. No one in the Crimson Cloud Sect had ever mentioned anything like this. Was this some kind of technique tied to the Void Essence?
"Is this… my status?" he murmured.
The voice returned, calm and cold.
"Correct. You are the vessel. This system will guide you, should you survive long enough to use it."
Kai frowned. "Guide me? Survive what?"
Before the voice could respond, the forest around him stirred. A rustling sound came from the underbrush, and Kai's newfound sense of dread flared. Another spirit beast was near.
The panel flickered again, this time displaying new information:
Spirit Beast Detected
Name: Ironclaw Lynx
Level: Qi Foundation (Mid-Tier)
Threat Level: High
Health: 85/85
Kai's blood ran cold as the beast stepped into view. It was sleek and muscular, its fur shimmering like polished steel under the moonlight. Its yellow eyes locked onto Kai, and a low growl rumbled from its throat.
"I can't fight that," Kai whispered, backing away.
"You cannot run forever," the voice said. "Use what you have."
Kai clenched his fists, frustration boiling over. "What I have? I don't even know what I'm doing!"
The lynx crouched, ready to pounce. Kai's mind raced. His health was dangerously low, and the creature's level was far beyond anything he'd ever faced. He didn't stand a chance—unless the Void Essence could help.
"Void Absorption…" he muttered, focusing on the term that had appeared in his status panel. "How do I use it?"
"Will it. The Void responds to intent."
The lynx leapt, its claws glinting in the moonlight. Kai threw his hands up instinctively, and the air around him warped. Black mist erupted from his body, forming a barrier between him and the beast.
The lynx crashed into the mist, snarling as it clawed at the void-like substance. Kai felt a strange pull in his chest, as if something deep inside him was draining the creature's strength.
Void Absorption Activated
Ironclaw Lynx Health: 85 to 72
Void Energy: 5 to 6
The lynx howled in pain, retreating a few steps as the mist receded. Kai dropped to his knees, panting. The effort had drained him, but the system flashed again:
Warning: Host Health Critically Low
Recommendation: Absorb further or flee.
Kai looked up at the lynx, which was now pacing cautiously. It was wounded but far from defeated. He didn't have the strength for another round of Void Absorption, but running wasn't an option either—not with his injuries.
"Is there another way?" he asked desperately.
"The Void Essence is limitless, but you are not," the voice replied. "You must learn balance. For now, survive as you will."
Kai gritted his teeth. The lynx charged again, its claws outstretched. This time, Kai didn't retreat. He lunged forward, grabbing a fallen branch and swinging it with every ounce of strength he had left.
The branch splintered against the lynx's side, knocking it off course. Kai used the opening to summon the Void Absorption once more, channeling the last of his energy into the attack.
The mist engulfed the lynx, draining its health rapidly.
Ironclaw Lynx Health: 72 to 0
Void Energy: 6 to 10
The lynx collapsed, its body reduced to a withered husk like the wolf before it. The forest grew silent again, save for Kai's ragged breathing.
The system panel updated once more:
Combat Complete
Experience Gained: +20
Level Up!
Current Level: 2
Kai blinked, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "Level… up?"
"Each victory will strengthen you," the voice said. "But the path ahead is steep. Prepare yourself, Child of the Void. This is only the beginning."
Kai stared at the husk of the lynx, his thoughts a whirlwind of fear, confusion, and a spark of something he hadn't felt in years: hope.
If this power could make him stronger—strong enough to rise above the Crimson Cloud Sect, above the lowly town that had cast him aside—then maybe, just maybe, he could forge a new path.
For now, though, he needed to rest. The forest was still dangerous, and he had no idea what other threats lurked in the shadows.