The fog was alive.
As Xuanzang and Sun Wukong crossed into the lowlands beyond Bodhi Ravine, the mist thickened, swirling unnaturally around their feet. It carried whispers—remnants of Qi twisted by grief, hatred, and hunger.
Wukong swung his staff lazily over his shoulder. "This place stinks of half-baked cultivators and bad karma."
Xuanzang nodded. "The System indicates residual spirit pollution. A sect used to exist here... but it's been tainted."
[System Alert: Entering Corrupted Zone – "Hollow Light Sect Ruins."]Quest Available: "Echoes of the Lightless Doctrine"]Objective: Uncover cause of sect collapse. Purify remaining Karma Nodes.]Reward: Random Scripture Fragment + 150 Karma Points.]
The path ahead twisted between broken statues and collapsed pagodas. Qi vines crawled up shattered stone gates, strangling old teachings carved into their surfaces. At the center, a scorched prayer platform flickered with dying spirit flames.
And in the middle of it, kneeling—
—a lone figure in white robes, humming a funeral chant.
She was motionless, face hidden beneath a cracked mask etched with the sigil of the Hollow Light Sect. Her voice wavered like a wind chime in winter—too soft to be natural, too steady to be human.
Wukong narrowed his eyes. "Not a survivor."
"No," Xuanzang said. "A remnant."
The figure rose slowly, sleeves trailing like smoke. She floated above the ground—Qi pulsing unnaturally from her limbs, mouth moving in silent rhythm.
[Enemy Detected: Hollow Spirit – Sect Guardian Soul (Nascent Soul Remnant)]Warning: High spiritual instability. Weakness: Karma Suppression Techniques.]
Xuanzang stepped forward.
Wukong placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's Nascent-level. I'll handle it."
"No," Xuanzang said calmly. "She's a ghost of karma. Let me try."
He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a bead the system had gifted him upon Wukong's binding—a Scripture Node, faintly glowing with golden lines.
[Item Used: Karma Node – Purification Bead (Fo Attribute)[1] ] Activating passive scriptural resonance: "Mantra of the Eightfold Path"]Temporary Skill: Karma Clarity Field – Radius: 10 meters]
A golden circle spread beneath his feet, faint but resonant. The air inside grew calm. The Hollow Spirit halted mid-chant, her head twitching like a puppet suddenly aware of its strings.
Xuanzang bowed, hands forming a monk's seal. "Wandering soul, your sect fell not from weakness, but from misguided desire. Let your karma pass on."
The spirit screamed—but not in rage. It was a cry of release.
She burst into light—dozens of spirit fragments spiraling upward like falling cherry blossoms. The mist lifted slightly, revealing more of the ruined sect grounds.
[Quest Complete: Echoes of the Lightless Doctrine]Reward Gained: Karma +150 | Random Scripture Fragment Acquired: "Lotus Sutra – Breath of Stillness (Lv. 1)"]Xuanzang's Karma: -8,288 → -8,138New Ability Unlocked: Passive Meditation Aura – regenerates spiritual clarity in allies within range.
Wukong whistled. "Not bad, monk. You exorcise with words. Must be a nightmare at dinner parties."
Xuanzang smiled faintly. "Fighting isn't always winning."
"Depends on who's keeping score."
As they pressed deeper into the ruins, they found more signs of corruption: disciples turned to stone mid-prayer, shattered cultivation cores embedded in walls, and one final message carved into the sect's altar:
"We reached for Heaven... and found only silence."
Wukong's brow furrowed. "Another sect wiped out after the fall. You think Heaven did this?"
"Or," Xuanzang murmured, "they did it to themselves when Heaven stopped answering."
A distant horn sounded—clear and sharp.
Not a beast.
People.
[New System Alert: Cultivators Approaching – Unknown Faction.]
Sun Wukong spun his staff. "Finally. Someone I can punch."
Xuanzang glanced toward the rising trail of Qi signatures and whispered, more to himself than anyone else:
"Let's hope not every sect we meet has already fallen."
==============================================
[1] Fo Affinity (佛 Affinity) — also known as Buddhic Affinity or Buddha Fate
Fo Affinity is:
A passive stat tied to his Scripture Quest System ,Grants him higher success chances when performing karmic negotiations, purification, or companion binding of characters with heavy sins . Lets him unlock unique quest options others wouldn't see — like offering redemption instead of combat.