The rest of the workday dragged on endlessly. Ji Chen absentmindedly skimmed through emails, his mind looping the image of the strange mist around Qin Yue and that eerie symbol on the card. If the company president really was tied to the Night Owl Sect, then his position was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
After work, he followed the instructions—changed subway lines three times, lingered in a shopping mall for half an hour, then took a cab from a back entrance to Su Wan's apartment.
She was already waiting, laying out talismans across the coffee table.
"The card," she said, hand extended.
Ji Chen handed it over. Su Wan placed it on a yellow talisman and dripped three drops of clear liquid onto it. The business card trembled, emitting a sharp screech before curling in on itself and dissolving into a pool of black fluid.
"Just as I thought. A Night Owl sect item—what they call a Nether Mark," Su Wan muttered grimly. "This isn't an invitation. It's a tag. Qin Yue has already locked onto you."
Ji Chen felt a chill climb his spine. "Who exactly is he?"
"Still not sure. But to use a Nether Mark, he must be at least a branch lord." She pulled out a thick book and flipped through it quickly. "Qin Yue… Qin Yue… here—this entry is faint, but look."
She pointed at an old passage. "Thirty years ago, the Night Owl Sect had an elder named Qin Wuyan, a master of poisonous insects and gu techniques. He vanished during a great war between light and dark forces. Rumor was, he died."
"That can't be right. The age doesn't match."
"Cultivators age slower than mortals. A Foundation Realm cultivator can live up to two hundred years. A Core Formation cultivator? At least five hundred. If he's really Qin Wuyan, he'd be in his eighties—but looking forty is easy at that level."
Ji Chen sucked in a sharp breath. "So what do I do? That party on Friday feels like a trap."
"You'll go," Su Wan said, opening a wooden box. "But we'll make sure you're ready. First, let me teach you a few defensive spells."
Over the next three days, Ji Chen's life became a strict cycle: office by day, cultivation by night. Su Wan's lessons accelerated his understanding of the Grand Void Heavenly Tome.
"There are nine major cultivation realms," she explained, sketching them on a whiteboard. "Spirit Pulse, Foundation, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Void Fusion, Unity, Grand Ascension, and Tribulation Crossing. You're barely at the early Spirit Pulse stage."
"And you?"
"Mid-Foundation," she said with a small smile. "Decent among my peers, but nothing compared to real experts."
She opened the wooden box to reveal dozens of neatly arranged bottles.
"These are basic spirit pills. This one restores energy quickly. This one detoxifies poisons. This one—"
Ji Chen paid close attention. The one that fascinated him most was the Breath Concealing Pill—it could hide one's spiritual signature for three hours. Perfect for Friday night.
"Now, your first offensive spell," Su Wan said, leading him to the balcony.
She pressed her index and middle fingers together. Spiritual energy gathered at her fingertips in a tight white glow, then shot out like a beam, punching a hole through an empty soda can five meters away.
"Spirit Flame Pierce. The more refined your energy, the more power it has. Now, you try."
Ji Chen copied her stance and channeled energy.
The first attempt produced only sparks. The second, a flicker of weak light that went wide. On the third—
Bang.
The light struck a flowerpot, scattering dirt everywhere.
"Not bad!" Su Wan's eyes lit up. "With the Tome's help, you're already where others would be after a month."
He practiced until he could hit the target seven times out of ten. It wasn't strong, but at least it gave him a means of defense.
On Thursday night, she taught him the basics of talisman crafting.
"Form, structure, intent. All three must align," she said, guiding his hand across yellow paper. "Each stroke must carry the right spiritual force."
Her hand covered his, her scent subtle and clean. The close contact made Ji Chen's heartbeat quicken, almost disrupting his focus.
"Focus," she snapped, tapping his forehead. "Losing control while drawing a charm could backfire."
He forced his thoughts back, though he noticed a blush creeping up her neck. She pulled her hand away. "Try it yourself."
After many failed attempts, Ji Chen finally completed a barely functional charm. When he infused it with energy, it glowed faintly gold.
"It'll work. Barely," Su Wan assessed. "Stick it under your shirt. It'll block one hit—maybe."
Later, they sat on the balcony under the night sky. She handed him a beer.
"Why are you helping me?" Ji Chen asked suddenly. "Just to study the Tome?"
Su Wan was silent for a moment. Then she took a long drink and stared into the lights of the city.
"At first, yes. But now…" She glanced sideways. "You're my first real friend."
"Because I know your secret?"
"Because you don't see me as a half-blood." Her voice was barely a whisper. "In the Su family, everyone except my grandfather sees my bloodline as impure—unworthy of advanced techniques. Even this monitoring post was just a way to push me away."
Ji Chen didn't know what to say. He gently clinked his can against hers.
"To real friends."
She smiled, the moonlight softening her features.
"I'll be watching from the shadows tomorrow. If anything goes wrong, crush this." She handed him a jade shard. "I'll feel it."
On Friday night, Ji Chen arrived at the address Qin Yue had given—an estate in the outskirts of the city. The gates were shut tight. Only after scanning the reappeared business card did the guards let him through.
Dozens of luxury cars lined the driveway. Ji Chen took a Breath Concealing Pill, checked the talisman inside his shirt, and tucked the Soulbound Blade into his sleeve before entering.
The main hall buzzed with well-dressed guests. With Spirit Vision active, Ji Chen saw that a third of them had cloaked spiritual energy—faint, masked, but definitely there.
"Welcome, Ji Chen," Qin Yue appeared beside him, holding two glasses of champagne. "Let me introduce you to some friends."
He led Ji Chen through the crowd, pointing out various so-called investors. Ji Chen smiled and nodded, but internally remained alert. Their smiles and energy fluctuations didn't align—it was like they wore meticulously crafted masks.
"And finally, this is Mr. Lin. My... special advisor."
A tall, slender man stood in the corner. He looked about thirty, with a cold expression and a scar over his left eye. Under Spirit Vision, his aura glowed pure blue—sharp contrast to Qin Yue's gray mist.
"Ji Chen, I've heard much about you." Lin extended a hand, his voice low.
As they shook hands, Ji Chen felt a gentle pulse of energy enter his body, sweep through it, then retreat. Lin's eyes briefly narrowed in surprise, then returned to calm.
"Your reputation precedes you," Ji Chen said evenly.
Qin Yue glanced at his watch. "Ladies and gentlemen, the auction will begin shortly. Please follow me."
They descended to the basement, which had been transformed into a private auction room. Ji Chen sat near the back. As the lights dimmed, he felt something slip into his pocket.
Looking around, he saw Lin walking away.
Inside the pocket was a note:
Don't touch any auction items. Meet me in the west garden after. —Lin Mo
The auction began. First up, a bronze cauldron, supposedly Han dynasty.
Ji Chen's Spirit Vision pierced the illusion—inside, dozens of tortured spirits writhed, slowly being refined.
"Starting bid, three million."
The guests bid eagerly. The cauldron sold for twelve million. One by one, more cursed or sinister relics were brought out. The final item: a small jade bottle.
"One Longevity Pill," Qin Yue said, voice rich with temptation. "Refined from a thousand-year-old herb from Kunlun. Extends life by ten years. Only one exists. Starting bid, fifty million."
Bidding skyrocketed.
Ji Chen noticed the most desperate bidders were seemingly normal mortals, their eyes burning with greed.
"Who are these people?" he asked Lin quietly.
"Rich cowards," Lin replied coldly. "Qin Yue trades fake pills for real money. And screens them for potential... hosts."
"Hosts?" Ji Chen froze.
"For parasites or soul transfers," Lin muttered. "Like you."
After the auction, guests began filtering out. Qin Yue approached.
"Well? Interested in joining us? With your talent, the sky's the limit."
"I'll need time to consider."
"Of course." Qin Yue smiled. "Give me your answer next week. But..." He suddenly leaned in, voice ice-cold. "Tell your little girlfriend to stop following me. My patience has limits."
Ji Chen's blood ran cold. He kept his face blank. "I don't know what you mean."
Qin Yue clapped him hard on the shoulder. "Think it over. Night Owl needs fresh blood."
Outside, Ji Chen made his way to the west garden. Lin was waiting, wiping down a handgun covered in runes.
"Seventh Division, Paranormal Affairs Bureau. Lin Mo." He flashed a badge. "We monitor rogue cultivators."
Ji Chen exhaled. "So you're with the government?"
"Something like that." Lin holstered the gun. "Qin Yue is Night Owl's Jiangcheng branch master. We've been tailing him for years. But you…" He studied Ji Chen. "Why's he so interested in a rookie like you?"
Ji Chen hesitated. Should he mention the Tome?
Before he could answer, sounds of battle erupted deeper in the garden.
They rushed over to find Su Wan surrounded by four black-clad attackers. Her silver bow was broken, her left arm bleeding.
"I have to help her!" Ji Chen moved.
"Don't throw your life away!" Lin grabbed him and fired four shots.
The bullets shimmered gold midair and struck the attackers. They screamed and vanished into black mist.
"Go!" Lin helped Ji Chen lift Su Wan. "They'll be back any minute."
They made it to the estate wall—only for a dark figure to descend from the sky.
Qin Yue hovered above, gray mist swirling. "Leaving so soon?"
Lin fired, but the bullets melted before reaching him.
Qin Yue flicked a hand, launching a wave of black energy.
In that instant, Ji Chen remembered Spirit Flame Pierce. He gathered all his power and released it in a concentrated beam of gold.
Boom.
The explosion flung them over the wall.
Lin scrambled up, pulled out a silver talisman, and slapped it onto the ground.
"Thousand-Mile Escape Charm—activate!"
A flash of light. The three vanished.
Behind them, Qin Yue's furious roar echoed into the night.
"Ji Chen! You won't escape me!"