Chapter 34:"Underworld and Xiaotian's Fate"

The Ancestral Hall fell into a heavy silence. The chilling aura of the sealed chamber deepened, wrapping around the elders like an invisible mist. The moment Qin Lian finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze.

The male elder's expression twisted in anger, his aura surging violently. A faint ripple spread from his body, causing the mysterious carvings on the platform to glow ominously. His voice, filled with suppressed fury, echoed through the hall.

"Those bastards… Their guts have grown larger! To think they would dare to sneak into our sect, daring to steal information right under our noses!"

 The sheer anger in his tone made even the three female elders exchange glances. However, no one spoke against his words, for they too felt the same rage.

After a moment, the female elder seated in the middle let out a slow sigh, shaking her head. 

"Hah… Even though we know they infiltrated our sect, there is nothing we can do against them." She paused, her fingers tracing the aged surface of the stone tablet beneath her. "That woman… She is far too terrifying."

At her words, the expressions of the other elders subtly changed. A visible shudder passed through them as an instinctive wariness replaced their previous anger. The tension in the room grew even heavier, as though the mere mention of that person carried a dreadful weight.

A heavy silence filled the Ancestral Hall as if the very air had frozen.

The male elder's anger did not subside, but even he did not refute the female elder's words. Instead, he merely closed his eyes for a brief moment, his jaw tightening.

Qin Lian, who had been listening carefully, felt a deep sense of curiosity rising within her. These were the ancestors of the Vermillion Flame Sect figures whose strength stood at the very peak of the sect. And yet, even they seemed cautious when speaking about this mysterious woman.

Curious, she took a cautious step forward and respectfully asked, "Which woman, Ancestor?"

The female elder in the middle turned her gaze towards Qin Lian, her eyes holding a deep, unfathomable emotion, after studying her for a moment before nodding slightly.

"Now that you have taken on the role of Sect Master," she said slowly, "it is only natural that you begin to learn about the true depths of the Desolate Shadow Continent."

She paused before continuing. "Even though the continent is ruled by the so-called 'righteous' powers major sects, ancient clans, and imperial factions there exists another side, one hidden in the darkness."

"The underworld of the continent."

Qin Lian's brows furrowed slightly. Though she had known that powerful forces lurked in the shadows, the tone in which the female elder spoke made her feel as if what she knew barely scratched the surface.

The male elder crossed his arms and scoffed. "Hmph, the light, and the dark must always coexist. While righteous sects flourish openly, hidden forces lurk beneath the surface, commanding power in ways most cannot comprehend."

The female elder nodded, her voice calm yet chilling. "There are terrifying entities that dwell in the shadows, unseen but never idle. Unlike the great sects and clans, which operate with structure and stability, the ones in the dark are unpredictable and chaotic. Each power hidden in the darkness holds a strength that could shake the continent, and some of them… surpass even the Three Ancient Sects in the Core Region."

Qin Lian's breath hitched slightly. More powerful than the Three Ancient Sects? That was a bold claim.

The elder's voice dropped lower. "These factions do not involve themselves in worldly conflicts. They remain unseen, hidden from the eyes of ordinary cultivators. However, their influence stretches farther than most can imagine."

Her gaze turned sharp. "And among them… lies, the most fearsome organization, the one responsible for selling Ye Xiaotian's identity to the Black Serpent Sect…"

Qin Lian clenched her fists. "So they do belong to the dark forces?"

The elder nodded. "Indeed. Their true name is the 'Whispering Shadow Lake'."

The name alone sent a tremor through Qin Lian's heart. Even she, as the Sect Master, had only heard vague rumors of a hidden organization that traded secrets like currency.

"The Whispering Shadow Lake… That's their real name?" she asked, her voice laced with disbelief.

The elder's lips curled into a wry smile. "Only those at our level know their true name. To the rest of the world, they are simply ghosts who deal in knowledge, appearing only when it serves their interests. No one knows their true strength, and none who have sought to expose them have lived to tell the tale."

"Not much is known about them," the elder continued, her voice laced with a hint of unease, "but one thing is certain they are untouchable. No one dares to provoke them because no one truly knows their full strength. They operate in complete secrecy, their movements shrouded in mystery. And at the top of their organization sits their leader a woman."

At this, Qin Lian's heart skipped a beat. A woman… leading such a powerful and secretive organization? The implications were staggering.

The female elder's voice grew quieter, almost as if recalling an old nightmare. "No one knows her true cultivation level. However, ten years ago… an event occurred that cemented her place as the undisputed ruler of the underworld."

Qin Lian focused all her attention on the elder's next words, sensing the weight of the story about to unfold.

"A decade ago," the female elder continued, "a powerful clan from the dark side of the continent, the 'Duskborn Clan,' believed themselves strong enough to challenge the Whispering Shadow Lake. Fueled by arrogance, they launched a full-scale assault, sending an army of assassins and elite warriors to destroy them."

Qin Lian's breath stilled. The Duskborn Clan… That name was familiar even to her. A terrifying clan in the legends that operated in the shadows, known for producing monstrous geniuses and mercenaries, their reputation built on fear and bloodshed. They were not a group to be trifled with.

"And?" Qin Lian pressed, her voice barely a whisper, her curiosity battling with a growing sense of dread.

The elder let out a slow breath, the air in the hall seeming to thicken with the weight of her words.

The elder let out a slow breath, the air in the hall seeming to thicken with the weight of her words. "They were destroyed."

Destroyed? Qin Lian's eyes widened in disbelief. The Duskborn Clan, with all their power and ruthlessness, utterly annihilated?

"An entire hidden clan… wiped out?" she asked, the words echoing in the sudden silence.

"Not just wiped out," the elder corrected, her voice now carrying an unmistakable trace of fear. "They were erased. As if they had never existed."

A deadly silence filled the hall. The implications of the word "erased" hung heavy in the air, a testament to the Weaver's terrifying power.

She closed her eyes briefly as if recalling something dreadful. "That night, under the crimson moon, the Duskborn Clan's strongest expert, an expert at the peak of Advance Soul Awakening Realm cultivator, personally led the charge."

Qin Lian sucked in a sharp breath. An Advance Soul Awakening Realm powerhouse was someone only a step away from the Energy Mastery Realm an existence capable of toppling sects and erasing entire bloodlines.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice quieter than before. The female elder's gaze turned distant as if recalling an unforgettable nightmare.

"The battle never even began." "That woman she did not even lead an army."

She turned to look directly at Qin Lian, her gaze intense and unwavering. "She walked into the battlefield alone and slaughtered them all. But the most terrifying part was, that woman the leader of the Whispering Shadow Lake with a single slap… she erased the Duskborn Clan's strongest expert from existence."

BOOM.

Qin Lian felt as though her mind exploded. The image conjured by the elder's words was so shocking, so unbelievable, that it sent a shiver down her spine.

Even though Qin Lian was no stranger to tales of overwhelming strength, this was something beyond reason. Killing an expert at Peak of Advance Soul Awakening expert with just a slap?

Her breath hitched. A chill ran through her bones. An Advance Soul Awakening Realm cultivator… slaughtered with a single slap? Such a feat defied all logic and all understanding of cultivation. Even the most powerful figures in the Desolate Shadow Continent would struggle to achieve such a thing, let alone do it with such casual ease.

"Impossible," Qin Lian whispered, her hands unconsciously tightening into fists. The logical part of her mind rejected the very notion.

The female elder shook her head slowly, her expression grave. "That was what we all thought. And yet… it happened. Witnesses, those few who survived the massacre, spoke of a power so terrifying, so absolute, that it defied description."

The female elder continued, "After that, the rest of the Duskborn Clan's army fled in terror. But it was too late. The Whispering Shadow Lake retaliated. Within a single night, the Duskborn Clan, a family that had existed for nearly a thousand years, was wiped from the face of the continent."

She exhaled, the sound filled with a sense of resignation. "From that day onward, no one ever dared to challenge the Whispering Shadow Lake again. The Weaver's message was clear: cross her, and you will be erased."

The Ancestral Hall fell into silence once more, the weight of the elder's words pressing down on everyone present.

Qin Lian's heart pounded in her chest. She had come seeking answers regarding Ye Xiaotian and the forces that had manipulated his fate. But instead, she had unearthed something far more terrifying than she could have imagined. She had glimpsed the true underworld of the Desolate Shadow Continent, a realm of unimaginable power and chilling ruthlessness.

Even the most powerful sects would hesitate before going to war. Yet this mysterious woman had single-handedly crushed an entire clan in a single night?

She clenched her fists, suppressing the fear creeping into her heart.

"Then… what does this mean for Ye Xiaotian?" she asked hesitantly.

The male elder let out a deep sigh, his voice grave. "It means the moment the Whispering Shadow Lake set their sights on him, his fate was sealed. Every major force on the continent now knows his name. The Black Serpent Sect will not sit still. And worse… we do not know if that woman herself will take an interest in him."

A suffocating silence filled the Ancestral Hall.

Qin Lian's heart pounded as she processed the implications.

Ye Xiaotian… the young prodigy she had brought into the Vermillion Flame Sect, the boy she had come to see as a younger brother… was now standing at the center of a storm far greater than she had imagined.

And there was no turning back.

The male elder let out a deep hum, a sound that rumbled through the Ancestral Hall like a distant tremor. He stroked his long, white beard, his eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Now that you know about the powerful factions of the Desolate Shadow Continent, Qin Lian… tell us," he began, his voice laced with a hint of steel, "what do you intend to do about this boy?"

Qin Lian met his gaze without hesitation, her expression resolute. "I intend to protect him."

The elders observed her silently, their piercing gazes searching for any flicker of hesitation, any hint of uncertainty in her stance. They were testing her, gauging her resolve in the face of such overwhelming odds. But Qin Lian stood firm, her posture unwavering, her eyes burning with a fierce determination.

"This is not merely about the sect's responsibility," she continued, her voice ringing with conviction. "Ye Xiaotian is a once-in-a-generation genius. His talent is undeniable, a spark of brilliance that we cannot afford to lose. If we allow him to fall into the hands of our enemies, if we allow his potential to be snuffed out, we will regret it for centuries to come. He is not just a promising disciple; he is the future of the Vermillion Flame Sect."

The male elder chuckled, a dry, humorless sound that echoed through the hall. "You place much faith in this boy, Qin Lian," he remarked, his tone laced with skepticism.

Qin Lian didn't waver. "I do," she replied, her voice firm and unwavering. "I have seen his potential. I have witnessed his dedication. He is not just talented; he is driven. He possesses the heart of a true cultivator, a fire that burns brighter than any I have seen in years."

Another female elder, her face etched with worry, tapped her fingers against the ancient stone tablet she sat upon. The rhythmic tapping punctuated the tense silence, each tap a reminder of the danger they faced. "Faith alone does not change the tides of war, Qin Lian," she said, her voice laced with concern. "The Black Serpent Sect is already preparing their retaliation. Their anger is palpable, their desire for revenge burning fiercely. If we stand in their way, if we shield this boy, we will be inviting a war the likes of which our sect has not faced in centuries. A war that could very well tear us apart."

Qin Lian took a deep breath, steeling her resolve. She knew the risks. She understood the gravity of the situation. But she also knew that they couldn't afford to back down. Not this time. Not with someone like Ye Xiaotian at stake.

"Then we must prepare for war," she declared, her voice ringing with a newfound strength.

Her words sent a ripple through the hall, a shockwave of realization that reverberated through the ancient stones. The elders exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of her words settling heavily upon them.

The male elder leaned forward slightly, his eyes boring into Qin Lian's. "You would risk the entire Vermillion Flame Sect… for a single disciple?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

End of Chapter 34