Chapter 9 – A Pact with the Matriarch

Chapter 9 – A Pact with the Matriarch

The Matriarch's crimson eyes gleamed like polished rubies beneath the flickering lantern light, her expression unreadable. A slow, almost lazy smile curved her lips as she leaned forward, resting her elbow on the armrest of her throne.

Her presence was all-encompassing—a force of nature wrapped in the allure of an immortal beauty.

The room itself felt alive, as if it breathed with her will. The silk curtains fluttered despite the absence of wind, and the candle flames danced in hypnotic patterns, their glow reflecting against the smooth obsidian floor.

Shen Tian stood before her, his muscles still humming with the remnants of Yin energy from her earlier test. The weight of the moment pressed against him, but he held himself with calm confidence.

She was waiting for his answer.

Waiting to see if he would flinch.

But he wouldn't.

His golden eyes met hers without hesitation. "Then let's begin," he repeated, his voice steady.

The Matriarch tilted her head slightly, studying him, as if trying to unravel the depths of his soul.

Then, she smiled.

It was slow, deliberate, like the bloom of a flower under moonlight—beautiful, yet dangerous.

"You intrigue me, Shen Tian," she murmured, her voice smooth as silk. "But I wonder… do you truly understand what you are stepping into?"

Shen Tian didn't blink. "Power," he said simply. "Control. Strength beyond what I was given."

The Matriarch chuckled softly. "And the price?"

Shen Tian smirked. "I already died once. What more do I have to lose?"

A flicker of amusement danced in her gaze. "Clever words," she mused, "but words alone do not carve a path to greatness."

She lifted her hand, and the very air trembled.

A pulse of Yin Qi surged from her fingertips, condensing into a floating jade sigil, its inscriptions ancient and brimming with power. The sigil pulsed, dark tendrils of energy swirling around it, like whispers of an unseen force.

"This," she said, "is a Pact of Blood and Yin. To accept it means binding yourself to my sect—to me. You will gain power, but you will also be… claimed."

Shen Tian's fingers twitched at the word.

Claimed.

A test of loyalty.

A chain of power.

Or a weapon waiting to be turned.

He could feel the heat of Xiao Mei's gaze from the doorway, her breathing quiet but watchful. This wasn't just an initiation—it was a trap, a way to ensure he could never turn against the sect.

But Shen Tian was no fool.

If he wanted power, he would take it.

If they tried to chain him, he would break the chain.

Slowly, deliberately, he extended his hand.

"I accept."

The Matriarch's smile deepened. "Then bleed for me."

The jade sigil descended, hovering just above his palm. It pulsed once—a whisper of expectation—before a sharp, searing pain lanced through his hand.

A single drop of crimson blood beaded at his fingertip, drawn by an unseen force. It hovered in the air for a moment before sinking into the sigil, merging with the swirling darkness.

The energy shivered, then sank into his skin.

A sudden rush of power flooded his meridians—cold, intoxicating, potent. His veins burned with Yin energy, surging through his body in waves, wrapping around his core like invisible chains, embedding itself into his very being.

For a brief moment, Shen Tian saw—

A vision.

A vast palace bathed in moonlight, its halls filled with disciples clad in crimson and black. Whispered chants echoing through the chambers. Women of power and seduction, their eyes glowing with the same crimson light as the Matriarch's.

And at the center of it all…

Him.

Standing above them.

A ruler.

A predator.

A King of the Dual Cultivation Sect.

The vision faded as the sigil vanished into his skin, leaving behind a faint black mark on the back of his hand—a symbol of the pact.

Shen Tian exhaled sharply, his body thrumming with new strength.

The Matriarch leaned back, satisfied. "It is done."

A slow clap echoed from the doorway.

Xiao Mei stepped forward, her violet eyes gleaming. "I didn't think you had the nerve," she said, her tone teasing. But there was something different in her gaze—respect, perhaps. Or curiosity.

The Matriarch gestured idly. "Take him to the inner sanctum. He will begin his training at once."

Xiao Mei smirked, tilting her head toward the door. "Come, Shen Tian. Let's see if you can survive."

Shen Tian flexed his fingers, feeling the pulsing Yin energy within him, stronger than before.

He had taken the first step.

But now, the real game began.