Chapter 41: Harvest of Blood and Schemes in Shadow

The aftermath of battle still lingered in the air—thick with the stench of charred flesh and scorched earth. Disciples bustled around the Blood Origin Sect's outer fields, cleaning the remains of the Crimson Fang Cult. Spirit beasts howled from their pens, agitated by the scent of blood that saturated the land.

Jin Zhen stood at the heart of the battlefield, hands clasped behind his back, gaze cold and contemplative. A gentle breeze carried the ash of fallen enemies across the grass, whispering silent tribute to his overwhelming might.

Behind him, Elder Mo approached, holding a jade scroll.

"Sect Master, the loot's been catalogued. You received eight thousand spirit stones, twelve high-tier beast cores, and three unregistered artifacts."

Jin Zhen didn't speak at first.

Then—

[System Notification: Battle Rewards Summary]

[+8,200 Spirit Stones]

[+2 Mid-Tier Artifacts]

[+1 Rare Technique: Heart of Silent Flame]

[+37 Cultist Cores Stored in Spatial Ring]

[SP Available: 150 → 215]

[Suggested Action: Spend SP to cultivate or upgrade Sect Infrastructure.]

A cold glint flickered in Jin Zhen's eyes.

He turned away, cloak fluttering behind him like a curtain of blood.

"Prepare the Sect Treasury. We're going to war with stagnation."

Elder Mo bowed.

"At once."

---

That night, the Sect Hall buzzed with activity.

Lanterns glowed softly. Disciples, bruised but eager, gathered to receive rewards and titles. Jin Zhen sat on the elevated throne, expression serene but unreadable.

He raised his hand.

"Sect disciples. You have all stood against death today. And you did not falter."

He pointed to the ten elite disciples who had formed the Dragon-Fang Formation.

"You shall henceforth be known as the Blood Talons. Each of you will receive a Flame Marked Token. Elder Mo will personally guide your cultivation until you reach Core Formation."

Cheers erupted.

Then Jin Zhen spoke again, his voice quieter—but heavier.

"But we are not done."

The room stilled.

"We are surrounded by enemies who see our rise as a threat. Let us show them the price of underestimating the Blood Origin Sect."

[SP Expenditure Confirmed.]

[Activating Feature: Sect Expansion Protocols.]

[SP Used: 100]

[Unlocked: Inner Sect Infrastructure Upgrade – Training Field Lv.2, Spirit Mine Efficiency +30%, Sect Guardian Formation Lv.1]

The floor of the hall trembled faintly. The jade pillars shimmered. Somewhere in the distance, a quiet hum of energy surged underground.

The disciples murmured in awe.

"Sect Master… is this the power of the divine?"

"No," Jin Zhen said, smiling faintly. "This is just the beginning."

---

Meanwhile, far beyond the forest ridge—

Inside a shadowy cavern lit only by black spirit fire, two masked figures knelt before a crystal orb.

The orb pulsed with dim red light.

A voice echoed.

"So… the Crimson Fang failed?"

One of the kneeling figures gritted his teeth. "Yes, My Lord. They were annihilated."

"And what of the Blood Origin Sect?"

"…They've grown far beyond our predictions. The new Sect Master… he's not normal."

The voice paused.

Then chuckled darkly.

"Good. Then we will proceed to the next phase."

A black token appeared inside the orb, glowing with deadly intent.

"Unleash the Nightshroud Pact."

---

Back in the Blood Origin Sect…

Jin Zhen sat in his private cultivation chamber. His hands floated over the rare technique scroll he had acquired from the cult: Heart of Silent Flame.

He fed it qi.

The scroll opened, revealing ancient flame runes, shimmering with secrets.

[Technique: Heart of Silent Flame (Rare)]

[Type: Internal Cultivation Method]

[Effect: Converts inner qi into silent flame. Increases stealth-based attacks, fire resistance, and spiritual concealment.]

[Would you like to cultivate this technique? Requires 30 SP.]

Jin Zhen nodded.

[30 SP Used.]

A fiery lotus bloomed in his dantian. Heat swirled around his core, yet it was strangely quiet—like a flame that burned without sound.

He smirked.

"So now… even my enemies won't hear death coming."

Suddenly, another notification flashed.

[Alert: Unknown Observer Detected Near Sect Perimeter.]

[Entity Classified: Rank Unknown]

Jin Zhen's eyes snapped open.

"Shadow games already? Excellent."