Chapter 34 – The Fragment and the Pillar

The day after the battle, the Silent Soul Sect was bathed in an unusual quiet.

It wasn't the silence of fear it was one of introspection.

The disciples recalled the scenes of the night before: the explosion of aura, the rain of blood, and the figure standing beneath the moon, sword in hand, eyes calm.

Shen Mu.

In the inner courtyard, he remained seated in meditation, eyes closed.

His breathing was steady, yet the wind around him seemed reluctant to stir. Even the fallen leaves lay still, as if held back in anticipation of something.

A whisper echoed in his mind:

[System: Side Quest Complete]

[Mission: Eliminate the Infiltrators (3/3)]

[Reward Available: Fragment of Spiritual Bloodline (Incomplete) + 1 Cultivation Pillar]

Shen Mu opened his eyes, gleaming like two shards of starlight in the dim morning.

He murmured internally, without moving his lips:

"System, I claim my reward."

A subtle shiver passed through the air.

Shen Mu's inner world trembled, as if the invisible foundations of his cultivation were being stirred.

[Reward 1: Spiritual Bloodline Fragment — Unlocked]

[Description: Fragment of an ancient spiritual bloodline. Incomplete; requires more fragments to unlock its full potential.]

[Current Effect: Enhanced affinity with latent elemental laws. Increased energy absorption rate.]

A strange breath flowed into his meridians, then dispersed into his bones and marrow.

His perception of the world sharpened slightly: the water seemed to whisper to him, the stone carried a warmth he'd never felt before.

A fragment… just a shard, he thought.

But it already holds something familiar.

Something ancient something that reminded him… of himself.

[Reward 2: Cultivation Pillar — Unlocked]

[Description: Builds a new cultivation pillar, expanding the spiritual foundation.]

[Effect: Significantly improves breakthrough stability and enhances capacity for high-level techniques.]

A second flow entered his dantian slow, steady, architectural.

In his inner world, a hazy light took shape: an ethereal pillar rising beside the others.

It was the fourth.

A rare feat at his stage.

Few cultivators across the Nine Realms could erect so many without nearing the limits of their domain.

But Shen Mu… wasn't like most cultivators.

He opened his eyes.

Morning light filtered through the trees.

In the sky, a faint mist still carried the scent of yesterday's blood washed clean by the dew of dawn.

"You haven't changed," he murmured to himself. "Not really."

He rose, his right hand resting naturally on Nihila's hilt, as if the sword was now a part of him.

But he didn't summon its name.

There was no need.

In the distance, a familiar voice approached—Mei Lin, out of breath, holding a scroll.

— "Brother Shen Mu! The Sect Master has summoned you. And… the Elders too. All six of them."

Shen Mu raised an eyebrow slightly.

— "Hm. It's rare for all six elders to gather."

Mei Lin nodded shyly.

— "Some disciples say… this kind of summoning was mentioned in the ancient scrolls. Very old texts, almost forgotten. A full meeting of the Six Elders only happens when the sect enters a new era."

He stared at her for a moment.

— "Or when it stands at the edge of a cliff," he murmured.

She swallowed hard but said nothing.

Shen Mu passed her in silence, walking through the still garden.

In the Grand Hall of Elders, six figures sat in a circle. The Sect Master stood at the center, his gaze solemn.

— "Shen Mu. Enter."

He stepped forward without bowing. His steps echoed softly against the jade floor.

The eldest of the elders, a man with ash-colored hair, lifted his gaze toward him.

— "What you accomplished last night is worthy of a future Sect Master, young man. But tell me… where does this power come from? This sword? And that look in your eyes…?"

Shen Mu replied, emotionless:

— "The look is mine. The power… I forged it. As for the sword—it's just a tool. Nothing more."

Another elder, with sharper eyes, spoke next:

— "Some among us believe you're the reincarnation of an ancient scourge. Others… of an ancient savior. There are legends in our forbidden archives. Whispers. Forgotten names."

— "Legends," Shen Mu repeated, a faint smile on his lips.

"Then they are only that words without a master."

Silence followed.

The Sect Master stepped in, breaking the tension.

— "For now, Shen Mu remains a disciple of this sect. But he has proven himself to be more than just a cultivator. He has earned his place here."

The six elders nodded. None spoke further.

But in their eyes… something had changed.

Not fear.

Not suspicion.

But a kind of expectation.

As if an ancient memory was trying to awaken through him.