Chapter 26 - Inner Disciples and the Shadow Operation

The Chaos Sect was no longer a hidden ember.

It was a flame.

And flames, no matter how deep they're buried, eventually reach the surface.

The failed assassination attempt on Nyra had spread fear through the dark corners of the cultivation world.

Even without public declarations, cultivators began whispering of a mysterious sect, one that crushed elites in silence and vanished without a trace.

And at the center of it all, sat the man known only as Zero.

Located on the cliffside directly above the Core Hall, the Inner Disciple Pavilion was surrounded by natural lightning barriers, reinforced by array masters under Elder Mu's orders. Its walls were made of spirit jade, infused with protective inscriptions.

Today, the first Inner Disciple Trials would begin.

Zero stood upon the floating jade platform as the 25 outer disciples stood below, their expressions tense.

After weeks of harsh training, only ten had qualified.

Among them stood:

Renji - A thunder-element cultivator with a berserker soul trait. Lyra - An illusionist born from a half-elf bloodline. Hoshin - A blind alchemist whose spiritual sense surpassed sight.

Fang Mei - A quiet girl with beast-taming resonance, marked by the Chaos Beast Seal.

Zero raised a hand and the platform expanded, forming a battle arena.

"One by one, you will fight," his voice echoed. "Not to defeat your opponent, but to display resolve, control, and conviction."

*. Trial 1: Renji vs Lyra

Renji roared like a storm beast, lightning arcing through his fists as he dashed forward. Lyra calmly raised a single hand, and the world flickered.

Suddenly, Renji was no longer on the platform.

He was... back in the slums.

His abusive master screamed at him, swinging a cane.

"Weak! You'll never be anything!"

Then, he saw himself, alone, surrounded by bodies — the day his berserk trait awoke.

Renji's knees trembled. Sweat poured down.

"Do you surrender?" came Lyra's soft voice.

"No," he whispered. "I remember who I am."

He screamed, shattering the illusion with sheer will.

_

[Trial Passed - Renji's Mind Fortitude Rated: High]

Zero smiled faintly. "Both of you. Accepted."

Trial 2: Hoshin

The blind boy walked forward, clutching a gourd of potion on his back. When his turn came, he simply said:

"I don't need to fight. I'll serve as the Inner Hall's alchemist."

He opened his palm. A single drop of green liquid fell onto a spirit beast core and... purified it completely.

Even Elder Mu's expression changed.

"This level of purity... is impossible for Foundation

Realm."

Zero descended from the platform and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Welcome, Inner Disciple Hoshin."

# Inner Disciple Rankings Activated

After several more trials, seven were accepted as Inner Disciples.

Each was granted:

Chaos Pendant: Tier 2 Personal residence in the Inner Pavilion

Access to Rank 2 Chaos Techniques

100 Spirit Stones

Beast Summoning Token (1 use)

Emergency Elder Signal Bead

The Sect's power structure had taken its next step.

Chaos System Update

[Inner Disciples Established: 7]

[Core Disciple: 1]

[Chaos Power Rating: D+ (Early-Stage Sect)] [Next Milestone: Formation of First Shadow

Operation Team]

A new system alert flashed before Zero.

[Side Quest: Beast Crown Mission Detected]

A wounded Lesser Divine Beast has been discovered in the Nightshade Valley.

Multiple sects are moving to capture it.

Objective: Find and form a contract before others do.

Reward: Beast Companion | Influence Boost | Divine

Beast Pavilion Access

Zero called a private meeting inside the Chaos

Strategy Hall.

Nyra stood beside him, her black robes flowing, her eyes glowing faint gold.

Renji, Fang Mei, and Hoshin waited silently.

Zero projected a map of Nightshade Valley-full of high-tier monsters and covered in permanent mist.

"This mission will mark our first move beyond the canyon. You four will go."

"You are to capture, not kill. The Chaos Sect doesn't destroy... unless provoked."

Nyra stepped forward. "What if we're intercepted?"

"Then leave one survivor," Zero said coldly, "to carry the story."

• Scene Shift: Nightshade Valley - Mistfall Border

The team moved like phantoms.

Nyra used her Void Step to scout ahead, marking enemies with shadow flares only visible to her team.

Renji, as vanguard, took care of beasts that blocked their path.

Fang Mei used her beast whistle to tame a local mistpanther as a mount.

Hoshin left tracking potions that glowed only to Chaos-linked pupils.

By nightfall, they had reached the valley center.

There, curled between two stone spires, lay a massive winged beast - silver scales glowing with divine runes. Its side was pierced with an alchemy poison blade, leaking corruption.

Divine Beast Detected

Name: Auren - Silver Sky Serpent (Lesser Divine)

Age: Unknown

Rank: SS (Wounded)

Bond Possibility: Soul Trial Required

As Nyra stepped forward, the air warped. Dozens of footsteps echoed behind them.

"Well well... what do we have here?"

A cultivator wearing the crest of the Stormhowl Sect stepped from the mist, followed by ten armed elites.

"Hand over the beast. We'll give you a head start before we kill you."

Renji cracked his knuckles. "I don't like being threatened."

Zero, watching from the Soul Mirror, gave a single command.

"Engage."

Nyra blinked forward, vanishing into shadow. She reappeared behind their commander and whispered,

"Chaos Purge."

A blade of condensed shadow sliced the man's dantian clean.

Renji roared and launched into battle, thunder fists cracking bones. Hoshin lobbed mist bombs that exploded into illusions. Fang Mei's new mistpanther tore through two cultivators before leaping away.

Within thirty seconds, only one survivor remained.

Nyra approached him, blood-stained but calm.

"Tell them," she whispered, "Chaos has arrived."

Contract Formed

As the battle ended, the Silver Sky Serpent slowly raised its head. Its eyes, full of pain and pride, met Nyra's.

"You... carry both darkness and clarity."

Nyra knelt.

| "Let me fight beside you."

A light flared between them.

[Beast Contract Formed: Nyra - Auren]

Skill Gained: Skyfall Lightning Shield

Beast Pavilion Access: Unlocked]

The team returned victorious.

Zero awaited them at the gate.

Nyra bowed. "Mission complete."

Yulin's eyes widened at the sight of Auren, then chuckled. "A serpent? Cute."

[Chaos Beast Pavilion Constructed Automatically]

Beast Taming Level: Tier 1 Beast Contracts Allowed: 5 Beast Training Array: Level 1 Unlocked

Zero looked at Nyra. "You've exceeded expectations again."

Then he turned to the others.

"Prepare. We've announced ourselves to the world.

Now... they will respond."

Scene Shift: Black Sky Sect - Elite

Hunter Mobilized

In a black hall filled with bones and incense, the masked elder stood before a silver coffin.

He whispered, "Awaken her."

The coffin opened with a creak. A girl with crimson hair and half-frozen eyes sat up.

"Who am I killing?"

"His name is Zero. Founder of the Chaos Sect."

She smiled.

"Sounds fun."