Discomfort fluttered in the ranks of the Black Lotus Sect as Lin Feng returned from the Ashen Veil Ruins. Whispers danced down the corridors, praise of his victory mingling with suspicion of his rising power. The tension was in the air, a web of fear and ambition that was being woven tighter and tighter around him.
In the Hall of Balance, the Elder Council convened. Lin Feng calmly and impassively stood before them with his hands clasped behind his back. The expression on his face wasn't triumphant, and neither was it worried; from his sharp eyes, he grasped every glance, every whisper.
Predictably, Elder Shen started, "Lin Feng succeeded in getting the artifact; that much is accepted, but his methods… he trailed off, allowing the implications to insinuate themselves. "How far do they serve the benefit of the sect—or himself?"
Lin Feng cocked his head to one side as a small smile began to pull on his lips. "Elder Shen, when my ambitions profit the sect, is it really different?"
The council stirred, murmurs breaking out among the disciples observing from the sidelines. Elder Ji frowned but said nothing, waiting to see how Shen would respond.
Shen's eyes narrowed. "And when those ambitions exceed the sect's control? What then?"
Lin Feng's eyes suddenly turned cold. "Control is but an illusion, Elder Shen. The only truth is power, and without that, the sect falls before the Eclipse Sovereign's attack. At least my methods yielded a result. Those sitting in safety, do they have any right to judge while looking from the outside?"
In an instant, the mood of that entire grand hall seemed to condense. The always vague Elder Qiu, who had been sitting to the side, finally spoke up: "Let us not be blinded by our emotions, brethren. Lin Feng indeed did strengthen the sect by using his methods. If said to be unorthodox-so be it. Times are not peaceful."
His mouth slanted into a thin, tight line, Shen could press himself no further.
---
That night, Lin Feng sat cross-legged in his quarters. The fragment of the Celestial Conduit floated before him, shining brightly with golden light. The Seal of Calamity rested nearby, its faint pulsing in rhythm with the fragment's energy.
Lin Feng's hand reached out, and he felt his qi touch the piece; the energy vibrated to accord with his, and he saw flashes of memory-brains scorched, but not his. A coalition of sects arose in rebellion against the heavens; these held this Conduit and struck apart the divine rule. They struggled, won, and triumphed. They betrayed their words and were annihilated in the end.
"They overreached," Lin Feng whispered, his voice cold. "Power is useless without the wisdom to wield it. Ambition without caution leads to ruin."
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The Seal's whispers slithered through his mind. "And caution without ambition leads to mediocrity. Merge us, Lin Feng. Together, we will ascend beyond their comprehension."
Lin Feng laughed low and clear. "Not yet. The moment I give you what you want is the moment I lose control. I wield you, not the other way around."
The Seal pulsed, the whispers receding. Lin Feng focused on the fragment and began to refine his Celestial Shadow Veil technique. With the power of the fragment, the technique was sharper, strikes full of radiant destruction. Yet, the strain of using it lingered, a reminder of the cost.
"Power always wants payment," Lin Feng told himself. "It is up to me to know whether it is worth paying."
---
The next morning, Zhao Qing and Yan Wei burst in with urgent news.
"Rogue cultivators have infiltrated the outer territories," Zhao Qing said, laying a map across the table. "They're testing our defenses, targeting our weaker outposts."
Yan Wei continued, "They've deployed Void Specters. Constructs made of corrupted qi. They slip past our formations unnoticed until it's too late."
Lin Feng gazed at the map in a cold, calm manner. "The Eclipse Sovereign quickens the pace, yet it's not an assault-this is all preparation; it means that they probe us to find weakness in one area."
Zhao Qing faltered before she tried, "The council would wait for a response from you, Master. Shall we"
"They don't have to ask," Lin Feng interrupted. "This will help my cause, though. Logical step forward to my ambitions."
---
The sections within the sect had progressively grown in antipathy, as Jiang Yue worked tirelessly at displacing the positions of power held by Lin Feng, using everything from the lashing verbal blows to the knife cuts of subtle manipulation upon the doubts within the disciples.
Meanwhile, Elder Shen made his move. In a private meeting with Jiang Yue, he offered her an alliance.
"Lin Feng is a threat to us both," Shen said smoothly. "You know this as well as I do. Together, we can remove him and restore balance to the sect."
Jiang Yue's mouth thinned into a smile. "And when Lin Feng is gone, Shen? You really expect me to serve at your feet like one of your little dogs?"
Shen didn't frown or smile; his eyes did shine, though. "I expect you to survive, Jiang Yue. That is more than I can promise if Lin Feng remains unchecked."
Jiang Yue walked out of the meeting room, thoughts churning in her mind. Jiang Yue knew that Lin Feng was a dangerous man, but Shen was no less so. For now, she would wait.
---
The council entrusted the investigation of the rogue infiltrations to Lin Feng and attached Jiang Yue to him once more. Lin Feng accepted the mission without demur, his mind already running several moves ahead.
This reconnaissance mission brought them to a hidden outpost where some rogue cultivators were experimenting with corrupted artifacts. Lin Feng watched from the shadows, his mind working out the best course of action.
When the fight started, Lin Feng launched his Celestial Shadow Veil, smothering the enemy with precision and power. The tide of battle turned rapidly, but the strain of using the technique left him momentarily vulnerable.
Seizing her opportunity, Jiang Yue did nothing to hurry his recovery, merely acting as if he was weakening as a rogue closed in. In that second, Zhao Qing cut the attacker down and glared at Jiang Yue.
"What are you doing?" Zhao Qing asked.
"Making sure this mission is not compromised by his recklessness," Jiang Yue replied coolly.
Lin Feng's eyes glanced to her, expression unreadable; inside, however, his mind churned. She oversteps. But her usefulness isn't over yet. Let her think she still holds the advantage.
---
After the battle, Lin Feng recovered a jade slip on the rogue leader's being. Activating it, the Eclipse Sovereign's voice was heard:
> "The heavens are blind, and their pawns are weak. Join me, Lin Feng, and you will stand above them all."
That night, Lin Feng sat in meditation, alone. The Seal's whispers blended with the Sovereign's words, eerily similar in tone.
"Your enemies surround you, Lin Feng," the Seal murmured. "Betrayal is inevitable. Strike first, or be struck down."
Lin Feng opened his eyes; his gaze was icy and detached. "Let them come. One after another, they will fall. And after the dust settles, only I will be left."
The fragment and the Seal were pulsating together, casting shadows that seemed to writhe on the ground.