The storm of energy settled around me like a second skin. My cultivation had surged—Soul Transformation, 2nd Layer. Power pulsed through my meridians, and the ground beneath me faintly trembled under my presence.
The two Marine Sect elders hovered nearby, expressions twisted in shock.
"H-He broke through twice in a matter of seconds…" one whispered, his voice barely audible. "What kind of monster is he?"
I gave them no chance to regroup.
I vanished, the air cracking behind me as Wind Steps launched me forward. A heartbeat later, I reappeared above them, my blade igniting in black-red flame.
"Inferno Slash – Second Form!"
A crescent arc of blazing death slashed through the sky. One elder barely managed to dodge, but the other—
His scream tore through the valley as his arm turned to ash, severed by flame. He reeled backward, unable to retaliate.
"Soul Severing Thrust!"
A jet of condensed black energy pierced forward like a bullet. His spiritual shield shattered on impact—he was dead before he hit the ground.
Ding!
You killed Soul Transformation – 2nd Layer Cultivator.
XP Gained: 16,000
Current XP: 50,000
The remaining elder trembled mid-air, his face pale. "P-Please wait! We surrender! Don't kill me!"
I pointed my sword at him. "Surrender? After you tried to take my life?"
He fell to his knees mid-air, bowing so low his head nearly touched the floating platform beneath us. "I-It wasn't personal! Please! The girl in the crystal—she's the reason Aqua Valley is sealed! It's far too dangerous to go near her!"
I narrowed my eyes. "The crystal girl… the one who fell from the sky?"
"Yes!" he nodded furiously. "She's still there, sealed at the heart of the valley! We tried everything to break it—but her energy… it's not from this realm!"
I exchanged a glance with Yun Sha, who nodded solemnly. Feng Xuan floated closer, his blade still drawn.
"Brother," Feng Xuan asked, "should we kill him?"
I shook my head. "No. He can lead us."
The elder exhaled in relief. "I-I'll take you now!"
We followed him as he guided us deeper into the sect's sacred grounds.
The scenery changed dramatically—lush forests gave way to smooth blue stone, and glowing rivers of spiritual water flowed between jagged cliffs. The further we traveled, the more the air pulsed with an unseen power, heavy and ancient.
Finally, we arrived.
Aqua Valley.
A massive basin surrounded by crystalline cliffs lay before us. At its center, suspended just above a still pool of glowing water, floated a girl encased in transparent blue crystal.
Her long, white hair drifted weightlessly inside the seal. Her robe shimmered with patterns unlike anything from our world—elegant, ethereal, and laced with golden symbols that flickered with divine light.
The pressure she emitted was suffocating. Even from this distance, my soul felt crushed by the sheer depth of her power.
Mu Lingyao gasped. "She… she's not from here."
Yun Sha's voice was barely a whisper. "This aura… it's stronger than anyone I've ever sensed. Even Soul Transformation cultivators would be nothing before her…"
Feng Xuan's brows furrowed. "From the Red Empire?"
I stepped forward, my gaze locked on the sleeping girl in the crystal. A voice stirred in my mind.
'Host. Detection in progress.'
Then:
Ding
System Notification: Unknown Level Detected.
Analyzing foreign entity…
Progress: 24%… 46%… 72%…
Complete.
Ding
Name: Qing Chen
Level: Emperor King - 2nd Layer
Age: 20
[Hidden Info: Origin – Upper Realm. Identity – Second Lady of the Qing Clan. Level Suppressed To Emperor - 7th Layer]
My breath caught. "Upper Realm…?"
Yun Sha looked at me. "What are you thinking?"
"She's from a higher plane of existence," I said slowly. "From the Upper Realm. A noble—maybe even a royal."
Feng Xuan looked uneasy. "Brother… are you thinking of releasing her?"
I stepped to the edge of the platform, staring up at the crystal. "If someone from the Upper Realm finds her like this—sealed in a lower world—they may wipe this entire realm clean in vengeance."
Mu Lingyao clenched her fists. "What if she's a threat? What if she's the one who could destroy this realm?"
I turned toward them, my sword still faintly glowing. "Then I'll do what must be done."
I stared up at the mysterious figure within the crystal.
"If she's a danger—I'll seal her again with my own hands."