**Silent Drop – Same Night**
Zeravon stared at the jade box left by Yueyin.
A soft glow seeped from within the carved lid — not too bright, not too dim. Subtle. Alive.
> *"This doesn't feel like a weapon…"*
He opened it.
Inside lay a small **silver orb**, no larger than a pearl, wrapped in thin golden threads that shimmered like silk in moonlight.
As soon as his fingers brushed its surface, a warm flow surged into his meridians.
Not powerful.
But **pure**.
> *"Qi… it's cleaner than anything I've absorbed before."*
His dantian pulsed slightly — and for the first time since entering the sect, Zeravon felt the walls around his cultivation core **respond**.
> *This… is my beginning.*
---
**Elsewhere – Deep Underground (Within the Sect)**
Inside a sealed cavern buried beneath layers of formations, Elder Lin stood before an ancient slab carved with three names.
Two of them were unreadable — scratched out by unknown force.
But the third still glowed faintly:
> **Zeravon**
Lin's fingers trembled.
> "This name… again and again…"
The masked figure appeared beside him, as if birthed by the shadows.
> "The earth under Cloud Vein has started whispering."
> "The seal beneath the sect… is bleeding."
Elder Lin's eyes darkened.
> "What treasure lies buried here… and why is he connected to it?"
---
**Cloud Vein Pavilion – Next Morning**
A golden scroll arrived from the Sect Alliance, unfurling mid-air before the disciples.
Instructor Wei stepped forward and read aloud:
> "By decree of the Outer Realm Council, all affiliated sects shall send disciples on the **Moon-Rift Expedition**. The ruins beneath Scarlet Moon Valley have resurfaced. A potential ancient relic has awakened."
Cheers, gasps, and startled glances erupted among the crowd.
Zeravon listened quietly from the side.
> *"Treasure hunt?"*
But Yueyin, standing atop a balcony far behind the crowd, narrowed her gaze.
> *"Not a hunt."*
> *"A test."*
---
**Later That Day – Mission Briefing**
Instructor Wei gathered the selected disciples — thirty in all. Among them were strong outer disciples like Lin Xu, Mei Rou, and unexpectedly… Yueyin.
Zeravon stood at the back, silent as usual.
Wei spoke firmly:
> "Scarlet Moon Valley awakens only once every thousand years. What lies beneath is not just treasure — it's danger, mystery, and test of soul."
> "You are to proceed in teams. The Sect will observe."
> "The one who returns with the core artifact shall receive a direct path to the Inner Sect."
Murmurs surged.
Some disciples already eyed others with distrust.
Yueyin glanced at Zeravon — just once — but said nothing.
---
**Night Before Departure – Outer Disciple Quarters**
Zeravon sat on his bed, the silver orb now floating gently above his palm.
His Qi was now cleaner. Flowing.
> *"I can finally begin to cultivate properly."*
He stood, walked outside, and looked toward the mountain ranges in the distance — where Scarlet Moon Valley slept.
Behind him, a voice emerged.
> "You're going too?"
It was **Lin Xu** — one of the few outer disciples who trained seriously and had spoken to Zeravon a few times without disdain.
Zeravon nodded.
> "I need answers."
Lin Xu smirked.
> "Then you better stay close. That valley swallows those who go in alone."
Zeravon didn't reply — but for the first time, he didn't feel entirely alone.
---
**Far Away – Realm of Broken Oaths**
Three cloaked figures knelt before a dying flame.
> "He carries the orb."
> "She walks beside him."
> "The ruins will open… and the truth will leak."
A fourth voice — old, cracked, and barely human — whispered:
> "Let them all gather…"
> "And when they kneel before the treasure…"
> "…**we take him back.**"
---