Heaven’s Shadow

As his finger pointed forward, leaving a vivid and glaring red streak in midair, a deep, dark flame ignited in Lu Chen’s eyes. At that moment, his entire presence, demeanor, and even his breath seemed to change abruptly.

An indescribable aura of darkness began to emanate from his body. At the same time, as if drawn by some eerie force, the blood flowing from his wrist—blood droplets and streams—suddenly formed a fine, glistening line that drifted silently just inches above the ground, following Lu Chen’s finger as if weighted down by immense force.

His finger paused, then suddenly pressed downward. At the same time, the dark fire in Lu Chen’s eyes flared up, like a suddenly wild blaze.

A dull sound resonated from the ground, like the ancient bells of a mountain temple, echoing in the silence.

A small bloodstain appeared on the ground, and then the bloodlines twisted and stretched in strange patterns, spreading out in multiple directions, forming bizarre and inexplicable shapes.

Lu Chen’s hand moved slowly in midair, from a single finger to five. The number of bloodlines increased, and the strange patterns on the ground began to take shape.

The design was a large triangular pattern, with numerous intricate and twisted figures within it, but the entire blood-formed pattern was centered around the puddle in the tree hollow, enveloping it completely.

After an unknown amount of time, Lu Chen’s hand gradually stopped. His face looked pale, as if he had expended most of his energy. Before him lay a nearly complete bizarre blood pattern, resembling a strange array, which from a distance seemed to faintly resemble… a tree.

The water in the puddle remained still, seemingly unaffected by the sudden appearance of the blood pattern. However, for some unknown reason, the cluster of strange, hidden black flames beneath the water began to flicker and sway.

A subtle, elusive force seemed to be hidden within the still blood-red pattern, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat in the dead of night.

The entire tree hollow remained silent. The greenish aura, the tree walls, and the two mysterious, unopened doors all silently observed the unfolding events.

Lu Chen looked at the pattern before him, his expression weary and complex, with a hint of confusion. But soon, his eyes regained their clarity.

He bent down, picked up Ah Tu, and slowly walked into the blood-red pattern, kneeling by the edge of the puddle.

The water rippled slightly, reflecting his face. He gazed silently at the reflection in the water, then gently placed Ah Tu into it.

Several bubbles rose from below as the unconscious black dog wavered and slowly sank to the bottom.

By the water’s edge, Lu Chen took a deep breath and suddenly slapped backward. The exact spot he struck on the strange blood array was unknown, but there was a sudden loud noise, like thunder on a cloud, and the ancient tree hollow was illuminated brightly.

All the areas marked by blood on the ground erupted into an eerie, bloody light, forming a blood-red pillar of light that reflected into the air.

The light and shadows twisted violently, accompanied by wailing sounds that seemed to come from the depths of the underworld. The blood-red image trembled and twisted, gradually morphing into a massive tree shadow.

A vague, shadowy tree, towering and stretching from heaven to earth, spanning the three realms and everywhere in between, its entire form blood-red, as if every branch and leaf was drenched in blood.

In that nightmarish, dream-like vision, countless blood droplets fell from the horrific tree, as if hell itself had been summoned.

Lu Chen gazed deeply at the illusion, his eyes twitching slightly, but he quickly regained his composure. His arm traced an unusual pattern in the air, then pressed downward.

As he moved, a strange howling sound echoed again, and a peculiar light began to flow from the illusion, seeping into reality bit by bit, approaching the puddle.

The clear water suddenly began to churn violently, as if sensing an immense power, reacting to an unimaginable stimulus. The waves shook furiously, shattering all tranquility, while a rumbling sound rose from the depths of the puddle.

The light in the blood-red image continued to approach, nearly touching the water’s surface.

Lu Chen’s face was as pale as paper, but the black fire in his eyes burned even more fiercely, now with a hint of wildness.

Suddenly, a cluster of black fire from the water’s depths flared up dramatically, expanding dozens of times, like a demonic mouth opening wide to strike upwards.

Almost simultaneously, the flowing light from the blood-red illusion touched the water’s surface.

Thunder roared silently!

“Boom!”

All the water waves violently shook and erupted, sending Ah Tu soaring into the air. Under the eerie blood-red illusion, everything seemed to be tainted with a streak of blood.

The light penetrated Ah Tu’s body.

The black fire followed in the air, the illusion passed through Ah Tu’s body, swaying as if trying to penetrate the nearby blood-red tree.

But the next moment, all the illusory shadows disappeared together.

“Splash, splash, splash…”

Amidst the splashing water, Ah Tu and the clear water fell heavily back into the puddle. After a moment, a groan of indescribable pain emerged from its mouth.

It struggled at the bottom of the water, weakly opening its only eye to glance upward.

The water continued to shake violently. Through the chaotic reflections and shadows, a familiar face could be seen on the other side of the water, gazing silently at it.

Although the face was as pale as if it had no blood.

Ah Tu slowly closed its eye again, like a child peacefully falling asleep.

※※※

In the silent deep night, darkness seemed all-encompassing. The vast Kunlun Mountains were immersed in the night. In the depths of the fog, behind the black disk, the abyss-like darkness traversed through the long crust, resembling an ancient, colossal temple. The vast and lonely corridor felt the same.

Dim light came from an unknown source, falling upon this desolate temple. In the distance, massive and ancient doors, hidden in the depths of darkness, stood like solitary guardians, enduring countless ages.

Time seemed to freeze here, as if nothing would change for centuries.

However, at a certain moment, when the blood-red symbol in the ancient tree hollow suddenly lit up and summoned the eerie, all-encompassing blood-red tree, some changes occurred here.

The tranquil darkness trembled slightly.

The massive stone doors stood majestically.

Silent, motionless, as if lifeless, with a hint of hesitation?

In the dead silence of the darkness, behind the seemingly endless and profound doors, a voice suddenly emerged.

Like the roar of dragons and tigers, or the shifting of winds and clouds, it seemed as though something sighed deeply.

The darkness expanded suddenly, like a heartbeat, causing the entire stone door to tremble. A few small stones fell from the unseen ceiling.

A humming sound, like thunder, swept through, making the earth tremble.

But after a moment, everything returned to silence, as if those who were sleeping remained undisturbed, and those who were at rest remained so. The darkness quietly retreated, returning to its original position, and the stone door stood firm, silent as before.

Time seemed to freeze once more, like a dream that would never wake!

Struggle and pain, never to awaken.

※※※

The night eventually passed, as it did countless times before. The darkness receded, and light would come.

At dawn, as the morning light streamed through the window, Lu Chen sat on the floor, holding Ah Tu, who was wrapped in white cloth like a bundle, only its one eye and its mouth and nose visible. Ah Tu lay quietly in Lu Chen’s arms, eyes closed, peacefully asleep.

Its chest gently rose and fell, and occasionally, its face twitched, as if dreaming of something frightening. Yet in the end, the black dog settled into quietude, as if all its fears and terrors had receded in the warmth of Lu Chen’s embrace.

Leaning against the wall, Lu Chen silently watched the sliver of morning light that came through, remaining silent.

On this day, he did not go out, nor did he visit the Flowing Fragrance Garden.

※※※

Kunlun Sect is a place that values rules, and the Hundred Herbs Hall is no exception. In the Flowing Fragrance Garden, the treatment of labor disciples is somewhat better than in Stone Plate Mountain, but it is still not lenient. Daily roll call is mandatory, and although some might leave early after finishing their work, the rules are strict. Unless one takes leave in advance, there will be trouble.

Lu Chen encountered trouble.

After the recent upheaval, the new Golden Core cultivator in charge of the garden, Lin Sheng, was a stern person. When he discovered that Lu Chen had missed work without reason, he summoned Lu Chen the next day.

“What happened? Why did you fail to show up yesterday?” Lin Sheng looked coldly at the young man, whose face seemed unwell. There was an unintended but apparent contempt in his eyes. “You were assigned to cultivate spirit herbs here as a trust and cultivation from the sect. Don’t you understand that?”

Lu Chen slightly lowered his head. After a moment, he said, “It was my mistake.”

“Do you have an excuse?”

“During my cultivation, I was careless. My qi was disrupted, causing internal injuries.”

Lin Sheng glanced at him, his eyes scanning his face. After a moment, he nodded and said, “Indeed, your internal qi is unstable, and there is damage to your meridians. But failing to inform us in advance and missing work without reason is still a fault. This excuse is not acceptable. Your spirit herb harvest for this season will be deducted. If the herbs are damaged due to your absence, you will be expelled from the Flowing Fragrance Garden. Do you have any objections?”

Lu Chen kept his head down in silence for a long time before saying, “No, thank you for your understanding, Master Uncle.”