The void was absolute.
No light, no sound, no sensation – just the endless nothing that had become Li Yuan's prison between missions. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't even properly think. His consciousness floated in a liminal space between awareness and oblivion, like a dream that refused to fully form.
Time had no meaning here. What felt like moments could be days; what seemed like weeks might only be a few hours. The only certainty was that eventually, the Masked One would call, and Li Yuan would answer. Not that he had any choice in the matter.
When awareness finally returned, it came in stages.
First, sensation crept back into his limbs – the odd tingling that accompanied the transition from statue to flesh. Then came movement, his fingers twitching as animation returned to his body. Finally, his thoughts sharpened, crystallizing from the fog of suspended animation into proper consciousness.
A portal of swirling darkness appeared before him, identical to the one that had brought him here. Li Yuan's feet carried him forward without any input from his mind. As he stepped through, the familiar emptiness of the void gave way to the vast circular chamber where the Masked One held court.
The chamber looked exactly as it had the last time he'd seen it – walls lined with haphazardly placed treasures, ceiling lost in darkness, and that unsettling black crystal throne at the far end.
Li Yuan had learned early on not to try focus on the throne too closely – the headaches weren't worth it.
"Ah, my faithful servant returns to the waking world," the Masked One said, his voice still that unsettling chorus of perfectly synchronized speakers from different points in time. He waved his hand, and Li Yuan felt his body move forward and drop to one knee before the throne.
"Master," Li Yuan said, keeping his head bowed. "How may I serve?"
The Masked One made a gesture in the air, as though turning an invisible page. "I've found an interesting target. Someone who left the Azure Peak Sect recently... someone with potential."
Li Yuan's interest piqued despite himself. The Azure Peak Sect was one of the major powers in this region. Anyone who caught the Masked One's attention from such a prestigious sect was likely to be formidable. "What can you tell me about them, Master?"
"Details are irrelevant," the Masked One dismissed with a wave. "All that matters is that they show signs of protagonist energy. Whether they realize their potential or not is immaterial – they will serve better in my collection than wandering free."
Li Yuan kept his expression neutral, though inwardly he was sighing. Of course that was all the information he'd get. The Masked One's obsession with "protagonists" meant he often fixated on the strangest details while ignoring what most would consider crucial information.
The Masked One held out his hand, and a small crystal materialized in his palm. It looked almost like a normal spirit stone, except for the way its internal light pulsed with that same wrong rhythm as everything else the Masked One created.
"This will lead you to them. I've tagged their spiritual signature – follow where it points."
As Li Yuan reached for the crystal, the Masked One made another gesture. A second portal of darkness appeared beside the throne, and a young woman stepped through.
Li Yuan had seen her statue in the void before, but this was his first time seeing her animated.
She was striking in the way that dangerous things often were – pale skin, long black hair, and eyes that occasionally flashed red when she thought no one was looking. She wore dark robes that seemed to absorb light similar to the Masked One's, though hers were cut in a more... provocative style than was typical for cultivators.
"Mo Qingyin," the Masked One introduced, "meet Li Yuan. You'll be working together on this mission."
The woman – Mo Qingyin – gave Li Yuan an appraising look, her lips curving into what might have been meant as a seductive smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Brother Li. I've seen your statue often enough, but it's so much better to finally meet in the flesh."
There was something predatory in her gaze that made Li Yuan think of venomous flowers. Beautiful, but likely to kill you if you got too close. He gave her a polite nod in return, keeping his response neutral. "Likewise, Sister Mo."
Mo Qingyin turned to the Masked One, her entire demeanor changing as she adopted a coy expression. "Master, you know I work better alone. Surely you don't need to send both of us? I could handle this mission myself, and then perhaps afterward we could discuss my... progress?"
The temperature in the chamber dropped several degrees. The Masked One's mask turned toward her with an awful stillness. When he spoke, his many-voiced words carried an edge sharp enough to cut. "You forget your place, puppet."
Mo Qingyin's eyes widened, and she dropped to her knees, pressing her forehead to the ground. "Forgive me, Master! I spoke out of turn!"
"Indeed." The Masked One raised his hand, and Mo Qingyin's body went rigid. A small whimper escaped her lips as whatever power he was exerting took hold. "Perhaps a reminder of your status is in order?"
"Please," she gasped, "I understand my error—"
The Masked One closed his fist, and Mo Qingyin screamed. It wasn't a normal scream – it had layers to it, like multiple voices crying out in harmony. Her body convulsed as though being torn apart from the inside, but no visible wounds appeared.
After what felt like an eternity but was probably only seconds, the Masked One opened his hand and Mo Qingyin collapsed, breathing heavily.
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"Do not forget," the Masked One said, "you exist to serve my will. Nothing more."
"Yes, Master," Mo Qingyin whispered as her body trembled.
The Masked One turned back to Li Yuan, who had watched the display impassively. When he was first brought back to life, his Master had punished him in the same way to demonstrate his power over their souls.
"You have your mission. Fill her in, and do not fail me."
Li Yuan bowed his head. "As you command, Master."
A gesture from the Masked One opened another portal, and Li Yuan felt his body moving toward it. Mo Qingyin scrambled to her feet and followed, still trembling slightly from her punishment.
As they stepped through into the outside world, Li Yuan couldn't help but wonder what this mission would bring. Somehow, he doubted it would be as simple as their master made it sound.
***
The portal deposited them in a forest clearing under the light of a waning moon. Li Yuan took a moment to orient himself, checking the crystal the Masked One had given him. It pulsed with a faint light, pointing northeast.
"Well," Mo Qingyin said, her voice already recovering its seductive edge, though Li Yuan noticed she kept more distance between them than before, "shall we begin our little hunt, Brother Li?"
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Li Yuan started walking in the direction the crystal indicated, not bothering to look back as he replied. "We should move quickly. The target has a head start."
He heard Mo Qingyin's footsteps behind him as she hurried to catch up. "So cold! And here I thought we could use this opportunity to get to know each other better. After all, we're the only ones who can truly understand each other's situation..."
"I understand your situation perfectly well," Li Yuan cut her off. "You sold your soul to the Masked One, same as I did. That's all I need to know."
“Oh, you think you have me all figured out, do you?” Mo Qingyin laughed. “Let me guess – you see the way I dress, the way I act, and you think you know exactly what kind of woman I am?"
"I think you're the kind of woman who tries to manipulate everyone around her, even knowing it's pointless with our master." Li Yuan kept his eyes forward, focused on their path. "I think you're dangerous, not because you're particularly powerful, but because you're desperate. And I think trying to seduce everything that moves is probably what got you into trouble in the first place."
There was a moment of silence before Mo Qingyin spoke again, her voice losing some of its sultriness. "Well, well. Perhaps you're more observant than you look." She moved to walk beside him rather than behind. "Though you're wrong about one thing – seduction had nothing to do with my fall. Would you like to hear the real story?"
Li Yuan considered ignoring her, but they had ground to cover and talking would pass the time. Besides, knowing more about his temporary partner's background might prove useful. "If you're going to tell it anyway, I suppose I might as well listen."
"So generous," Mo Qingyin said dryly. "It's actually quite simple – I was born into a minor sect. One of those tiny places that barely deserves the name, where the strongest elder was barely at the Elemental Realm. But I had talent, real talent, and I wasn't content to waste away in such a backwater."
She paused, probably for dramatic effect. Li Yuan kept walking, letting the silence stretch until she continued.
"I found an ancient text in the sect's library, hidden away because the elders thought it was too dangerous. It detailed a cultivation method that promised power beyond normal limits – the Demonic Bloom Path." Her voice took on a bitter edge. "What the text didn't mention was that the method was incomplete, that it would slowly corrupt my spiritual essence, turning it toxic to myself and others. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. My own cultivation was killing me."
Li Yuan's steps slowed slightly. He knew where this was going – it was always the same with the Masked One's servants. A moment of desperation, a deal that seemed better than death, and then eternal servitude.
"The Masked One found me as I lay dying, my own power eating away at my meridians," Mo Qingyin confirmed his thoughts. "He offered me a new body, one that could handle the corrupted energy. All I had to do was pledge my soul to his service." She laughed again, but this time there was no attempt at seduction, just cold irony. "I thought I was being clever, you know? I assumed I could find a way to break free eventually. I didn't understand what it truly meant to sell your soul."
"None of us did," Li Yuan said quietly, memories of his own death and rebirth moving to the forefront of his mind. "We were all desperate, all thought we could outsmart him somehow."
"And now look at us – hunting down others to add to his collection." Mo Qingyin's voice turned contemplative. "I wonder sometimes just how many there are, and how many of them thought they could break free? How many are still plotting their escape, in those moments when consciousness returns?"
Li Yuan didn't respond. He didn't want to think about the other statues, about how many souls the Masked One had collected, about how he was going to help him add one more to the collection.
A/N
I know many of you want double chapter releases, so I decided to give out another challenge!
Currently, we have 1914 favorites, if we can get 3000 favorites, I'll release double chapters for a WEEK on RR!