The quiet of the shrine was broken by the sudden hum of spiritual energy.
A gust of wind rippled through the clearing. The mist along the stone edges parted, folding outward as if something far greater than nature had disturbed it. Even the sunlight dimmed for a moment, filtered through a pressure that weighed down on their chests like invisible stone.
Joseph looked up just in time to see a figure materialize from the path behind them, robes fluttering in the windless air.
Elder Mu had arrived.
He stood tall, shoulders broad beneath a silver-gray outer robe embroidered with winding cloud patterns. His hair was pulled back tightly, streaked with white, though his face showed little age. His presence was calm, but the qi around him whispered of violence restrained.
The group scrambled to their feet.
"Disciples," he said, his voice deep but smooth. "I received your spirit message and came immediately."
Joseph couldn't help himself. "But… how did you find us so fast? The shrine is hidden."
Elder Mu turned his gaze to him—measured, thoughtful. "I followed your personal qi, Wei Shen. You have yet to learn how to properly contain your refined energy. It leaks from your dantian like steam from an untended kettle. Were I an enemy cultivator, you'd already be dead."
Joseph flushed, bowing his head. "I didn't know."
"You will," the elder said simply. "In time."
He turned to the others. "Now—this jade amulet. I must see it. But first… how exactly did it come into your possession?"
The group hesitated.
Han Bo, surprisingly, spoke first. "Wei Shen said he found it in the dorm corridor."
Elder Mu's gaze didn't shift. "Impossible."
Joseph's breath caught.
"A sacred sect artifact like that does not simply appear in dorm corridors," Elder Mu continued. "They are sealed with multiple protective layers, buried beneath the Treasury Hall, and guarded by formation spells that record every movement."
"That's what I said," Han Bo muttered. "But no one listens to me."
Joseph opened his mouth, then closed it again. He couldn't offer anything else without mentioning Ping An, and something deep inside him warned not to—not yet.
The elder's expression turned darker, his voice quieter.
"But the most alarming part," he said, "is not the theft."
He walked slowly toward the center of the clearing, placing a hand on one of the ancient shrine stones.
"Jade amulets—especially of that tier—are yang tools. Meant to repel yin energy. Shield, cleanse, purge. Yet your message stated a mist demon responded to the cracked seal."
He turned, eyes narrowing.
"Why would a yang object attract a yin creature? Unless someone deliberately inverted the amulet's nature."
Lin Yue stepped forward. "You mean… yinfication?"
Elder Mu nodded slowly. "A forbidden technique. Rare. Dangerous. It corrodes spiritual tools and alters their purpose. In this case, it seems the amulet was corrupted—converted into a beacon. If this is true, the matter is no longer a disciplinary issue. It requires the attention of the Elder Council."
Joseph's mouth had gone dry. He didn't know what was worse—that the amulet had been tampered with, or that he had carried it around like a lucky charm.
"But first," Elder Mu said, stepping past them, "take me to it."
There was a long silence.
Han Bo raised a hand. "Uh… pardon my common sense, Elder, but we just escaped that place. There are literal gui crawling around in there. You're asking us to walk back in?"
Elder Mu paused. He turned just slightly toward Han Bo, one brow lifting.
"Han Bo. Do you doubt my strength?"
"No!" Han Bo said quickly, both hands raised. "Never. Just—you know, making sure the plan accounted for… caution."
"I am an elder of this sect," Elder Mu said. "I am at the Martial Master Stage. If a few wild spirits trouble me, I deserve to be demoted."
Han Bo lowered his hands. "Fair enough."
Without further debate, they retraced their path.
****
The mist seemed thicker this time, colder. As they neared the bend in the path where the amulet had been left, the air grew still—no birdsong, no rustling of leaves, just a taut silence that gnawed at their nerves.
Joseph's hands trembled, even if he hid it. Lin Yue walked ahead without fear, and Liang Jun kept his sword unsheathed but low.
Then they saw it.
The jade amulet still lay on the mossy stone, its surface cracked, its inner glow pulsing faintly—just once, as if aware of their return.
Elder Mu stepped forward.
He barely raised his hand before the mist roared back to life.
Three figures emerged—not from the mist, but of it. Shifting forms, hollow eyes, mouths wide and silent. Their limbs bent at unnatural angles, trailing black vapor that dragged across the ground.
Mist demons. All of them bigger than the one from before.
Joseph stumbled back instinctively. Lin Yue raised her blade, but Elder Mu did not move.
Instead, he closed his eyes.
Then he breathed once—and raised his hand.
The sword at his back lifted into the air, its sheath snapping off in an explosion of light. The weapon hovered above his open palm, glowing white-blue with compressed qi.
"Thunder-Seeking Sage Sword Intent," Elder Mu said softly.
And then he struck.
He didn't move forward.
He simply pointed.
The sword snapped forward with a sound like a sky cracking in half. A shockwave blasted down the trail, rippling outward in rings of glowing light. The first demon had barely lifted its clawed hand before it was blasted apart—its form scattering into threads of fog, then nothing.
A second stroke followed, this time horizontal.
BOOM.
The second demon was ripped off its feet and slammed against the trees without ever being touched. It didn't scream—it simply unraveled, its form torn into strands of ash and mist.
The third demon rushed forward.
Elder Mu didn't blink.
The sword danced in the air, spinning once—then dove like a falling star. A third, echoing thunderclap rang through the forest. Joseph covered his ears. Light bloomed as the final demon evaporated mid-lunge, leaving behind nothing but a burned crater in the moss.
Silence returned.
Elder Mu lowered his hand. The sword returned to his grip with a quiet hum. He sheathed it.
Only then did Joseph realize he'd been holding his breath.
Liang Jun whispered, "That was... incredible."
Even Han Bo looked impressed. "Okay. That was worth the walk."
Elder Mu walked calmly to the jade amulet and picked it up.
"It's worse than I feared," he murmured. "The corruption is deep. Whoever did this didn't just invert the tool. They inscribed yin script—old ones. From before the founding of this sect."
Joseph glanced at Lin Yue, whose brows had furrowed in worry.
"This wasn't sabotage," Elder Mu said. "It was… a message. Someone wanted this to be found. To be carried. And to summon witnesses."
He turned to Joseph.
"Your qi is unstable. But this amulet still reacted to you more than the others. Tell me—did you feel anything unusual when you first held it?"
Joseph hesitated. He remembered the warmth, the pulse. The flower. The serpent.
"Yes," he said slowly. "It showed me something. A memory. Or… maybe a vision."
Elder Mu's eyes narrowed.
"Then we are out of time."
He turned to the group. "Return to the sect. Say nothing to anyone else. The council must be summoned."