---
Two days before the Second Round of the Sect Tournament. Jiang Chen stands before the Hidden Blade Pavilion, an ancient training ground reserved for those pursuing elusive sword paths.
Inside, sword scars cover every wall. Silent statues of long-forgotten sword saints line the chamber. Instructor Mei's voice echoes behind him.
Instructor Mei (measured):
"This hall once belonged to your ancestor's line. The Whispering Sword was born here, refined through silence, not slaughter."
Jiang Chen (quietly):
"And yet it was destroyed in blood."
Instructor Mei (pauses):
"That is the way of clarity. The clearer the blade, the more it reflects the world's ugliness."
Jiang Chen steps forward. The ancient sword forms etched into the walls shimmer faintly, reacting to his presence. He draws his sword slowly and breathes.
A new technique begins forming in his mind—not from memory, but intuition.
> New Technique – Whispering Form II: "Petals Across the Void"
A movement-based form that creates phantom slashes through sheer displacement.
Ideal for dealing with multiple opponents in rapid, fluid strikes.
---
Later that afternoon, Jiang Chen spars briefly with Yue Qingshuang under the silver pines. Their swords clash only once before they part. She speaks calmly as she wipes her blade.
Yue Qingshuang (serious):
"Someone entered your quarters last night. Left no trace. If I hadn't placed a hair ward, you'd never have known."
Jiang Chen (frowning):
"Assassins?"
Yue Qingshuang:
"Not ordinary ones. I found traces of Voidstep Dust. Vermilion Shadow techniques."
Jiang Chen (grimly):
"They're getting impatient."
She looks at him, eyes steady.
Yue Qingshuang:
"They're afraid. You must be close to something they want buried."
---
That night, Jiang Chen meditates under the moonlight in the Pine Forest Grove. The wind shifts. A chilling silence falls. From the shadows—three masked figures emerge, robes stitched with crimson.
Vermilion Shadow Assassins.
They move in complete silence, synchronized and deadly. Jiang Chen reacts instantly, unleashing "Petals Across the Void."
Silver arcs shimmer through the air, his movements a flowing rhythm of shadow and steel. One assassin falls, chest sliced cleanly. The others vanish into the dark—but Jiang Chen is bleeding from the shoulder.
A voice calls out—Yue Qingshuang, arriving late.
Yue Qingshuang (kneeling):
"You shouldn't fight them alone. They're trained to kill cultivators mid-breakthrough."
Jiang Chen (standing, wiping blood):
"They've seen my path. They want to erase it before I find the truth."
---
The next morning, Elder Mei Ling summons Jiang Chen to a secret crypt beneath the Lotus Courtyard. A glowing seal pulsing with moonlight guards the door. She unlocks it.
Elder Mei Ling:
"This seal was placed by your ancestor. Only those of the Whispering Veins bloodline can open it."
Jiang Chen steps forward. As his palm touches the seal, it glows brighter and melts away, revealing a chamber lined with floating scrolls and sword diagrams. In the center lies a single ornate scabbard—simple but flawless.
> Artifact Gained – "Silent Sheath"
A relic from the founder of the Whispering Sword.
Enhances speed, suppresses killing intent, and grants stealth to sword qi.
As Jiang Chen places his sword inside it, he feels its hum settle—perfectly balanced.
---
On a high terrace, Lin Shaoyu watches Jiang Chen return from the Lotus Courtyard. A subtle smile plays on his lips. A veiled figure—his informant—kneels beside him.
Lin Shaoyu (softly):
"He's beginning to gather fragments of the old path."
Informant:
"And the assassins failed."
Lin Shaoyu (coldly):
"They were never meant to succeed. Just… remind him what's waiting at the peak."
He lifts a wine cup.
Lin Shaoyu:
"Let him climb. I'll be waiting at the top—with a blade of my own."
---
Back in his room, Jiang Chen bandages his wounds. The Silent Sheath rests beside him. He closes his eyes, breathing slowly. The lotus sigil on his chest—an ancient mark from his clan—flares briefly as his core stabilizes.
> [Mid-stage of Whispering Veins Realm achieved]
He whispers to the empty room.
Jiang Chen:
"I remember now… not everything, but enough. I was never meant to hide."
---
End of Chapter 8