CHAPTER 49: UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Xiao Ning stood still for a moment, then lifted his hands and began forming seals one after another. The air rippled gently as he activated the dormant formation hidden within the bronze.

Finally, he bit the tip of his finger and let a single drop of blood fall onto the claw mark.

A low hum sounded.

The black claw symbol lit up with crimson light and began slowly rotating clockwise. Moments later, the bronze door began to dissolve, vanishing into itself as though being devoured by an unseen vortex.

When the last trace of metal disappeared, Xiao Ning stepped into the darkness beyond.

What lay inside was not a treasury or a grand archive, but a silent stone chamber, circular in shape and dimly lit by spiritual lamps embedded in the walls.

But contrary to what most might expect, there were no shelves of spirit treasures or manuals glowing with dao light.

The chamber was sparse.

This was the True Shadow Hall—a secret chamber passed down from one sect master to the next.

At its center stood a statue carved from black jade—depicting a faceless humanoid figure in flowing robes. Its arms were extended outward, both palms open and facing the sky ... as if waiting to receive something

Surrounding it were five stone platforms arranged like a five-pointed star.

Xiao Ning’s gaze swept across the chamber in silence.

This was the secret heart of the Shadowclaw Sect—known only to the sect masters of each generation.

Despite the room being empty, Xiao Ning did not seem disappointed. Instead, his gaze locked onto the statue in the center.

He narrowed his eyes.

A whirl of black and white light surged within his pupils.

This was the Yin Yang Mirror Eyes, one of the core techniques recorded in the Yin Yang Mirror Scripture—an art he had mastered in a previous life. These eyes could see through space, illusion, and even the spiritual structures of formations.

A few breaths later, a strange look flickered across his face.

Now that he looked deeper, fine spiritual threads could be seen extending from the statue’s hands, connecting it to each of the five platforms.

More than that—there was a sixth thread, barely visible, that extended upward into the void... and then vanished.

Even with his current cultivation, Xiao Ning could not follow where it led.

He muttered softly, "Even if I reach Divine Transformation... I doubt I’d be able to trace that thread."

He paused, then smiled faintly.

"...Interesting. This Desolate Shadow Monarch... he was no ordinary man. There’s no way he stopped at the Divine Transformation Realm."

After a moment’s thought, Xiao Ning walked forward and placed his hand atop one of the stone platforms.

Buzz!

A rush of information surged into his mind, like a tide.

He stood still for several moments, absorbing the contents with a calm expression. But when he opened his eyes again, they gleamed with thought.

The Shadowclaw Sect’s greatest strength wasn’t only its assassins and covert arts—it was information.

Over the centuries, the sect had quietly established countless shops throughout the outer realms. These establishments gathered and sold information under a single unified banner—

Moon Shadow Pavilion.

To outsiders, the Pavilion was merely a well-connected, neutral intelligence guild. Its shops were modest, its dealings discrete. But no one knew its true master was the Shadowclaw Sect.

Most of the branches were managed by a Core Formation expert. Their real purpose wasn’t just profit, but data collection—transmitting findings to five major Pavilion branches located in different realms.

Only those five shops, each overseen by a Nascent Soul elder, knew the Pavilion’s true allegiance.

In the past, this network had functioned seamlessly. The sect master of Shadowclaw had always been a Heavenly Tribulation realm cultivator, strong enough to enforce loyalty and coordination.

But things had changed.

Xiao Ning’s master—Li Fang’s predecessor—had vanished without a trace, leaving behind only mystery and silence.

With no Heavenly Tribulation cultivator to guide them, the Moon Shadow Pavilion had gradually drifted away, cutting ties and seeking independence.

From their perspective, the Shadowclaw Sect now lacked the strength to command their loyalty.

After all, Li Fang—though talented—was merely a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Xiao Ning’s gaze turned cold.

The information he had just received—though it seemed vast at first glance—was, in truth, a pile of scraps. Most of it was outdated, fragmented, and ultimately worthless. It didn’t take him long to realize the Pavilion had already begun shielding their internal records from the Shadowclaw Sect’s original channels.

He withdrew his hand from the platform and stepped back in silence.

So, they were already preparing to cut ties completely.

No wonder they had been so quiet these past few years.

Still, he wasn’t angry. In fact, he had expected something like this all along.

The reason he had dared to leave the sect exposed at such a critical juncture... was precisely because of the Moon Shadow Pavilion.

Even if the Shadowclaw Sect had been destroyed, he had always left himself a path forward.

All he needed was to break through to the Heavenly Tribulation Realm.

Once he reached that height, he would travel to the Jade Flowing Realm—one of the Pavilion’s oldest and strongest branches. There, he would announce his identity, reclaim control, and start anew.

That Pavilion branch was led by a Nascent Soul cultivator—a cautious old fox who had never dared overstep his bounds before.

If Xiao Ning appeared there with power far beyond what they imagined, reclaiming control would be easy. Clean, quiet, and with no messy ties to the present Shadowclaw Sect.

He withdrew his hand from the platform, his thoughts settling.

"They want independence?" His lips curled into a faint smile.

Of course, he couldn’t let that happen.

His plan was to remain in the outer realms until he reached the peak of the Divine Transformation Realm. By then, he would have accumulated enough resources and rare materials to push his cultivation even further without unnecessary delay.

Wasting time scouring the land for spirit stones and cultivation resources was not an option.

After all, he still had unfinished business in the Inner Realms—and he intended to return there as soon as possible.

"Then I suppose... it’s time we reminded them who the shadow truly belongs to."

His eyes swept once more over the silent platforms and the ancient statue.

"Hmm... strange indeed," he muttered thoughtfully. "So many dormant possibilities... Are they remnants of the Desolate Shadow Monarch’s arrangements?"

Despite everything, the Shadowclaw Sect wasn’t truly crumbling. Beneath the dust, there was still steel—hidden potentials and buried foundations waiting to be unearthed.

"...This place is not as weak as it seems," he muttered under his breath.

"Codex. Are you there?"

—For a moment, there was silence.

Then, a pale light flickered within his pupils. An emotionless, mechanical voice echoed within his mind.

[Codex Response: Online.]

[New Data Entries Detected.]

[Recalibrating Interface...]

Now that he had fully integrated the Paradox Meridians fully and merged completely with Li Fang’s soul, He could suppress or summon the codex with a single thought.

[Lifespan Update Detected.]

[Remaining Lifespan: 473 / 3000 years]

[Increase Granted: +1000 years]

Xiao Ning’s eyes narrowed, then lit with faint amusement.

"Hah... splendid. That’s more like it."

He had long since guessed that cultivating the Asura Scripture would bring hidden benefits. But to be granted a thousand-year increase in one go—it seemed that forming the Asura Avatar had indeed surpassed the expected threshold.

Cultivation Update Detected.]

[Qi Cultivation: Nascent Soul Realm Peak Stage]

He chuckled lightly. "A minor advancement. Not worth celebrating."

Indeed, with his current foundation, breaking through to the Heavenly Tribulation Realm was entirely within reach.

Of course, that didn’t mean the process would be instant. A cultivator needed more than just raw power to ascend. They required deep comprehension of heavenly laws, the formation of a pseudo-domain, and the inner stability to survive the tribulation itself.

Many who had all the talent in the world still fell under heaven’s judgment.

But for Xiao Ning... he had no fear. His foundation had long been tempered in blood and chaos. With his Paradox Meridians, Asura Scripture, and the Quantum Nascent Soul, his path forward was already paved. All that remained was time.

He simply needed time to condense a domain drawn from the Asura Scripture—once it was stable, he could attempt his breakthrough.

Still, his expression shifted slightly as the next line appeared:

[Body Refinement: Fourth Grade – Peak Stage]

A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

Ah... right.

He’d almost forgotten.

During the Asura Avatar’s refinement, the ignition of the First Fold had seared through his marrow and flesh like a divine forge.

At the time, he had dismissed the side effects.

But apparently, the transformation had pushed his body refining path to its very limit at this tier.

[Name]: Xiao Ning

[Qi Cultivation]: Nascent Soul Realm – Peak Stage

[Body Refining]: Fourth Grade – Peak Stage

[Lifespan]: 473 / 3000 years

Looking at the neat display within his mind, he smiled.

"A nice view indeed..."

But just as he was about to close the Codex window—

[WARNING: FOREIGN ENTITY DETECTED IN HOST’S SPIRITUAL PALACE]

[INITIATING ALERT PROTOCOL...]

[SPIRITUAL PALACE PURGE PROTOCOL: ACTIVATION SUGGESTED]