After reading the letter, Qianlin didn't know what to do. Her clan was destroyed, and she had always blamed Sima Jinhai for it—but now, she didn't know who to blame anymore. Confusion swirled in her heart.
Suddenly, she felt a surge of dark energy coming from another hidden door in the chamber. Her eyes narrowed, and her breath caught. Slowly, she approached the door, which was made of cold, black steel—smooth, without a handle or keyhole. It gave off an ominous stillness.
In the center of the door, she noticed a small Sima family crest engraved into the metal. Curious, she raised her hand and pressed against it. The crest reacted immediately, pulling a sliver of her Qi into it. As it absorbed her energy, the crest began to glow dimly. With a low rumble, the door creaked open.
Beyond the door was a dark passage. Qianlin hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, cautiously, her hand on her sword hilt. With every step deeper into the tunnel, the dark energy thickened like a choking mist.
Eventually, she reached the end—and found herself inside a large chamber. The glowing stones embedded in the walls pulsed faintly, illuminating a haunting scene.
At the center lay the remains of a warrior, long turned to dust. In front of the bones rested a martial arts manual. Written in red ink across its cover were the words:
"Crimson Devil Martial Arts."
Dark, sinister energy radiated from the manual. Qianlin's fingers reached toward it—but before she could touch the book, a sudden burst of crimson energy exploded outward. A swirling vortex of red mist filled the chamber, creating a cyclone of evil force.
The energy coalesced into a shape—a human form. From the heart of the storm emerged a woman cloaked in a black robe, decorated with strange, red animal patterns. Her long black hair flowed weightlessly behind her. Her dark eyes shimmered with unfathomable depth. She hovered, her soul form glowing faintly above the ground.
Qianlin's breath caught. Her hands trembled. Still, she drew her sword, but the woman lifted her hand—and released a crushing wave of Qi. Qianlin was frozen instantly, her limbs unable to move. Her knees buckled under the pressure, and she collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.
A suffocating terror filled her chest, the sensation of staring at a being far beyond her comprehension.
The soul finally withdrew her Qi and spoke, her voice calm and disappointed.
"What a disappointment... After so much time, I get a Sima Crane with such meager talent."
She sighed. "Well, what can I expect from a secret hideout of the Sima Clan? Let's call it fate."
Qianlin, trembling, slowly forced herself to her feet. She tried to speak, to challenge the soul, but the woman suddenly appeared right in front of her. Her icy finger pressed against Qianlin's forehead.
"Let me see how much the outside world has changed since I was gone."
Pain exploded in Qianlin's mind. Her body froze as visions and memories flooded her consciousness. She screamed in agony, overwhelmed. After a moment, the soul withdrew her finger, allowing Qianlin to fall to her knees, clutching her forehead in pain.
The woman laughed, amused.
"To think... my subordinates have created their own powers. Hah."
She looked down at Qianlin and smirked.
"So, the Sima Clan is destroyed. What a tragic tale... but I suppose I'm not so different from you, little Sima girl."
Qianlin looked up, her voice shaking. "Who are you?"
The soul smiled wickedly.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. People used to call me... the Devil Matriarch."
Qianlin's eyes widened in pure shock. Her jaw dropped, and her entire body stiffened.
"You... you're the Devil Matriarch? The one who started the Great Devil War?!"
The soul chuckled.
"Well, you could say that I started it."
Qianlin's voice was filled with loathing.
"You were the villain... one of the most feared martial artists in history."
The soul lifted her head proudly.
"Hmm... even the future generations remember my greatness. I'm honored."
Qianlin stared at her, her gaze ice cold.
"Do you feel proud? Honored to meet me? Someone like you got chance to meet esteemed me."
The soul grinned.
"And yet, someone has broken the soul seal on my martial manual. So here I am, awakened by fate. I've decided—I'll teach you my martial arts. You're not heavenly talented, but I can still mold you into a master. So—how about it? Want to be my disciple?"
Qianlin replied without hesitation, her voice cold as steel.
"No."
The Matriarch looked shocked.
"What did you say?"
"No," Qianlin repeated.
"Do you understand what you're refusing? Thousand martial artist would fight to death for this chance! This is one of the greatest martial arts in existence!"
"And yet, my answer is still no," Qianlin said firmly.
The Matriarch's expression twisted in frustration.
"Why? Why would you refuse?!"
"Isn't it obvious?" Qianlin glared at her.
"You're a killer. A villain who slaughtered countless righteous warriors and brought chaos to the world. As a righteous martial artist—I will never be your disciple."
The soul sneered.
"Righteousness? Ha! Then why don't you go beg the Murim Alliance for strength? Maybe they'll give you some martial arts, or even avenge your clan.
Qianlin flinched at the mention of the Murim Alliance.
"They never helped us. After my clan was destroyed, they did nothing against the Hundred Weapon Sect.Even they declare that its our clan fault"
The Devil Matriarch smirked.
"Exactly. Righteousness is hypocrisy. They only care about control of world. Your clan's sacrifice is just a forgotten tale buried in some book in their library and the only thing visit is dust ."
Qianlin's gaze fell.
"I know... but I will never become your disciple."
"Then with your righteousness, you will never have the power to avenge your clan!"
"I'll master my clan's martial arts," Qianlin replied.
"And reach what? The Unrestrained Stage?" The soul scoffed.
"That's your limit. Your clan's martial arts are refined, yes, but your talent will never take you to the peak. With my teachings, you could reach heights no one else has touched."
"Even if I abandon righteousness," Qianlin growled, "I will never be your disciple."
The soul screamed, enraged.
"WHY?!"
"Because you're one of the reasons my clan was destroyed!"
The soul blinked, caught off guard.
"Me? What are you talking about?"
"If you never started the Great Devil War, maybe Grandma Yeyun would still be alive! Maybe none of this would have happened!"
The Matriarch paused, then exhaled.
"With that... half-truth, you might be partially correct."
"Half-truth?" Qianlin's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?"
The soul's face darkened.
"Let me enlighten you... with the true darkness of the world."