Xu Lin · Chat

For a hundred miles within the deep forest, no soul could be seen. Arrays concealed all sound and sign of life, walling off all the war and worldly clamor of the Cangyan realm outside. Inside the secret chamber, candlelight flickered faintly, its dancing glow falling across the yellowed pages of ancient forbidden tomes. The air was perpetually steeped in the faint scent of crisp cedar mingled with bitter herbs—an aroma unique to Xu Lin. By day, he was a gentle, humble, and warmhearted solitary scholar in the town, lauded by all his neighbors for his mild temperament. But the moment he stepped into this private, secluded sanctuary, that tender and considerate facade fell away completely. The twenty-eight-year-old man's features hardened into a bone-chilling, detached calm. Not a flicker of warmth remained in his eyes—only the somber chill born of long years spent in the company of taboos, poisons, and darkness. He had always been clear-eyed and self-aware, never harboring an ounce of arrogance. Knowing full well that he possessed no peerless talent, in a chaotic world plagued by sect slaughter, battles between humans and demons, and court intrigue, the only way to hold his ground in the cracks between rival factions was by any means necessary: exploiting every resource and mastering forbidden esoteric arts. For years, he had lurked in the dark—concocting poisons, testing techniques, manipulating hearts—amassing power step by step through supreme patience and meticulous calculation, seizing every exploitable person and opportunity within his grasp. Tonight, as usual, he combed through fragments of forbidden texts gathered through years of painstaking effort. Amid the dense, cryptic writing, several fragmented lines suddenly caught his eye. The words were faded and broken, intentionally smeared and defaced, leaving only sparse fragments behind. Yet they outlined an existence that transcended this entire realm—neither human nor demon nor lost ancient god, unbound by the laws of the Heavenly Dao, an absolute might the world of Cangyan had never before recorded. Xu Lin lightly brushed his fingertips over the torn pages. In his heart there was no awe or reverence, only deep-seated curiosity and obsession. Unversed in worldly love, he believed solely in claiming the supreme for himself and possessing the ultimate treasure. This absolute power that towered above all creation instantly became his sole obsession. "I will find you, until..." From then on, he set aside all his deductions in poison craft and esoteric studies. Spreading out the ancient tomes, unofficial histories, and secret records that filled the room, he verified every word and scrutinized every scroll, patiently salvaging every scattered clue left in the mortal realm. The cold candlelight illuminated his calm profile. No one knew that this unhinged schemer, concealed in the seam between ordinary mortal life and darkness, had already quietly locked onto the sole, most obsessive, and most secret object of possession in his life.