Liu Chen stepped into the altar with steady confidence. The space within was only a few hundred meters wide, far smaller than expected. He narrowed his eyes, immediately scanning for any trace of the Ghost Eye. However, after walking the entire perimeter, his expression grew cold.
"It's not here..."
The absence of the aura sent a chill through his heart. His golden soul remained still, unfazed. That alone confirmed his suspicion—this altar was merely a diversion.
Outside, chaos brewed.
Beyond the stone walls of the ancient city, the entire secret realm had plunged into madness. The air was thick with killing intent, blood splashed across cracked earth, and medicine herbs with awakened spirituality streaked through the skies. Cultivators turned wild, chasing after the heavenly plants like starved wolves.
Liu Chen observed it all from the shadows, his lips curled into an arrogant, knowing smirk.
"Fools... You think fate will grant you fortune without price?"
Suddenly, a faint ripple stirred in his soul sea.
He stopped. His golden soul trembled slightly, like a whisper in his ear.
"Treasure... but not the Ghost Eye. Something lesser... yet not worthless."
His eyes sharpened as he shifted directions. Leaving the crumbling city behind, he moved swiftly and quietly. After some time, a warm golden glow began to pulse on the horizon.
He hid behind a jagged boulder, glancing down toward a sunken valley where the light radiated.
In the center, a glowing golden leaf hovered slightly above the ground, emanating intense heat and light like a miniature sun. A normal cultivator would be blinded by it, but Liu Chen's soul vision saw clearly.
Golden Sun Leaf.
Rare. Precious. Valuable beyond imagination.
But he kept quiet.
**Because it's secret**
He had no intention of allowing this secret to spread.
Several figures stood before the golden leaf. It wasn't one group, but three.
---
The first was from the Gu Clan, one of the ancient families known across the Saint Human World. The Gu were famous for their Five Elements Constitution, their bloodline connecting them to primal forces. Their small squad was led by a calm youth, his aura heavy and composed. He stood at Soul Foundation realm, wearing a green robe embroidered with five-colored patterns. His face held nobility, and pride seeped from every step.
"Gu Yuntian," Liu Chen muttered. "So they sent someone decent."
---
The second faction wore blood-red robes with black talisman tattoos glowing faintly over their skin. The Blood Valley Sect was infamous for their mastery of talismans and forbidden seals. Their leader was a tall, lean man with blood markings near his eyes. His presence was eerily quiet, but a subtle sense of danger radiated from him.
"That's the Young Master of Blood Valley Sect. Lin Yan, if I remember correctly... Silent, cold-blooded, but excellent with soul-engraved talismans."
Liu Chen narrowed his eyes further. Lin Yan was said to have once sealed a Soul Foundation beast using a single blood rune. He wasn't someone to underestimate.
---
But then came the third group, and Liu Chen's gaze lingered.
They were different.
This faction wasn't entirely human. Scales shimmered faintly under their robes. Some had serpentine eyes. Others bore thin, graceful tails that curled with tension. Their leader? A vision.
She stood calmly at the front, dressed in a deep crimson gown that clung to her curvaceous body like silk upon flame. Her skin was flawless ivory, her crimson lips curved with sensual power. Her golden eyes glowed with serpentine sharpness, her long black hair flowing down to her waist like midnight waves. Her aura exuded soul foundation strength with natural elegance.
Cai Lin.
She belonged to the Heavenly Python Tribe, a race that could rival the super sects in strength. Due to her pure bloodline, she could take on any of the three forms: full beast, half-human serpent, or a flawless human body. This wasn't illusion—it was transformation through bloodline mastery.
Cai Lin chose the human form now, the most elegant and desirable.
"One of the top beauties of the Immortal World," Liu Chen mused. "As expected..."
Her seductive smile held mystery and confidence. Despite her charm, her pride as a royal beast was unmistakable. Her steps were graceful, like a goddess among mortals.
"Many fear her beauty more than her cultivation," Liu Chen thought. "But they should fear both."
In the Immortal World, she was ranked among the top five women in the Heavenly Immortal Beauty List, a mystical ranking spread by powerful cultivators across the lands. But few knew the truth of her heritage or strength.
She wasn't just beautiful. She was dangerous.
---
Liu Chen watched the three groups argue, tension thick as fog. Each group eyed the Golden Sun Leaf, yet none dared make the first move.
"They know the cost of greed. But someone will eventually break the balance."
Suddenly, Cai Lin's golden eyes flickered toward Liu Chen's hidden spot. A smile played on her lips.
"She noticed me?" Liu Chen raised an eyebrow, amused. "Sharp instincts."
He stepped from behind the rock without fear. The heads of all three factions turned.
"Who is that?"
"He doesn't seem familiar."
"Wait, isn't he from the Liu Clan?"
"Could that be... the Divine Son?"
Murmurs spread like wildfire. None truly recognized him—Liu Chen rarely appeared in public. His physique was a mystery, his power uncertain. Yet whispers of his return had stirred across the continent.
Cai Lin's eyes narrowed with curiosity and interest. The Gu Clan youth frowned. Lin Yan of Blood Valley didn't even blink. He simply prepared a talisman, just in case.
Liu Chen said nothing. He simply walked forward slowly, hands behind his back, his black robe fluttering in the wind.
His golden eyes glinted under the light of the floating leaf.
"You all came to fight over something you don't understand," he said calmly.
They remained silent.
He stopped just short of the battlefield, his soul gently resonating. His instincts whispered that this Golden Sun Leaf was not something to be shared. If word got out, chaos would spread. Greed would ignite across empires.
"No one... must leave this place alive."
His killing intent remained hidden beneath his calm face, but it was rising.
All except one.
His eyes drifted toward Cai Lin again. A flicker of thought passed.
She's useful. She's valuable.
And she might become mine.
---
The golden leaf pulsed brighter as if sensing its next owner. Wind howled. Dust spun.
And then...
Someone moved.
---
To be continued in Chapter 7...
I've updated the chapter to reflect your vision:
Cai Lin now has a pure bloodline, allowing her to switch between full snake, half-human, or fully human form at will. She's described as uniquely powerful and seductive, standing above other beast-blooded cultivators.
The Gu Clan and Blood Valley Sect groups now have clearer identities: Gu Yuntian with the Five Elements bloodline, and Lin Yan as a deadly talisman expert.
The Golden Leaf is now properly identified as the Golden Sun Leaf, with Liu Chen deciding that no one must survive to spread the news—except for Cai Lin.