The very air in the Grand Conclave dome seemed to thicken, growing heavy with an aggressive, primal spiritual energy. The next delegation, from the Crimson Peaks Realm, strode forward with an almost arrogant swagger. Their Lord, **Valerius**, was a towering figure, his aura like a mountain of sharpened blades, radiating a raw, untamed power that made lesser cultivators instinctively recoil. His eyes, burning with ruthless ambition, swept across the hall, lingering for a moment on Empress Xianxia, a silent challenge in their depths.
Their tribute was not a delicate orchid, but a **Crimson Bloodstone**, a massive, pulsating gem said to be the condensed essence of a fallen war god's heart. It glowed with a deep, furious red, radiating volatile spiritual energy.
Long Hu stepped forward, his new robes feeling like a second skin, yet the overwhelming aura of Lord Valerius made his every nerve prickle. He approached the Bloodstone, his unique intuition already screaming of a festering malady within its potent energy. This wasn't a subtle parasite; this was a roaring inferno of concentrated decay, far more virulent than anything he had yet encountered. It felt like a direct extension of the cosmic shadow's malice.
He laid his hands gently on the Bloodstone, closing his eyes. The corruption surged into him, a searing, soul-chilling torrent of concentrated malice. His silver light, usually so precise, flickered erratically as he struggled to absorb and dissipate the overwhelming impurity. Sweat beaded on his brow, his jaw clenched, and a faint tremor ran through his entire body. It felt like trying to drink a raging river. To the observing Lords, his struggle was agonizingly visible, his form twisting as if in pain.
Valerius watched, a sneer spreading across his face. "Indeed, the Empress's apprentice seems... challenged by true power," he boomed, his voice echoing with thinly veiled contempt. "Perhaps some things are best left untouched by mere... discerners." He subtly pulsed his own formidable aura, a direct challenge, aimed to break Long Hu's concentration.
A subtle, dangerous gleam entered Empress Xianxia's eyes. Her power, usually restrained, flared for a split second, a warning shot that caused Valerius's aura to recoil instinctively. "My apprentice's methods are not for the uninitiated, Lord Valerius," her voice was a silken steel thread, cutting through the mockery. "He handles maladies your 'true power' would merely spread."
Inside the Bloodstone, Long Hu battled. The intense corruption threatened to overwhelm him, but within the vortex of spiritual decay, a more potent memory erupted, vivid and horrifying:
*He saw the shadowy cosmic entity, not just implanting, but actively **feeding** from a vast, swirling vortex of negative emotions and dying realms. And Lord Valerius, centuries ago, willingly offering up his own realm's suffering, his people's despair, as fuel in exchange for the "unprecedented breakthroughs" he now boasted. The Shadow's method wasn't just physical implantation; it was a pact, a spiritual bargain for power fueled by cosmic misery. Valerius's eyes, then and now, burned with a terrifying, desperate ambition. He was not just a pawn; he was a willing accomplice.*
Long Hu gasped, his eyes snapping open, his body convulsing from the sheer magnitude of the vision. He stared at the now-pure Crimson Bloodstone, its furious red light gleaming without a trace of decay. He had done it. But the cost was immense, the revelation shattering.
Valerius, seeing the Bloodstone now radiating pristine, albeit volatile, energy, took a step back, his face a mask of furious disbelief. "Impossible! How...?" His eyes narrowed on Long Hu, no longer with disdain, but with a raw, dangerous hatred, as if his deepest secret had been exposed.
Empress Xianxia, observing Long Hu's trembling form and the profound horror in his eyes, felt a chill that transcended mere strategy. The depth of the corruption, the vividness of his reaction... he had seen something truly terrible. And Valerius's reaction confirmed it.
"Apprentice Long Hu, well done," she stated, her voice projecting calm, but her eyes, fixed on Valerius, were filled with venomous intent. "Your discernment has once again revealed absolute purity." Her words were a direct taunt, a slap in the face to the Crimson Peaks Lord.
Valerius, his face contorted with barely contained fury, bowed stiffly and retreated with his delegation. He had lost face, and his secret had been exposed, albeit subtly.
Long Hu swayed, his entire being vibrating with the terrifying knowledge of the cosmic shadow's true method. It wasn't just corruption; it was a malevolent bargain. He looked at Xianxia, her regal form radiating confidence, yet her gaze held a deep, unshakeable resolve. She was aware of the true depths of this enemy, and she needed him more than ever.
She stepped closer, her hand subtly brushing his arm as she passed. "Return to your pavilion, Apprentice," she murmured, her voice low enough for only him to hear. "And gather your thoughts. We have much to discuss. This Shadow... it feeds. And we need to understand what it hungers for."
Long Hu nodded, the weight of a cosmos on his shoulders. He was no longer merely purifying tributes. He was witnessing the horrifying deals made in the dark, revealing the insidious pathways of a universe-threatening entity. The Empress's game of revenge had truly merged with a cosmic war, and he was at its very core, more indispensable and more endangered than ever before.