?Location: The Core Disciple District – Dragon-Tooth Peak

  Time: Morning (The Day After the Trial)

  ?Dragon-Tooth Peak was a paradise. Floating islands connected by bridges of solid light, waterfalls that flowed upward, and villas made of jade and gold. Only the top 100 disciples lived here.

  ?Aris (Han Xiao) walked up the main path, wearing his new purple Core Disciple robes. They were a bit too big, making him look like a child playing dress-up.

  ?Mo walked behind him, carrying a single, battered rucksack.

  ?"This is ridiculous," Mo muttered. "The Qi density here is so high I can taste it. And they waste it on decorative fountains."

  ?"It's called resource hoarding, Mo," Aris said, admiring a statue made of solid Spirit Stone. "The Elders keep the best stuff for the elites to ensure the strong get stronger and the weak stay in the mud. It's basic economics."

  ?They reached Villa #1.

  ?It was the largest estate on the peak, previously unoccupied. It sat on a cliff edge, overlooking the clouds.

  ?[System Alert: New Home Base Acquired.]

  [Security Level: High.]

  [Neighbors: Hostile.]

  ?Standing in front of the gate were three disciples.

  ?[Scan: The Welcoming Committee]

  ?Leader: Lei Feng (Thunder Sect). Rank 3. ?Lackey A: Red-Hair (Fire Sect). Rank 10. ?Lackey B: Sword-Guy (Metal Sect). Rank 12.

  ?Lei Feng stepped forward. He was handsome, arrogant, and crackling with static electricity.

  ?"So," Lei Feng sneered, blocking the path. "The 'Luckiest Idiot' has arrived. You know, Han Xiao, Rank 1 belongs to the strongest. Not the one who trips over a doorframe."

  ?Aris stopped. He looked at the villa, then at Lei Feng.

  ?"Are you the doorman?" Aris asked innocently. "My key is sticky. Can you open it?"

  ?Lei Feng's face darkened. "I am Lei Feng! The Thunder Prince! And I challenge you for the Villa!"

  ?In the Core Sect, challenges were legal. If you won, you could take the loser's house, resources, or servants.

  ?"A challenge?" Aris sighed. "I just moved in. I haven't even unpacked my socks."

  ?"Fight me, or sleep in the kennel!" Lei Feng summoned a spear of lightning.

  ?Aris looked at Mo.

  ?"Mo, I'm tired. I have a headache from head-butting the door yesterday."

  ?Aris reached into his pocket and pulled out a remote control.

  ?It wasn't a standard sect artifact. It was a Universal Remote he had jury-rigged using the Admin Access codes from the Tower.

  ?"System," Aris whispered. "Access Dragon-Tooth Peak Defense Grid."

  ?[Access Granted.]

  [Target: Villa #2 (Lei Feng's House).]

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  [Command: Sanitation Protocol.]

  ?"I decline the challenge," Aris said loudly. "But... I think you left your stove on."

  ?"What?" Lei Feng blinked.

  ?BOOM.

  ?A geyser of sewage erupted from Lei Feng's villa next door. The defensive wards, reprogrammed to reverse the plumbing flow, blasted the contents of the septic tank high into the air.

  ?It rained down on Lei Feng's pristine jade roof.

  ?"MY HOUSE!" Lei Feng screamed, turning around to see his estate covered in brown sludge.

  ?"Oh no!" Aris gasped, covering his mouth. "A plumbing accident! The infrastructure here is terrible!"

  ?Aris walked past the stunned Lei Feng, patting him on the shoulder.

  ?"You should go clean that up. It smells worse than the Waste Unit."

  ?Aris pushed open the gate to Villa #1 and walked inside. Mo followed, locking the gate behind them.

  ?Outside, Lei Feng stood covered in misted sewage, shaking with rage.

  ?"I WILL KILL YOU, HAN XIAO!"

  ?Location: Villa #1 – Master Bedroom

  Time: 1 Hour Later

  ?Aris sat on the silk bed. The room was soundproofed and shielded.

  ?"Security established," Aris said, his eyes glowing violet. "Now, let's look at the prize."

  ?He opened his holographic interface.

  ?[Admin Access: Vault of Thousand Weapons.]

  [Status: Online.]

  ?A 3D map of the Sect's Treasury appeared in the air. It was a massive underground bunker located beneath the Elders' Hall.

  ?"Show me Void Key Fragment #5," Aris commanded.

  ?The map zoomed in. It bypassed the rows of swords, the shelves of pills, and the piles of gold. It went deeper.

  ?It stopped at a pedestal in the center of the "Forbidden Zone."

  ?On the pedestal sat a black metal sphere.

  ?[Item Identified: The Gravity Well.]

  [Description: An artifact from the Old Era. It generates an artificial event horizon. The Sect uses it to crush prisoners.]

  [True Form: Void Key Fragment #5 (Gravimetric Stabilizer).]

  ?"They're using a starship component as a torture device," Aris shook his head. "Typical."

  ?"The defenses?" Mo asked, studying the map.

  ?"Heavy," Aris frowned. "Three layers."

  ?The Array: A Nine-Lock Heaven Seal. If Aris touches it without the physical key (held by the Sect Leader), it explodes. ?The Guard: Elder Steel-Soul. He sits inside the vault 24/7. He is blind, but his hearing covers the entire mountain. ?The Beast: A Spirit-Eater Panther (Level 80) that prowls the corridors.

  ?"I have the digital codes," Aris tapped the map. "I can disable the Array for 3 seconds. That's enough to grab the item."

  ?"But the Elder?" Mo pointed at the red dot on the map.

  ?"Elder Steel-Soul is the problem," Aris agreed. "He detects heartbeats. If I enter, he hears me. If I stop my heart, he hears the silence."

  ?Aris leaned back.

  ?"We need a distraction. A big one. Something that makes a blind Elder leave his post."

  ?"The Earth Sect War is far away," Mo noted. "It won't pull him out."

  ?"No," Aris grinned. "We need an internal crisis. A theft. Or... an escape."

  ?He scrolled the map to a different section: The Abyssal Prison.

  ?"Fragment #6 is in the Prison. Fragment #5 is in the Vault. If the prisoners from the Prison break out... every Elder, including Steel-Soul, will be called to contain them."

  ?"You want to cause a jailbreak?"

  ?"I want to cause a riot," Aris corrected. "And I know just who to call."

  ?Aris pulled out the Communication Talisman he had looted from the Puppet Station overseer.

  ?"The Puppet Sect is losing the war in Sector 12. They are desperate. If I tell them that the Earth Sect's 'Secret Weapon' is hidden in the Myriad Beasts Prison... they might just send a suicide squad to break it open."

  ?"And while the sect is fighting off cyborg invaders..."

  ?"We rob the bank," Aris finished.

  ?Location: The Villa Balcony

  Time: Sunset

  ?Aris stood on the balcony, watching the disciples train below.

  ?He activated the Puppet Sect Frequency.

  ?"This is Vex," Aris spoke into the transmitter, using his distorted voice. "Calling Grand Mechanic. I have intel on the Earth Sect's weakness. Are you interested in winning this war?"

  ?There was a pause of static.

  ?"Vex..." A mechanical voice replied, cold and devoid of soul. "You cost us a station. Why should we trust you?"

  ?"Because I hate them more than you do," Aris lied. "The Earth Sect is keeping a Titan-Class Warhead in their prison. If you detonate it, you destroy their mountain. If you steal it, you win the sector."

  ?"Coordinates?"

  ?"Sector 33. Myriad Beasts Mountain. Sub-Level 4. Send your best metal. I'll open the back door."

  ?The line cut.

  ?Aris put the transmitter away.

  ?"It's set," Aris said to the wind. "The Puppets will attack in three days."

  ?"Three days," Mo stepped up beside him. "What do we do until then?"

  ?"We maintain cover," Aris smiled. "I am a Core Disciple now. I have responsibilities. I need to go to class, learn useless techniques, and..."

  ?He looked down at Lei Feng's sewage-covered house.

  ?"...make friends with the neighbors."

  Wiki Update - Elder Steel-Soul:

  ?Role: Vault Guardian. ?

  Ability: The Silent World Domain. Within 1 mile of him, sound is his weapon. He can liquify organs with a whisper. He is the only Elder who never sleeps.