Upon hearing Garrick's words, Janiyah Sullivon reached into her storage pouch and withdrew a scroll of fine silk. With a deft motion, she unfurled it, revealing a meticulously hand-drawn topographic map of the Hanz Clan Estate, its lines tracing the hill's contours and structures with precision. The Thorn Squad gathered closer, their eyes fixed on the map as the dim lantern light of the Blood Puppet Floats cast flickering shadows across its surface.
"A century ago," Janiyah began, her voice steady as she pointed to key landmarks, "when the legendary Hanz Clan chief designed the Gloomwater Phantom Lily Array, he sought expertise from the Holy Sect's Array Peak. My clan aunt, a Formation Lecturer there, granted me access to a copy of the Hanz Estate's hill survey records from that era."
She traced a finger along the map's array patterns. "Though a hundred years have passed, my aunt's notes confirm that several critical pivots of the Gloomwater Phantom Lily Array are immutable—core anchors that cannot be altered without collapsing the entire formation. As long as the array endures, these pivot points remain unchanged, even if the estate's interior has shifted over time."
Her gaze lifted, meeting the squad's attentive stares. "My aunt also noted that certain spots within the array are natural hubs where spirit energy converges, making them ideal for treasure houses or secluded chambers. These locations, saturated with spiritual power, are fortified by the array's design. Without specific activation spells, they can't be breached by force unless the entire array is destroyed."
She tapped the map, highlighting six locations. "Based on her calculations, the most likely sites for the Treasury House are: the ancient stone well on the hill ridge, the underground chamber beneath the clan stronghold's main hall, the water lily lake in the southeast corner of the residence district on the rear mountain, the royal study library of the clan chief, the Hanz Clan ancestral shrine, and the martial arts arena in the mountain valley."
Pausing, she oriented the map to their position. "From where we'll breach the array tomorrow, our closest target is the martial arts arena in the valley. Next is the underground chamber in the stronghold's main hall, followed by the royal study library, the water lily lake, the ancestral shrine, and, farthest, the ancient stone well on the hill ridge."
Lordi Payne leaned over the silk map, his gaze tracing the intricate hand-drawn lines that unveiled the true scale of the Hanz Clan Estate. Far from a single manor or castle house, it sprawled across an entire mountainous range, encompassing five or six rugged hills—a domain far vaster than the deceptive marsh shimmering outside the Blood Puppet Floats. The map painted a fortress-like landscape, meticulously designed for defense and secrecy.
The Hanz Estate was girded by five fortified city walls, each a stone bulwark encircling the mountain from the valley entrance to the clan stronghold perched atop the highest peak. The inner three concentric city walls, ringing the central hill, were especially formidable, separated by wide, man-made moats that gleamed like liquid steel under the map's annotations. Battlements and arrow slits studded the walls, their positions marked with precision, ready to repel invaders. Between each wall, deep battle trenches carved the terrain, transforming the stronghold into a nigh-impregnable mountain keep, a testament to the Hanz clan's once-unshakable might.
The layout made the estate easy to defend and hard to attack, further secured by strict patrols. At the center, within the innermost wall, stood the Hanz Stronghold—a formidable cluster of towering, castle-like structures. The largest of these was the main keep, its spires rising between twin hill peaks. Atop one of these peaks sat the Clan Chief's Royal Study and Library, its walls intricately engraved with protective runes, meticulously detailed in the map's fine ink.
Beyond the three inner citywalls, the residence district sprawled across two-thirds of the mountain range, a network of a dozen hilltop towns scattered over the surrounding peaks. These compounds, with their elegant pavilions and courtyards, housed the clan's extended families and retainers.
On the southeast flank, nestled at a hill's waist, lay a massive water lily lake—more a small sea than a lake—its surrounding dotted with gazebos, towers, and pavilions that encircled its waterfront. A lone pagoda rose from a small isle at the lake's heart.
In the residence district's central valley, a solitary hill bore the Hanz Clan's Ancestral Shrine, its sacred halls perched atop the rise.
On the northwest, there's a place tucked into the mountain's gloom, the terrain bears two stark landmarks. An ancient stone well, Beside it, an ancient tree also marked nearby.
Cade Barret, the blue-haired cultivator whose cold demeanor rarely broke, spoke up as the squad memorized the map. "The martial arts arena is closest, but it's unlikely to house the treasury," he said, his voice clipped and analytical. "In the Hanz Clan's prime, hundreds of descendants, branch families, and fosterlings trained there daily, competing in martial arts and cultivation. It was a public hub, too exposed for a treasury—too easily noticed."
He gestured to other marked sites. "The main hall in the Hanz Stronghold and the Clan Chief's Royal Study Library are similarly unsuitable. The main hall hosted esteemed guests, some with profound cultivation able to sense hidden treasures, inviting trouble. The Royal Study Library, where the chief managed clan affairs, was a busy nexus, frequented by clan members and visitors. Neither fits a concealed vault."
His gaze sharpened. "The most likely locations are the Water Lily Lake's depths, the Ancient Stone Well, and the Hanz Clan Ancestral Shrine. These are secluded, tied to the array's spirit energy hubs, and guarded by the clan's secrecy."
The Thorn Squad nodded, absorbing Cade's logic. Garrick Blackthorn's stern face softened into a faint smile. "Well reasoned, Junior Brother Barret. After we breach the array, we'll prioritize to search the lake, the well, and the shrine. But we can't afford blind spots—other pivot key areas must be searched too, to avoid oversight."
"Aye, Captain!" the Thorn squad responded in unison.
With the Thorn Squad secure inside the Blood Puppet Floats, all seasoned cultivators, there was no need to post a night watch. After their strategic discussion, the team dispersed to their corners, settling into cultivation to prepare for the Gloomwater Phantom Lily Array's breach at three-quarters past noon.
Sat cross-legged, Lordi Payne silently took out a legendary-level bone tempering pill and called out in his mind. "System, I want to cultivate! Select the Bone Tempering Art, Smart Duration! One-Click-Cultivation!"
It was a last-ditch effort, but even a slight boost to his Seventh Layer Qi Refinement could mean the difference between life and death in the Hanz Clan Estate's deathtrap. Outrunning his stronger squadmates—Eighth and Ninth Layer elites—was a long shot, but any gained strength bolstered his odds of survival.
The next moment, a familiar chime rang in his mind.
~ Ding! *System Notification Chime*
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> All-Smart Full-Host Cultivation System™ is at your service!
> [OCC] - One-Click-Cultivation activated.
> Features: Temporary practice, smart duration, and questionable decision-making.
…
The next moment, the sharp crack of fracturing bones echoed through the Blood Puppet Floats, a sound that drew no glances from the squad, each lost in their own cultivation. For Lordi, the pain of the Bone Tempering Art was trivial. Having endured the searing fusion of Ice Pith Fire's Dao Flame and the frigid agony of Nether Chill Spring's Body Tempering, this was a mere ripple.
As Lordi Payne sat cross-legged in the Blood Puppet Floats, his mind churned with thoughts of the Hanz Clan Estate's lurking dangers—lethal traps and arrays, mystery death of Hanz Clan people, or whatever had obliterated four prior sect squads. Suddenly, through the Float's lattice window, he glimpsed a white-robed figure darting between the moonlit cherry blossoms grove.
Startled, Lordi strained to see more, but the AllFullOS locked his body, restricting his movement and view. He couldn't turn his head to track the figure, leaving him with only a fleeting impression of its eerie grace. Moments later, Alena Newman, seated nearby, rose silently. Without a word, she slipped out of the Float into the night, her blonde hair catching the moon light.
"Senior Sister Newman must have seen it too," Lordi Payne thought, calming himself. "With her peak Eighth Layer cultivation strength, she'll handle it. No problem."
But time dragged on, and Alena Newman did not return. Doubt crept into Lordi's mind, cold and sharp—just as Cade Barret, the blue-haired cultivator, stood abruptly, his cold demeanor unbroken as he exited the Float in silence.
Ruru Rosa followed them in next breathe.
Then Drake Riggs, Janiyah Sullivan, Carl Murphy—one by one, the Thorn Squad's members exited the Float, their movements eerily synchronized.
Finally, even Garrick Blackthorn, the ninth-layer Qi Refinement expert, rose and vanished into the night.
Not a single word. Not a single glance back.
Within mere moments, the spacious Blood Puppet Float stood empty—save for Lordi, still bound by his AllFullOS system, cultivating in his seat.
Something was wrong. Horribly wrong.
Lordi's heart sank, a chill gripping him. Garrick Blackthorn had just explicitly ordered the squad to remain inside unless absolutely necessary. Even if the white-robed figure warranted investigation, why would the entire squad—elite cultivators, including a half-step Foundation Stage captain—leave and abandon the Float one by one, without a single word explanation? Their eerie, synchronized silence was unnatural, as if drawn by an unseen force.
"What in the abyss is wrong with this Hanz Clan Estate?" Lordi thought, dread coiling tighter. "What kind of force could puppeteer cultivators of their level? If even a Ninth Layer cultivator like Garrick Blackthorn is affected, what chance do I have?"
At this moment, the system prompt chimed.
~ Ding! System Notification Chime ~
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> Cultivation session status: COMPLETE
> Host control: RESTORED
> Thank you for using the All-Smart Full-Host Cultivation System™ (AllFullOS v1.0.0)
> Feedback request:
- We value your opinion! (No, really, we do.)
- If you are satisfied with our service, please give us a five-star rating.
> Tap to Rate: [☆☆☆☆☆]
Lordi Payne casually gave it a three-star middle rating, weighing his next move in hesitation, when a very familiar voice suddenly came to his ears, "Junior Brother Payne, come here quickly." The voice evoked a sense of warmth and friendliness.
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> [★★★☆☆]
> Submitted. Thanks for your feedback.
"Lordi, come here…"
"Huh?"
Lordi Payne's head snapped toward the voice. Through the moonlit cherry blossoms, a white-robed figure stood, head tilted, beckoning with an eerie grace. Its face was unmistakably Garrick Blackthorn's, the Thorn Squad's captain.
A chill gripped Lordi as he realized Garrick had worn a crimson cloak, not white. Before Lordi could react, the figure dissolved into petals, but the voice persisted, now shifting, taking on a warm, cordial tone that clawed at his memories. "Lordi... you're trapped here too? How did you end up in this place?"
The voice was achingly familiar, like an old friend or kin, yet no name surfaced in Lordi's mind, no matter how desperately he searched. It called again, splintering into a chorus of voices, each more urgent, each tugging at his soul with a hypnotic pull.
"Junior Brother Payne, come quickly… Come here…"
"Lordi-kun, are you there?"
"Brother Payne, check this out!"
"Lordi, you're toying with me, aren't you? Come now!"
"Come on, Lordi! We need you here!"
The calls grew louder, a tidal wave of whispers and shouts, weaving warmth with menace. Each call digging deeper, nails scraping his skull, Lordi's vision blurred, his mind clouding as his body betrayed him, rising involuntarily, feet shuffling toward the Blood Puppet Float's exit. The cherry blossoms outside seemed to writhe, their petals curling into familiar faces, watching, waiting.
"SYSTEM!"
A shriek shattered the chorus—his own voice, screaming internally. Lordi's brow twisted in panic, he catched a final thread of clarity sparking through the fog.
"I WANT TO CULTIVATE! SELECT BONE TEMPERING ART! SMART DURATON! ONE-CLICK CULTIVATION!"
~ Ding! *System Notification Chime*
The system chimed, its heavenly tone slicing through the voices like a blade.
[AllFullOS: Version 1.0.0]
> All-Smart Full-Host Cultivation System™ is at your service!
> [OCC] - One-Click-Cultivation activated.
> Features: Temporary practice, smart duration, and questionable decision-making.
…
Lordi gasped, collapsing back to the floor into cultivation gesture. He felt head throbbing as if clawed from within. His heart pounded, sweat beads full on his brow.
Fuck! That was close.
The realization hit hard: the Thorn Squad—Garrick Blackthorn, Alena Newman, Cade Barret, all of them—had been lured out, enthralled by whatever malevolent force haunted the cherry grove. Even Garrick, a peak Ninth Layer cultivator, half-step to Foundation Establishment, had fallen to it.
Yet...
Hughie Wing escaped. That Eighth Layer cultivator, had escaped the Hanz estate's depths in the last attempt, broken but alive.
The contradiction froze his blood. If Garrick Blackthorn fell now, how did that Senior Brother Wing, an eighth-layer cultivator flee?
The squad members couldn't be dead.
Not to mention, they were protected by the Blood Puppet Floats—a Dao Artifact designed to shield them. Seven cultivators—six at the Eighth Layer, one at the Ninth—couldn't have been wiped out so quickly, not before even setting foot inside the Hanz Clan Estate.
With that thought, Lordi Payne let out a slow sigh of relief.
But then—
Through the lattice window, figures emerged from the shadows of the cherry grove. They moved towards the Blood Puppet Float, their steps slow, deliberate.