As they made their way back toward the mansion, the setting sun cast long shadows over the stone path. Zhen Yuan walked with his hands behind his back, the folds of his robe brushing against the dust.
"You might see things tonight," he said, not turning to look at Lu Chen. "Wandering dead. Corrupted beasts. One of them — a Level Four — tore through a scout team a few days ago."
Lu Chen glanced over, frowning.
They passed a pair of junior disciples hurriedly setting up lanterns along the road. The village was preparing.
"Anyway," Zhen Yuan continued, his tone still calm, "we've got the elders covering the outer outposts. The main sects sent their people to anchor the formation. As long as the ring holds, the gate won't fall."
He stopped near the entrance and finally turned to face Lu Chen.
"Just watch tonight. That's all I ask. You're not one of us yet — no shame in staying alive."
He gave a faint smile and a nod, then turned to head back into the hall, his presence disappearing into the growing dark.
---
Back in his room, Lu Chen sat cross-legged on the woven mat, the low hum of ambient spiritual energy brushing against his skin like drifting mist. The evening breeze crept through the window slats, carrying with it the faint scent of burning herbs and distant chants.
He closed his eyes.
Breathing slowly, he guided a thread of intent into the broken core. A weak flicker of energy responded, erratic and jagged at first. He grimaced. It would take time — maybe weeks, maybe months — but he had to start somewhere. He focused on anchoring the flow, redirecting what little stability he could find. Patchwork work, but better than leaving it raw.
When he finally opened his eyes, the room was dim. Shadows had grown long across the floor.
Zhen Yuan's words echoed in his mind.
"Don't engage. Just watch. Observe."
Yet he'd handed him a weapon. Why prepare him at all?
Lu Chen frowned. It wasn't just protection — it was preparation. But for what?
A test? A burden? Or maybe… a role yet unspoken?
He leaned back slightly, eyes fixed on the slowly darkening ceiling. Whatever tonight held, it would change something. He could feel it.
And somehow, he was being made to bear witness.
---
The main courtyard had been transformed. Paper lanterns bobbed gently on strings above, glowing in soft hues of amber and gold. Tables lined the stone paths, filled with dishes both familiar and strange — roasted spirit beast meat, fermented root vegetables, and steamed buns that shimmered faintly under the light.
Cultivators from nearby regions had arrived, their robes marked with different crests and colors. Some sat in quiet meditation; others exchanged hushed stories of border fights and strange encounters in the mist. The tension under their laughter was impossible to miss.
Lu Chen moved through the crowd, keeping to the edge as Zhen Yuan had advised. A few eyes lingered on him, unfamiliar with his presence — but no one questioned it.
Qian and Doctor Hui were seated near the front. She waved him over, patting the seat beside her.
"You alright?" she asked as he sat down.
Lu Chen nodded. "Better."
Doctor Hui added, "Don't push yourself too hard, or it could be fatal."
Lu Chen kept his head down and sat quietly near the back, Qian and Doctor Hui nearby. Conversations hummed around him — tales of corrupted forests, shattered formations, and fallen comrades. Many faces looked tired. More looked angry.
And then it came.
A voice rang out from one of the elders' tables. "Where is the boy who destroyed the pact?"
Silence fell like a blade.
"He should be here. If that pact still stood, our brothers wouldn't have died. Dozens — gone! Because someone tampered with what they didn't understand."
Another cultivator rose to echo him, "We deserve answers! Who let the seal break? Why must we bleed for it?"
Murmurs spread. Glares flickered across the hall. Lu Chen's throat tightened. He remained still, every muscle taut beneath his robe.
Zhen Yuan had warned him. Just watch.
But this time, watching meant hearing the cost of what he had done.
The elders remained seated, faces unreadable. Even Elder Kuo's usually calm expression darkened.
Lu Chen kept his head down, the weight of their blame crawling across his back like cold iron.
Zhen Yuan entered the hall just as another cultivator rose, voice shaking with grief and anger. "Tell us the truth. Was it sabotage? Is the boy even from here? Why protect him?"
"Enough."
Silence settled like ash.
Zhen Yuan looked at the man who had spoken. "You speak of the statue. Do you know what it takes to destroy it?"
The man hesitated.
Zhen Yuan's voice dropped. "Not a common blade. Not even a Foundation cultivator. Only someone at the Golden Core realm could shatter that pact's seal."
Gasps followed.
"A cultivator of that realm can move mountains, part rivers — if someone like that truly walked among us, would you dare point fingers?"
No one replied.
Zhen Yuan glanced around, his gaze cutting through the haze of doubt and fear. "The statue was not broken by mortal hands. It was divine intervention. And it has happened. That is our reality now. What lies ahead is worse than blame or regret."
He paused, letting the words settle.
"Our enemy stands beyond the outposts, scratching at the veil. If we don't hold tonight, no one will care who broke what."
He stepped back.
The chaos had quieted, but unease still lingered in the air like smoke refusing to rise.
Zhen Yuan turned toward the elders briefly, then back to the hall.
"This village," he said, voice stronger now, "was never meant to just survive. Our forefathers built this place as a seal — a prison — for something far worse than war or beasts."
He reached into his robe and drew out a blade.
Its edge shimmered like ice, but the surface pulsed with inner light — a gem-forged weapon, humming with a deep resonance. A hush spread across the room as even the cultivators nearest the walls leaned in to see.
"This blade," Zhen Yuan said, raising it overhead, "was made for one purpose. When the seal weakens, when the shadow rises — it will lead us to the core. To the heart of the beast."
A low gasp rippled through the crowd.
"Tonight, we fight not for the wall. Not for pride. We fight for the end. And perhaps, if fate allows, freedom."
He lowered the blade. The hall was silent again — but not out of fear. This time, there was fire behind their eyes.
Lu Chen, still seated at the far end of the table, watched quietly.
The weight in Zhen Yuan's voice... it wasn't just leadership.
It was certainty.
Lu Chen was deeply affected. The clarity in those words... the authority that resonated in every syllable. It felt as if the very air around him had thickened, charged with a power that was unspoken, yet undeniable.
[System Notification: Character Card: Zhen Yuan Initialising]
Name: Zhen YuanClass: ???Cultivation Stage: ???Title: ???Abilities: ???