The aftermath of battle left behind a silence more dreadful than any roar. Lin Ho stood atop the ridge, blood and black mist swirling faintly in his wake. Below, broken limbs of deepspawn melted into foul puddles, their forms unraveling under the touch of Chaos Qi.
The girl behind him had passed out, too drained to process what she'd seen. Lin Ho turned, lifting her with care. His Chaos Domain faded slowly, retreating into his body like a tide drawn back to the moon.
> "You were sent here for a test," he murmured, "but someone else turned it into a trap."
He looked at the markings carved on nearby stones. They weren't natural.
They weren't from this world either.
---
Qingye Sect – Inner Council Chamber
Back within the sect's main temple, Elder Qiu, along with five other senior elders, sat in a circle of burning incense and barrier talismans. A floating image hovered in the center — showing Lin Ho mid-battle.
> "He's different," one elder muttered. "Not just talent. Something ancient stirs around him."
Elder Mo's eyes narrowed.
> "That Chaos energy... it shouldn't exist in this age. Not naturally. Not here."
> "Then what is he?" asked another.
Elder Qiu remained silent for a long moment.
> "He is not a threat. Yet. But he must be guided. Not suppressed."
---
Somewhere Beneath the Sea
The deep king, seated atop his throne of coral bones, received word.
> "The strike force failed."
> "Expected," the ancient being rasped. "He is not yet whole… but even fragmented, Chaos cannot be challenged lightly."
> "Should we try again?"
> "No. We prepare. The seal is weakening. The Forgotten Maw is awakening. If Chaos walks unopposed… it may trigger its release."
A silence followed.
> "Then should we kill him first?"
> "No. We use him."
---
Back in the Secret Realm
Lin Ho built a small fire beneath an overhang of stone, shielding the girl from cold Qi winds. She stirred in her sleep, murmuring fragmented words. Her soul had been grazed — the corruption from the deepspawn still lingered at the edge of her mind.
Lin Ho held out a jade pill, a mild soul-restoring remedy. She swallowed it unconsciously.
> "What are you?" she had asked before fainting.
He didn't know the answer.
But tonight, while watching the embers, he remembered something his grandfather once whispered in the dead of night:
> "The world fears what it doesn't understand. But even the Heavens tremble before what they can't control."
He looked at his palm, Chaos Qi swirling faintly within.
> "I wasn't born to be controlled."
---
End of Chapter 40