Dawn broke over the village like the breath of a tired god—soft, grey, and quiet.
But Lin Xuan felt the shift in the air.
He stood atop a grassy hill overlooking the forest, dressed now in a rough robe and carrying Old Li's rusted sword at his back. His senses, once dulled by a crippled body, were now razor-sharp. Every leaf rustling, every heartbeat within ten meters—it all whispered to him through the chaos qi that now infused his meridians.
"They're coming."
He turned his head slightly. At the edge of the eastern mist, three cloaked figures advanced through the treeline. Silent. Swift. Killers.
Blood Shadow Sect disciples.
Each one masked, clad in crimson-inked black. Two bore twin daggers; the third held a curved blade that shimmered with a sickly green hue. All three radiated qi at the mid-stage of Qi Gathering—strong enough to crush normal villagers and wipe out this backwater in an hour.
But Lin Xuan was no normal orphan.
He narrowed his eyes, activating Chaos Vision, an instinctive technique the Core had revealed during meditation.
The world shifted in color. Threads of energy and movement lit up before him—flaws in their footwork, the unstable core of one disciple's left leg, the gap in the others' formation.
Perfect.
---
A Mile Away – In the Woods
"Are you sure it's him?" one hunter whispered.
The leader nodded. "Confirmed. The Chaos Core has awakened. The Grand Sage's soul resides in that boy's shell."
"Then why are we the only ones sent?"
The leader sneered beneath his mask. "Because they believe he's weak. Reborn in a mortal body. Crippled. Broken."
Another chuckled. "He's already dead. He just doesn't know it yet."
They never saw the shadow descend behind them.
---
Lin Xuan Moves First
With a step that broke no twigs, disturbed no air, Lin Xuan appeared behind the rear hunter. A low hum rippled through the grass—Chaotic Palm igniting with black lightning.
He struck.
BOOM!
The man's body flailed mid-air and slammed into a tree, cracking it in half. His internal qi exploded in reverse, tearing through his meridians. No time for a scream.
The others turned—but too late.
"Scatter!" barked the leader.
Lin Xuan darted forward again, this time drawing his sword. Though rusted and dull, the blade crackled with chaos energy as it met the dagger of the second attacker.
Clang!
The force of Lin Xuan's blow reverberated through the air. The assassin staggered back, eyes wide. "He's already refined his body?! That's not Qi Gathering—that's something else!"
Lin Xuan said nothing. Chaos was not meant to be explained.
He raised his hand, and a black sigil formed mid-air.
[New Skill Unlocked: Chaotic Binding Seal]
Effect: Traps a target within a limited radius by disrupting flow of time and space. Duration: 5 seconds.
The rune exploded beneath the last two disciples' feet.
"Wh—!?"
They froze—stuck in space as if invisible chains bound them.
Lin Xuan moved like a ghost, cutting through one throat with his sword and crushing the other's ribs with his palm. It was over in seconds.
---
Aftermath
The grass was stained red, and the mist finally began to clear.
Lin Xuan dragged the bodies into the woods, searching their belongings. One had a Blood Soul Token, pulsing with dark qi.
[Item Acquired: Blood Soul Token – Used by the Blood Shadow Sect to track targets.]
He crushed it between his fingers.
"If they found me once," he muttered, "they'll find me again."
But now, he would be ready.
---
Later That Night
Back in the hut, Lin Xuan sat in meditation. The Chaos Core spun faster than ever before, reacting to the battle.
[Host Advancement Detected: Qi Gathering Stage – 25%]
New Skill Evolution Available: Chaotic Palm → Chaotic Fist of Ruin (Grade: Low Earth Rank)
He opened his eyes. The room trembled slightly.
He smiled.
"I need more," he whispered. "More chaos. More strength. Let them come. Let the heavens descend."
He looked toward the horizon.
"The Dao will not lead me. I will become the Dao."
---
[Next Quest Unlocked: Infiltrate the Nearest Sect to Gather Resources and Disguise Your Power]
Reward: Cultivation Manual Fragment – Ancient Chaos Body Technique
Penalty: Exposure to Heaven's Scrying Eyes