The Xuan Realm was never still. Beneath its heavenly skies and majestic landscapes, a storm had begun to brew—one that would reshape the fate of countless sects and cultivators. And at the center of that coming storm stood Li Yi.
It had been ten days since the announcement of the Fourfold Trials of Ascension.
Ten days since the realm's top sects turned their attention to Qingxuan Sect.
Ten days since Li Yi had begun preparing.
At dawn, the Spiritfall Peak was blanketed in mist. Streams of ethereal light flowed through the thick white fog, diffused by the array formations that protected the peak. Birds made of energy and cloud danced through the sky, chirping in harmony with the energy waves surging from the earth.
Li Yi sat cross-legged on a stone platform suspended above a spiritual spring. Around him, five floating jade talismans shimmered in alternating colors—each one inscribed with a different ancient rune of Chaos.
He had entered a deep state of resonance cultivation.
His body flickered between states. One moment, his qi surged like a volcano; the next, it was still as a mirror lake.
> Chaos is not simply power, he realized. It is transformation.
The Soul Forging Realm – Mid Stage. He had only broken through recently, yet his energy was already consolidating, growing denser and richer.
The Primal Chaos Seed within his dantian pulsed with new life. It had begun to form tendrils—veins of energy that extended into his meridians and bones. Each vein contained chaotic symbols that shifted constantly, never remaining in the same shape for more than a breath.
As he refined his core, he also began to awaken innate abilities from the Seed.
One of them emerged now—Eyes of Origin.
His eyes snapped open, gleaming silver and deep black. In that moment, the entire peak shifted. Trees trembled. Beasts nearby froze in place. Even the spiritual arrays around him flickered, reacting to a gaze that could peer into the essence of the world.
With these eyes, he could see spirit veins beneath the earth. He could read the flow of qi inside a cultivator's body. He could even catch glimpses of the karmic threads binding people to their past choices.
It was a terrifying ability—and one that marked him undeniably as someone far beyond the Xuan Realm's standard.
Suddenly, his head turned.
Footsteps echoed beyond the barrier of mist.
Moments later, Lan Qing'er emerged, her expression solemn. Her sword was sheathed, but the energy swirling around her hinted that she had been in battle.
"There's movement from the other sects," she said.
Li Yi tilted his head slightly. "Who?"
"Western War Hall," she answered. "They've sent assassins. Not to kill you—yet. But they've started targeting Qingxuan disciples. Spreading fear. Weakening morale."
Li Yi stood. "Cowards."
Qing'er nodded. "That's their way. They respect strength but fear what they cannot understand. You… confuse them."
He walked past her and began descending the mountain.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
Li Yi's voice was quiet, yet it echoed clearly. "To send a message."
---
Three days later – Western Border of Qingxuan Territory
The night was thick with humidity. Rain had just stopped falling, leaving puddles reflecting the pale moonlight. A group of black-robed cultivators camped by the riverside, their emblems marked with the roaring tiger insignia of the Western War Hall.
They weren't ordinary disciples. All were Soul Forging Realm – Early to Mid Stage, and the leader, a scarred man named Bai Rong, had already broken into the Late Stage.
He sat sharpening his blade near the fire, eyes scanning the darkness.
"You think that Chaos brat will come?" one of the men asked.
Bai Rong snorted. "He's too arrogant. Probably hiding in the sect under their protection."
Another scoffed. "I heard he killed a Fiend Core Beast with a single strike."
"Rumors," Bai Rong muttered. "I'll believe it when he stands in front of me."
As if summoned by the challenge, a shadow emerged from the forest.
Li Yi.
No words.
No dramatic arrival.
Just a figure walking calmly out of the mist, barefoot, dressed in white, his black hair flowing in the breeze. His presence hit them like a silent wave. The fire flickered. Qi stagnated.
Bai Rong shot to his feet. "Who—?!"
The moment their eyes met, Bai Rong's blade exploded in his hand.
"What—?!"
The other assassins unsheathed their weapons, forming a defensive formation. Too slow.
Li Yi moved.
He didn't draw a sword. He didn't chant. He simply raised one hand—and pressed his fingers together.
A single Chaos Flame Needle emerged, tiny and grayish-blue.
He flicked it toward them.
The world twisted.
An explosion erupted without sound. Space fractured. Qi dispersed. All seven assassins were thrown backward, their protective artifacts shattering.
Only Bai Rong remained standing, barely.
His eyes were wide. "W-what kind of power…"
Li Yi approached. Step by step.
"You attacked my people," he said. "Not out of honor. But fear."
Bai Rong raised his shaking hands. "I was just following orders—!"
Before he could finish, Li Yi tapped his forehead.
Bai Rong froze.
His soul was severed from his body—not destroyed, but banished. A technique only someone with Chaos lineage could perform.
> "Tell your Sect," Li Yi whispered into the wind, "The next time they send assassins, I won't spare their core halls."
With a wave of his hand, the entire riverside vanished from the maps of the world—a piece of geography erased by Chaos.
---
Back at Qingxuan Sect
The Sect Master summoned Li Yi privately.
"You're growing too quickly," Wen Yaozi said, his voice heavy with meaning. "Your very presence is drawing the attention of forces beyond this realm."
Li Yi remained silent.
The Sect Master leaned forward. "A few days ago, a divine will descended on the Xuan Realm. I suspect it was from the God Realm."
Li Yi's expression flickered.
"Someone up there... knows about you."
Wen Yaozi continued, "We cannot protect you forever. You must walk the path. But you must also be cautious. The Abyss is stirring."
Li Yi stood. "Then I'll stir back."
The Sect Master sighed. "You are too much like your mother."
Li Yi turned, pausing. "You knew her?"
"She left behind a fragment of her soul. She entrusted it to me... before she returned to her family."
For the first time, Li Yi faltered. "Where is it?"
"In the Realm of Forgotten Voices. A place hidden even from fate."
"I will find it."
Wen Yaozi nodded. "And when you do... perhaps the truth will finally awaken in you."
---
Far away, in the God Realm, thunder echoed in the sky. An ancient palace of obsidian shook.
A goddess clad in silver flames looked up.
Her heart skipped a beat.
> "My son... has awakened Chaos."
---
End of Chapter 42