The eastern sky blazed red—not with the light of dawn, but with the smoldering glare of war.
Abyssal ships, crafted of black bone and bound by oceanic Qi, hovered just above the waves. Their decks teemed with monstrous soldiers—beastkin, corrupted sea spirits, and robed figures shrouded in illusion. At their helm stood a woman draped in crimson seaweed robes, her eyes void of color.
The Oracle.
She raised one arm.
The sea obeyed.
Torrents of water erupted like fangs, crashing against Qingye Sect's outer barrier.
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Qingye Sect – Outer Perimeter
The sect's protective dome flared gold as the tidal waves slammed into it. An elder barked commands:
> "All disciples, defensive formations! Guard posts, prepare counterstrike spells!"
Bells rang. Talismans ignited in unison. Disciple squads rushed into position—bows drawn, spears lit with flame, formations clicking into place with practiced precision.
Lin Ho stood at the center of the defensive cliff with Bai Qing and Duan Mu.
> "They didn't wait long," Duan Mu muttered.
> "They were never going to," Lin Ho replied. "They came prepared to burn this place to the roots."
He reached for the blade at his side—the one his father once wielded—and unleashed it from its sheath.
A golden-black ripple swept the air around him.
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Above the Battlefield
On the highest floating peak, Elder Qiu and three other Grand Elders watched silently.
> "The barrier will hold," one murmured.
Elder Qiu's gaze never left the sea.
> "It won't be enough."
> "Then shall we call for reinforcements?"
> "Too late. We must test our future now."
He raised his hand—and unleashed a divine flame pillar toward the largest ship.
It collided with a layered water shield, scattering to steam. But it shook the Oracle's hair loose, revealing scales beneath her skin.
> "So, they still remember how to fight," she whispered.
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The Tide Breaks
The barrier cracked.
Not shattered, but chipped—hairline fractures now visible to anyone sensitive to Qi.
From the Abyss Fleet, shadowy creatures poured out. They sprinted across water as if it were land, charging the formation perimeter.
Lin Ho leapt first, meeting them mid-air.
He didn't speak. Didn't call out a technique.
He simply moved—with chaos flowing through him.
Each palm strike unraveled a creature into mist. Each blade swing left behind spirals of reversed gravity.
Bai Qing followed, her icy talismans dancing between strikes. Duan Mu laughed wildly as his twin sabers slashed in X-shaped patterns, igniting with each kill.
> "Lin Ho!" Bai Qing shouted mid-battle. "How are you using so much Qi? You should've burned out!"
> "I don't burn," he said. "I transform."
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Far Below – In the Deep
From the sunken abyss beneath the enemy fleet, something opened its eye.
A singular, golden, ancient eye.
> "Found you," it rumbled.
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End of Chapter 61