The ocean swallowed him whole.
As Lin Ho descended, the light from the surface above quickly faded, replaced by a heavy gloom that pressed in from all directions. His Chaos Qi encased his body in a membrane of protective force, allowing him to move unhindered by the crushing weight of the deep sea. Still, the silence down here was different — not just the absence of sound, but the presence of something older. Something watching.
He passed through layers of spiritual pressure, each one denser than the last.
> "This isn't just a gate… it's a cage."
The walls of the trench curved inward now, etched with runes no sect or scholar could decipher — but they hummed to Lin Ho's blood, reacting as if recognizing him.
Below, a massive seal hovered — fragmented, yet still potent. Chains of starlight, some broken, others pulsing weakly, wrapped around a massive stone gate in the shape of a spiral shell. It pulsed once every few seconds… like a dying heartbeat.
And there, coiled around it like a guardian beast, was a creature half-forgotten by time.
---
The Abyssal Guardian
It opened one massive eye.
Golden. Infinite.
> "You've come."
Its voice wasn't a sound, but a thought that vibrated through Lin Ho's spine.
> "Are you… the one calling to me?" Lin Ho asked.
> "No," the creature replied. "I am the seal's last defender. My purpose is to hold what lies within… until the bearer of the Spiral Vein arrives."
> "And what lies within?" Lin Ho asked, floating closer.
> "Your other half."
A pulse of chaotic energy flared from the gate — not evil, not destructive, but ancient. Echoing with the very essence of entropy and rebirth.
> "When the first universe collapsed, two fragments remained. You… and it."
> "It?" Lin Ho asked.
The beast bared glistening fangs.
> "The Forgotten Flame. The first fire of chaos. Sealed here after it nearly consumed the mortal heavens eons ago."
> "Why me?" Lin Ho asked. "Why call me now?"
> "Because the realms are shifting again. The gods of the Upper Realm seek passage. The Abyssals stir. And the Spiral Vein has reawakened."
---
Above — Qingye Sect Formation Barrier
Elder Qiu watched the mist rise from the trench with gritted teeth. Cracks were forming in their barrier — not from attack, but resonance.
> "The seal and that boy's Qi… they're merging."
> "He said it was calling to him," Bai Qing said quietly.
Qiu's eyes narrowed.
> "If he survives this… he won't just be a disciple. He'll be a storm."
---
Back in the Trench
The guardian coiled tighter around the gate.
> "You can enter and claim what sleeps within. But know this — once you awaken the Forgotten Flame, you will never be truly whole again."
Lin Ho breathed deeply, the pressure of destiny mounting on his shoulders.
> "Wholeness was never my path. Only truth."
He extended a hand.
The Spiral Vein on his chest glowed. The seal began to shatter.
---
End of Chapter 64