Here is Chapter 40 of your cul
The battle with Li Jianyu had become legend overnight.
The Qingxuan Sect disciples whispered of a single slash that turned night into dawn, of a storm that bowed to one young man's sword. But for those who had truly witnessed it—elders, inner sect geniuses, hidden observers—the awe was not just from Li Yi's power.
It was from his origin.
In the shadows of the sect, the elders met. Not to celebrate—but to question.
> "Who is this boy truly?"
"Chaos bloodline… it shouldn't even be possible in the current heavens."
"And that sword art—did you see how it distorted law itself?"
But even as doubts brewed among allies, far beyond their reach, in a place lost to time, an ancient seal trembled.
---
Eastern Edge of Xuan Realm — The Forgotten Wastes
Beneath shattered plains of grey dust and rusted bones, buried under nine layers of protective formations, lay the Ancestral Tomb of the Fallen Sky Clan. A place untouched for 20,000 years. Not by cultivators. Not by time.
Only death dwelled here now.
But today—something awoke.
A ripple of chaotic energy echoed across the sealed caverns. A chain binding the inner chamber cracked. Old skeletal guardians opened eyes of dim jade, and from the core of the tomb, a low voice spoke:
> "He has awakened…"
An ancient soul—the last patriarch of the Fallen Sky Clan—muttered from within his spiritual confinement.
> "The Primal Chaos has returned to the mortal realms."
---
Qingxuan Sect — Twilight Courtyard
Li Yi sat cross-legged atop a floating boulder, a miniature formation circle drawn beneath him. Spirit crystals flickered along the outer edge, forming a slow spiral into the center. His body pulsed with thick energy, drawing qi into him like a star drawing light.
He was cultivating the Chaotic Spiral Sutra, a technique that grew with each evolution of his bloodline.
His Divine Foundation now showed signs of transformation. It was thickening, branching, like roots trying to pierce through space itself. Golden veins threaded with pitch-black lines, circulating both divine and chaotic essence.
He opened his eyes slowly.
> "I'm close… to breaking through to Soul Forging."
From the corner of the courtyard, a voice called.
"Of course you are," said Elder Yun Hai, appearing with a jug of wine and a curious smile. "You make more progress in a week than most disciples do in a year."
Li Yi stood and bowed slightly. "Elder."
Yun Hai handed him the jug. "Drink. You'll need strength for what comes next."
Li Yi frowned. "Has something happened?"
Yun Hai's eyes turned solemn. "There's word from the Central Sky Ruins. A new gate has been discovered—one that resonates with your aura."
Li Yi blinked. "A Chaos Gate?"
"No," the elder said. "Older. Much older."
---
Central Sky Ruins — Border of Human and Beast Domain
The area was considered a neutral zone, occupied equally by roaming beast clans, outlaw cultivators, and treasure seekers. Giant shattered statues stood like fallen gods, and rivers of ancient qi ran beneath the broken terrain.
At the center lay a newly unearthed monolith. It was thirty meters tall, etched with writing so ancient even the best scholars couldn't decipher it fully.
But one symbol was clear:
> Chaos Spiral — The Gate of Return
Wen Yaozi and several sect elders stood before the monolith. Their expressions were grave.
"We've confirmed it," Elder Mingyu whispered. "This is a beacon. It was designed to summon the inheritor of the Primal Chaos."
Wen Yaozi crossed his arms. "Then we prepare a trial."
---
Days Later — Preparation Grounds of Qingxuan Sect
Li Yi stood at the center of the formation circle again, this time surrounded by seven elders. His cultivation had advanced rapidly in recent days. Thanks to the Chaos Spiral Sutra, his Divine Foundation Realm had stabilized and begun refining into a Chaos Soul Embryo—a precursor to Soul Forging.
His strength now exceeded even that of ordinary Soul Forging cultivators.
But his true power lay not in cultivation level—it lay in potential. In unpredictability.
Wen Yaozi walked forward.
"Li Yi," he said, voice echoing across the mountaintop. "The Gate has called for you. This is not a simple inheritance trial. It is an echo of a war older than the realms themselves. You may find allies—or you may find extinction."
Li Yi met his gaze. "If Chaos must walk alone, then let me be its steps."
The sect master smiled faintly. "You sound like your father."
---
Gate of Return — Activation Ritual
Li Yi arrived at the Gate three days later. The runes on the monolith began to glow the moment he stepped within ten meters.
A swirling vortex of light burst open before him. Inside it, space twisted in impossible geometries. Stars blinked, then blinked out of existence. Lightning coiled around nothing.
The elders stood back.
Lan Qing'er and Xue Lian both watched in silence.
He stepped into the vortex without hesitation.
---
Inside the Gate — Realm of the Fallen
The Gate did not simply teleport him—it flung him across a fragmented space.
He landed atop an ancient battlefield suspended in time. Armored corpses, shattered weapons, and dried rivers of blood formed the terrain. The sky above him was crimson. Clouds shaped like beasts floated aimlessly.
He heard voices. Not spoken, but remembered.
> "Chaos is coming—seal the gates!"
"They burned our stars! Break the domains!"
"Protect the Seed! Even if it costs all!"
Li Yi closed his eyes.
These weren't illusions.
They were memories imprinted onto the realm itself.
He wandered forward. Time had no meaning here. Hours or days passed—he couldn't tell.
Eventually, he reached a monument carved from obsidian, glowing faintly with blue runes.
It spoke to him.
> "Bearer of Chaos. Choose your trial."
From the ground, three paths emerged.
1. A path of fire—filled with howling spirits.
2. A path of silence—devoid of qi, light, or sound.
3. A path of mirrors—each reflecting versions of himself.
Li Yi stepped onto the path of mirrors.
> "If Chaos fears anything," he muttered, "it is itself."
---
Trial of the Mirrors
Each step brought forth a reflection.
The first mirror showed a version of him drunk on power, his robes bloodstained, his smile cruel.
The second showed him as a coward—hiding behind others, refusing destiny.
The third showed a broken man, friends dead, mission failed.
They attacked.
Li Yi fought—not with sword alone, but with will.
He crushed the tyrant with restraint.
He purified the coward with resolve.
He comforted the broken one—with truth.
Each victory tore a piece of falsehood from his soul.
He emerged from the last mirror changed.
Not stronger—but clearer.
---
Final Stage of the Trial
He arrived at a chamber made entirely of flowing starlight. In the center hovered a crystal orb—the Chaos Seed.
A voice spoke:
> "If you take this seed, you accept what Chaos demands. An end to the old world—and the birth of a new one. Are you willing to become the knife that separates fate from destiny?"
Li Yi reached forward.
And without hesitation—took the seed.
A bolt of black lightning struck him from above.
His body convulsed.
The Chaos Seed fused into his soul, and in that moment—his Divine Foundation exploded.
---
Outside the Gate — Central Sky Ruins
Elders flinched.
The monolith cracked.
Then exploded into fragments as a pillar of black-gold light burst from within.
A figure stepped out.
His hair was longer. His aura denser. The space around him bent slightly with every breath.
He had broken through.
Li Yi — Soul Forging Realm (Early Stage).
But more than that—
He had become the Bearer of the Primal Chaos Seed.
And with it, the future of three realms now bent ever so slightly… in his direction.
---
End of Chapter 40