The snow that had once marked Li Yi's awakening of the Snowheart Sword had long melted, but a chill still lingered deep within the Qingxuan Sect's core. A quiet unease had settled among the elders. The signs were unmistakable—cosmic turbulence, unnatural elemental surges, and now, the trembling of the earth itself.
But only a few understood what it truly meant.
Something was awakening.
And it wasn't from the stars.
---
Three Days Later – Twilight Over Qingxuan
The orange-gold horizon spilled across the sky as the Qingxuan mountains basked in the glow of the setting sun. The sect grounds had returned to calm, but the calm was a fragile illusion. Deep beneath the Foundation Stone Hall, where the ancient records of the sect were stored, Elder Mo stood with his hand resting on a stone slab that had recently cracked.
"This is no natural fissure," he murmured.
Beside him stood the Sect Master, Wen Yaozi, his eyes glowing with a faint silver light.
"It matches the pattern of the Starvault Seals," Wen said, brushing his hand across the rune-carved surface. "The same ones used to seal off forbidden realms in the God Era."
Elder Mo looked grim. "Li Yi's arrival has triggered more than fate. He is the key to something deeper."
Wen didn't respond.
Because he already knew.
---
Midnight – The Sealed Cavern Beneath Qingxuan
Li Yi moved through the darkness alone.
The Snowheart Sword, now attuned to his soul, hovered silently beside him, its glow faint but constant. Elder Mo had handed him an ancient jade slip—one that whispered of a hidden trial site beneath Qingxuan itself, sealed away ten thousand years ago during the rise of the sect.
> "If you wish to grow before the Convergence, this is where you must go."
The cave walls shimmered with faint inscriptions as Li Yi descended. He had already reached Spirit Severing Realm – Late Stage, yet his qi core stirred unnaturally—almost like something ancient was resonating with him.
The jade path finally ended in a vast underground chasm, where a circular platform floated above a bottomless void. Chains made of golden essence bound the edges of the platform to the cliff walls.
And at the center stood a throne of obsidian.
Empty.
At first.
But then the air shifted.
A figure materialized—an illusory projection clad in golden robes with nine stars spinning behind him. His face bore a cold arrogance, as if even gods weren't worthy of his gaze.
"Who seeks the Trial of the Forgotten King?" the voice echoed.
Li Yi stepped forward. "I am Li Yi. Disciple of the Qingxuan Sect."
A pause.
Then the projection nodded. "Your blood… it carries the resonance of the Ancient Li Lineage. From the God Realm. Intriguing."
Li Yi narrowed his eyes. "You know of my origins?"
"I know of all things once sealed beneath these stars. This is the throne of the Forgotten King—a cultivator cast out from the God Realm for defying the Heavenly Edict. His trial was buried here so none may walk his path again."
Li Yi's heartbeat quickened.
"Yet you… may try."
With that, the realm twisted.
---
Trial of the Forgotten King – Temporal Void Realm
The sky turned grey, the earth silver. Li Yi was no longer in the cavern but in a time-lost battlefield. Gigantic bones littered the plains, and shattered war banners flapped in nonexistent wind. Cultivators from eras long past, ghosts of divine warriors, began to emerge from the mist.
> "You must face the warriors of the Forgotten Age. Defeat them, and you may inherit the King's path."
A sword spirit in black armor lunged forward first—its cultivation clearly Void Core Realm – Early Stage. Fast, precise, and merciless.
Li Yi clashed blades.
Snowheart sang with freezing resonance, clashing against fire-forged steel. His Chaos Immortal Art surged, starlight spinning along his veins. Within three exchanges, he countered, froze the spirit's core, and shattered it.
But the next two opponents were already coming—dual-blade cultivators from the Void Core – Mid Stage, moving in perfect harmony. Li Yi's body burned with qi as he activated the Third Form of Chaos: Mirror Shatter Palm—breaking space itself and disrupting their synchronization.
One fell. Then the other.
But it didn't stop.
Ten more emerged. Then twenty.
Each stronger than the last.
Li Yi's breathing grew heavy. His bones creaked from pressure. But in that moment, when his qi almost failed him, the divine seal in his heart pulsed. A memory not his own flooded him—a memory of wielding the void, walking among stars, commanding the heavens.
The Primal Bloodline awakened slightly.
He roared, summoning an ancient domain:
> "Domain of Starfire Snow!"
The entire realm shook. Thousands of swordlights rained from above, each carrying cosmic essence. Spirits faded beneath the divine light.
And then, silence.
Only the throne remained.
---
At the Throne
The projection returned.
"You survived the Trial. No… you transcended it."
From the throne's side, a small floating jade scroll drifted toward Li Yi.
"This is the First Path of the Forgotten King—Chronoblade Scripture. It allows the user to manipulate their personal timeflow for brief moments."
Li Yi accepted it, eyes solemn.
"In the ancient war," the projection continued, "it was this technique that allowed him to battle five Abyss Kings at once."
Li Yi bowed deeply.
Then everything faded.
---
Back in the Cavern
Li Yi stood once more on the floating platform, sweat dripping from his brow. His cultivation surged again.
> Breakthrough: Spirit Severing Realm – Peak Stage
His foundation trembled with power. He could feel it—he was now one step away from the Void Core Realm.
But more than that, he had inherited something lost to time.
Above him, the mountain ceiling cracked slightly.
A beam of starfire leaked into the chamber.
And high above, in the celestial planes, one of the Sealed Stars flickered for the first time in eons.
Someone noticed.
---
Elsewhere – God Realm, Outer Battlefield
In the eternal twilight of the Abyss War, a celestial general paused. He looked skyward, feeling the ripple across the dimensions.
"...He lives."
A nearby soldier asked, "Who, General?"
The man turned, his voice grim.
"The Primal Bloodline. It's stirring again."
He looked past the stars toward the Lower Realm.
"Prepare a message for Lady Xueyan… her son has taken the Forgotten Path."
---
End of Chapter 46