The moment Wang Chung stepped through the Gate of Echoes, the world changed.
Light bent, space folded, and for a brief instant, he felt as if his body had dissolved into ripples of sound. When the dizziness passed, he found himself standing in a vast world where silence itself breathed.
Above him floated shattered stars.
Below, rivers of pure qi flowed upward like reversed waterfalls.
Every breath of air shimmered, whispering faint echoes of ancient chants.
He had entered the Silent Domain—the lost world once ruled by the Silent Heaven Emperor.
---
Wang Chung walked slowly across the floating landscape. Each step left a faint pulse of energy, spreading like ripples across the silent void. He looked around; there were no birds, no wind, no life. Yet somehow, it didn't feel empty.
It felt aware.
The bead in his soul pulsed faintly, harmonizing with the rhythm of the realm. It no longer purified his qi—it was watching. Waiting.
> "So this is the legacy you left behind," Wang Chung murmured, his voice swallowed by the silence.
"A world without sound… where thought itself echoes."
He sat cross-legged atop a floating platform of black jade, closing his eyes.
The silence seeped into his flesh, his meridians, his very soul. Every trace of killing intent, every memory of blood and loss—surfaced.
His heart trembled.
> "I killed for revenge…" he whispered. "But the more I kill, the emptier I become. The more I ascend, the further I fall."
He fell into meditation.
Time lost meaning. Hours, perhaps days, passed in an endless stillness. Then suddenly—he heard footsteps.
---
When he opened his eyes, he froze.
Standing before him… was himself.
But this reflection had crimson eyes and dark hair streaked with blood. Its aura was violent, suffocating—a storm of madness barely contained within human form.
> "You seek silence," the reflection said coldly. "But what you truly desire is vengeance."
The words struck like thunder in Wang Chung's heart.
> "You're… me."
"I am what you buried," the reflection sneered. "Your rage. Your grief. Your despair. You call it silence, but you're only running from the screams inside your soul."
The air trembled.
The reflection raised its hand—spiritual energy surged like a flood.
> "Come," it hissed. "Let's see if silence can kill pain."
---
The battle began.
The reflection moved first, appearing behind Wang Chung like a shadow. A crimson palm strike burst toward his spine—fast, brutal, silent. Wang Chung twisted aside, but the shockwave still tore through the floating jade, splitting it in half.
He countered with a burst of golden qi, forming a barrier of stillness. The attack hit it—no sound, no explosion—just the terrifying distortion of reality itself.
The two figures clashed again and again, each strike erasing the sound of the previous one, until the entire domain vibrated like a living drum.
But as the battle dragged on, Wang Chung began to falter. His opponent wasn't just strong—it knew his every move, every weakness, every doubt.
The reflection's voice echoed in his mind:
> "You think silence is strength, but silence is fear!"
"You silence others because you cannot silence yourself!"
The words cut deeper than any sword.
His chest bled. His breathing grew heavy. Yet his eyes remained steady.
> "If silence is fear…" Wang Chung whispered, "…then let me face it."
He stopped attacking.
He stood still, letting the reflection's next strike pierce straight through his chest.
---
The reflection froze, its crimson eyes wide.
The silence deepened. The world itself seemed to hold its breath.
> "You…" the reflection muttered. "You're not resisting?"
> "I don't need to," Wang Chung said calmly. Blood dripped from his mouth, yet his voice was serene.
"You are my fear. My hatred. My sorrow. If I reject you, I'll never be whole."
He raised his hand, placing it on the reflection's chest.
"Return."
The reflection trembled violently, its form flickering.
Then, with a soft sigh, it shattered into motes of light—returning into Wang Chung's body.
In that instant, the world changed again.
The rivers of qi surged upward. The floating stars brightened. The bead within his soul flared with blinding radiance.
---
Countless runes appeared in the air, forming a grand formation circle that spanned the entire sky.
A deep, eternal voice echoed through the domain:
> "The Second Form of Silent Ascension—Echo Devouring Silence."
Wang Chung's eyes opened.
Silver light burst from his pupils, sweeping across the world.
All the sound that ever existed within the Silent Domain—the whispers, the echoes, even the voice of heaven—was drawn into him. His wounds healed instantly. His cultivation roared.
Foundation, Core, Dao Heart—everything trembled as he neared the Extreme Golden Core Realm.
But he did not smile. He did not celebrate.
He simply sat down once more, closing his eyes.
> "The first form stills the world. The second devours it. But what lies beyond…?"
---
For a long time, nothing moved. Then, as if answering his question, the bead pulsed once—and an image flashed in his mind:
A black gate standing alone in a sea of stars.
Beyond it, a faint voice whispered:
> "The Third Form… awaits beyond life itself."
Wang Chung slowly opened his eyes. His gaze was calm, his presence terrifying.
> "Beyond life, hm?" he said quietly.
"Then that's where I'll go."
He stood, the silent world bending gently around him. His white hair fluttered like snow under unseen wind.
The path ahead was uncertain, but his will was unshakable.
In this era, in this realm, in this universe—
there was only one man walking the Path of Silent Ascension.
His name was Wang Chung.
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