After the skirmish in Yanxu, Yue Zihan found a secluded pavilion atop a jagged cliff overlooking a river of molten rock. The pavilion had modest bamboo walls, a broken wind chime but perfect for uninterrupted cultivation. He stepped inside, blindfold still in place, and let the quiet embrace him.
[System: Host is alone. Perfect time to awaken more chaotic Qi without public embarrassment.]
"Finally," Zihan muttered. "A place where no one will scream or faint at my presence."
He sat cross-legged on the pavilion floor, breathing in deep, slow rhythms. The chaotic qi inside him coiled like serpents of molten metal, restless and impatient. For weeks, he had been tempering it, balancing the storm within his dantian, and now the threads hummed with a resonance that was almost musical.
[System: Current Primordial Body Stage : bone forging: level I .]
Zihan smirked. "Pressure, you say? Good. I like pressure."
He drew the chaotic qi up, letting it ripple through every meridian, every bone. The sensation was like standing in a tempest while the storm swirled inside him. The air around the pavilion shimmered as energy pushed outward, bending the bamboo and causing the faint runes on his body to glow more vividly.
Hours passed or was it days? Time lost meaning. Then, a sudden explosion of energy erupted from within him, sending a shockwave across the cliff. His blindfold glowed crimson-blue, and he gasped:
He had broken through the first level of bone forging , entering the second level of bone forging still short of true mastery, but close enough to feel the power that surged through him like living fire.
[System Notification: Primordial Body breakthrough achieved. Estimated potential now 87% of current realm's peak. ]
[Reward : Mortal Veil Technique: Masks divine presence to appear human. ]
[ Chaotic circulation Vein- Unlocked]
Yue zihan eyes widened at the rewards. This was something that every cultivator needs .
[Reward Exchange Options:]
1. +1% Chaos Stability (50 CP)
2. Random Dao Fragment Analysis (100CP)
3. System upgrade
4. ??? (Hidden)
Zihan's eyes beneath the blindfold flickered with amusement. "Choices, choices… let's see what the universe owes me for not dying."
," I'll take the system upgrade please," he chose after reading all the options. An upgrade to the system may help him.
[ 300 chaotic points have been deducted]
[ System upgrade initiating…1….6...11…20….45…60...82…..98..99…100.. ]
[ System upgraded]
PRIMORDIAL CHAOTIC GENESIS SYSTEM
[STATUS — CHAOS EMBRYO Lv 2]
Name: Lin Yue
Title:The Blindfolded Prince, Vessel of Pre-Creation
Race:Human (Primordial Variant)
Body Type:Primordial Chaos Body — Stabilized Phase
Realm: Bone forging level II
Weapon: Fan of Smoldering Twilight.
Energy Type:Pre-Creation Essence ("Hun & Po Cycle")
Condition: 100 % stable / Reality distortion suppressed by will seal
ATTRIBUTES
Aspect Description
Strength - Boundless (Scaled to environment limit)
Vitality - Self-renewing; immune to decay
Qi Capacity - Infinite loop; draws from void and returns unused flow
Control - 42 % — any higher may rupture local Dao
Luck - Undefined — Heaven's Threads cannot calculate
Charm - Moderate (when not accidentally erasing furniture)
MERIDIANS
36 Reversed Paths — Absorb and expel energy simultaneously.
9 Hidden Star Veins — Link body to cosmic rhythm (dormant).
1 Singularity Channel — Core of balance between creation and destruction.
ABILITIES
Soul reading eyes: passive
Chaotic circulation vein
Echo of domain
Locked Abilities
Dual Flow Circulation: Converts opposite energies into neutral force. Locked
Void Step : Move between points by folding space. Locked (90 % stability required)
Law Inversion : Temporarily reverse a natural law within 10 meters. Restricted
Chaos Resonance : Communicate with the Dao through vibration instead of speech. Dormant
Mortal Veil Technique: Masks divine presence to appear human. |Active)
SEALED FUNCTIONS
Reality Weaving — Requires Chaos Embryo Lv 3.
Soul Fragment Duplication (???)— Access denied by Heaven.
Timeline Drift Protocol (???) — Locked; risk of multiversal collapse.
SYSTEM NOTES
You are neither Heaven's creation nor its enemy.
Each act of mercy slows entropy; each act of pride feeds it.
Choose your balance wisely.
CURRENT QUEST
Recruite five mortal disciplines before ascending
Progress: 0 / 5
He scrolled, well, thought through, the crimson script. Every time his attention shifted, the runes rearranged to reveal something new.
"Dual Flow Circulation… Void Step… Law Inversion…"
He whistled. "If any of this works, I might accidentally destroy the world."
By that time the sun rose over the horizon, painting molten gold across the volcanic cliffs, Zihan opened his eyes beneath the blindfold. He could feel the air itself bending around him, ready to respond to even a thought. His chaotic qi had almost reached the pinnacle of his current level a threshold he had long wanted.
He stood, spinning the fan lazily. It snapped open with a hiss, casting faint shadows across the pavilion. "Not bad for a morning's work," he murmured.
[System Commentary: Sarcasm detected. Actual skill level: terrifying. Recommendation: humility is optional.]
Zihan smiled beneath the blindfold. Outside, the winds carried the scent of fire and ash. Somewhere far below, the Black Pavilion continued plotting, unaware that their target had grown stronger, more dangerous, and far more elegant than ever.
[System Notification: Host's Primordial Body – Second Layer stabilized. Weapon equipped: Fan of Smoldering Twilight. Cultivation materials acquired: 7 units rare essence, 5 Soul Crystals.]
He sheathed the fan and stepped outside, letting the wind catch his robe. The cliffs below shimmered with molten light.
"Time to see if the tournament is ready for me," he said softly.
[System: They aren't. Statistically speaking, they will break the moment you appear.]
Zihan chuckled. "Good. I hate waiting."
With the blindfold in place and the fan tucked at his side, he began the next leg of his journey toward rivals, tournaments, and shadows that would soon regret underestimating him.
....
The road to the Flame Sovereign Tournament cut through jagged mountains, rivers of molten rock slicing the horizon like liquid fire,magma. Yue Zihan sat in the carriage, the Fan of Smoldering Twilight tucked at his side, blindfold in place, and chaotic qi thrumming beneath his skin.
The morning air was still, yet it carried the faint pulse of cultivators ahead, some mortal, some hidden. Zihan's Soul Reading Eye glimmered beneath the blindfold, painting the world in subtle threads of qi. Most were dull grey, but one just ahead glowed gold and azure.
[System: Unknown signature detected. Probability of being an ally: 46%. Proceed with caution.]
Zihan smirked. "Almost half. I'll gamble."
The figure stepped out of the path a young man, slightly taller than Zihan, with ash-grey hair tied back in a simple braid. His eyes glimmered like frost, calm and measured, yet there was an energy about him that felt steady, unthreatening. He bowed lightly.
"Traveler," the young man said. "You move differently than most. Are you headed for the Flame Sovereign Tournament as well?"
Zihan inclined his head. "You could say that. And you are?"
"I am Han Qing, just a loose cultivator," he replied, voice smooth and confident. "Few venture through these molten paths alone. Most are reckless or foolish."
Zihan laughed.
System: Caution. Unknown alignment. Probability of ally: 82% if tolerated.]
Zihan's lips quirked. "Curiosity can be charming. Or fatal. Let's see which one you are."
Han Qing laughed softly, a light, melodic sound that cut through the tension of the molten winds. His qi shimmered faintly, compatible with Zihan's chaotic energy, yet restrained.
[System: Host appears to have detected a compatible alignment. Probability of ally: High.]
They traveled together for hours, conversation flowing naturally despite Zihan's usual dark humor. Han Qing talked about the tournament, rival sects, and even rumors of the Black Pavilion, listening more than speaking. Zihan teased him mercilessly, offering carefully vague answers while revealing nothing substantial.
[System: Observation – Han Qing is clever, cautious, and unafraid. Recommend preservation.]
At dusk, they reached a narrow obsidian bridge stretching across a river of glowing magma. From the shadows along the cliffs, three figures dropped silently masked, nimble, and lethal. Assassins.
Zihan tensed briefly. Han Qing's stance mirrored his own, calm but alert.
[System: Host threat assessment : Medium. Probability of ambush from Black Pavilion: High.]
"Shall we dance?" Zihan murmured, cracking his fingers. The blindfold flared faint red-blue; chaotic qi rippled outward like heat over metal.
The first attacker lunged. Zihan's fan unfurled with a whispering hiss, slicing through the air with chaotic precision. The man stumbled back, suspended by invisible threads of energy, then collapsed unconscious.
His body turned to dust.
The second and third tried to flank him, but Han Qing moved with precision, striking from angles Zihan had left intentionally open, to test him.His movements were sharp, practiced, and complementary to Zihans fighting style.
[System: Unexpected synergy detected. Probability of permanent alliance: High.]
Together, they dispatched the attackers before anyone else could notice. Zihan's sarcastic grin returned as the last assailant fled.
"Not bad," he murmured, voice smooth beneath the blindfold. "You have skill… or excellent taste in targets."
Han Qing laughed, brushing frost from his sleeve. "Let's just say I know how to pick my battles."
The sun dipped below the volcanic horizon, the river of molten rock glowing like a trail of fire. Zihan stood, fan folding gracefully in his hand, chaotic qi thrumming through his veins, feeling the first real spark of camaraderie he had allowed himself in years.
[System: Host's mental status updated. Sin points stable. Madness points reduced slightly due to positive social interaction.]
He allowed himself a small smile. "Perhaps not everyone is an enemy after all."
And as the two travelers travelled toward the distant, fiery silhouette of the Flame Sovereign's tournament grounds, the shadows behind them stirred but now Zihan had an ally to make the dance of chaos all the more interesting.