Chapter 4: Tides Beneath the Surface
Sub-Chapter 1: The Weight of Elevation
The announcement did not settle the academy.
It divided it.
By sunset, the news had spread beyond the Elder Grounds, beyond the Inner Academy walls, beyond even the outer training districts. Servants whispered it while refilling lantern oil. Junior instructors repeated it in low, incredulous tones. Disciples exaggerated it with every retelling.
"Highest resonance in history."
"Direct acknowledgment from the fragment."
"Provisional Inner access."
Each repetition sharpened the edge of it.
An Outer disciple had crossed a line that was never meant to be crossed.
Lin Tianyu walked through the central corridor leading toward the Inner residential district, his steps neither hurried nor hesitant. The jade token Elder Mo had handed him earlier rested at his waist, faintly warm against his robes.
It was simple in design.
But its meaning was not.
Two Inner disciples stood near the gate archway, arms folded.
They did not block his path.
But they did not step aside either.
Their beasts—both mid-tier elemental types—hovered near their shoulders, emitting subtle pressure.
One of them spoke first.
"You understand this is provisional."
"Yes," Lin Tianyu replied calmly.
"You understand Inner Academy resources are not charity."
"Yes."
A faint irritation flickered across the disciple's face.
"You don't seem concerned."
Lin Tianyu met his gaze.
"Should I be?"
The disciple's jaw tightened.
But he stepped aside.
"Do not mistake temporary recognition for status."
Lin Tianyu walked past without responding.
Status.
He had worn titles before.
He had commanded forces that made academy rankings irrelevant.
This—
Was merely positioning.
Inside the Inner district, architecture shifted subtly. Buildings were constructed with spirit-infused timber. Courtyards were lined with meditation stones carved with focusing arrays. The ambient spiritual energy felt thicker, more refined.
He could sense the difference immediately.
The jellyfish pulsed once in quiet approval.
Resonance Level: 9.8%.
Incremental.
But steady.
As he reached the residential compound assigned to him, he noticed something else.
Eyes.
Not curious.
Not friendly.
Measuring.
Inner disciples were not accustomed to upward movement from below.
Especially not through something as intangible as resonance.
A familiar voice called out behind him.
"Lin Tianyu."
He turned.
Su Yao approached, Moon Fox padding softly at her side.
"You've settled quickly," she observed.
"I prefer clarity," he replied.
Her gaze shifted briefly to the jade token at his waist.
"You've disrupted more than rankings."
"I'm aware."
She studied him for a moment.
"Zhao Liang has requested a formal challenge."
Lin Tianyu did not react outwardly.
"Timing?"
"Three days."
Convenient.
Just enough time for rumors to mature.
"Will you accept?" she asked.
"Yes."
She nodded slowly.
"I expected that."
There was no hostility in her tone.
Only realism.
"He's not reckless," she added. "He lost today because he forced alignment. He won't make that mistake again."
"I hope he doesn't."
Su Yao's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're confident."
"No," Lin Tianyu said evenly. "I'm prepared."
A subtle difference.
She seemed to recognize it.
After a brief silence, she asked quietly, "What did it say to you?"
The question lingered heavier than the rest.
Lin Tianyu held her gaze.
"It asked who I was."
Her breath caught faintly.
"And?"
"I did not answer with words."
Understanding flickered behind her eyes.
"You're dangerous," she said softly.
"Only to instability."
She gave the faintest smile.
"Then perhaps this academy needs you."
As she turned to leave, the Moon Fox glanced back at the jellyfish.
For a brief second—
The two beasts regarded one another.
Not as rivals.
As witnesses.
---
Night descended slowly over the Inner Academy.
Unlike the Outer district, where lanterns burned openly and noise lingered late into the evening, the Inner grounds favored quiet discipline. Meditation chambers filled. Training fields dimmed.
But beneath that quiet—
Currents shifted.
In a secluded courtyard lined with dark bamboo, Zhao Liang stood alone.
His Ironback Wolf paced in tight circles, metal-tipped claws scraping faint grooves into stone.
"You hesitated," Zhao Liang said quietly.
The wolf growled low.
"You felt it too."
The wolf stopped pacing.
Its gaze lifted toward Blackwind Mountain in the distance.
Even from here, faint golden glows marked the suppression arrays.
Zhao Liang clenched his fists.
"He did not dominate it."
The wolf's ears twitched.
"He did not force it."
A slow breath.
"He understood it."
The admission tasted bitter.
But it was necessary.
His wolf approached him, pressing its armored head briefly against his palm.
Zhao Liang's eyes hardened.
"Three days," he murmured.
"I will not lose again."
---
Elsewhere, within the Elder Council chamber, Elder Hai stood alone before a suspended projection of Blackwind Mountain.
Formation scripts traced its sealed layers.
Stability readings pulsed in slow rhythm.
He extended a finger, adjusting the projection to focus on the deepest sealed point.
"There," he murmured.
A faint fluctuation marked the location of the fragment.
The resonance had stabilized.
But not randomly.
It had synchronized briefly.
With a disciple.
He replayed the recorded aura pattern from the arena.
Azure frequency.
Layered.
Ancient undertones beneath youthful surface.
His expression darkened slightly.
"This is not coincidence."
A door slid open quietly behind him.
Elder Mo entered.
"You're troubled."
Elder Hai did not turn.
"That boy's frequency is not native."
"Explain."
"It carries… memory."
Elder Mo's brows furrowed.
"Reincarnation?"
"Possibly."
"Dangerous?"
Elder Hai paused.
Then answered honestly.
"Not yet."
A heavy silence filled the chamber.
"If the fragment recognizes him again," Elder Mo said slowly, "the seal may evolve."
"Or fracture," Elder Hai countered.
They stood in shared contemplation.
Finally, Elder Hai said quietly, "Watch him."
"I intend to."
---
Inside his new quarters, Lin Tianyu sat cross-legged near the open window.
The Inner district's spiritual density was noticeably richer. It flowed smoother through his meridians, feeding the jellyfish's core gently.
Resonance Level: 10.2%.
The first threshold.
Small.
But symbolic.
He closed his eyes.
The events of the trial replayed in perfect clarity.
The eye.
The question.
WHO.
It had not been curiosity alone.
It had been calculation.
Fragments of calamity beasts retained instinct—but not full cognition.
Yet that fragment had shown restraint.
It had recognized restraint.
That meant something else lingered within it.
Not just hunger.
Memory.
He exhaled slowly.
"If you awaken too soon," he murmured softly, "this academy will not survive."
The jellyfish pulsed faintly.
Agreement.
Outside—
A faint tremor passed through the ground again.
Shorter than before.
Sharper.
He opened his eyes.
That was not resonance echo.
That was pressure shift.
Deep beneath Blackwind Mountain—
Ancient chains adjusted.
One link—barely visible—had shifted position.
Not broken.
But tested.
And far beyond academy borders—
In a region swallowed by dense forest and mist—
A masked figure stood upon a cliff overlooking a distant valley.
In his hand—
A cracked jade compass glowed faintly.
Its needle trembled.
Then aligned.
Pointing toward Blackwind Mountain.
"So," the masked figure murmured.
"It stirs."
Behind him, shadows moved—beasts warped by unnatural aura.
Not corrupted by accident.
Cultivated.
He turned slightly.
"Prepare the outer perimeter."
A subordinate knelt instantly.
"Yes, Master."
The masked figure looked once more toward the distant horizon.
"Resonance has begun."
---
Back at the academy, Lin Tianyu felt a faint chill along his spine.
Not from fear.
From awareness.
Something had shifted beyond immediate sight.
The jellyfish's tendrils drifted closer to him, as if sensing distant disturbance.
"Three days," he said quietly.
Zhao Liang would challenge him.
Inner disciples would watch.
Elders would observe.
But that was surface tension.
The deeper tide had already begun moving.
He stood slowly and walked toward the window.
Blackwind Mountain loomed in the distance, golden arrays flickering faintly against its dark silhouette.
To others, it was a sealed threat.
To him—
It was unfinished history.
The fragment had paused.
Not bowed.
Paused.
Because it recognized something.
And recognition could evolve into alliance.
Or catastrophe.
He placed a hand lightly over his dantian.
"Grow," he murmured softly to the jellyfish.
"Not faster."
"Stronger."
The beast pulsed gently.
Outside—
Wind shifted direction.
And far beneath stone and suppression—
The sealed eye did not sleep.
It waited.
Watching.
Listening.
For the frequency that had spoken without words.
And this time—
It was not alone in that anticipation.Chapter 4: Tides Beneath the Surface
Sub-Chapter 2: Challenge Under Quiet Skies
The challenge was scheduled for noon.
Not at dusk, when shadows dramatized movement.
Not at dawn, when anticipation could hide behind fresh light.
Noon.
Under a clear, merciless sky.
The Inner Academy's primary dueling platform stood elevated above a shallow basin lined with inscription pillars. Each pillar carried layered reinforcement arrays to prevent spiritual techniques from spilling into surrounding districts.
By midmorning, the basin was already filling.
Inner disciples claimed the front positions.
Outer disciples gathered along the upper walkways, whispering in tight clusters.
No one treated this as a simple ranking dispute.
This was legitimacy being tested.
Zhao Liang stood alone at the center of the platform.
His Ironback Wolf materialized fully beside him—larger than before, metallic fur polished to a hard sheen. Subtle lines of refined spiritual armor traced along its spine and forelegs.
He had trained.
Hard.
Across the basin, Lin Tianyu descended the stone steps slowly.
His robes were plain.
His posture unremarkable.
The translucent jellyfish floated near his shoulder, faintly luminous in daylight.
A few disciples scoffed quietly.
"That thing against an Ironback Wolf?"
"He must think resonance replaces power."
Su Yao stood among the observers, silent.
She did not scoff.
Elder Mo and Elder Hai watched from an elevated balcony carved into the basin wall. Their expressions were controlled, unreadable.
When Lin Tianyu stepped onto the platform, the inscriptions flared softly.
A boundary dome shimmered into place.
Zhao Liang did not waste words.
"You accepted," he said evenly.
"Yes."
"You understand this isn't about pride."
"I know."
Zhao Liang's eyes sharpened.
"Then you understand what it means."
Lin Tianyu nodded once.
"Begin."
The word had barely left Zhao Liang's mouth before the Ironback Wolf lunged.
It did not roar.
It did not posture.
It attacked.
Claws struck the stone with explosive force, propelling its massive frame forward in a straight-line assault.
Fast.
Faster than during the trial.
Zhao Liang had refined its acceleration technique.
Lin Tianyu did not step back.
He shifted half a step to the side.
The wolf's claw grazed his sleeve, tearing cloth but missing flesh.
The jellyfish pulsed once.
Thin tendrils flicked outward—
Barely visible.
The wolf twisted mid-lunge, landing smoothly instead of overextending.
Its muscles flexed, metallic sheen catching sunlight.
Zhao Liang's voice cut sharply through the air.
"Iron Spine Formation!"
The wolf's back arched.
Spiritual energy condensed along its spine, forming jagged metallic protrusions that vibrated at high frequency.
It charged again—but this time not directly.
It circled.
Testing.
Lin Tianyu's breathing remained steady.
He was not projecting aggressive aura.
He was observing rhythm.
Zhao Liang was different today.
Less impulsive.
More controlled.
Good.
The wolf feinted left—then burst right, claws sweeping low toward Lin Tianyu's legs.
Lin Tianyu pivoted, robe swirling lightly. The jellyfish released a faint pulse downward.
The wolf's claws slowed by a fraction.
Enough.
Lin Tianyu's palm brushed lightly against the wolf's armored shoulder as it passed.
A ripple spread across the metallic fur.
Not damage.
Interference.
The wolf skidded, regained footing instantly, and leapt backward.
Murmurs rippled through the basin.
"He didn't block."
"He redirected."
Zhao Liang's eyes narrowed.
"You're not attacking."
"Not yet."
The wolf's lips curled back slightly, revealing steel-tipped fangs.
Zhao Liang exhaled slowly.
"Full manifestation."
Spiritual energy surged outward.
The wolf's frame expanded subtly, armor thickening. Its eyes glowed faintly silver.
Pressure filled the dome.
This was Inner Academy standard.
No restraint.
The wolf howled—then slammed its forepaws into the platform.
Shockwaves erupted outward in concentric rings.
Stone cracked.
Dust rose.
Lin Tianyu leapt lightly, avoiding the first ring.
The second ring struck midair.
The jellyfish flared.
A translucent barrier formed just enough to absorb the worst of it.
Lin Tianyu landed smoothly.
Resonance Level: 10.4%.
Incremental increase under pressure.
Zhao Liang saw it.
"You're adapting."
"Yes."
The wolf launched upward suddenly, jaws snapping toward the jellyfish itself.
Gasps erupted.
Targeting the beast directly.
Lin Tianyu's eyes sharpened.
The jellyfish contracted instantly, compressing into a denser core.
The wolf's jaws closed—
On nothing.
The jellyfish reappeared behind it in a flicker of pale blue light.
Spatial displacement.
Subtle.
But real.
Zhao Liang's breath caught.
"You…"
Lin Tianyu stepped forward now.
For the first time—
He initiated.
His palm extended.
Not toward Zhao Liang.
Toward the wolf's shadow.
The jellyfish pulsed sharply.
A wave of fine, threadlike energy rippled across the platform.
The wolf froze mid-turn.
Not paralyzed completely.
But disrupted.
Muscle signals lagged by a fraction.
Zhao Liang reacted instantly.
"Break!"
The wolf roared, forcing its aura outward violently.
The disruption shattered.
It lunged again, claws carving shallow trenches into stone.
This time Lin Tianyu did not evade fully.
He met the charge.
Palm against claw.
The impact rang sharply.
Metallic aura against fluid resonance.
For a brief second—
They locked.
Zhao Liang felt it.
Lin Tianyu was not weaker.
He was… balanced.
The wolf pushed harder.
Spiritual energy flared along its spine.
Lin Tianyu shifted his frequency.
Not increasing output.
Altering phase.
The metallic aura slipped.
Just slightly.
The wolf stumbled forward half a step.
That half-step was enough.
Lin Tianyu's other hand touched the wolf's shoulder again.
A deeper pulse entered its meridian flow.
Not damage.
Desynchronization.
The wolf recoiled instinctively, shaking its head as if disoriented.
Zhao Liang's eyes widened.
"What are you doing?"
"Listening," Lin Tianyu replied calmly.
The wolf attacked again—this time unpredictably, slashing upward then downward in rapid succession.
Lin Tianyu retreated two steps.
The jellyfish expanded, tendrils weaving a faint lattice before him.
Claws struck the lattice.
Instead of shattering it—
The force dispersed.
Distributed.
Absorbed.
The crowd had fallen silent.
This was no longer brute force versus fragility.
It was rhythm versus structure.
Zhao Liang's breathing grew heavier.
He had trained for power escalation.
But this—
This was like fighting water.
He clenched his jaw.
"Iron Fang Collapse!"
The wolf's fangs glowed intensely.
It lunged with full-body commitment, aiming to end the duel in a single decisive strike.
Lin Tianyu did not retreat.
He stepped inside the arc.
The jellyfish contracted into a brilliant blue core.
At the moment of impact—
It released a concentrated pulse.
Not outward.
Inward.
Into the wolf's aura center.
For a heartbeat—
Silence.
Then—
The wolf's glow flickered.
Its fangs dimmed.
Its body staggered mid-lunge.
Lin Tianyu's palm pressed lightly against its forehead.
The pulse stabilized.
The wolf stopped.
Standing.
Breathing heavily.
But no longer attacking.
Zhao Liang felt the shift instantly.
Not suppression.
Not injury.
Alignment.
The wolf's frantic aura smoothed.
Its muscles relaxed slightly.
The platform was still.
Lin Tianyu withdrew his hand slowly.
The jellyfish floated quietly beside him.
Zhao Liang stared.
His wolf did not move.
It did not growl.
It did not attempt another charge.
After several long seconds—
Zhao Liang exhaled.
"I yield."
The dome dissolved.
Murmurs exploded into open discussion.
Inner disciples exchanged stunned looks.
Outer disciples whispered in awe.
Su Yao closed her eyes briefly, as if confirming what she had sensed.
On the balcony, Elder Hai spoke softly.
"He did not overpower him."
Elder Mo nodded.
"He recalibrated him."
Below, Zhao Liang stepped forward.
His pride was intact—but altered.
"You didn't defeat my wolf," he said quietly.
"No," Lin Tianyu agreed.
"You corrected it."
"Yes."
Zhao Liang studied him.
Then—unexpectedly—he bowed.
Not deeply.
But sincerely.
"I misjudged you."
Lin Tianyu returned the gesture.
"And I misjudged your discipline."
A faint, almost reluctant smile touched Zhao Liang's lips.
"This isn't over."
"It shouldn't be."
Rivalry.
Not hostility.
As Zhao Liang stepped away, the Ironback Wolf glanced once at the jellyfish.
Not with aggression.
With curiosity.
The basin slowly emptied.
But beneath the platform—
The inscription pillars recorded everything.
Frequency shifts.
Resonance alterations.
Phase adjustments.
And far beneath Blackwind Mountain—
Ancient chains vibrated faintly.
The fragment had felt it.
Not the duel itself.
But the frequency carried within it.
That same layered rhythm.
That same restraint.
The sealed eye opened slightly in darkness.
Watching.
Waiting.
As tides beneath the surface began to rise.Chapter 4: Tides Beneath the Surface
Sub-Chapter 3: Fractures in the Quiet
Victory did not bring peace.
If anything, it sharpened the tension.
By evening, the duel had already been retold in five different versions across the academy. In some, Lin Tianyu had crushed Zhao Liang effortlessly. In others, he had used forbidden resonance techniques. A few claimed Elder Hai had interfered invisibly.
Truth mattered less than perception.
And perception had shifted.
Lin Tianyu was no longer the Outer disciple who survived Blackwind Mountain.
He was a variable.
That alone made certain people uncomfortable.
---
The Inner Academy training courtyard was unusually quiet that night.
Instead of open sparring sessions, disciples trained in small, tight groups. Eyes flicked toward Lin Tianyu whenever he passed, conversations lowering slightly before resuming.
The jellyfish floated beside him, glow soft and steady.
Resonance Level: 10.9%.
It had risen subtly after the duel.
Not from strain.
From refinement.
Zhao Liang's wolf had provided resistance structured enough to stabilize deeper layers of frequency control.
Lin Tianyu paused near a stone balustrade overlooking the lower district.
Blackwind Mountain loomed beyond the academy walls, its silhouette darker than the surrounding sky. The suppression arrays glimmered faintly, but something about their rhythm felt… uneven.
He closed his eyes briefly.
There.
A faint fluctuation.
Subtle.
But real.
The fragment was adjusting again.
Not violently.
Incrementally.
As if testing the space between pulses.
Behind him, footsteps approached.
"You feel it too."
Lin Tianyu opened his eyes.
Su Yao stood a few paces away, Moon Fox seated at her side.
"Yes," he replied.
"It's different tonight."
"It's learning."
She went still.
"Learning what?"
"Boundaries."
The wind shifted, carrying a distant metallic hum from the mountain's direction.
Su Yao crossed her arms lightly.
"After your duel, the formation pillars recorded abnormal resonance echoes. Elder Hai has sealed the data."
Lin Tianyu did not look surprised.
"They would."
"You're not curious?"
"I already know what they saw."
Her gaze sharpened.
"Then tell me."
He turned to face her fully.
"They saw synchronization extending beyond the platform."
A pause.
"Beyond?" she repeated quietly.
"Yes."
Su Yao looked toward Blackwind Mountain.
"You're saying the fragment felt the duel."
"It felt the frequency."
The Moon Fox's ears twitched.
Su Yao exhaled slowly.
"You realize what that implies."
"Yes."
"That your existence accelerates its awareness."
Lin Tianyu did not deny it.
Silence settled between them.
Not hostile.
Heavy.
After a moment, Su Yao asked quietly, "Are you controlling this?"
"No."
"Then what are you doing?"
"Guiding it."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"You're confident you can guide a calamity fragment."
"I am confident I can prevent premature awakening."
She studied him for a long time.
"You speak like someone who has seen it awake."
Lin Tianyu held her gaze.
"I have seen destruction."
Not a lie.
Not the full truth.
The Moon Fox rose slowly, tail flicking once.
Su Yao finally nodded.
"Then don't let this academy burn."
"I don't intend to."
---
Deep beneath Blackwind Mountain—
Stone groaned softly.
Not breaking.
Shifting.
Ancient chains carved with layered inscriptions pulsed faintly, absorbing pressure.
Within the deepest chamber, darkness moved.
The sealed fragment did not possess a full body.
Not yet.
But its presence had density.
Shape.
A massive coil lay suspended in half-light, scales fractured where chains bound it.
One eye opened slowly.
It did not see through sight.
It perceived through resonance.
And tonight—
The frequency returned.
Faint.
Distant.
But present.
Not from the arena.
Not from direct contact.
From memory.
It pulsed once.
Testing.
A chain tightened.
The fragment stilled.
Not resisting.
Calculating.
---
Far beyond the academy's reach, in the mist-choked forest where trees grew twisted and unnatural—
The masked figure from the cliff stood within a hollow clearing.
Around him, warped beasts circled silently, their eyes reflecting dull crimson.
The cracked jade compass in his hand trembled violently.
Its needle spun once—
Then locked firmly toward Blackwind Mountain.
The masked figure tilted his head slightly.
"So it strengthens."
A subordinate stepped forward.
"Master, the outer patrols report increased academy movement."
"Of course they do."
He closed his fingers around the compass.
"Resonance stabilization is not suppression."
The subordinate hesitated.
"Shall we proceed with Phase One?"
A faint chuckle escaped the masked figure.
"Yes."
He turned toward the darkness of the forest.
"Release the lesser fractures."
---
Back at the academy, the first sign came near midnight.
A junior patrol squad stationed along the eastern boundary reported unusual beast migration patterns. Small forest creatures—normally skittish—were moving toward the academy walls rather than away from them.
Within minutes, the report escalated.
Then came the tremor.
Sharper than before.
Not from beneath the mountain.
From the forest perimeter.
Alarm bells rang.
Inner and Outer disciples alike poured from their quarters.
Lin Tianyu was already moving before the second bell sounded.
The jellyfish glowed brighter as he reached the eastern wall.
In the distance—
Shadows moved.
Not a stampede.
Not yet.
But dozens of mid-tier beasts emerging from tree cover, eyes faintly glazed with unnatural aura.
Corruption.
But not from the fragment.
This frequency was different.
Artificial.
Elder Mo appeared atop the wall in a flash of light.
"Defensive formation!"
Barrier arrays ignited along the perimeter.
Beasts lunged forward.
The first wave struck the barrier with dull thuds, claws scraping against invisible resistance.
But behind them—
More gathered.
Zhao Liang arrived moments later, wolf already manifested.
"What is this?" he demanded.
"Not the fragment," Lin Tianyu replied.
Zhao Liang's brows furrowed.
"Then what?"
Before Lin Tianyu could answer—
A low, distorted howl echoed from the forest.
Not natural.
Not fully beast.
A larger shape moved between trees.
Watching.
Waiting.
The jellyfish pulsed sharply.
Resonance Level: 11.3%.
External pressure increasing.
Elder Hai materialized beside Elder Mo.
"This is deliberate."
"Yes," Elder Mo agreed grimly.
The barrier flickered as a heavier beast slammed into it.
Cracks spidered across one section.
"Reinforce that quadrant!" an instructor shouted.
Inner disciples leapt into formation positions, channeling energy into support nodes.
Lin Tianyu closed his eyes briefly.
He extended his perception outward.
Not toward the mountain.
Toward the forest.
The frequency he sensed was fragmented—but coordinated.
Someone was pushing these beasts.
Not fully controlling.
Provoking.
The jellyfish's tendrils stretched forward instinctively.
Lin Tianyu caught it gently.
"Not yet," he murmured.
The large shadow in the forest shifted closer.
Moonlight caught on warped bone protrusions along its spine.
This was no ordinary corrupted beast.
This was engineered instability.
Su Yao appeared at his side.
"That one's different."
"Yes."
The large beast stepped fully into view.
A massive stag-like creature, antlers twisted into jagged spirals of darkened crystal. Veins pulsed with faint violet light beneath its hide.
Its gaze locked onto the academy walls.
Then—
Onto Lin Tianyu.
Even at this distance.
The jellyfish flared.
The stag lowered its head.
And charged.
The impact against the barrier was explosive.
The entire wall trembled.
Formation lines flickered violently.
Inner disciples staggered.
Cracks widened.
Elder Hai's expression hardened.
"This isn't a random incursion."
"No," Lin Tianyu said quietly.
The stag backed up several steps.
Energy gathered at its antlers.
Zhao Liang inhaled sharply.
"It's going to ram again."
"Yes."
Lin Tianyu stepped forward.
"What are you doing?" Zhao Liang demanded.
"Stabilizing."
He extended his hand toward the barrier.
Not to strengthen it.
To adjust it.
The jellyfish pulsed in layered rhythm.
Azure light threaded through the cracked formation lines.
Instead of reinforcing rigidity—
It introduced flexibility.
The stag charged again.
Its antlers struck—
But this time, the barrier bent.
Absorbed.
Redirected.
The impact dispersed along the wall rather than concentrating at one point.
The stag recoiled, confused.
Murmurs rippled across the defenders.
Elder Hai's eyes narrowed sharply.
"He's altering the array mid-impact."
The stag shook its head violently, violet veins pulsing brighter.
From the forest's edge—
A faint silhouette watched.
Masked.
Still.
The stag prepared for a third charge.
Lin Tianyu stepped beyond the safety line.
"Are you insane?!" Zhao Liang shouted.
Lin Tianyu did not answer.
The jellyfish expanded, glow intensifying.
Resonance Level: 11.8%.
He did not project aggression.
He projected correction.
The stag lunged—
But as it neared the barrier—
Lin Tianyu released a concentrated pulse.
Not at the barrier.
At the beast.
The pulse struck the violet veins threading through its body.
For a heartbeat—
The unnatural frequency faltered.
The stag stumbled mid-charge.
Its eyes cleared briefly.
It skidded to a halt before the wall.
The corrupted glow dimmed.
Confusion replaced frenzy.
Behind it, lesser beasts hesitated.
The masked silhouette in the forest shifted slightly.
Interesting.
Lin Tianyu maintained the pulse—not overpowering, but unraveling the artificial distortion.
The violet veins flickered—
Then shattered like brittle glass.
The stag collapsed to its knees, breathing ragged but no longer hostile.
Silence fell across the battlefield.
The lesser beasts retreated gradually, their agitation dissolving as the controlling frequency vanished.
Within moments—
The forest quieted.
Only the wind remained.
Lin Tianyu lowered his hand slowly.
The jellyfish's glow softened.
Resonance Level: 12.1%.
He turned his gaze toward the forest.
He could not see the masked figure clearly.
But he felt the attention.
Measured.
Curious.
Then—
Gone.
The presence withdrew.
Behind him, Zhao Liang exhaled slowly.
"What… was that?"
"An experiment," Lin Tianyu replied.
Elder Hai descended from the wall, landing lightly beside him.
"You've drawn attention," the elder said quietly.
"Yes."
"From something beyond this academy."
Lin Tianyu nodded.
The stag remained kneeling, eyes now clear.
Su Yao approached cautiously.
"It's free," she murmured.
"For now," Lin Tianyu said.
He looked once more toward the forest's darkness.
The tides beneath the surface were no longer subtle.
They were moving openly.
And this—
Was only the first fracture.