A quiet hum echoed through the stone chamber as Xiao Tian stood in silence, the last echoes of the hologram fading into the darkness. His right arm still glowed faintly from the surge of energy he had absorbed. The space around him seemed to hum—alive, as though it was watching, waiting.
Then came the voice again.
"You must train. Control the power."
It wasn't loud, but it was undeniable—firm, calm, and weighty. A reminder rather than a command. Xiao Tian took a deep breath and knelt on the stone floor. Closing his eyes, he allowed his thoughts to settle, his breath to deepen.
The darkness was no longer frightening. It was calm. Almost peaceful.
In that stillness, images began to rise in his mind like ripples on still water. Postures, stances, fluid movements—none of them martial in the traditional sense, but each one precise and deliberate. Stretching, coiling, unwinding. They felt like something more… ancient.
Without realizing, his body began to mimic the motions.
His spine aligned. His core tensed and released in rhythmic pulses. Blood circulated more smoothly, breathing synchronized with movement. These were not techniques for battle—they were methods for grounding the body, harmonizing it with the strange power within.
He moved through the forms again and again, not stopping until his body trembled from exhaustion. His shirt clung to his skin, drenched with sweat. Yet he felt steady—calmer than ever before.
He lay back against the floor, panting. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"This... is control."
Sitting upright once more, he noticed a faint shimmer along the chamber wall—a palm-shaped imprint. He approached, and the moment his hand touched the mark, soft blue light spread outward in concentric waves.
A low rumble followed.
The stone wall slowly slid open.
A gust of fresh air met him—the scent of earth, bark, and blooming flowers. Xiao Tian narrowed his eyes against the sudden light as he stepped forward, emerging into a new landscape.
The path ahead was clear—a stone walkway winding through a vast forest.
And it was real.
Towering trees with thick trunks reached toward the sky. Their leaves formed a thick canopy, casting shifting patterns of sunlight on the ground below. The scent of damp moss and ripe fruit filled the air, carried gently by the wind. Birds chirped in the distance. Insects buzzed. Everything was alive.
Xiao Tian's feet pressed into soft soil with every step. The warmth of the sun touched his skin.
He walked cautiously at first, but with each passing moment, his body began to relax. The tension in his shoulders loosened. His breath became deeper, smoother. He felt something shifting inside him—like a storm beginning to calm.
He glanced at his right arm.
The glowing patterns—those strange circuit-like lines of pale blue that had once crawled across his skin—were fading. Slowly. Naturally.
He raised his hand to his face.
Even the markings that had reached up his neck and cheek were beginning to retreat, melting back into his skin.
"The power... it's stabilizing."
He continued walking, now with more confidence.
Along the sides of the path, he saw vines bearing fruit—plump berries, round golden fruits with delicate skins. Hesitant, he plucked one and brought it to his lips. Sweet. Cool. The juice trickled down his throat, and almost instantly, his fatigue lifted.
He ate a few more, savoring each bite.
It was as if the forest itself was offering him restoration—not just for his body, but for his soul.
Further down, the trees thinned, revealing a wide clearing.
And beyond that… water.
Xiao Tian stepped onto a grassy ridge and looked out.
A vast lake stretched to the horizon—silver-blue and perfectly still. There were no boats, no bridges, no signs of life. Just water, sky, and silence.
Behind him, the path he had walked was gone. As if the forest had closed itself.
He was alone again. And the only direction was forward.
He stepped to the water's edge, staring out across the surface.
"How am I supposed to cross this…?"
The words barely left his lips when a ripple disturbed the lake.
A second ripple followed.
And then—waves.
The once-still water began to churn violently, and from its depths, something massive began to rise.
Xiao Tian staggered back, eyes wide.
A horn emerged first—twisted, gleaming with red light. Then a mane of fire, burning upward like a living flame. And then the body—covered in scales of deep crimson and obsidian. Towering above the lake, the creature stood on the surface as if it were solid ground.
A beast of legend.
Its eyes glowed like twin stars, locked on him.
Xiao Tian froze. His knees felt weak. His mouth dry.
"What… is that?"
The creature didn't move. Didn't roar. It simply stood there.
Watching.
The only sound was the wind... and the racing beat of his heart.
And that was where he remained.
Still.
Staring into the eyes of something that should not exist.