Three nights later, beneath the crescent moon and shrouded by silver mist, Lin Ho stood at the western edge of the Qingye Sect's boundary. Before him lay an ancient forest — one long sealed off by the sect's internal array. Few knew its name. Fewer dared enter.
But tonight, the seal was undone.
The air shimmered as Lin Ho stepped forward. A faint whisper echoed in his ears, not in any language he recognized, yet oddly familiar. It wasn't words… it was intent. Old. Hungry. Curious.
> "The stars align," he murmured. "And something stirs."
His Chaos Qi surged instinctively, not in fear, but in readiness. He followed the whispering wind through twisted trees and forgotten stone paths. The ground here bore no footsteps — untouched for centuries.
Then he saw it.
A massive stone door embedded into a hill, overgrown with moss and sealed with seven iron chains. But as he approached, the chains snapped one by one, dissolving into black mist. The door rumbled open to reveal darkness… and steps descending into the earth.
---
Within the Tomb
The air was dry, yet laced with a pressure that made normal Qi tremble. Lin Ho's Chaos Qi devoured it calmly, spiraling around him like a cloak.
Murals lined the walls. Scenes of men with stars in their eyes, battling beasts made of light and shadow. One mural depicted a single figure standing atop a sea of corpses — eyes golden-black, hair silver-white.
> "This figure…" Lin Ho paused. "He looks like…"
The resemblance was undeniable. The figure could've been Lin Ho himself — or an ancestor he never knew.
Further in, a coffin floated midair, surrounded by a six-pointed array. Runes pulsed around it. On the stone base, ancient script appeared.
> "To the bearer of Chaos… only you may awaken the Tomb of Mirrors."
As Lin Ho stepped forward, the array collapsed with a quiet sigh. The coffin opened with a hiss — not of death, but release.
Inside lay a skeletal figure in robes of starlight, its eye sockets glimmering faintly.
Then the voice came again.
> "You bear the bloodline. Then hear the first echo…"
A beam of golden-black light shot into Lin Ho's forehead. His mind expanded violently — stars, planets, chaos, order — all rushed through him in a single breath.
> "Primordial Echo Technique acquired," a voice echoed in his mind.
His body shuddered. Muscles tore and reformed. His dantian roared with Chaos Qi, spiraling faster than ever before.
---
Moments Later – Outside the Tomb
Lin Ho emerged, breath steady but heart racing. His cultivation had taken another leap — his comprehension widened. But more than that, he now knew:
This world was not the origin of his power.
It was only a fragment of something greater.
And whatever slumbered in the deep… was starting to wake.
---
End of Chapter 73