Chapter 19: The Envoy from the Starry Sky
Two weeks after Lin Ho entered the inner sect, an anomaly tore through the heavens.
At high noon, the skies over Qingye Sect darkened—not with storm clouds, but with starlight. A spiral of astral radiance descended silently, forming a gate of swirling constellations above the sect's main peak.
Everyone stopped.
Disciples halted mid-practice. Elders rose from secluded meditation. Protective formations snapped to life across the mountains.
Then, from the gate, a figure stepped through.
Clad in robes woven from starlight threads and dusted with celestial frost, the envoy bore no aura. Yet the pressure that followed his descent was beyond comprehension — like a star pressing gently against the mountain.
The sect master appeared instantly at the summit, bowing with deep reverence.
> "May I ask… from which dominion does the honored guest descend?"
The envoy's voice was like wind across an ancient sea.
> "I come bearing a seal from the Star Ascendant Pavilion. This realm is to be observed. A variable has awakened."
The elders tensed. Even the Sect Master dared not question further.
Below, Lin Ho sat cross-legged within his courtyard. The moment the gate opened, his Chaos Qi trembled. Not with fear — but with instinctual resonance. He looked up, eyes narrowing.
> "Star Ascendant Pavilion…?"
His Chaos Bloodline pulsed once, then stilled. Whatever had come through that gate — it wasn't here for him. Not yet.
But the heavens had noticed. That alone was dangerous.
---
Later that evening, an emergency elder meeting was held at the Heavenly Jade Hall.
Twelve elders attended in person. Three more projected their images via formation. At the head, Sect Master Yun's eyes were grim.
> "We've confirmed it. The envoy is not hostile. He will observe for three days. After that, he leaves."
> "Observe what?" Elder Qiu asked, her voice sharp. "And why here?"
> "The envoy mentioned a phrase — 'cosmic entropy awakening.' I do not know what it means."
Elder Mu folded his hands.
> "Perhaps one of our disciples… has drawn fate's eye."
Everyone turned to him, but he said nothing more.
---
On the second day, the envoy walked among the outer peaks. Disciples whispered in awe and fear, not daring to approach.
On the third day, he stood atop the Jade Observation Platform, looking down at the sect.
And then… he left.
No farewell. No explanation.
Only a sentence, carried on the wind like prophecy:
> "The fragment sleeps within the chaos-born. When starlight bends, the heavens will burn."
The gate closed behind him. The sky returned to normal.
But nothing felt normal anymore.
---
That night, Lin Ho sat under the stars, staring upward.
> "They're watching already," he murmured.
His grandfather's words echoed again in memory:
> "Don't reveal everything. Not until the stars no longer blind."
The road ahead was changing.
And someone — or something — from beyond this world had taken notice.
---
End of Chapter 19