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In the year 3030, Earth is nearly destroyed by natural disasters caused by global warming. Just as humanity is on the brink of extinction, the Earth awakens and chooses 15 people to receive ancient cultivation techniques. These Heroes lead humanity into a new era of cultivation.

500 years later, mutated beasts, evolving plants, and mysterious realms reshape the world. Lin Ho, the grandson of one of the original Heroes, struggles to cultivate after his parents disappear in a secret realm. On his 15th birthday, his necklace breaks, releasing a golden light that awakens a legendary power inside him—the Chaos Bloodline.

A new destiny begins.

Awakening of Chaos

The Mistshore Cliff stretched like a broken fang over the Eastern Sea, its jagged rocks cloaked in a thick, unnatural fog. As Lin Ho and the vanguard unit arrived, the chill in the air bit deeper than mere wind — something ancient watched from beneath the waves.

Over thirty disciples had been deployed, each hand-picked from Qingye Sect's inner core. Lin Ho, clad in his black battle robe with the longblade strapped to his back, stood at the vanguard. Beside him were two familiar faces — Bai Qing with her frost talismans and Yu Fan, the spear prodigy who once scorned him during the entrance trials, now far more reserved.

A defensive formation was quickly erected: barrier talismans anchored with spirit stones and a rotating patrol schedule. Yet unease lingered.

> "These waters are too quiet," Bai Qing whispered as they peered toward the sea.

> "That fog isn't natural," Yu Fan muttered. "It swallows sound."

Lin Ho didn't speak. He sat cross-legged by the edge, sensing the pulse of Chaos through the stone beneath him. The deeper he looked, the more warped the world felt. Something beneath was distorting the spiritual threads.

> "The fog is suppressing spiritual sense," he said suddenly. "Not just hiding movement. It's dulling instincts."

The captain of the vanguard, a senior disciple named Luo Sen, frowned. "Then we'll fight blind if they attack. Brilliant."

That night, Lin Ho meditated again under the stars, Chaos spirals circulating through his core. His cultivation base was now approaching the peak of Meridian Forging. The next bottleneck loomed, but his understanding of balance — of entropy reshaping structure — gave him clarity others lacked.

Suddenly, a pulse rocked the cliffside. Silent but heavy, like a drumbeat in the ocean floor.

> "Battle positions!" Luo Sen barked.

Disciples scrambled into place, weapons drawn. The mist thickened. Shadows moved within it — low to the ground, slithering, creeping. Then…

Not a single enemy broke the surface.

> "It's not a siege," Lin Ho whispered. "It's a test."

> "What do you mean?" Bai Qing asked.

> "Something intelligent is watching us. Measuring our response time. Our unity."

At that moment, the fog parted — just for a second. Enough for all to see a monstrous silhouette rise from the sea. Dozens of eyes, all fixed on Lin Ho.

> "They're not after the sect," Lin Ho said grimly. "They're after me."

Chapter 48: Mistshore Cliff