Chapter 69 – Summit of the Chosen, Shadows of the Past

"Only those who survive the storm may sit beside the lightning."

The Chaos Sect Sky Pavilion – Trial Completion

The Chaos Trials blazed with brilliance across all connected realms. By now, tens of thousands had been eliminated—either through failure, withdrawal, or death. A few had barely survived. But among them, ten stood above the rest.

Inside the Sky Pavilion Hall, golden soul mirrors hovered in a ring around the central altar. Each mirror reflected the face of a chosen candidate, bathed in divine light.

Zero stood at the heart of the hall, flanked by the five Supreme Elders. Their expressions were solemn—this was not just a ceremony, but a judgment.

❖ [Top Ten Participants Validated]

❖ [All have received Marks of Chaos]

❖ [Synchronizing their coordinates… Initiating Divine Summon Protocol]

With a wave of Zero's hand, a brilliant Chaos Gate formed behind him, glowing with spatial ripples. One by one, the chosen began to arrive.

First Arrival – Asha Rani

As the Chaos Gate spun open, the first to step through was a woman in flowing silver and frost-blue robes. Her steps made the stone beneath her shimmer with ice crystals.

Her aura was calm, deadly, and refined—a mixture of beauty and danger.

Asha Rani looked up at the hall, then at the masked man who stood at its center. He wore a cloak darker than night, with a silver pattern of swirling chaos embroidered across his chest.

That presence…

Her heart stirred, though she said nothing.

Zero looked at her for a brief moment before nodding slightly. His mask revealed no emotion, but his heart skipped.

❖ [Asha Rani – Trial Rank #1 – Inner Core Qualified]

❖ [Ice Spirit Body: SSS-Rank Confirmed]

❖ [Ancient Ice Pearl: Bound]

A voice boomed across the chamber.

"Step forward, Chosen of Ice."

Asha walked until she stood just three meters from Zero. She bowed deeply.

"I greet the Chaos Sect Master," she said respectfully.

"You have done well," Zero replied, voice deep, calm. "This place may yet be your home."

Internally, Asha whispered, I know it's you… Zero. And if it is, I will find the truth.

Second Arrival – Arya Kapoor

The gate shimmered again, revealing Arya Kapoor clad in a high-grade spiritual array robe, her twin sabers strapped to her back. Her posture was upright, her eyes sharp. Her every movement was calculated.

She bowed slightly, scanning the throne and the masked man. Her mind raced.

So this is the real Chaos Sect… and he must be Zero. But why hide now?

❖ [Arya Kapoor – Trial Rank #2 – Inner Core Pending]

❖ [Array Proficiency: Divine-Class Detected]

❖ [Chaos Theory Comprehension Level: 46%]

Before she could be welcomed, a Chaos Elder named Qin Dae stepped down from the floating seats.

"Wait. Her evaluation isn't complete," he said. "I want a second test—one based on real-time array manipulation under pressure."

Zero nodded. "Do it. Her future deserves clarity."

Arya didn't flinch.

A massive jade dome descended around her, filled with flickering chaotic runes. In moments, the space turned into a full-scale array battlefield.

❖ [Challenge Activated: Chaos Spiral Array – 12 Layers – Solve in Real-Time]

❖ [Failure will strip Inner Core eligibility]

The hall watched in silence.

Arya closed her eyes for ten seconds.

Then her hands began to move. Not with fear, but with grace.

"Chaos isn't disorder," she whispered. "It's just a higher order of symmetry."

Each movement rewrote entire layers of the array. Runes collapsed, realigned, then collapsed again.

Fifteen minutes later—

❖ [Challenge Cleared – All Twelve Layers Collapsed]

❖ [Arya Kapoor Promoted – Inner Core Confirmed]

Qin Dae's stern expression softened. He gave a rare nod.

"She's worthy."

Third to Seventh – The Other Chosen

The next five candidates entered in rapid succession.

ShadowBlade – Ranked #3 – Given Outer Disciple status, with potential to rise. Yi Feng – A young NPC cultivator with a mutated divine bloodline – secretly flagged for Guardian training. Runesaint – A scholarly player specializing in ancient alchemy paths – given access to the Sect's hidden pill valley. Li Yao – A dual-wielding rogue from the Lightning Realm – marked for battlefield squad captaincy. Fira – A Flame Cultivator with a cursed body – assigned to Phoenix Peak for soul healing.

Each one knelt and received the Mark of Chaos from the Sect Master's hand.

Eighth – The Unknown Threat

Suddenly, the Chaos Gate pulsed irregularly.

A black mist leaked through.

A hooded figure stepped out, face hidden, aura unreadable. He moved like shadow, his presence distorting nearby space.

❖ [??? has Entered]

❖ [System Error: Identity Not Registered]

❖ [Chaos Ring Reaction: Hostile Energy Detected]

❖ [Soul Imprint… Fragmented]

Chaos Elder Xun moved swiftly and raised a hand.

"This one carries an ancient curse. He is not part of the trial!"

The masked man looked up slowly—and grinned.

"I was invited," he said.

Zero stood. "You were not. But now that you're here…"

His hand lifted, and Yulin—the Chaos Dragon—appeared beside him with a thunderous growl.

The masked intruder looked at the beast and simply laughed.

"Let me leave a message then…"

He raised a hand and carved a blood rune in the air. It shimmered before exploding in red light.

❖ [Blood Message Activated – Demonic Sigil Transmitted to Abyss Gate]

Yulin roared and lunged—but the man vanished in black lightning.

Elder Xun cursed. "He was a scout. They know we're active again."

Zero's eyes darkened. "Then prepare the Sect's Defenders. And seal the outer gates."

Formal Initiation – Chaos Core Begins

With the threat handled, the final ceremony began.

Ten thrones rose from the marble floor, surrounding the Chaos Throne in a crescent. Each one bore the name of a realm, a path, or a law.

The chosen were seated accordingly.

❖ [Core Initiation Complete]

❖ [Ten Seats of Chaos Filled]

❖ [All Chosen Now Bound by Sect Oath: Loyalty, Strength, Secrecy]

❖ [Welcome to the Chaos Core – You are no longer outsiders]

Zero stepped forward.

"You have proven your right to stand here. From this day, you carry the mark of Chaos—through war, shadow, or glory. The Sect will rise… through your blades."

The entire hall trembled with spiritual force.

The Chaos Sect was no longer in hiding.

The war for supremacy had begun.