For three heartbeats, the entire forest stood still.
The black formation beneath Li Tian's feet had gone dark. The chains hanging from the masked man's shoulders no longer moved, and even the black mist seemed to have forgotten how to spread.
Twenty outer disciples stared at Li Tian.
Instructor Gao stared at Li Tian.
Mei Ling stared at Li Tian.
Chen Wei stared at Li Tian with the expression of a man who had just discovered that his closest friend might secretly be a calamity wearing human clothes.
Li Tian looked down at the ground.
Then he looked at the masked man.
Then he looked down again.
I didn't do anything.
A system notification appeared.
[Hidden Cultivation System]
[Unexpected formation suppression detected.]
[Cause: Unknown.]
[Host contribution: Unable to determine.]
[Warning: Do not attempt to reproduce the phenomenon.]
Li Tian almost laughed.
Even you don't know what happened? What exactly have you been doing inside my head all this time?
The masked man slowly lowered his hand.
“Impossible…”
His voice had lost its earlier confidence.
“The formation answered you without a command. The chains obeyed before you even released your aura.”
Li Tian scratched his cheek.
“Perhaps the formation is old and needs maintenance?”
Chen Wei made a strangled noise.
“Maintenance? Brother, the entire forest nearly turned into black dust!”
Li Tian gave him a helpless look.
“What would you prefer I say?”
“Something normal! Something like, ‘I have no idea what happened, please don't kill us!’”
Li Tian turned back toward the masked man.
“I have no idea what happened. Please don't kill us.”
Chen Wei stared at him.
“You cannot be serious.”
The masked figure did not respond to their exchange. Its attention remained fixed on Li Tian, as though it were trying to see through his skin and into something buried far beneath it.
Finally, it spoke.
“You truly remember nothing.”
“Remember what?”
“The war.”
Li Tian's smile faded slightly.
“What war?”
The masked figure took a step forward.
Before it could take another, Mei Ling raised her sword.
“Stay where you are.”
The man's iron mask turned toward her.
“You have courage, little swordswoman. But courage without understanding is merely a faster road to death.”
“Then explain what I need to understand.”
For the first time, the masked man seemed amused.
“You ask questions as though this world owes you answers.”
“It owes me an explanation for trying to kill us.”
Mei Ling's sword remained steady.
Li Tian glanced at her.
She really doesn't know when to retreat.
He admired that quality.
He also suspected it would cause him a great deal of trouble in the future.
The masked man slowly raised both hands, showing that he would not attack.
“I did not come here to kill the boy.”
“Then why are you here?” Instructor Gao demanded.
“To confirm a rumor.”
“What rumor?”
“That the one who disappeared at the end of the Ancient War had returned to the mortal world.”
The forest grew colder.
Even Bao Bao stopped fidgeting.
Li Tian's heart tightened, but he kept his expression blank.
The Ancient War.
The white-robed man.
The designation the system had recovered.
The Silent One.
Were they all connected?
And if they were, why did the masked man believe Li Tian had returned?
He had no memories of an ancient war. His earliest recollections were ordinary: a difficult childhood, a longing for a better life, and a strange second chance that had led him to Heavenly Cloud Sect.
At least, those were the memories he could trust.
A faint headache pulsed behind his forehead.
For an instant, he saw a sky split into countless fragments.
A vast battlefield stretched beneath it. Armies of immortal beings clashed among broken stars. At the center stood a white-robed man with his back to the heavens.
The man's face was hidden.
But when he turned slightly, Li Tian felt as though he were looking into a mirror.
Then the vision vanished.
Li Tian clenched his hand.
The masked man noticed.
“So you felt it.”
“Felt what?”
“The memory trying to return.”
Li Tian said nothing.
The man gave a quiet laugh.
“Very well. If you cannot remember, I will leave you with a warning.”
He pointed toward the western mountain.
“The seal beneath this sect was never meant to hold a monster.”
A cold wind swept through the trees.
“It was built to hold back those who wanted to reach what lies beyond it.”
Instructor Gao's face darkened.
“What lies beyond it?”
The masked figure turned toward the distant peaks.
“Something the heavens themselves were afraid to name.”
A black symbol appeared on his palm.
Before anyone could stop him, the symbol broke apart into thousands of tiny sparks. His body dissolved into the black mist, which sank into the ground and vanished.
Only his final words remained.
“When the ninth ring opens, do not trust the person who offers to save you.”
Silence followed.
Then Chen Wei slowly raised his hand.
“I have a question.”
Nobody answered.
He raised it higher.
“If we all agree to pretend that none of this happened, can we go home?”
Instructor Gao closed his eyes.
For several seconds, the instructor looked as though he were reconsidering every decision that had led him to become a teacher.
“Return to the sect,” he ordered at last. “Nobody is to speak about this incident until the elders have investigated it.”
Twenty disciples nodded so quickly that Li Tian worried they might injure their necks.
Chen Wei was already walking toward the eastern trail.
“I have never seen a black formation in my life. I have never met a masked man. I don't even know what a mountain is.”
“You're walking in the wrong direction,” Li Tian told him.
Chen Wei stopped.
He looked at the path, then at Li Tian.
“I'm testing whether you are paying attention.”
“Of course.”
“Excellent. My test has succeeded.”
They had barely left the forest when Mei Ling caught up with Li Tian.
“Wait.”
Li Tian slowed.
Chen Wei immediately continued walking.
“Brother Chen,” Li Tian called.
Chen Wei waved without looking back.
“I am giving you two privacy! If a masked man appears, shout loudly!”
Mei Ling ignored him.
She studied Li Tian's face.
“You moved before the chain struck.”
“I was lucky.”
“You also noticed the formation was strange before it activated.”
“I was observant.”
“And when the masked man appeared, you seemed more curious than frightened.”
Li Tian considered his answer carefully.
“I was frightened. I simply didn't want to make it obvious.”
“You are a terrible liar.”
“That's unfortunate. I was hoping to become a merchant.”
She almost smiled.
Then her expression grew serious again.
“I won't force you to tell me anything you don't want to share. But if something dangerous is connected to you, don't assume you have to face it alone.”
Li Tian was quiet for a moment.
He had spent years avoiding attention. Every time someone came close to discovering his secrets, he found a way to retreat.
It was safer that way.
People who knew nothing about him could not be dragged into the consequences of his past.
Yet Mei Ling had stepped between him and a stranger whose power far exceeded hers.
He did not know whether to feel grateful or worried.
“Thank you,” he said at last.
Mei Ling nodded.
“But next time,” she added, “try not to stand directly in front of the dangerous person while pretending to be weak.”
Li Tian blinked.
“Was I doing that?”
“Yes.”
“I'll keep it in mind.”
She turned and walked ahead.
Li Tian watched her go.
Then he muttered, “I really need to improve my acting.”
From somewhere inside his sleeve came a tiny voice.
“Your acting is terrible.”
Li Tian stopped.
He slowly looked down.
Two bright eyes stared back at him from the opening of his robe.
Bao Bao's white ears poked out beside them.
Li Tian grabbed the fox by the scruff and lifted him into the air.
“How long have you been hiding there?”
“Since before the dangerous man appeared.”
“Why didn't you help?”
“I was conducting an observation.”
“An observation?”
“Yes. I observed that you were in danger.”
“And?”
“And that you survived.”
Bao Bao nodded with great dignity.
“A very successful observation.”
Li Tian took a deep breath.
One day, he was going to sell this fox to a restaurant.
A spiritual beast restaurant, perhaps. Somewhere that charged extra for troublesome animals.
The fox seemed to read his thoughts.
“I should warn you that I am poisonous.”
Li Tian loosened his grip.
“What?”
“Possibly.”
“You're possibly poisonous?”
“It's an ancient mystery.”
Li Tian put him back on his shoulder.
“Start talking.”
Bao Bao's ears twitched.
“About what?”
“Everything you know about the masked man, the Ancient War, the Silent One, and why you recognized the formation.”
The fox looked toward the western mountain.
For once, he did not make a joke.
“I didn't recognize the entire formation,” he said quietly. “But I recognized the symbol on the man's palm.”
“What is it?”
“The mark of the Void Court.”
“Didn't the elders say the Void Court might be returning?”
“They were wrong about one thing.”
Li Tian waited.
“The Void Court never truly disappeared.”
The words settled between them.
Bao Bao continued, “It has changed names, leaders, and methods over the centuries. Sometimes it works through sects. Sometimes through imperial courts. Sometimes through people who don't even know they're serving it.”
“And what does it want?”
“Ancient inheritances. Sealed bloodlines. Artifacts left behind by beings who existed before the current cultivation system.”
The fox glanced at Li Tian.
“And sometimes, it wants people.”
Li Tian's expression became guarded.
“People like the Silent One?”
“Perhaps.”
“Then why didn't you tell me earlier?”
“Because I wasn't certain.”
Bao Bao's tail curled around Li Tian's shoulder.
“And because I wanted to know whether the system was truly connected to you.”
Li Tian stopped walking again.
“What did you just say?”
The fox's ears flattened.
For the first time, he looked as though he regretted speaking.
Li Tian's voice became quiet.
“You know something about my system.”
Bao Bao did not answer.
“Bao Bao.”
The fox flinched.
Li Tian narrowed his eyes.
“Wait. I have been calling you Bao Bao for days, but you never told me your real name.”
“That is because Bao Bao is a perfectly respectable name.”
“You once said names carry spiritual significance.”
“Some names do.”
“Then what is yours?”
The fox stared at him for a long moment.
Finally, he sighed.
“Very well. But you must promise not to laugh.”
“I promise.”
“Or tell Chen Wei.”
“I promise.”
“Or use it to summon me against my will.”
Li Tian raised an eyebrow.
“Why would I need to summon you?”
“To make you feel better about your life choices.”
“Your name.”
The fox lowered his head.
“My original name was Bai Ze.”
Li Tian waited.
The fox waited.
“That sounds normal,” Li Tian said.
Bao Bao's eyes widened.
“Normal?”
“Yes.”
“Normal?” The fox nearly fell off his shoulder. “I am Bai Ze! The ancient spirit beast who once advised emperors, exposed demons, and recorded the secrets of ten thousand creatures! I was known across the Nine Heavens! Entire kingdoms offered treasures for a single word of my wisdom!”
Li Tian nodded thoughtfully.
“That's impressive.”
Bao Bao lifted his chin.
“Indeed.”
“Then why did you spend yesterday stealing fruit from my pocket?”
The fox's chin dropped.
“Ancient wisdom requires nourishment.”
“And why did you hide inside my sleeve during the fight?”
“Strategic concealment.”
“And why did you call yourself Bao Bao?”
The fox looked away.
“Because you started calling me that, and I didn't want to hurt your feelings.”
Li Tian stared at him.
Then he began to laugh.
Bao Bao's fur puffed up until he resembled a white ball.
“Silence! You promised not to laugh!”
“I promised not to laugh at your name. I am laughing at your dignity.”
“My dignity is intact!”
“Of course, Senior Bai Ze.”
The fox folded his paws.
“You may address me as Lord Bai Ze.”
“Certainly, Bao Bao.”
For several moments, the two continued arguing as they walked back toward the sect.
Neither noticed the small silver mark that had appeared beneath Bao Bao's left ear.
Neither noticed that the mark was glowing.
And neither noticed the system quietly recording it.
That evening, Li Tian returned to his room and closed the door.
Chen Wei had fled to his own quarters, declaring that he needed to prepare an emergency escape plan. Based on previous experience, the plan would probably involve a rope, stolen provisions, and an unfortunate fellow disciple being volunteered as a distraction.
Li Tian sat cross-legged on his bed.
Bao Bao settled beside the window, unusually quiet.
“Tell me about the system,” Li Tian said.
The fox did not turn around.
“I know less than you think.”
“Then tell me what you do know.”
Bao Bao's tail moved slowly.
“Long before the current sects were founded, cultivation was different. The strong did not simply absorb spiritual energy and break through realms. They studied the laws of existence itself. Some cultivated swords, some cultivated time, and some cultivated concepts that ordinary people could barely comprehend.”
“Like silence?”
The fox looked at him sharply.
Li Tian remembered the white-robed man standing on the battlefield.
The man had faced an army without drawing a weapon.
The stars around him had stopped moving.
“I saw someone in a dream,” Li Tian continued. “He wore white robes. He stood beneath a broken sky. He told me not to trust the heavens.”
Bao Bao's expression changed.
“You heard those words?”
“You know them?”
The fox remained silent long enough that Li Tian began to suspect he would refuse to answer.
Finally, Bao Bao said, “There was an old legend about a cultivator who fought the heavens without seeking to rule them. He appeared when the laws of the world became corrupted, and disappeared when the war ended.”
“What was his name?”
“Some called him the Silent One. Others called him the Nameless Dao Ancestor.”
Li Tian felt a chill travel down his spine.
“Was he the strongest cultivator?”
“No one knows.”
“That doesn't sound like a very useful legend.”
“Because the people who knew the truth either died or chose to forget it.”
Bao Bao jumped down from the windowsill and approached him.
“Li Tian, listen carefully. If the memories inside you truly belong to that being, then the system may not be a gift.”
Li Tian recalled the warning from Chapter 2.
Some chains are made of iron. Others are made of rewards.
“You said that before.”
“Because it matters.”
Bao Bao's voice lost its usual playfulness.
“A system that rewards you for surviving, hides your aura, and stores cultivation may be protecting you. But it may also be preserving you for a purpose.”
Li Tian looked at the notification panel hovering before his eyes.
The numbers were reassuring.
The stored cultivation gave him strength without exposing him. The hidden aura protected him from people who might otherwise notice his rapid progress.
Yet the system had failed to explain the ancient formation.
It could not identify the fox.
And when the masked man had called him the Silent One, the system had unlocked a memory fragment without asking his permission.
For the first time, Li Tian wondered whether he had ever truly been in control.
“Can I remove it?” he asked.
Bao Bao shook his head.
“I don't know.”
“Can I ignore it?”
“Possibly.”
“Can it hurt me?”
The fox hesitated.
“That is what worries me.”
Li Tian leaned back against the wall.
He had hoped that the system would eventually explain everything.
Now he was no longer certain he wanted the answers.
Outside, the sect's evening bell rang.
Its sound drifted across the rooftops, peaceful and familiar.
For a brief moment, Li Tian allowed himself to enjoy it.
Then the system appeared again.
[Hidden Cultivation System]
[New information recovered.]
[Ancient designation: Bai Ze.]
[Classification: Primordial Spirit Beast.]
[Connection to host: Restricted.]
Li Tian slowly turned toward the fox.
Bao Bao had gone completely still.
“You told me your name,” Li Tian said.
“Yes.”
“The system recognized you.”
The fox's ears flattened.
“I can see that.”
“And it says your connection to me is restricted.”
Bao Bao closed his eyes.
“Then the seal is weakening faster than I thought.”
“What seal?”
Before the fox could answer, every candle in the room went out.
A cold voice spoke from the darkness.
“Bai Ze.”
Bao Bao sprang to his feet.
His fur turned silver-white, and a faint pattern of ancient symbols appeared across his body.
Li Tian had never seen him like this.
The lazy, greedy fox was gone.
In his place stood a creature whose eyes seemed to contain the reflection of countless stars.
The voice spoke again.
“You have guarded the child long enough.”
The window shattered.
A thin black blade shot through the darkness, aimed directly at Li Tian's heart.
Bao Bao moved first.
A silver barrier erupted around the room.
The blade struck it and stopped inches from Li Tian's chest.
For one breath, nothing moved.
Then the blade began to crack.
A shadow appeared outside the broken window.
Its face was hidden beneath a dark hood.
“Bai Ze,” the stranger said. “Step aside.”
Bao Bao bared his teeth.
“No.”
“You cannot protect him forever.”
“I don't need forever.”
The fox's eyes shone like two silver moons.
“I only need tonight.”
The barrier exploded outward.
Silver light filled the room, followed by a wave of spiritual pressure so immense that every window in the surrounding buildings shattered at once.
Across Heavenly Cloud Sect, elders rushed from their chambers.
Elder Zhao looked toward Li Tian's residence.
His face turned pale.
“That aura…”
In the main hall, Sect Master Yun Dao abruptly stood from his meditation.
“Who released such power inside the sect?”
Beneath the western mountain, the ancient coffin trembled.
One of its silver rings cracked.
And inside Li Tian's room, the hooded stranger took a slow step backward.
For the first time, its voice carried genuine fear.
“Impossible. The spirit beast civilization was destroyed.”
Bao Bao stood between the stranger and Li Tian.
His tiny body radiated the majesty of an ancient sovereign.
“Destroyed?” he snarled.
“You fools mistook silence for extinction.”
Then he glanced over his shoulder at Li Tian.
“Close your eyes.”
Li Tian did not move.
“Bao Bao, what are you—”
“Close. Your. Eyes.”
The fox's voice shook the room.
Li Tian obeyed.
A moment later, an ancient name rang through the night, a name that had not been spoken openly for countless years.
“Bai Ze, Guardian of the Forgotten Heavens!”
And far beyond the mortal world, something that had slept among the stars opened its eyes.
To be continued…