The chamber could no longer be called stable.
The suppression talismans still clung to the walls, faintly glowing, but their rhythm had changed. Instead of steady pulses, they flickered irregularly—responding, adjusting, failing, recovering.
Trying to contain something they did not understand.
Zhao Kun sat up.
Slowly.
Mechanically.
His movements lacked the fluidity of a normal cultivator. There was no Qi guiding muscle or reinforcing bone. Yet his body moved with unnatural precision, like each action was calculated rather than instinctive.
The two healers froze near the door.
"…He shouldn't be able to move," the younger one whispered.
The senior healer didn't respond.
Because he was watching something else.
Zhao Kun's chest.
That faint distortion from before—
It had returned.
But now it was visible.
Not clearly.
Not fully.
But enough.
A subtle warping in space itself, centered just beneath the surface of his skin. It pulsed faintly, like a second heartbeat that didn't belong to the body.
Zhao Kun tilted his head slightly.
Then—
His gaze landed on the healers.
For the first time, there was focus.
But it wasn't recognition.
"…you…" he said, voice steadier than before.
The younger healer took a step back instinctively.
"Zhao Kun… can you hear me?"
A pause.
Then Zhao Kun spoke again.
"…empty…"
His hand lifted slowly.
Not toward them.
Toward himself.
He pressed his palm lightly against his chest.
The distortion reacted.
It deepened.
Like something inside responded to contact.
Zhao Kun's breathing remained steady.
But his eyes darkened slightly.
"…gone…"
The senior healer stepped forward despite himself.
"What is gone?" he asked carefully.
Zhao Kun's lips moved.
"…everything…"
The word settled heavily in the room.
The younger healer swallowed.
"We need to restrain him—"
"No."
The senior healer raised his hand.
"Wait."
Because something about Zhao Kun's tone—
It wasn't unstable.
It wasn't panicked.
It was… aware.
Not fully.
But enough.
Zhao Kun lowered his hand from his chest.
Then slowly—
He stood.
The talismans flared violently.
Light filled the room in sharp pulses.
A suppression response.
But Zhao Kun didn't react.
Didn't resist.
Didn't even acknowledge it.
He simply stood there.
"…so this is… nothing…"
The words came out clearer now.
Less broken.
The senior healer's voice tightened.
"You need to lie back down."
Zhao Kun looked at him.
Really looked.
And for a brief moment—
Something flickered in his eyes.
Not madness.
Not clarity.
Recognition of difference.
"You still have it," Zhao Kun said.
The healer froze.
"…have what?"
Zhao Kun took a step forward.
The talismans pulsed harder.
One of them cracked.
Not fully breaking—
But splitting.
The sound echoed sharply.
"You still have… structure."
The word came out slowly.
As if he was testing it.
The senior healer's breathing became shallow.
"Don't come closer."
Zhao Kun stopped.
Then tilted his head again.
"…structure…"
His fingers twitched slightly.
Then—
He reached out.
Not touching the healer.
Just extending his hand into the space between them.
And the air changed.
The senior healer felt it instantly.
Not pressure.
Not suppression.
Absence.
A small section of space between them became… hollow.
Not visibly.
But perceptibly.
His Qi reacted automatically, trying to stabilize the disturbance.
And the moment it did—
It vanished.
The healer staggered back.
"My Qi—!"
The younger one shouted, "What's happening?!"
The senior healer stared at his hand.
"…It's gone…"
Not drained.
Not dispersed.
Gone.
Zhao Kun's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…so that's how it works…"
A faint pause.
"…he took mine…"
The room fell silent.
The younger healer's voice trembled.
"…who?"
Zhao Kun didn't answer.
But his gaze shifted slightly—
Toward the direction of the outer sect.
Far beyond the walls.
"…Li… Feng…"
The name came out slowly.
Deliberately.
Not with anger.
Not yet.
But with understanding.
Across the sect—
Li Feng stopped again.
This time, more abruptly.
The wind didn't just shift.
It broke pattern.
For a split second, everything around him lost coherence.
Air currents stuttered.
Flow reversed.
Then stabilized.
Li Feng's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…There it is."
[Anomaly detected…]
The system flickered.
For the first time—
It hesitated.
[Analysis… incomplete]
Li Feng went still.
"…Incomplete?"
That had never happened before.
He turned fully toward the medical wing now.
This wasn't just a disturbance.
It was something that interfered with the system itself.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Back in the chamber—
The remaining talismans flickered wildly.
Two more cracked.
The younger healer panicked.
"We can't contain this!"
The senior healer grabbed his arm.
"Don't move!"
Because Zhao Kun hadn't advanced again.
He simply stood there.
Watching.
Learning.
Adapting.
"…empty…"
He looked at his own hand.
Then slowly clenched it.
"…but not gone…"
A faint distortion formed again.
This time stronger.
More stable.
The air around his fingers bent slightly.
Then—
Collapsed inward for a fraction of a second.
A soft implosion.
No sound.
But both healers felt it.
Their bodies tensed instinctively.
Zhao Kun exhaled slowly.
"…so this is what remains…"
He looked up.
And this time—
There was something new in his expression.
Not confusion.
Not emptiness.
Direction.
"…I will take it back."
The words were quiet.
But absolute.
The final talisman cracked.
Not shattered.
Just… gave way.
And for the first time—
Nothing suppressed the room anymore.
Outside—
Footsteps approached rapidly.
Inner sect disciples responding to the disturbance.
But inside—
Zhao Kun didn't move toward the door.
He didn't flee.
He didn't attack.
He simply stood there.
Centered in something that should not exist.
And far away—
Li Feng smiled faintly.
"…Good."
Chapter 10: What Remains After Loss
The chamber could no longer be called stable.
The suppression talismans still clung to the walls, faintly glowing, but their rhythm had changed. Instead of steady pulses, they flickered irregularly—responding, adjusting, failing, recovering.
Trying to contain something they did not understand.
Zhao Kun sat up.
Slowly.
Mechanically.
His movements lacked the fluidity of a normal cultivator. There was no Qi guiding muscle or reinforcing bone. Yet his body moved with unnatural precision, like each action was calculated rather than instinctive.
The two healers froze near the door.
"…He shouldn't be able to move," the younger one whispered.
The senior healer didn't respond.
Because he was watching something else.
Zhao Kun's chest.
That faint distortion from before—
It had returned.
But now it was visible.
Not clearly.
Not fully.
But enough.
A subtle warping in space itself, centered just beneath the surface of his skin. It pulsed faintly, like a second heartbeat that didn't belong to the body.
Zhao Kun tilted his head slightly.
Then—
His gaze landed on the healers.
For the first time, there was focus.
But it wasn't recognition.
"…you…" he said, voice steadier than before.
The younger healer took a step back instinctively.
"Zhao Kun… can you hear me?"
A pause.
Then Zhao Kun spoke again.
"…empty…"
His hand lifted slowly.
Not toward them.
Toward himself.
He pressed his palm lightly against his chest.
The distortion reacted.
It deepened.
Like something inside responded to contact.
Zhao Kun's breathing remained steady.
But his eyes darkened slightly.
"…gone…"
The senior healer stepped forward despite himself.
"What is gone?" he asked carefully.
Zhao Kun's lips moved.
"…everything…"
The word settled heavily in the room.
The younger healer swallowed.
"We need to restrain him—"
"No."
The senior healer raised his hand.
"Wait."
Because something about Zhao Kun's tone—
It wasn't unstable.
It wasn't panicked.
It was… aware.
Not fully.
But enough.
Zhao Kun lowered his hand from his chest.
Then slowly—
He stood.
The talismans flared violently.
Light filled the room in sharp pulses.
A suppression response.
But Zhao Kun didn't react.
Didn't resist.
Didn't even acknowledge it.
He simply stood there.
"…so this is… nothing…"
The words came out clearer now.
Less broken.
The senior healer's voice tightened.
"You need to lie back down."
Zhao Kun looked at him.
Really looked.
And for a brief moment—
Something flickered in his eyes.
Not madness.
Not clarity.
Recognition of difference.
"You still have it," Zhao Kun said.
The healer froze.
"…have what?"
Zhao Kun took a step forward.
The talismans pulsed harder.
One of them cracked.
Not fully breaking—
But splitting.
The sound echoed sharply.
"You still have… structure."
The word came out slowly.
As if he was testing it.
The senior healer's breathing became shallow.
"Don't come closer."
Zhao Kun stopped.
Then tilted his head again.
"…structure…"
His fingers twitched slightly.
Then—
He reached out.
Not touching the healer.
Just extending his hand into the space between them.
And the air changed.
The senior healer felt it instantly.
Not pressure.
Not suppression.
Absence.
A small section of space between them became… hollow.
Not visibly.
But perceptibly.
His Qi reacted automatically, trying to stabilize the disturbance.
And the moment it did—
It vanished.
The healer staggered back.
"My Qi—!"
The younger one shouted, "What's happening?!"
The senior healer stared at his hand.
"…It's gone…"
Not drained.
Not dispersed.
Gone.
Zhao Kun's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…so that's how it works…"
A faint pause.
"…he took mine…"
The room fell silent.
The younger healer's voice trembled.
"…who?"
Zhao Kun didn't answer.
But his gaze shifted slightly—
Toward the direction of the outer sect.
Far beyond the walls.
"…Li… Feng…"
The name came out slowly.
Deliberately.
Not with anger.
Not yet.
But with understanding.
Across the sect—
Li Feng stopped again.
This time, more abruptly.
The wind didn't just shift.
It broke pattern.
For a split second, everything around him lost coherence.
Air currents stuttered.
Flow reversed.
Then stabilized.
Li Feng's eyes narrowed sharply.
"…There it is."
[Anomaly detected…]
The system flickered.
For the first time—
It hesitated.
[Analysis… incomplete]
Li Feng went still.
"…Incomplete?"
That had never happened before.
He turned fully toward the medical wing now.
This wasn't just a disturbance.
It was something that interfered with the system itself.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Back in the chamber—
The remaining talismans flickered wildly.
Two more cracked.
The younger healer panicked.
"We can't contain this!"
The senior healer grabbed his arm.
"Don't move!"
Because Zhao Kun hadn't advanced again.
He simply stood there.
Watching.
Learning.
Adapting.
"…empty…"
He looked at his own hand.
Then slowly clenched it.
"…but not gone…"
A faint distortion formed again.
This time stronger.
More stable.
The air around his fingers bent slightly.
Then—
Collapsed inward for a fraction of a second.
A soft implosion.
No sound.
But both healers felt it.
Their bodies tensed instinctively.
Zhao Kun exhaled slowly.
"…so this is what remains…"
He looked up.
And this time—
There was something new in his expression.
Not confusion.
Not emptiness.
Direction.
"…I will take it back."
The words were quiet.
But absolute.
The final talisman cracked.
Not shattered.
Just… gave way.
And for the first time—
Nothing suppressed the room anymore.
Outside—
Footsteps approached rapidly.
Inner sect disciples responding to the disturbance.
But inside—
Zhao Kun didn't move toward the door.
He didn't flee.
He didn't attack.
He simply stood there.
Centered in something that should not exist.
And far away—
Li Feng smiled faintly.
"…Good."