Smoke drifted slowly through the ruined office while sparks flickered from the destroyed monitors. The smell of burned circuits spread through the air, mixing with the quiet tension pressing down on everyone inside the room.
No one spoke immediately.
Because the message left behind by the upper realms still echoed inside their minds.
Estimated arrival: Seven days.
Not a warning.
Not a threat.
A declaration.
Lin Yanyan was the first to move.
She stepped toward one of the shattered screens and crouched slightly, staring at the cracked silver eye still faintly glowing beneath the broken glass.
Then she spoke quietly.
"They can contact the mortal world directly now."
Xu Mingshan's expression remained grim.
"Not fully. If they could descend completely, they would already be here."
Zhao Ren wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, still pale from everything that had happened since the night before.
"But they said seven days."
Xu Mingshan nodded slowly.
"That means they're preparing a stable descent path."
Silence followed.
The weight of those words settled heavily across the room.
Su Chen remained seated calmly on the couch, fingers loosely resting against his knee while golden traces flickered briefly beneath his skin again.
His synchronization had not stopped increasing.
And now—
He could feel the world reacting to him more clearly.
The spiritual energy in the city had become restless.
Hidden cultivators were waking up everywhere.
Watching.
Waiting.
The old balance of the mortal world was already collapsing.
Lin Yanyan turned toward Su Chen slowly.
"You're too calm."
Su Chen looked at her.
"They're coming either way."
"That doesn't bother you?"
"No."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"You really think you can fight the upper realms?"
Su Chen stayed silent for a moment.
Then—
"I don't know yet."
The honesty of that answer made the room even quieter.
Because for the first time—
He admitted uncertainty.
Xu Mingshan walked toward the broken windows slowly, looking down at the city beneath the rain.
"When the upper realms descend, they won't just target you."
Zhao Ren frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Xu Mingshan's voice turned heavy.
"They'll erase everything connected to the Primordial Bloodline."
Lin Yanyan's expression darkened instantly.
"You mean us."
"Yes."
Silence.
Then Zhao Ren cursed quietly under his breath.
"…Fantastic."
Su Chen's eyes lifted slightly toward Xu Mingshan.
"They're afraid of the bloodline awakening fully."
"Yes."
"How strong were the ancient Su descendants exactly?"
Xu Mingshan became quiet.
Long enough that everyone noticed.
Then he answered slowly.
"The last Primordial Emperor fought three upper realm sovereigns alone."
Zhao Ren blinked blankly.
"…And?"
Xu Mingshan's eyes darkened.
"He killed two."
The room froze.
Even Lin Yanyan's expression shifted slightly.
Because Spirit Transformation already felt monstrous to them.
Yet apparently there were existences beyond entire realms capable of slaughtering rulers of heaven itself.
And Su Chen carried their bloodline.
The synchronization voice echoed inside Su Chen's mind once more.
Primordial synchronization: 76%
Second seal detected.
A faint pain spread through his chest again.
Brief.
Sharp.
Then gone.
Lin Yanyan noticed his fingers tighten slightly.
"You felt something."
Su Chen nodded once.
"There's another seal."
Xu Mingshan's face changed instantly.
"…Already?"
"You know about it."
Xu Mingshan exhaled quietly.
"The Primordial Bloodline was sealed layer by layer after the ancient war."
A pause.
"The stronger the descendant becomes, the more seals break."
Zhao Ren stared at Su Chen.
"So he's basically a walking disaster waiting to wake up."
"No," Xu Mingshan corrected quietly.
"He's a disaster that already started waking up."
Lin Yanyan leaned slightly against the desk, arms crossed as she thought silently.
Then—
"What happens after all the seals break?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Because nobody knew completely.
But Xu Mingshan eventually spoke.
"The last time it happened…"
His eyes became distant.
"…The heavens bled."
Silence crashed down again.
The atmosphere inside the office grew heavier with every answer.
Yet strangely—
Su Chen remained calm.
Not because he underestimated the situation.
Because deep inside—
Something ancient within him no longer feared the upper realms.
That instinct itself was unsettling.
Then suddenly—
His phone vibrated.
Once.
Twice.
Su Chen glanced at the screen.
Unknown number.
He answered calmly.
"Yes."
For a second—
Only silence came from the other side.
Then a woman's voice spoke softly.
"We finally found you."
Su Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who are you?"
A faint laugh echoed through the phone.
Low.
Dangerous.
"You carry the Primordial Bloodline and still ask that question?"
Lin Yanyan's gaze sharpened instantly from nearby.
The woman continued.
"The hidden families are already moving. Some want to kill you."
A pause.
"Others want to kneel."
Zhao Ren and Xu Mingshan exchanged dark looks immediately.
Because only ancient cultivation forces would speak like that.
Su Chen's voice remained calm.
"And you?"
Silence lingered briefly.
Then—
"I want to see whether you're worthy."
The call ended instantly.
The line went dead.
Lin Yanyan stepped closer immediately.
"Who was that?"
"I don't know."
"But you recognized something."
Su Chen looked at the dark phone screen quietly.
"Yes."
Xu Mingshan's expression had become serious again.
"…Female voice?"
"Yes."
His face tightened slightly.
"That's not good."
Zhao Ren frowned. "You know her?"
"No."
A pause.
"But I know what she probably belongs to."
Everyone looked at him.
Xu Mingshan's voice lowered heavily.
"One of the ancient bloodline clans."
The room went silent.
Lin Yanyan's eyes narrowed slightly.
"There are others still alive."
Xu Mingshan nodded.
"Not many."
His gaze shifted toward Su Chen.
"But if they've started searching for him…"
A pause.
"Then the hidden world is truly waking up."
Outside the office windows, thunder echoed across the city again.
Rain continued falling heavily over skyscrapers and crowded streets while ordinary people moved through their lives completely unaware of the storm gathering behind the surface of the world.
But deep underground—
Ancient sects had begun opening sealed gates.
Hidden families were summoning old monsters from meditation.
And across distant mountains forgotten by modern society—
Several terrifying eyes slowly opened in darkness.
All because of one name.
Su Chen.
Back inside the office, Lin Yanyan walked closer until she stood directly before him again.
Then she spoke quietly.
"You still haven't answered my question from earlier."
Su Chen looked up at her.
"What question?"
Her gaze locked onto his.
"Are you really planning to fight heaven?"
A brief silence followed.
Then Su Chen slowly stood.
Golden traces flickered faintly beneath his eyes before fading again.
And when he answered—
His voice carried a calm certainty that made the room feel colder.
"If heaven insists on standing above me…"
He looked toward the storm outside the windows.
"…Then eventually, yes."