The light of the Third Pillar faded behind him.
As Lin Xuan stepped through the obsidian gate at the edge of the Echoing Throne, the realm unraveled, fading into streams of stardust and silence.
He emerged into a quiet mountaintop beneath a dusky sky—familiar stars, real wind.
The mortal realm.
But something was wrong.
The birds were silent.
The clouds didn't move.
The world held its breath.
---
[System Alert]
Realm Synchronization: Complete
Location: Twilight Ridge – Border of Mortal and Celestial Realms
Status: Danger Level: Red
Warning: Divine Signature Detected – Tribunal Execution Unit Active in Area
Designation: White Blade No. 9 – "Seraphis"
---
Lin Xuan narrowed his eyes.
A gust of wind carried a soft sound—like a bell.
Then silence returned.
A moment later, a white ripple cut through the mountain ridge.
And standing at its center was a woman—tall, graceful, dressed in robes of flowing ivory and silver flame. A long veil covered her eyes, but Lin Xuan felt her gaze pierce through time.
In her hand was a slender blade glowing with divine decree.
> "Lin Xuan," she said. "By order of the Heavenly Tribunal, you are sentenced to soul disintegration. Surrender."
Lin Xuan's voice was quiet.
> "And if I refuse?"
The blade of judgment pulsed once, and the sky cracked.
> "Then die as you were born. In chaos."
---
White Blade No. 9: Seraphis
She moved before his thoughts could even catch up.
The blade sang, slicing through distance.
Lin Xuan barely dodged—Chaos Step carried him behind her.
She was already turning.
He activated Void Flame Domain—a field of warped space and spiraling dark fire.
Reality blinked.
For a moment, the mountain no longer obeyed the laws of gravity, time, or light.
But Seraphis stepped through it as if it were smoke.
> "Clever," she said softly. "But I have killed immortals within their own minds."
---
The War of Styles
Her technique: Bladesong Law – elegant, linear, judgmental. A single strike carried ten thousand spiritual edicts.
His: Chaos-Weaving – broken rhythm, shifting pressure, unpredictable movement between time slivers.
They clashed in flashes of light and silence.
Lin Xuan began bleeding from dozens of microcuts, each one formed not from her blade—but from the consequences of not dodging perfectly.
She struck the gaps between his moments.
He had never fought anyone like her.
But neither had she fought someone who refused to follow the script.
---
The Turn
She thrust forward, blade ringing.
Lin Xuan didn't dodge.
He stepped into it.
Triggered: Soul Echo Guard
A spectral version of himself from a past moment intercepted the blow, shattering like glass.
Seraphis blinked in shock.
And that moment was all he needed.
> "You fight by law," he said.
"I fight by defiance."
He unleashed Chaos Nova Surge—burning violet fire wrapped in inverted spiritual runes. The explosion engulfed the mountaintop, warping gravity and time flow.
Seraphis was thrown backward, her veil torn.
Her eyes—two perfect mirrors of starlight—locked with his.
> "You should not exist."
Lin Xuan, panting, responded:
> "I don't. That's why you can't predict me."
---
The Retreat
As the ground crumbled beneath her, Seraphis raised her hand. A divine sigil formed behind her.
A message from the Tribunal:
> "Fall back. The fourth seal is breaking. Engage later."
She stared at Lin Xuan for one long moment.
> "I will be the one to end you."
Then she vanished in a pillar of pure law.
---
Aftermath
The mountain was gone.
Only a floating ridge remained—Lin Xuan stood on the edge, staring at the stars.
He had survived the first Executioner.
But the heavens were just beginning to respond.
---
[System Update]
Survivor of the Bladesong – Title Gained
Passive: Divine Prediction Resistance +25%
Progression: Next Pillar Location – [Obscured by Celestial Interference]
Quest Updated: Locate the Fourth Nexus Key Fragment (Requires Contact with Dream-Walkers)
Optional: Seek the Mirror Orchid – Said to reveal any hidden truth once bloomed
---
As he turned, the wind whispered to him.
A name. A realm.
The Sea of Forgotten Dreams.