Chapter Eight Part Two
The snarling beast suddenly stopped.
Its eyes widened.
It took a step back.
Trembling.
Zheng's breath caught.
"What…?"
The orb pulsed again.
And suddenly—
Zheng saw something.
Not with his eyes.
With his soul.
A flash.
A giant silhouette standing over a burning Earth.
Chains of divine light sealing screaming gods into an orb.
A voice older than existence:
"Protector…"
Zheng's knees went weak.
The vision vanished.
But the orb remained hot in his palm.
Outside the pen, Li Shan's laughter faltered.
"…What is that?"
The beast lowered itself to the ground.
Not attacking.
Not snarling.
Submitting.
Zheng stared down at the orb, trembling.
It was still small.
Still quiet.
But it felt…
endless.
Like holding a sleeping star.
His blood continued to seep into it.
And then—
the air around Zheng began to move.
Invisible currents.
Qi.
The spiritual energy that disciples spent years learning to sense…
rushed toward him.
Not toward him—
toward the orb.
The orb pulled it greedily.
The wind in the pen swirled.
Dust lifted.
The beast pens rattled.
Li Shan's face went pale.
"What the—"
Zheng's chest tightened.
The energy was too much.
Too sudden.
His body was not ready.
Pain exploded through his veins like fire.
He gasped.
Staggered.
The bucket toppled over.
Water crashed onto stone.
Zheng fell to his knees.
His vision blurred.
The last thing he heard was distant shouting—
"Stop!"
"Someone call an elder!"
"That servant—!"
Then darkness swallowed him whole.
But deep inside that darkness…
a whisper remained.
Soft.
Ancient.
Unavoidable.
"Seal One…"
A pause.
Then—
"…loosening."