When Liu Feng descended the mountain, the world felt heavier.
Every tree, every rock seemed to whisper of what he'd done.
The Genesis System spoke softly, as if afraid of its own voice:
> [Divine signatures lingering. Obsidian Range resonance unstable.]
[Mission log: Subject Lian Yue — status unknown. Probability of survival: 47%.]
He walked for three days without rest. The talisman BiBi Dong had given him flickered weakly at his chest, stabilizing his spirit as cracks of divine energy pulsed through his veins.
At dawn of the fourth day, he reached the Hall of Spirit.
The gates opened not by command but by recognition — the Hall itself knew its child had changed.
BiBi Dong stood waiting, robes billowing in windless air.
Her eyes widened when she saw the scars of light running across his arms.
"You touched the divine boundary," she whispered.
Liu Feng bowed, exhausted. "It touched me first."
Behind her, the Hall trembled. A pillar cracked; sigils flared and went dark.
BiBi Dong extended her hand, pressing a finger to his forehead. A pulse of golden light surged through him.
> [Foreign contamination neutralized: 62%.]
[New condition registered: Phoenix Embryo Stage II — unstable metamorphosis.]
Her gaze hardened. "They've marked you. The gods rarely mark mortals — unless they fear what you might become."
He raised his head
slowly. "Then let them fear."