CHAPTER 33 — EYES IN THE SKY
The wind howled across the jagged cliffs of Hollow Abyss as Jason Wu and the team tumbled out of the collapsing spatial crack. The ground pitched beneath them, the world spinning for a moment before stabilizing into familiar forest terrain.
Jason lay flat on his back, staring up at swirling clouds. "I hate teleportation."
Leon groaned beside him, clutching his stomach. "I hate breathing."
Wei Qing pulled Leon up by the collar. "Good. That means you're alive."
Li Xueyin didn't respond—her gaze was fixated on the swirling sky. "Everyone… look."
Jason pushed himself up.
The sky above Azure Ridge City was no longer calm.
Instead, crimson streaks of light cut across the clouds—as if someone had carved the heavens. Spirals of spiritual energy swarmed overhead, turbulent and unnaturally heavy.
Lan Yuren's expression darkened. "That isn't a natural phenomenon."
Longwu Sword vibrated, tone grave.
["No. That's the Blood Signal echo. The moment it activates, it warps the surrounding heavens."]
Jason stiffened. "So the world knows I awakened?"
["Not the world."] Longwu corrected.
["But the ones hunting you?"]
A low hum rolled through the sky, like distant thunder made of metal.
["They feel you. They know your direction. They will come."]
Leon grabbed Jason's sleeve. "Define *they*, please. Preferably in a non-heart-attack-inducing way."
Longwu responded dryly.
["'They' are the kind of people who make your sect elders soil themselves."]
Leon fainted again.
---
### RETURN TO AZURE RIDGE
They hurried back toward the outskirts of the city, moving quickly through the dense forest. By the time they reached the gates, dozens of guards were already deployed, holding long spears infused with formation seals.
"What happened here?" Wei Qing asked.
A captain of the city guard recognized Lan Yuren and saluted. "Senior! The sky suddenly split into red spirals! Spiritual beasts went wild for kilometers! Azure Ridge nearly went into lockdown!"
Li Xueyin turned to Jason, her voice soft but tense. "This is the Blood Signal's effect. The world… is reacting to your awakening."
But Jason didn't answer.
His gaze was upward.
Because, high above the city—barely visible through the cloud vortex—was a floating streak of black.
Fast.
Silent.
Moving like a shadow sliding along the wind.
Jason's breath caught. "Did you see—"
"Yes." Wei Qing said immediately. "Something was watching."
Lan Yuren's eyes narrowed. "Something intelligent."
Leon slowly rose from his fainting position, rubbing his head. "Did… did the sky just stalk us?!"
---
### SECT HEADQUARTERS: A STORM OF QUESTIONS
They hurried to the temporary command hall of Sekte Pedang Bintang stationed in Azure Ridge.
The elders were already gathered—seven of them—including Elder Yu, whose white beard vibrated with irritation.
Elder Yu slammed his palm on the table. "WHAT DID YOU CHILDREN DO TO THE SKY?!"
Jason raised a hand. "Uh… long story."
Li Xueyin stepped forward. "Elders, allow me."
She explained everything:
- The Nexus Guardian
- The Sleeper
- The inheritance trial
- The Blood Signal activation
- The shadow entities hunting the Wu lineage
Elders went pale one by one.
When she finished, Elder Yu sat down abruptly. "Heavens above… the Wu bloodline truly exists?"
Jason blinked. "Is that… surprising?"
Lan Yuren nudged him. "Jason. No one has seen a true Wu in thousands of years. Most people thought your lineage was a myth."
Longwu Sword scoffed.
["Myth? I carried three generations! I'm practically a historical artifact!"]
Leon whispered, "You *are* an artifact."
["Watch your words, potato."]
An elder cleared his throat. "Ahem. Jason Wu… we must determine your next steps. If scouts are already approaching—"
A sharp crack cut through the air.
Everyone froze.
---
### THE FIRST SIGN
The torches flickered.
Wind vanished.
Sound died.
Then—
A single feather drifted through the ceiling.
Not falling—gliding, like a leaf carried by invisible fingers.
Wei Qing whispered, "That's… not normal."
The feather landed at Jason's feet.
Black.
Metallic.
The tip smoldered faintly like burning iron.
Lan Yuren knelt instantly, examining it. "This is… no beast feather I've ever seen."
Li Xueyin's face drained of color. "Jason… this feather wasn't dropped."
Jason swallowed. "…It was placed."
Longwu Sword hissed,
["Boy… you have been marked. They found you."]
The walls trembled.
A whisper echoed through the hall:
**"…Found you."**
Every elder stood, weapons drawn.
Leon screamed, "NOPE! NOPE! CAN WE GO BACK TO THE DUNGEON? THAT WAS SAFER!"
The whisper faded.
Lan Yuren grabbed Jason's shoulder. "We need defenses. Now."
Wei Qing nodded. "The Sekte must prepare. Azure Ridge is no longer safe."
But Jason wasn't looking at them.
He was looking through the window—at the sky.
Because the black streak he'd seen earlier was now closer.
Much closer.
Its silhouette vaguely humanoid.
But wrong.
Bent.
Twisted.
Moving without sound, without qi, without presence.
Like a shadow peeling off the night itself.
Jason whispered, "That's one of them."
Li Xueyin grabbed his hand. "Jason, stay behind us—"
But the shadow raised its head.
Two hollow silver eyes stared straight at him.
And then it spoke, a distorted echo:
**"Wu… descendant."
"…Protocol begins."**
Longwu's voice boomed in Jason's mind.
["BOY—RUN."]