The formation remained.
But its purpose had changed.
Not to contain.
To observe.
Lines of Qi still traced the ground.
Faint.
Controlled.
No longer tightening.
Only maintaining.
Gu Chen stood unmoving.
Zhao Ren remained opposite him.
Neither spoke.
Because neither needed to.
The situation—
Was no longer in their control alone.
At the edge, Qin Luo did not leave.
He stood quietly.
Watching everything.
Foundation Establishment Eighth Stage.
But his presence—
Did not feel simple.
Su Yan noticed.
Her gaze lingered on him longer than before.
Su Yan spoke quietly.
Su Yan said he is too calm.
Han Wei nodded.
Han Wei said he came prepared.
Lin Yue added.
Lin Yue said or he came knowing.
Li Feng remained silent.
But his eyes moved constantly.
Between the distortion.
Between the sect elders.
Between me.
The pressure was no longer direct.
It was layered.
Subtle.
Growing.
System spoke softly.
System detected multiple observation vectors forming.
Chen Xu replied inwardly they are not hiding it anymore.
The wind shifted.
Not from Qi.
From presence.
Another group approached.
Not descending.
Walking.
Slow.
Deliberate.
From the outer forest.
Su Yan turned first.
Han Wei followed.
Lin Yue adjusted his stance.
Qin Luo's eyes flickered slightly.
Gu Chen did not move.
Zhao Ren remained still.
Three figures emerged.
Their robes—
Dark.
Their aura—
Cold.
System spoke.
System identified Core Formation Fourth Stage.
Core Formation Third Stage.
Core Formation Third Stage.
Moyun Sect.
The one in front stepped forward.
His eyes scanned the area.
Ling Mo spoke.
Ling Mo said seems we are not the first.
His tone carried no surprise.
Only confirmation.
Gu Chen glanced at him briefly.
Gu Chen said you are late.
Ling Mo smiled faintly.
Ling Mo replied we prefer to arrive when things are clearer.
Su Yan's expression tightened.
Han Wei frowned.
Lin Yue remained silent.
Qin Luo watched them.
Closely.
Ling Mo's gaze shifted.
Toward the center.
Toward the distortion.
Then—
Toward me.
A pause.
Then—
Ling Mo spoke.
Ling Mo said so it is true.
Li Feng reacted immediately.
Li Feng said what have you heard.
Ling Mo did not answer directly.
Instead—
He looked at Qin Luo.
Ling Mo said Qingfeng Sect moves fast.
Qin Luo smiled faintly.
Qin Luo replied information travels faster than people.
A brief silence.
Then—
Ling Mo continued.
Ling Mo said they say there is someone here untouched by a heaven-defying existence.
The words settled.
Heavy.
Su Yan's fingers tightened.
Han Wei's jaw clenched.
Lin Yue's grip hardened.
Gu Chen remained calm.
Zhao Ren did not react.
But the distortion—
Pulsed.
Sharper.
System spoke.
System detected response to verbal focus.
Chen Xu replied inwardly words carry intent.
Ling Mo stepped closer.
Not too close.
Measured.
Ling Mo said and they say that same person can make it retreat.
Li Feng looked at me again.
His expression—
Uncertain.
Fear.
Mixed with something else.
Expectation.
Su Yan spoke coldly.
Su Yan said rumors distort truth.
Ling Mo smiled.
Ling Mo said they always do.
A pause.
Then—
Ling Mo added.
Ling Mo said but they rarely appear without reason.
Silence.
The atmosphere shifted again.
Not from power.
From narrative.
System spoke.
System detected active information shaping.
Chen Xu replied inwardly they are testing reactions.
Qin Luo stepped slightly forward.
Still outside the inner formation.
Qin Luo said then let us test what is truth.
Han Wei spoke sharply.
Han Wei said no one moves.
Lin Yue added.
Lin Yue said not without agreement.
Ling Mo chuckled softly.
Ling Mo said agreement implies trust.
A pause.
Then—
Ling Mo finished.
Ling Mo said do we have that.
Silence.
No one answered.
Because the answer—
Was clear.
No.
Gu Chen finally spoke again.
Gu Chen said no one approaches him.
His tone—
Absolute.
Zhao Ren added.
Zhao Ren said no one interferes.
Su Yan nodded slightly.
Han Wei exhaled.
Lin Yue remained ready.
Qin Luo smiled faintly.
Ling Mo did not argue.
But—
None of them stepped back.
They simply—
Watched.
More observers.
More intent.
The distortion reacted.
It pulsed again.
Stronger.
Closer.
But still—
Waiting.
I stood at the center.
Calm.
Unmoved.
Chen Xu looked at them.
All of them.
Then spoke quietly.
Chen Xu said you are shaping it.
Silence.
Ling Mo's eyes narrowed slightly.
Qin Luo's smile faded.
Su Yan's breath slowed.
Han Wei frowned.
Lin Yue remained focused.
Gu Chen watched.
Zhao Ren listened.
Chen Xu continued.
Chen Xu said not by action.
A pause.
Then—
Chen Xu finished.
Chen Xu said by wanting an answer.
The distortion trembled violently.
The formation flickered.
The air cracked faintly.
System spoke.
System confirmed instability spike.
Chen Xu did not move.
Because now—
It was clear.
The more they sought control—
The more it resisted.
And the more they watched me—
The more it focused.
The world was no longer reacting naturally.
It was bending.
Slowly.
Around a single point.
And none of them—
Were willing to look away.