Chapter 29 – Encounter in the orb
Jin sat cross-legged in the recovery chamber, the low hum of essence mist whispering through the air around him. The events of the third trial still played in his mind like a vivid nightmare—a blur of pain, power, and revelation. But now, something deeper called to him.
The orb.
It pulsed faintly in his core, no longer dormant. Since the moment the ancient symbol appeared and frightened even a mid-stage Adept Elder into submission, Jin had felt something stirring within it—like a slumbering beast slowly awakening.
And now, he needed answers.
He closed his eyes and focused his thoughts inward. Past the fire of his elemental cultivation, the tempered strength of his body, and the growing power of his soul. Deeper, toward that dark place—where the orb resided.
It was like diving into a bottomless ocean of ink. Cold. Vast. Still.
And then, it responded.
A pull—not physical, not essence-based, but a gravitational tug on his very consciousness.
His breathing halted.
A flash of light.
And everything went black.
---
When Jin opened his eyes, he was no longer in the recovery room.
He stood in a void. The space was endless, a starless sky that curved in every direction. Below him was nothing. Above him was everything.
Then something shifted.
A throne emerged from the void—carved from obsidian, etched with swirling runes that radiated suppressed might. And on it sat a man.
He looked... human, but not. His eyes glowed with silver fire, his long black hair danced even in the stillness, and his robes shimmered with layered galaxies. His presence pressed on Jin like the weight of mountains.
"So," the man said, his voice both distant and intimate, like it echoed through time itself. "You're the one who bears my legacy."
Jin's knees nearly buckled. He instinctively knelt, not out of submission—but because his body couldn't handle the sheer pressure.
"W-Who are you?" Jin asked, teeth clenched. "What is this place?"
The man studied him with unreadable eyes. "This is a fragment of my realm, carved into the essence of the orb. And I… am Zeke."
Jin's breath hitched. The name was unfamiliar, yet it rang with something ancient. Powerful.
"Zeke," he echoed. "Are you… the owner of the orb?"
"I am the orb," Zeke replied calmly. "Or what remains of me. That vessel holds a sliver of my soul, a sealed legacy... waiting for the right host."
Jin's heart pounded. "Why me?"
Zeke's gaze hardened. "Because you chose vengeance. Because your soul refused to die when it should have. And because the world fears what they don't understand."
"You wanted power," he continued. "Desperately. Enough to awaken me. But power comes with price, boy. And you've only begun to scratch its surface."
Jin gritted his teeth. "Then teach me."
Zeke stood from his throne, and instantly, the void trembled. The pressure increased tenfold, forcing Jin flat against the floor.
"You are not ready," Zeke said, his voice suddenly thunderous. "Your body would shatter. Your soul would burn. Even your thoughts would dissolve if you tried to comprehend a tenth of what I know."
Jin coughed blood. "Then why show yourself now?"
"Because you reached out," Zeke answered, lowering his presence just enough for Jin to raise his head. "And because soon… you will be hunted."
Jin's eyes narrowed. "By who?"
Zeke turned away, his gaze piercing the infinite distance. "The moment you displayed even a flicker of my power, the world changed. Elders fear you. Sects will try to claim or destroy you. And there are beings out there—old things buried deep—who will feel my signature and come seeking it."
He looked back. "You are no longer walking the path of a simple cultivator, Jin. You now walk the path of a successor."
The void trembled again.
Jin struggled to rise to one knee, fighting every instinct that screamed at him to collapse. "Then what should I do?"
Zeke paused. For the first time, a flicker of something passed across his face—pride? Sadness? It was impossible to tell.
"Grow," Zeke said. "Survive. Learn the signs I gave you. When the time comes, you will remember more. But until then…"
He raised his hand.
"You must wake up."
The void shattered.
---
Jin's eyes snapped open.
The essence mist around him pulsed violently before calming. Sweat drenched his robes. His heartbeat was erratic. But his mind was sharp—sharper than it had ever been.
Zeke.
The name was burned into him now. The pressure he'd felt… it made Adept Realm experts feel like ants in comparison. And that terrifying void—Zeke's "realm"—was stored inside him.
He could still feel the orb pulsing in his core, more active now, like it had recognized him.
Jin slowly stood and stretched out his hand. Elemental energy surged to his palm—but it felt different now. Denser. Sharper. As if refined by that short exposure to Zeke's will.
He hadn't gained any new abilities. Not yet.
But he had glimpsed what was possible.
A knock echoed on his door.
This time, the visitor was someone different—a messenger from the Aegis Sect's internal division. A man with the crisp robes of an enforcer.
"You're being summoned," the man said. "Council meeting. Final decisions regarding the trials."
Jin nodded. "I'll come."
But as he stepped out of the room and into the sunlight, he no longer felt like the same person who had entered that chamber days ago.
He was changed.
And whatever was coming next—he would face it.
Even if the entire world turned against him.