The courtyard fell silent.
Too silent.
The traces of battle still lingered—cracked ground, shattered frost, and faint remnants of that strange, thread-like energy dissolving into nothingness.
But what remained the most…
Was the feeling.
Of being watched.
Chen Yu exhaled heavily, still clutching his injured shoulder.
"…I don't like this."
Han Wei rolled his neck, eyes scanning the surroundings.
"…You shouldn't. That thing wasn't even fully here."
Zhou Yan crouched near the ground, fingers brushing against the fractured stone where the threads had embedded themselves.
"…No residual qi."
"…Which means we can't track it."
His tone hardened slightly.
"…That's bad."
Lin Xue stood quietly beside Jiang Chen.
Her gaze lingered on him—not the battlefield.
"…You saw something," she said softly.
Not a question.
Jiang Chen didn't answer immediately.
His mind was still replaying that moment—
The vision.
The structures.
The countless cloaked figures.
And that presence.
Watching him.
"…Yeah," he said finally.
"…And it's bigger than we thought."
Chen Yu groaned.
"…Of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?"
Han Wei smirked faintly.
"…At this point, I'd be disappointed if it wasn't."
Zhou Yan stood.
"…We leave. Now."
No one argued.
As they stepped out of the abandoned courtyard—
Jiang Chen paused.
Just for a moment.
His eyes flicked upward—
Toward empty space.
Still there…
That faint sensation.
Watching.
Back within the Inner Clan—
The atmosphere had changed.
Disciples whispered in hushed tones.
Elders moved more frequently than usual.
Even the training grounds felt… restrained.
"They've already heard," Chen Yu muttered.
"…Of course they have," Zhou Yan replied.
"…Something like that doesn't stay hidden."
As they returned to the recovery hall—
They were stopped.
"Jiang Chen."
A group of elders stood ahead.
Not just Elder Zhao.
Several others.
Their gazes—
Sharp.
Measuring.
"…You will come with us," one of them said.
Chen Yu stepped forward immediately.
"…On what grounds?"
The elder's eyes flicked toward him.
"…Stand down."
The pressure in the air—
Dropped.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Han Wei frowned.
"…This isn't good…"
Lin Xue stepped slightly in front of Jiang Chen.
"…He's still injured."
The elder's expression didn't change.
"…All the more reason."
Silence.
Jiang Chen stepped forward.
"…It's fine."
Chen Yu turned.
"…Are you serious?"
Jiang Chen nodded slightly.
"…If they wanted me dead…"
"…they wouldn't be asking."
A risky assumption.
But a calculated one.
Zhou Yan watched quietly—
Then gave a small nod.
"…We'll wait."
Jiang Chen followed the elders.
Through the Inner Clan.
Past familiar grounds—
Into somewhere deeper.
A restricted hall.
The doors closed behind him.
Inside—
Silence.
Five elders stood in a semi-circle.
Their presence—
Far beyond Elder Zhao alone.
"…Jiang Chen," one of them began.
"…you've attracted attention."
Jiang Chen remained calm.
"…I figured."
Another elder stepped forward.
"…That power you used."
"…Explain it."
Again.
The same question.
But this time—
He could feel it.
They weren't just curious.
They were wary.
Jiang Chen met their gaze.
"…If I say I don't fully understand it—"
"…will you believe me?"
Silence.
"…No," one elder replied.
Jiang Chen exhaled softly.
"…Then I'll say this."
"…It's not something I can use freely."
"…And it nearly killed me."
That—
Was true.
The elders exchanged glances.
"…And its origin?" another pressed.
Jiang Chen's eyes flickered slightly.
Origin…
"…Unknown," he said.
Not entirely a lie.
A long pause followed.
Then—
"…Very well."
The pressure in the room eased slightly.
"…But understand this," the elder continued.
"…from this moment on—"
"…you are under observation."
"…Any abnormal activity…"
"…will be dealt with."
A warning.
Not a threat.
But close enough.
Jiang Chen nodded.
"…Understood."
As he turned to leave—
One elder spoke again.
"…There are forces beyond this clan."
"…If they've noticed you…"
"…we may not be able to protect you."
Jiang Chen paused.
Then—
"…I'm not expecting protection."
He stepped out.
The doors closed behind him.
Outside—
Lin Xue, Zhou Yan, Chen Yu, and Han Wei were waiting.
"…Well?" Chen Yu asked.
Jiang Chen shrugged slightly.
"…I'm being watched."
Han Wei laughed.
"…That's it? That's all?"
"…By them," Jiang Chen added.
"…And something else."
The group fell silent.
Zhou Yan exhaled slowly.
"…Then things just got worse."
Lin Xue stepped closer.
"…We'll deal with it."
Jiang Chen looked at her.
Then at the others.
For the first time—
This wasn't just his problem.
But all of theirs.
The system pulsed quietly:
[Status Updated]
[Marked by Unknown Entity]
[Threat Level: Rising]
High above—
In a place unseen—
A faint mark ignited.
Connected.
Locked.
"…Target confirmed."
The hunt—
Had already begun.