The question did not sound loud.
But in that suffocating chamber—
It echoed like a verdict.
"Where did you learn the Forbidden Step?"
Li Wei did not answer.
Not immediately.
Because in that single sentence… too many things were hidden.
The inner disciple looked confused.
But Li Wei's mind trembled.
Forbidden Step…
So the strange movement technique he had used…
It had a name.
And not just any name.
A name that carried weight.
The air grew heavier.
Elder Chen did not move.
Yet his presence seemed to expand, filling every corner of the chamber like an unseen tide.
Li Wei felt it pressing against his skin,
seeping into his bones, probing—
As if trying to peel him apart layer by layer.
"Speak," Elder Chen said softly.
That single word made the inner disciple lower his head even further.
Li Wei finally lifted his gaze.
Their eyes met.
And in that instant—
Li Wei felt as if everything about him had been seen through.
His injuries.
His cultivation.
His hesitation.
Even the faint fluctuation hidden beneath his robe.
But strangely…
Elder Chen did not act.
He simply waited.
"I don't know what Elder means," Li Wei said.
His tone was calm.
Too calm.
The inner disciple immediately sneered.
"Still lying? In front of Elder Chen, you—"
"Enough."
Elder Chen's voice cut through the chamber.
The disciple instantly fell silent, his face turning pale.
A long silence followed.
No one spoke.
Even the faint hum of the ancient formation seemed to dim.
Then—
Elder Chen took a single step forward.
Tap.
The sound of his foot touching stone echoed unnaturally loud.
Li Wei's breathing slowed.
Instinct screamed at him—
Danger.
"You stepped three times," Elder Chen said quietly.
"First—light. Second—void. Third—shift."
Li Wei's pupils shrank.
Every word…
Was correct.
"You avoided the strike not by speed," Elder Chen continued,
"but by leaving your original position before the attack existed."
The inner disciple frowned, clearly not understanding.
But Li Wei felt a chill run down his spine.
Because that was exactly what had happened.
Not consciously.
Not intentionally.
But his body had moved that way.
"How long have you been practicing it?"
Elder Chen asked.
Li Wei stayed silent.
His mind was racing.
If I deny it completely, he won't believe me.
If I admit it, I expose myself.
Either way…
It was dangerous.
At that moment—
The black jade pendant beneath his robe gave a faint pulse.
Not strong.
Not violent.
But enough to send a subtle warmth through his chest.
As if…
It was warning him.
Li Wei exhaled slowly.
"I don't know its name," he said.
That much… was true.
"I only learned it by chance."
"By chance?" the inner disciple scoffed.
"Do you think such a technique can be learned by chance—"
Elder Chen raised a finger.
The disciple's voice stopped mid-sentence, as if strangled.
Elder Chen's gaze never left Li Wei.
"Where?" he asked.
Li Wei hesitated.
Just for a fraction of a second.
But that hesitation—
Did not escape the elder.
"In the outer mountains," Li Wei said finally.
"A broken place. There were… remnants."
He chose his words carefully.
Not a lie.
But far from the truth.
Elder Chen studied him.
Not his face.
But his breathing.
His heartbeat.
The subtle tension in his shoulders.
Time stretched.
One breath.
Two breaths.
Three—
Then suddenly—
The pressure vanished.
Completely.
So abruptly that Li Wei almost stumbled forward.
The inner disciple looked up in confusion.
Elder Chen turned away.
Just like that.
As if he had lost interest.
"Strange," he murmured.
It wasn't clear whether he was speaking to Li Wei… or to himself.
He walked slowly toward the ancient formation.
The faint glow reflected in his eyes.
"For something that should no longer exist…"
His fingers lightly brushed the air above the formation.
"…it reacts."
Li Wei's heart tightened.
Reacts?
To what?
To the technique?
Or—
To him?
The formation flickered faintly.
Just once.
But this time—
Li Wei noticed it.
So did Elder Chen.
Silence.
Heavy.
Unspoken.
Then, without turning back, Elder Chen asked,
"Do you feel it?"
Li Wei's breath stopped.
He did.
A faint pull.
Like something deep beneath the stone… calling out.
Soft.
Distant.
But undeniable.
"I don't know what Elder is referring to," Li Wei replied.
Elder Chen smiled faintly.
But there was no warmth in it.
"Of course," he said.
Another pause.
Then he turned his head slightly.
Not fully—
Just enough for his voice to carry clearly.
"Listen carefully, boy."
The inner disciple straightened instantly.
Li Wei remained still.
"That step you used…" Elder Chen said slowly,
"…is not something this sect teaches."
A beat.
"Nor is it something that should appear in this era."
The words hung in the air.
Cold.
Unsettling.
"But…"
Elder Chen continued,
"You are still alive."
That… was not praise.
It sounded more like…
A contradiction.
"If what you said is true," he went on,
"then you were fortunate."
A slight pause.
"…or unfortunate."
Li Wei did not respond.
But his fingers tightened slightly.
Elder Chen finally turned fully toward him.
Their eyes met once more.
This time—
There was something different.
Not pressure.
Not hostility.
Interest.
"You will report to the inner sect tomorrow," he said.
The inner disciple's head snapped up in shock.
"Elder Chen, he is an outsider—"
"Do you question my decision?"
The temperature in the chamber seemed to drop instantly.
"No, Elder!" the disciple said quickly, bowing deeply.
Elder Chen's gaze returned to Li Wei.
"Until then," he said,
"stay where you are told."
A brief pause.
Then—
"Do not attempt to use that step again."
Li Wei's eyes flickered.
"Not," Elder Chen added quietly,
"unless you wish to be noticed… by something else."
The chamber fell into complete silence.
Li Wei frowned slightly.
Something else?
Before he could think further—
Elder Chen stepped into the air.
His figure rose slowly, disappearing into the dark tunnel above.
The pressure was gone.
Completely.
Only then did the inner disciple let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
He looked at Li Wei.
This time—
There was no arrogance left.
Only unease.
"You…" he muttered.
But no words followed.
Li Wei didn't look at him.
His gaze had shifted downward.
To the ancient formation.
For a brief moment—
It glowed again.
Faint.
Almost invisible.
And deep beneath the stone—
Something responded.
Li Wei's chest tightened.
Because this time—
He was certain.
It wasn't the formation reacting to him.