CHAPTER 170 — THE MARK'S CONSEQUENCE
The sky sealed.
The canyon fell silent.
The Heaven Executors had withdrawn.
But Long Hao did not feel victorious.
He felt… heavier.
The golden mark over his heart no longer burned wildly. It pulsed softly, like a second heartbeat layered beneath his own.
Thump.
Pause.
Thump.
Not pain.
Observation.
The Deans approached him carefully.
The Vice Dean studied his chest, eyes narrowing. "It stabilized."
The Dean shook his head slowly. "No. It evolved."
Long Hao exhaled, steadying himself.
"I felt it compress," he said quietly. "Like it folded inward."
Ling Yifan, supported by Chen, gave a faint nod. "You forced resonance instead of resisting it."
"Yes."
"And Heaven responded."
Long Hao looked up at the sky.
For the first time since the battle began, he felt something far worse than pressure.
He felt a thread.
Thin.
Invisible.
Attached to him.
Watching.
He closed his eyes and focused inward.
