The night before preparations for the border mission began, Li Chen finally experienced something he hadn't anticipated.
A knock.
Not a formal summons.
Not an elder's transmission.
Not a probing wave of spiritual sense.
An actual, physical knock on the formation barrier of his residence.
Li Chen opened his eyes from meditation, instantly alert.
Very few people would dare approach him directly now—and even fewer would do so without an announcement.
He swept his divine sense outward.
Three presences.
Restrained. Polite. Familiar.
Li Chen paused for half a breath, then waved his hand. The formation rippled and parted.
The courtyard gate opened.
Standing outside were three figures he hadn't seen since the secret realm closed.
The first was Mo Yun, the calm, broad-shouldered core disciple from the Mountain Sect, his presence as steady as bedrock. The second was Shen Yue, the Star Sect woman in flowing blue robes, her gaze sharp and observant as ever. The third—slightly behind them—was Han Zhi, a quiet River Sect disciple whose eyes carried far more caution than ambition.
For a brief moment, no one spoke.
Then Mo Yun laughed and cupped his fists. "Seems we weren't mistaken. This really is your residence."
Li Chen inclined his head slightly. "You found it quickly."
Shen Yue smiled faintly. "After witnessing your breakthrough, it would've been strange if we didn't visit. You've become… hard to ignore."
Li Chen resisted the urge to sigh.
As if I wanted that.
"Come in," he said instead, stepping aside.
They gathered around the stone table in the courtyard. Li Chen poured tea—ordinary spirit tea, deliberately unremarkable.
No one commented on the simplicity.
That alone told him something had changed.
"You'll be leading one of the joint units," Han Zhi said quietly, breaking the silence. "The news spread faster than expected."
Li Chen raised an eyebrow. "I was told leadership would be shared."
Mo Yun snorted. "Shared on paper. In practice? Anyone at mid-stage Foundation Establishment with that kind of foundation becomes a focal point."
Shen Yue studied Li Chen carefully. "Especially someone who survived the secret realm without visible injury—and came out stronger."
Li Chen met her gaze evenly. "That realm favored caution."
Shen Yue laughed softly. "If that were true, more people would have survived."
The conversation drifted naturally to the past.
They spoke of the collapsing terrain, the distorted time pockets, the sudden disappearances. They avoided naming the dead, but their absences were felt in every pause.
Mo Yun's voice lowered. "The secret realm… it wasn't just dangerous. It felt like a test we weren't meant to pass easily."
Han Zhi nodded. "Our elders think the same. Something old stirred."
Li Chen did not respond immediately.
He remembered the pressure.
The silence between dangers.
The way the realm watched.
"It's over now," he said calmly. "Speculating won't help."
Shen Yue smiled again, but this time it didn't reach her eyes. "You always say things like that."
The topic shifted, inevitably, to the upcoming mission.
"Beast tides are usually chaotic," Mo Yun said, tapping the table. "This one isn't."
"They're probing," Han Zhi added. "Testing defenses. Retreating when pressured."
Li Chen's fingers tightened slightly around his cup.
"That suggests direction," he said. "Or control."
Shen Yue leaned forward. "That's why we're here. We may be from different sects, but we've already fought together once."
Her meaning was clear.
Trust forged in danger mattered more than sect banners.
"I won't pretend we're allies," she continued calmly. "But I'd rather watch my back knowing who's beside me."
Mo Yun nodded. "Same. If things go wrong at the border, titles won't matter."
Li Chen considered them.
In the secret realm, these three had not betrayed, postured excessively, or acted recklessly. They had known when to advance—and when to retreat.
That alone placed them above most.
"I don't plan to take unnecessary risks," Li Chen said at last. "If that conflicts with your expectations, it's better to say so now."
Mo Yun grinned. "Good. I hate pointless heroics."
Han Zhi bowed his head slightly. "Survival is acceptable."
Shen Yue laughed. "Then we're aligned."
As the visit drew to a close, Shen Yue paused at the gate.
"Li Chen," she said, her tone lighter but eyes serious, "people will test you during this mission. Not just beasts."
"I know."
"Good." She hesitated, then added, "In the secret realm… you were always one step away from danger. Yet danger never caught you."
Li Chen met her gaze. "I make it a habit."
She smiled genuinely this time.
When they left, the courtyard fell silent once more.
Li Chen stood alone beneath the moonlight.
Old acquaintances.
Future allies—or liabilities.
Either way, the mission ahead was already weaving threads from the past into its fabric.
He looked toward the distant borderlands, invisible beyond the horizon.
Beast tides.
Joint leadership.
Familiar faces.
His instincts whispered the same warning they always did.
This was not coincidence.
And coincidence, Li Chen had learned, was often the most dangerous enemy of all.