The sect was quieter than usual that morning, but the calm was deceptive. Li Chen sensed it instantly—a subtle tension in the air, a faint ripple in the flow of qi that only someone attuned to the sect's rhythms could detect.
He walked through the main courtyard, observing the disciples as they trained. Everything seemed ordinary: the rhythm of steps, the faint glow of spirit energy, even Xu Ming's absence was noted but unsurprising—he had been given a brief rest period after the last major Chaos Qi breakthrough.
And yet… something was off.
Mo Yun joined him silently, his expression serious. "You feel it too, don't you?"
Li Chen nodded, eyes scanning the horizon. "The Lower Realm may seem calm, but the currents of the Upper Realm are stirring again. I felt it yesterday—faint manipulations, subtle shifts in spirit energy near the sect borders. Not powerful enough for an attack… yet. But enough to probe."
Mo Yun frowned. "Probes? From the Upper Realm? After all we've done, they're still interested?"
"They are always interested," Li Chen replied. "But this… this is different. There is purpose behind the probe. It's not random observation. Someone—or something—is testing our readiness."
The first tangible hint appeared during the mid-morning assembly. As the elders gathered the core disciples for a report, a small, sealed message appeared among the scrolls delivered by a messenger from a distant branch. Its seal bore a strange insignia: a mark Li Chen did not recognize, yet he immediately understood the implication.
He broke the seal carefully, scanning the contents.
"We have observed anomalies in your sector. Certain artifacts, certain disciples… their growth does not go unnoticed. Ensure loyalty, maintain discipline. The heavens are watching."
Li Chen's eyes narrowed. No direct threat, but a clear warning. Someone—or some organization—from the Upper Realm was monitoring the sect's movements closely, cataloging the disciples' growth.
Mo Yun, who had been quietly observing, leaned over. "This could mean they're planning interference—or worse, a strategic evaluation. Whoever sent this knows our strengths and weaknesses."
Li Chen nodded slowly. "Exactly. And if they are taking notes… then the next wave will be far more precise. We must prepare for indirect manipulation first before direct action occurs."
Over the next few days, subtle signs appeared throughout the sect:
Certain cultivation resources were "misplaced" in ways that seemed accidental but were too deliberate to be random.
Core disciples reported unusual fluctuations in minor spirit beasts during training—unpredictable behavior, almost as if someone had adjusted their natural instincts.
Even elders who had been steadfast showed unusual caution, double-checking formations and assignments without clear explanation.
Li Chen observed it all quietly, connecting threads in his mind like a master weaving a tapestry.
"This isn't just observation," he murmured to Mo Yun one evening as they walked through the quiet courtyard. "It's preparation. Someone wants to understand our strengths, our weaknesses… and maybe create leverage over the entire Lower Realm."
Mo Yun's expression darkened. "Do you think it's a sect? Or something… larger?"
Li Chen's gaze hardened. "Something larger. Perhaps an organization, perhaps a faction in the Upper Realm itself. And they are watching us—the disciples, the artifacts, even the chaos techniques we've developed. Everything is cataloged, analyzed."
That night, Li Chen returned to his private chambers, standing before the window as the moonlight spilled over the rooftops. He thought of Xu Ming, of the core disciples, and of the fragile balance within the sect. The calm of the Lower Realm had always been a deceptive illusion, and now that illusion was cracking.
The seeds of a larger plot had been planted, and the tendrils were already reaching toward them. Li Chen knew that the next months would not be about mere cultivation—they would be about politics, strategy, and survival.
But he also knew this: the Lower Realm had endured storms before. And under his guidance, the disciples would not be caught unprepared.
The Upper Realm was watching.
And Li Chen was ready.
The game had begun.