The summons came before dawn.
Lin Xuan was already awake when the messenger talisman vibrated faintly on his table. He did not rush. He finished circulating his qi through one full minor cycle before standing.
The hall assigned for the investigation was not the main council chamber, but a smaller stone pavilion near the eastern ridge. Quiet. Isolated. Intentional.
When he arrived, five others were already present.
Senior Qiao stood near the center table, arms folded. Two inner disciples Lin Xuan recognized by face but not by name. One middle-aged formation instructor. And another young man dressed in dark-blue robes trimmed with silver thread — inner sect insignia.
Their eyes met briefly.
Measured. Appraising.
So that was the rival.
Elder Zhao entered last.
"No formalities," the elder said calmly. "You already know why you are here."
A thin jade plate was placed at the center of the table. With a touch of qi, a projection appeared — a simplified map of the eastern territory controlled by the sect.
Several faint red points flickered across the terrain.
"Residual fluctuations matching the anomaly from Black Ridge Forest," Elder Zhao continued. "Three confirmed. Two suspected."
Lin Xuan's gaze paused on the closest confirmed point. It lay near an abandoned quarry valley — not far, but outside regular patrol routes.
"Your task is simple," the elder said. "Investigate. Record. Do not engage unknown forces unless necessary."
His eyes swept across them briefly.
"If Hollow Vein operatives are encountered, retreat unless advantage is certain."
Practical. Not heroic.
Lin Xuan approved of that.
The formation instructor spoke next. "Preliminary readings suggest the nodes are not independent. There may be structural linkage beneath the surface."
Structural linkage.
So it wasn't random.
The inner sect disciple in blue finally spoke. His voice was steady. "If these are fragments of a greater formation, dismantling them carelessly could destabilize the region's spiritual flow."
Senior Qiao nodded faintly. "Which is why we observe first."
No one mentioned sealing entities. No grand speculation.
Just structure. Function. Risk.
Lin Xuan kept silent.
But he could feel it.
Even through the map's projection, there was a faint echo — like a distant vibration barely brushing the edge of his perception.
Subtle.
Incomplete.
But not coincidence.
Elder Zhao dispersed the map. "You depart at midday. Supplies will be issued. Team leader — Qiao."
A brief pause.
"Lin Xuan."
He looked up.
"You will record structural readings personally."
Not praise.
Not trust.
A test.
He inclined his head. "Understood."
The meeting ended without ceremony.
Outside, the morning mist clung to the stone paths.
The disciple in blue stepped beside him.
"You sensed it too, didn't you?"
The question was casual.
Too casual.
Lin Xuan did not slow his pace.
"I sensed fluctuation," he replied. "Nothing more."
A brief silence followed.
Then a faint smile.
"Good. Let's hope that remains true."
They parted at the fork in the path.
Lin Xuan continued toward his quarters.
He did not look back.
But the faint vibration in his dantian had grown slightly stronger.
Not unstable.
Just… responsive.
If the Black Ridge fragment had been an isolated remnant—
Then why were the others reacting?
And more importantly—
Why did it feel like something was incomplete, not broken?
Midday would come soon.
Arc 2 had begun.