Night in the sect was quiet.
Too quiet.
Only the distant hum of the protective formations filled the still air, and the faint shimmer of moonlight danced across the courtyard tiles.
Li Ming sat cross-legged beside the training field, eyes closed, guiding his Qi through his meridians.
Each breath came steady; each pulse of lightning within him answered with calm rhythm.
But nearby, another rhythm pulsed — deeper, heavier.
Lei Shan.
The little beast sat by the edge of the pond, fur glowing faintly from within. Arcs of golden lightning rippled along his body, brighter and brighter, until the air itself began to tremble.
Bai Guo fluttered down, eyes wide.
"Descendant… he's building a resonance. That's not ordinary cultivation."
Li Ming's eyes snapped open. He could feel it too — the cub's Qi signature shifting, deepening. It wasn't wild or unstable; it was changing.
"Lei Shan?" Li Ming called softly.
