Chapter 177 — The Weight of an Empire
The sound of the bell echoed through the Astral Forge Sect like a hammer striking an anvil—deep, resonant, impossible to ignore.
Lin was midway through a controlled gravity circulation when it rang.
Not the alarm bell.
Not the summoning chime for disciples.
This one was older.
Heavier.
It rang only when the sect itself was being addressed.
Lin opened his eyes slowly and exhaled. The gravity around him eased, settling back into the Titan Realm's natural pressure. He rose to his feet, brushed the dust from his robes, and stepped outside.
All around him, disciples were doing the same.
Conversations were hushed. Expressions sharpened. Even those who didn't know the meaning of the bell felt it—something large had shifted.
High above, the sect's grand platform shimmered as a spatial gate unfolded.
Gold light spilled outward.
An imperial envoy stepped through.
He wore no armor, yet the pressure around him rivaled that of a peak Soul Transformation cultivator. His robes were woven with threads that reflected Titan laws—authority made manifest. At his waist hung a jade plaque etched with a sigil every cultivator in the Titan Realm recognized instantly.
The Titan Empire.
The envoy did not speak immediately. He waited, standing straight-backed as the sect master appeared atop the platform, his presence settling over the sect like a mountain coming to rest.
Only then did the envoy bow.
"By decree of His Majesty, Emperor Qintai," the man said, voice amplified by law rather than qi, "I bring word to the Astral Forge Sect."
A murmur rippled through the gathered disciples.
Lin felt it—not excitement, not fear—but scale.
Whatever this was, it extended far beyond the sect.
The envoy continued, each word measured.
"The Empire's northern frontier has entered a state of escalation. Border lords have mobilized. External powers stir. Reports of abyssal-tainted forces remain unconfirmed, but… concerning."
Lin's eyes narrowed slightly.
Unconfirmed did not mean absent.
"The Empire formally requests the assistance of the Astral Forge Sect," the envoy said. "Specifically—your forges."
Silence fell.
Not shocked silence.
Understanding silence.
The sect master inclined his head slightly. "What does the Empire require?"
"Weapons," the envoy replied without hesitation. "Standardized. High-grade. Forged to endure prolonged conflict. Not artifacts of legend—but arms that will not fail when wielded by thousands."
Lin felt something settle in his chest.
This was not about heroes.
This was about armies.
The sect master's gaze swept over the disciples below—not lingering, not selecting, simply acknowledging.
"The Astral Forge Sect will answer the Empire's call," he said.
The envoy bowed deeply.
A pact older than any of them had just been reaffirmed.
---
Forging for Millions
The orders came swiftly.
Elders moved. Divisions were formed. Forges that normally sang for individual cultivators were reassigned, expanded, synchronized. The sect shifted—not into panic, but into purpose.
Lin found himself summoned before Rowan before the day was out.
"You'll be joining one of the imperial forging divisions," Rowan said, arms folded, eyes sharp. "Not because you're the strongest. Because you're consistent."
Lin accepted the tablet handed to him, scanning the specifications.
No divine metals.
No experimental alloys.
No deviation.
"These weapons will be used by soldiers who may never cultivate beyond Body Tempering," Rowan continued. "If one fails, someone dies. Remember that."
Lin nodded once. "I understand."
Rowan studied him for a moment longer, then added, more quietly, "This is how higher realms fight wars. Not with miracles. With preparation."
---
Beyond the Sect Walls
Two days later, Lin stood atop a Titan Realm transport platform as arrays ignited beneath his feet.
Ahead lay an Imperial Forge City—a place where cultivators and mortals worked side by side beneath gravity so dense it crushed weaker beings to their knees.
The city rose like a fortress grown from stone and steel, its towers reinforced by law formations, its streets wide enough for siege engines. Soldiers trained openly. Smiths worked in shifts that never ended.
Lin felt it immediately.
This realm did not panic at war.
It absorbed it.
As he walked the forge district, Lin saw soldiers inspecting weapons already produced—blades identical in balance and density, spears forged to pierce reinforced hides, armor layered for endurance rather than brilliance.
This was power expressed through logistics.
He watched a young soldier test a spear, the relief on the man's face clear when it held.
Lin understood then.
In the Titan Realm, wars were not decided by legends alone.
They were decided by whether a blade shattered—or didn't.
---
A Distant Stirring
That night, far from the imperial city and deeper still beneath the Titan Realm's crust, the abyss shifted.
Not violently.
Not loudly.
But attentively.
Something had changed.
Weapon shipments flowed faster. Purified zones lingered longer than expected. A rhythm was forming—subtle, disciplined, repeating.
The abyss did not yet know why.
But it marked the pattern.
---
The Phoenix Dreams
Back at the Astral Forge Sect, Yueyin slept fitfully.
Her dreams were filled with heat and pressure—of standing beneath a sky that pressed too close, flames crawling along her veins as unseen laws demanded adaptation.
She woke with a gasp, clutching her chest.
The nightmares were worsening.
Yet when she focused inward, she found no corruption—only resonance.
As though the Titan Realm itself was testing her.
She whispered into the dark, "I'm still alive… right?"
The world did not answer.
---
Quiet Resolve
Lin returned to his quarters late that evening.
He did not cultivate.
He sat.
He thought of soldiers he'd seen. Of weapons lined in perfect rows. Of a realm that treated wars that would annihilate lower worlds as logistical challenges.
And of the abyss—still distant, still watching.
"This is only the beginning," Lin murmured.
The forge awaited.
The war awaited.
And somewhere beyond both, something far older was beginning to pay attention.
---
End of Chapter 177