Chapter 13: Rumblings Beneath the Surface
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The clone had disappeared as silently as it had come, but Ashen could still feel the residual threads of spirit essence humming in his soul. That moment in the forest—brief as it was—had changed everything.
Not just a technique.
Not just a skill.
It was a statement.
He could create life. True, thinking, feeling life from himself. And this was just the beginning.
Ashen spent the rest of the night meditating in silence, testing the limits. The clone had cost a noticeable chunk of his spiritual energy, so he noted the drain carefully. Unlike regular cultivator clones—puppets lacking soul and essence—his was different.
It carried his signature.
And it responded to him without question.
That scared him more than anything.
He was no longer operating within the boundaries of common cultivation.
He was something else entirely.
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The Next Morning
Academy life returned to its rhythmic pace—lectures on spirit control, group combat drills, discussions about monster anatomy. But for Ashen, everything felt muted. Dull.
A veil separated him from the others now.
Not just because he had changed.
But because he was changing still.
During class, Instructor Lin introduced an upcoming academy trial—an expedition to the "Twilight Ridge," one of the outer danger zones where mutated beasts were known to roam.
It was optional, but rewarded those who dared with rare cultivation materials and contribution points.
Ashen noted it silently.
He would go.
He needed resources, and more importantly—seclusion.
If he could practice the clone again in real combat, he might refine the technique. Perhaps even stabilize it.
And if his suspicions were right… the Ridge may also be rich in ancient mana veins.
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After class, Ashen walked toward the secluded reading tower at the back of campus.
He wasn't alone.
"Hey, Ashen!"
He paused. It was Li Mei.
The bright-eyed, silver-haired cultivator from his class. She was among the top ten in rankings—brilliant, sharp, and completely unpredictable.
"What's up?" he asked neutrally.
"You've been... different," she said bluntly, leaning on the stone rail beside him. "Ever since that Forest mission. Quiet. Distant. Focused."
Ashen shrugged. "Is that a bad thing?"
She smirked. "Not really. Just… odd. I like odd. Makes life less boring."
He offered a rare smile. "Then you must enjoy my company."
"Sometimes," she said with a wink. "You joining the Ridge expedition?"
Ashen nodded.
Her eyes gleamed. "Good. Keep an eye on the skies when you get there. Some of the Ridge fauna are aerial."
She left without another word.
Ashen looked after her thoughtfully. A strong cultivator. Smart. Observant.
A possible ally—or threat—in the future.
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That Night
Ashen returned to his dorm and activated his spirit perception again.
This time, he focused not on summoning a clone—but on sensing the dragon.
He wanted to understand it. What was sealed within him?
The glow returned to his chest. The mark—the faint sigil—briefly pulsed.
Then darkness took his mind.
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A Memory.
Stone halls.
Titanic bones.
Dragons locked in battle above a burning sky.
And a voice.
"Do not let them know you exist."
Ashen saw a circular seal with nine rotating arrays, each radiating an elemental resonance: fire, ice, gravity, time, shadow, light, void, spirit…
And in the center: chaos.
The voice again.
"You are my last echo. Until the realms burn, you must stay hidden."
---
He woke up drenched in sweat.
The seal was real.
It wasn't just power—it was a prison. And each element would need to be broken one by one.
He understood now. The chaos ability wasn't locked away because he was weak.
It was locked away because even the dragon feared it.
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Twilight Ridge - Two Days Later
The academy expedition had brought fifteen students into the Ridge, split into small teams. Ashen chose to go solo. As expected, no one argued.
The Ridge was breathtaking—crimson trees, violet skies, and black stone cliffs riddled with old formation runes. An ancient battlefield long lost to time.
He moved carefully through the dense foliage, activating a spirit barrier around himself.
Just as he had hoped, mana here was thick—wild, untamed, and perfect for testing limits.
He sat near a crumbled ruin and entered a meditative state.
The goal was simple: tap into the dragon's passive comprehension acceleration.
He focused on one of the ancient runes embedded in the stone nearby. A containment sigil, half-eroded. Normally, decoding a sigil would take a week.
He did it in ten minutes.
His mind worked faster than it ever had before.
Symbols rearranged, meanings surfaced, and energy pathways revealed themselves like a puzzle solving itself in real time.
Comprehension boost. Confirmed.
He leaned back.
This wasn't just rapid learning. It was intuitive evolution. The dragon's inheritance allowed him to adapt in moments where others stagnated for years.
The implications were enormous.
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But danger was never far.
He felt it first as a tremor.
Then a shriek—loud, piercing, primal.
From above.
Ashen rolled away just as a massive beast crashed down onto the ruin site.
It was a mutated wyvern— late Martial level—muscular, twisted by corruption, and very angry.
It hissed, recognizing him as prey.
Ashen stood calmly.
He didn't need to run.
He extended his hand and called.
Another version of him appeared beside him.
The clone.
This time, it was faster. More stable. Smoother.
The clone darted forward first, drawing the wyvern's attention.
Ashen followed, spirit blade drawn, eyes cold and focused.
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Together, they moved like twin blades through the night.
Ashen struck high, the clone low. They shared thoughts, actions, energy.
It was flawless combat harmony.
After a minute-long skirmish, the wyvern's head rolled onto the forest floor.
Ashen stood panting beside his clone, who saluted once—then dissolved.
He felt the drain this time. Not just spirit energy—but mental fatigue.
But it was worth it.
He had won.
Alone.
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As he collected the beast core and checked its anatomy for resources, he noticed something unusual embedded in its chest:
A shard of ancient crystal.
Etched with the same seal he had seen in his dream.