Inside the void, Li Chen felt no up or down.
He drifted through a boundless expanse that seemed neither space nor sky, as if he had fallen between worlds where direction had no meaning.
Faint currents of pale mist twisted around him, and distant flashes of lightning flickered without sound.
Each flash illuminated fragments of something vast and ancient, shapes that vanished the moment he tried to focus on them.
The stone eye drifted nearby, no longer fixed to any wall.
It circled him slowly, like a primordial entity trapped in the same void, its presence pressing against his soul with cold intent.
A sudden pressure descended.
It wrapped around him like invisible chains, squeezing from all directions as if the void itself sought to refine him into nothingness.
The force grew heavier with every passing moment, distorting even his thoughts as if they were being stretched and compressed.
"What now…?"
Before the silence could swallow his voice, a surge of golden light erupted around him.
Tiny sparks appeared one after another, each carrying faint traces of ancient symbols.
The remnants of the jade pendant had awakened.
The sparks gathered rapidly, linking together like threads weaving a formation.
Golden runes emerged from within the light, ancient and profound, each one radiating a power that did not belong to this empty void.
The runes spun around Li Chen's soul, forming layers upon layers until they created a complete cocoon.
The crushing force of the void struck against it, but the golden runes flared violently, resisting the pressure like an indestructible barrier.
Outside the cocoon, lightning began to gather.
Dark currents twisted through the void, and streaks of violet lightning tore across the emptiness, striking toward the golden shell.
Each impact caused the cocoon to tremble, yet the runes only shone brighter, as if absorbing and refining the chaotic energy.
The stone eye lingered just beyond the cocoon, its hollow gaze fixed upon Li Chen.
For a moment, it seemed to hesitate.
Then the golden runes reacted.
A burst of light surged outward, and the eye was forcibly dragged into the cocoon.
It resisted, its dark force clashing against the golden runes, but the formation tightened instantly, sealing both of them inside.
The moment the cocoon closed, the pressure multiplied.
The golden sphere trembled violently as the surrounding void collapsed inward.
Lightning converged from all directions, striking the cocoon in relentless waves.
Li Chen felt his soul being compressed and stretched at the same time.
It was as if every fragment of his existence was being refined, broken apart, and reforged under an unseen law.
Yet the golden runes held firm.
They rotated in precise patterns, forming a complete cycle, as if executing a mysterious technique beyond his understanding.
Each rune pulsed with ancient authority, stabilizing his soul and preventing it from shattering.
The cocoon began to move.
There was no sense of direction, yet it was clearly being drawn somewhere.
The void around it twisted, forming spiraling currents that resembled a passage between realms.
Time lost all meaning.
Moments stretched into eternity, or perhaps eternity compressed into moments.
Li Chen could no longer tell.
The pressure gradually became steady, almost natural.
The lightning faded into distant echoes, and the violent fluctuations of the void softened into a quiet, endless drift.
His thoughts slowed.
The strain of enduring the refinement became too much, and his consciousness began to blur.
The golden light dimmed gradually, like a lantern flickering in the wind.
He tried to hold on.
But the void seemed to cradle him now, no longer hostile, gently pulling him into silence.
Darkness followed.
…
After an unknown passage of time, Li Chen's consciousness stirred once more.
It returned slowly, as if emerging from deep water.
At first, there was only a faint, rhythmic humming, like the echo of distant energy flowing through unseen meridians.
Then came warmth.
It spread across his body, unfamiliar yet comforting.
His eyelids felt unbearably heavy, but he managed to open them slightly.
A blurred figure hovered above him.
The world was hazy, shapes blending together until they slowly gained form.
He saw a woman with soft features, her dark hair streaked with silver, her expression filled with quiet relief.
"You're awake at last," she said gently. "I was beginning to think something was wrong."
Li Chen tried to respond, But what left his mouth was not speech.
It was a weak, helpless cry.
The woman smiled faintly. "There you are. You must be exhausted."
He attempted to raise his hand, but his arm moved awkwardly, tracing an unsteady arc that went nowhere near where he intended.
A strange heaviness filled his limbs, as if they did not belong to him.
Confusion surged within him.
The woman adjusted her hold, supporting him carefully.
"Easy now. You're far too small to struggle like that. You'll tire yourself."
Small.
The word echoed in his mind.
He forced himself to look down.
All he could see was a tiny hand wrapped in cloth, his fingers short, soft, and unfamiliar.
It did not feel like his hand at all.
A wave of dizziness washed over him, cutting off his attempt to move.
His surroundings slowly came into focus.
Wooden beams formed the ceiling above, aged yet sturdy.
A dim oil lantern flickered in the corner, casting warm light across the room.
He tried to speak again yet, another soft cry escaped instead.
The woman chuckled quietly. "You really are a quiet baby."
Baby?
The word struck him like lightning.
Nothing about this made sense.
The size of his body, the weakness in his limbs, the complete loss of control—
And the way he was being held, cradled like something fragile.
His thoughts blanked, then slowly, the truth forced its way into his mind.
He was no longer an adult.
Not anymore.
Something had happened within the void.
Whether it was fortune or disaster, he had been reborn.
The woman—Liu Yulan, though he did not yet know her name—tightened her hold slightly and brushed her thumb gently across his cheek.
"You'll be alright. You're safe now."
He tried to speak again.
Another faint sound was all that came out.
She did not notice anything unusual.
She simply rocked him gently, humming a soft, soothing tune.
Li Chen—no, whatever he was now—felt the vibration through her chest.
His body reacted instinctively, calming despite the chaos in his mind.
But his thoughts were anything but calm.
"Liu Yulan!" a voice called from outside. "Is he awake yet?"
She turned her head toward the door.
"Yes. Come in, but quietly."
The door opened softly.
A man stepped inside with measured movements, as though even his breathing might disturb the fragile life in her arms.
He was broad-shouldered, his robes carrying traces of cold night air, and his gaze softened the moment it fell upon the child.
"So he truly woke," he murmured. "So the omen wasn't a curse."
Omen?
The man approached and knelt beside Liu Yulan.
He observed the child in silence.
His gaze lingered on Li Chen's forehead, then moved to his chest, as if searching for something unseen.
His brows furrowed slightly.
"Three streaks of golden lightning crossed the heavens before dawn," he said slowly. "The entire village witnessed it. They converged above our residence. And moments later—" he gestured toward Li Chen—"he was in your arms, lifeless and cold… yet now he…"
Golden lightning.
Li Chen's thoughts churned violently.
In the void… the final light that protected him had been—
The jade pendant.
Before he could process further, Liu Yulan's expression hardened.
"So what?" she said firmly. "Our child is blessed. What else is there to be concerned about?"