Chapter 19 – The Hidden God Revealed : When Masks Begin to Crack
"Some truths are too vast to be caged in flesh and bone."
[Scene 1: The Calm Before the Storm – At Dawn, Skyvale Academy Courtyard]
A rare, glass-like silence hovered over the training grounds of Skyvale Academy.
Students stirred early, most preparing for the Ascension Trial Exhibition, where each faction was to present its strongest talents to the visiting elder from the Cloudborne Pavilion — one of the top sects in the entire realm. The Pavilion was known to recruit only once every decade, and even a single acknowledgment could reshape a cultivator's destiny.
Luo Qingshen leaned against an ancient tree, shadowed in its shade, watching the young prodigies around him warm up. His name was absent from the roster — exactly how he liked it.
"I have no interest in sect invitations," he muttered under his breath, arms folded, gaze half-lidded. "Let them fight over scraps."
But the moment he said it, the wind shifted.
He felt it before it arrived — a sharp ripple in space. Divine-tier cultivation intent… being veiled.
"Qingshen," Lian Yue appeared beside him, clutching her robes. "Something's wrong. That elder from Cloudborne… he's not ordinary."
He opened one eye.
"Of course he's not. He's not here to scout."
[Scene 2: A Visitor with Hidden Motives]
Elder Mo Zhen of the Cloudborne Pavilion descended like drifting snow. He appeared calm and weathered, yet beneath his robes pulsed an aura far too ancient.
"Greetings, Skyvale students," he said with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Today, I will evaluate your talents… and uncover hidden dragons."
That last phrase sent a jolt through the faculty. Hidden dragons?
He wasn't looking for excellence — he was searching for something buried.
"He's probing..." Luo Qingshen narrowed his eyes. "...Not for talent. For anomalies."
As groups stepped forward — showcasing elemental control, weapon arts, and spiritual resonance — Elder Mo gave measured, bored nods. But then… his gaze swept the outer ring.
And stopped.
On Luo Qingshen.
[Scene 3: A Forced Challenge]
"You," the elder said. "The boy in grey. You're not on the list. Why?"
Whispers burst through the crowd. Qingshen remained seated, unbothered.
"I'm just an observer," he replied coolly.
Mo Zhen's smile returned. "But I insist."
Suddenly, the spiritual field warped. A force — invisible, dense, like gravity itself — began pressing against Luo Qingshen alone.
"If you are truly ordinary," Mo said, voice silk-wrapped steel, "then withstand this pressure. That will suffice."
The crowd watched with bated breath. Other students began to sweat just by standing nearby.
Luo Qingshen exhaled slowly.
And stood.
The moment he did — the entire courtyard cracked beneath his feet.
"You want a glimpse, old man?"
With a single step forward, he released a fraction of his sealed power.
The skies darkened.
A crimson eclipse shimmered briefly behind the clouds.
The wind froze in place.
Mo Zhen staggered — just half a step — his eyes wide with disbelief. His spiritual probe, once sharp as a blade, had been devoured. Erased. Nullified.
"This is… not human."
Everyone stood frozen.
Even the headmaster of Skyvale, hidden in the crowd, felt his own cultivation tremble.
"He's… void-class?" one student whispered. "But that's a myth—"
"No, he's something else," another replied. "Something beyond."
[Scene 4: The Mask Slips Further]
Qingshen stepped back. The pressure faded.
"Was that sufficient?" he asked dryly, tilting his head.
Mo Zhen's lips pressed tightly. He gave a short nod — his arrogance replaced by careful calculation.
"I've seen enough," he said. Then vanished into a flash of light.
The crowd erupted.
Students buzzed with panic, awe, and wild speculation. But one thing was certain:
The quiet boy in grey was no longer invisible.
Lian Yue stepped beside him, heart pounding.
"You showed them."
"I showed nothing," he replied, voice low. "I only reminded him what he should fear."
[Scene 5: Somewhere Else – A Watching Eye]
Far away, in a mirror dimension veiled beyond time, a cloaked figure stared into a basin of black glass.
"He awakened something…" the voice murmured.
"...The Void is stirring again."
Chapter End Teaser:
Next Chapter – Chapter 20: "Divine Eyes Turn"
With the veil torn, factions begin to stir. Old enemies sense the shift. And a mysterious girl from the Forbidden Library appears — one who may know Qingshen's true name.