The Heir of the Celestial Diagram

Chapter 73: Vortices in the Celestial Mist

The sky above the Central Region rumbled with silent thunder, even without visible clouds. Something was changing. Han Feng, now in possession of the Black Sun Tear, advanced through a narrow canyon towards the Hidden Jade Gate, the official entrance to the heart of the Gu world.

Around him, the spiritual energy flickered, unstable as if being pulled by opposing forces. Han Feng, with his senses sharpened after merging with the mental-spiritual Gu, quickly realized: the natural flow of the world's spiritual energy was being subtly distorted. It was almost imperceptible, but enough to plant doubts in the hearts of the most sensitive.

— This isn't natural... — he murmured, touching the air with the tips of his fingers. A slight ripple traversed the space as if he had touched the surface of a lake.

Further ahead, he stopped upon seeing a caravan of cultivators being attacked by deformed spiritual beasts. Their forms appeared corrupted: extra eyes, fused limbs, hooves where there shouldn't be any.

Han Feng hid in the shadows and watched. The screams of despair were no different from those he had heard in his past life. He thought about intervening, but hesitated. He couldn't afford to attract more attention, not now.

One of the beasts looked directly at the spot where he was hiding, as if sensing his presence. But in an instant, he disappeared with his Dark Cloud Invisibility Gu.

Hours later, upon reaching the Hidden Jade Gate, he was surprised by a crowd.

Guards, wandering cultivators, members of powerful clans. Everyone awaited the opening of the spiritual trail that led to the Central Region. Every three days, a flow of energy opened like a whirlwind, allowing passage.

Han Feng blended into the crowd, concealing his presence. He was now wearing a simple black mask, his cloak dyed with spiritual ink for camouflage. No one would recognize him.

— The whirlwind is too unstable — murmured the border guards. — The whirlwind is too unstable — murmured the border guards. — Some cultivators disappeared during the last crossing. Some cultivators disappeared on the last crossing.

"They say it's the fault of the heavens," commented an old Rank 4 Gu master. — Something is happening with the celestial pillars. The energy of the world is... fluctuating.

Han Feng squinted his eyes. "The fusion is beginning to manifest." It's still early, but the signs are there.

When the spiritual path was finally opened, a whirlwind of black and purple light formed in the center of the gorge. Golden lightning crackled around, and many hesitated. Han Feng was one of the first to advance.

During the crossing, he felt his body being compressed, as if he were passing through a cosmic funnel. Voices whispered in his mind — words in languages he did not recognize, but strangely understood.

"The Void awakens... the Spirit devours... The Guardian sleeps."

He came out on the other side panting, eyes wide. The Central Region stretched out before him. Golden fields, floating mountains, and a spiritual energy so thick it could be touched.

But there was something wrong. The sky had tiny fissures, like cracks in a mirror. And in one of them... Han Feng saw a star that did not belong to that sky. A red star, pulsating, like an eye.

He clenched his fists.

— It's not time yet. But it's coming...

With the Tear of the Black Sun active in his mind, Han Feng was able to analyze and better absorb the chaotic energy around him. He needed to find a base, a safe place where he could cultivate in peace before moving forward.

On the way, he passed through an abandoned village. The houses were intact, but the inhabitants had disappeared. Only marks on the ground remained — circular symbols burned into the earth.

— A transfer ritual... or sacrifice — he analyzed.

Another clue that the world was starting to become unbalanced.

During the night, he was attacked by a group of cultivators from the Deep Shadows Sect, survivors of the previous mission. One of them carried a rare Gu, capable of absorbing memories.

Han Feng, even when injured, used the Tear of the Black Sun to block mental attacks and counterattacked with ferocity. He summoned the Rooted Lightning Gu, which pierced the hearts of the enemies with electric roots.

— You never learn... — he murmured, observing the bodies.

The fight would delay him, but it revealed another important detail: one of the bodies carried a scroll with celestial inscriptions, recording unusual phenomena in the past weeks. They were the same signs he had noticed.

At the end of that night, Han Feng arrived in the city of Baihua, one of the last before the capital of the Central Region.

There, he planned to remain in the shadows, investigate celestial events, and cultivate with the Tear of the Black Sun until the right moment arrived.

But something told him that the heavens would not let him rest for long.

— When the world starts to fall apart, I will be ready.