Situ stared silently toward the endless darkness.
The black mist surrounding the Death Forbidden Zone surged slowly like a living ocean. Broken stars floated near its outer edges, only to disintegrate soundlessly the moment they drifted too close.
Even space itself seemed rotten there.
The farther one looked, the more unstable reality became.
Boom.
Gray-black Grandmist Qi flowed quietly around Situ's body while the five-colored soul radiance within him illuminated the surrounding void.
His father's aura was still there.
Weak.
Flickering.
Yet unmistakable.
The closer Situ focused his perception toward the forbidden region, the colder his expression became.
Because within that faint aura—
he sensed chains.
Not physical chains.
Law chains.
Ancient seals meant to suppress cultivation and life force itself.
Boom.
The Nine-Colored Deer lowered its voice.
"Your father is still alive… but barely."
Situ remained silent.
