READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 58: Ripples of Power
The aftermath of Rui's punch reverberated far beyond the crater. The shockwave that had flattened the forest didn't stop at the edge of the clearing—it traveled miles, unsettling everything in its path. Villages on the outskirts of the region reported tremors strong enough to crack walls. Birds took to the skies in massive flocks, their screeches filling the air. And cultivators, those sensitive to the flows of aura and mana, felt the disturbance as a ripple in their very cores.
Some paused their meditations, their brows furrowed in concern. Others turned toward the direction of the energy, their gazes sharp with curiosity—or fear.
Rui and Heren stood at the edge of the crater, the enormity of the destruction spread before them. Heren paced back and forth, muttering under his breath. Rui remained still, staring at the horizon with a mixture of satisfaction and lingering exhaustion.
"Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Heren finally snapped, breaking the silence. "You didn't just destroy a mountain, Rui. You sent a signal to every cultivator within a thousand miles! That kind of power doesn't go unnoticed."
"I didn't intend to keep it quiet," Rui said calmly, though a flicker of doubt crossed his face. "Anyone who felt it will know what I'm capable of."
"And they'll come," Heren warned, his voice heavy with urgency. "Not to congratulate you, but to eliminate you. Power like yours makes you a target."
Rui turned to face Heren, his expression unreadable. "Let them come. I need to see how far I've really come—and how far I still have to go."
Ripples in the Capital
Far from the destruction, in the capital city's Grand Hall of Cultivation, a group of elders sat in meditation. The room was still, the only sound the faint crackle of incense burning at the altar. But as the ripple of energy reached them, the stillness broke.
One elder's eyes snapped open, his expression sharp with alarm. "What was that?" he asked, his voice cutting through the silence.
"A disturbance in the east," another replied, her tone wary. "Strong enough to be felt even here. That wasn't natural."
The head elder, seated at the center of the group, rose slowly. His eyes, clouded with age, gleamed with rare clarity. "Send scouts," he commanded. "I want to know who or what caused this—and if it's a threat to the capital."
Back at the crater, Rui sat cross-legged on the ground, his eyes closed as he steadied his breathing. The strain of his punch was catching up to him, the ache in his muscles a reminder of the fine line he had walked. Yet, beneath the exhaustion, there was a sense of exhilaration.
He reached inward, probing his core. The combined use of aura and mana had pushed him farther than he'd ever thought possible, but it had also revealed cracks in his control. If he was going to wield this power without destroying himself, he needed refinement.
Heren approached, his expression softening slightly. "You're not invincible, you know. That punch could've killed you as easily as it destroyed that mountain."
"I know," Rui replied without opening his eyes. "But I'm alive. And I'll get stronger."
Heren sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're a stubborn one, that's for sure. But I'll give you this—you've set a new standard. Just don't let it go to your head."
Rui smirked faintly, opening one eye. "I'll try."
Unbeknownst to Rui and Heren, figures were already moving in the shadows. News of the mountain's destruction spread quickly, and not all who heard it were content to leave it be. Forces from the capital, rogue cultivators, and even sects with their own agendas turned their sights eastward, drawn by the promise of power—or the need to eliminate a potential threat.
For Rui, the destruction of the mountain was just the beginning. The ripples he had sent through the world were returning, and with them came challenges that would test not just his strength, but his resolve.