Chapter 64: Realm
Four days later, Xingluo sat inside the university cafeteria with Ruan Mei, waiting for Su Lan to return with their food.
Ruan Mei scrolled through her phone without much interest, while Wuxia stood beside Xingluo and watched the students moving around them.
"It is almost time," he said.
Xingluo nodded, the past four days had been unusually quiet.
She would not receive any real military assignments until she graduated, while her university classes had returned to being painfully ordinary.
The only thing troubling her was Yun Xia, she had not answered any of Su Lan or Ruan Mei’s calls and had not returned to the university since the incident.
Neither of them knew what had happened, and Xingluo still had no idea what she should tell them. Before she could think further, Su Lan returned carrying a tray filled with food and several drinks.
"I had to wait forever because someone ahead of me ordered enough food for an entire—"
A deafening rumble suddenly passed beneath the city and the cafeteria floor shook violently as every window shattered at once.
A powerful shockwave swept through the building, pushing tables across the floor and throwing several students from their chairs.
Ruan Mei tumbled beside the table, while Su Lan lost her balance and fell with the tray, food scattered across the floor, and the drinks spilled over her clothes.
"What the hell!" Su Lan shouted.
Another rumble followed, stronger than the first, the entire university trembled as a heavy pressure descended over the area, forcing several students to bend forward while others struggled to remain standing.
Xingluo steadied herself against the table and looked through the shattered windows, dark clouds were spreading across the entire city.
They gathered from every direction and twisted toward the forest beyond the city walls, forming a massive vortex that covered most of the sky. Lightning moved silently within the clouds while the pressure in the air continued rising.
Two enormous pillars of light suddenly tore through the vortex and struck the distant forest and the impact shook the city again.
Buildings trembled, alarms began sounding across the university, and a bright crack appeared in the space between the two pillars. It stretched upward through the clouds before slowly tearing open.
The crack widened until its edges began rotating, forming a gigantic whirling gate above the forest.
It had appeared far beyond the university, but its scale was so immense that nearly everyone across the city could see it. The dark clouds and light surrounding it covered a large part of the horizon.
The cafeteria fell silent and the students crowded near the broken windows, staring at the gate with fear and awe. Others hurriedly pulled out their phones, while several had already begun rushing toward the exits.
A voice sounded directly inside Xingluo’s mind.
[The Ninefold Legacy Realm has opened.]
[Fate Star Token recognised.]
[Enter the realm, overcome the trial, and claim the legacy.]
The Fate Star Token hidden within her armor grew hot and began vibrating against her chest.
Xingluo placed a hand over it and gave a tired smile. "I did not expect something like this."
Wuxia appeared beside her and stared toward the enormous gate. "Neither did I."
His gaze moved across the cafeteria before returning to the gate visible beyond the city.
"Something this large cannot be hidden, it seems the beasts and trials inside will not be your only problems."
The shockwaves gradually faded, but the pressure covering the city remained.
Outside the university, alarms rang from several districts as people poured out of buildings and looked toward the enormous gate above the forest.
Shattered windows and fallen signboards covered parts of the streets, while several vehicles had collided after the sudden tremors.
There was no major destruction, but the entire city had been thrown into disorder. Traffic stopped across the main roads as drivers abandoned their vehicles to record the gate.
Shops lowered their shutters, parents rushed toward nearby schools and crowds gathered on rooftops and open streets where they could see the distant vortex more clearly.
The dark clouds continued rotating above the city, blocking most of the daylight. Even after the rumbling ended, the pressure coming from the gate left ordinary people breathless and made weaker Awakened uneasy.
City guards quickly entered the streets and ordered everyone to return indoors. Emergency barriers appeared around several important buildings, while patrol vehicles moved toward the outer districts.
The roads leading to the forest were sealed within minutes, at the military base, armed squads gathered near the city walls as scouts and detection drones were sent toward the gate.
None of them moved close enough to enter the surrounding pressure, and the readings they returned changed every few seconds.
The Awakeners Association issued an emergency notice soon after, warning all independent Awakened not to approach the forest until the nature of the gate had been confirmed.
Very few listened as several stronger Awakened had already begun moving toward the outer districts, while others contacted their guilds and families.
News of the gate spread through the city’s network almost immediately. Videos taken from different districts showed the same enormous vortex hanging above the forest.
Some recordings captured the two pillars of light, while others showed the moment the pressure swept across the streets.
Rumours followed soon after, some claimed a high-level dungeon had appeared. Others called it an ancient inheritance realm or a sealed battlefield.
A few posts warned that a beast tide would soon emerge from the gate, while others claimed the first people to enter would receive powers capable of changing the entire city.
None of the rumors had any evidence, but they spread faster than the official notices.
Within the university, nearly every student was staring at a phone or calling someone outside. Messages from family members filled the network as people tried to learn whether their relatives were safe.
Ruan Mei stood beside the broken window while scrolling through the reports.
"The military has already blocked the eastern and southern roads," she said. "They are telling everyone to stay away from the forest."
Su Lan wiped the drink from her face and looked at her ruined clothes. "They should also tell ancient realms not to open during lunch."
Xingluo barely heard her, the Fate Star Token continued pulsing beneath her armor, each vibration matching the slow rotation of the gate.
More students hurried out of the cafeteria, either heading toward their dormitories or trying to reach a better place to watch the disturbance.
Wuxia stared toward the city beyond the university. "The entire city is already moving," he said. "The military, the Association and every guild nearby will send people toward that gate."
She let out a slow breath. "So much for entering quietly."
"The trial may recognise your token," Wuxia replied, "but nothing says it will stop everyone else from following you inside."
Several hours passed before the Awakeners Association finally released an official notice.
According to the announcement, the gate was only an abnormal beast-tide dungeon. The military had already taken control of the surrounding forest and a specialised team was being assembled to clear it.
The notice asked everyone to remain calm and continue their normal activities.
Although many people still had doubts, most accepted the explanation. The pressure had weakened, nothing had emerged from the gate and the city had suffered little damage beyond shattered windows and a few minor accidents.
However, not everyone believed the officials.
The military had sealed every road leading toward the forest, blocked all independent Awakened from approaching, and refused to release any clear information about the gate’s rank or internal readings.
Rumours continued spreading even after the official notice, though the unrest across the city slowly began to settle.
Inside her dorm room, Xingluo read the announcement on her phone before turning the screen toward Wuxia. "An abnormal beast-tide gate?"
Wuxia scoffed. "What an honest government."
He looked toward the distant gate through the window, the vortex surrounding it had weakened, but its enormous outline was still visible beyond the city.
"They know it is not an ordinary dungeon," he continued. "The military, the Association and the powerful families are simply trying to take control before anyone else understands what it is."
Such opportunities were rarely left for ordinary Awakened, by the time the truth became public, every valuable thing from the gate would already belong to the major forces.
Xingluo lowered her phone and pouted. "They dare take control of my gate?"
Wuxia sighed. "Stop worrying about ownership and think about how you are going to enter it."
Her expression changed. "What do you mean?"
"They have sealed the entire forest, they may not even allow you near the entrance."
Xingluo’s eyes widened. "Would they really stop me?"
"Why would they not?" Wuxia replied. "At least until you are foolish enough to tell them everything and volunteer to become their test subject."
Xingluo raised her hand before he could continue. "Yes, yes. I understand. Stop talking about me becoming a test subject."
She dropped back onto the bed. "Then what do we do?"
"We find another way inside or convince someone with enough authority to take you there."
Before Xingluo could answer, someone knocked on the dorm room door. She stood with a tired groan and walked toward the entrance while muttering under her breath.
However, the moment she opened the door and saw Professor Liang standing outside, her expression and tone changed completely. "Professor! What brings you here?"
Professor Liang glanced at her sudden enthusiasm and chuckled. "Preserve some of that energy, young lady, you may need it soon."
Xingluo stepped aside and welcomed him inside, after he sat down, she took the chair opposite him and looked at him curiously. "Why did you come here so suddenly?"
Professor Liang’s smile faded as his expression became serious. "You see, the dungeon gate that appeared today..."