Su Chan, his mind still buzzing from the overwhelming events in the main hall and the incredible surge of power from his Foundation Building Peak cultivation, finally reached the quiet solitude of his own small courtyard on Fairy Peak.
The Chaos Vision had long since faded, and the spiritual energy in the air, though still richer than before, had begun to normalize. He needed to meditate, to truly comprehend the changes within him, to familiarize himself with the profound depths of his newly fused Chaos Divine Body and the Emperor Grade 'Grand Primordial Chaos Art.'
He sat cross-legged on his meditation cushion, a faint, almost triumphant smile on his lips. The future, once a bleak landscape dictated by a cannon fodder's tragic script, now stretched before him, filled with boundless possibilities. He closed his eyes, his spiritual sense turning inwards, ready to explore the wonders of his transformed physique.
He focused on his dantian, now a swirling nebula of chaotic energy. He marveled at his meridians, expanded and resilient, thrumming with potent power. He felt the innate connection to all elements, the effortless comprehension of Dao principles that the Chaos Divine Body granted. This was true power. This was his new beginning.
Suddenly, an indescribable, agonizing pain ripped through his chest, centering on his heart. It was not a physical blow, but something far more insidious, a torment that clawed at his very soul. It felt as if thousands, no, millions of venomous ants were crawling, burrowing, and feasting upon his heart, each bite an explosion of pure, unadulterated agony.
"Argh!" A choked gasp tore from Su Chan's throat. His body convulsed. The triumphant smile vanished, replaced by a mask of contorted pain.
A terrifying heat, an unnatural, corrosive inferno, erupted within him, seeming to originate from that tormented heart. It spread like wildfire through his newly expanded meridians, through his strengthened bones, through his very flesh. But this was not the tempering fire of cultivation; it was a fire of destruction, a malevolent force intent on consuming him from within.
To his horror, Su Chan discovered that his Chaos Divine Body, the source of his newfound hope and power, the very foundation of his future, seemed to be… dissipating. The profound connection to the primordial Dao felt like it was being gnawed away, bit by agonizing bit. The chaotic energy within his dantian was becoming erratic, tainted, as if a virulent poison was spreading through it.
"No… no! What is happening?!" he moaned, clutching his chest, his body trembling violently. The intense pain was rapidly escalating, threatening to overwhelm his consciousness. His cultivation, which had just spectacularly soared to the Peak of Foundation Building, began to recede, the spiritual energy within him vanishing as if into a bottomless void.
[Ding! System Alert! Host's condition critical!
Ding! Detecting presence of an extremely potent and deeply hidden curse upon the Host!
Origin of Curse: Unknown (Beyond current System detection capabilities).
Curse Level: Unfathomably High (Beyond current System assessment parameters).]
[Ding! System diagnostic level is too low to provide further detailed information about the curse's nature or specific properties.]
[Ding! System upgrade is required for advanced analysis. System upgrade will be initiated after the primary objective – elimination of the Son of Destiny (Ye Fan) – is completed.]
[Ding! Warning! Detected curse is actively eroding Host's Chaos Divine Body and devouring Host's cultivated spiritual energy!]
[Ding! Critical Warning! If unchecked, the curse will completely devour the Chaos Divine Body and all cultivation within approximately [Timeframe Extremely Short – Variable based on Host's resistance]. Subsequently, Host's life force will be extinguished. Estimated : Death.]
Su Chan's blood ran cold, colder than any ice Bai Lianxin could conjure. A curse? An unfathomably powerful curse? His mind reeled in disbelief and dawning despair. The novel… the original story he remembered so vividly… it had never mentioned him having any curse! The original Su Chan was just a mediocre talent, a cannon fodder who died due to his own foolishness, not some insidious, hidden affliction! Was this a deviation caused by his reincarnation? Or a detail the novel simply never revealed because the original Su Chan died too early for it to matter?
"System!" he gasped, his voice raspy with pain, "Find a solution! There must be a way to stop this!"
[Ding! System analysis ongoing… System computational level is too low to identify or provide a guaranteed solution for a curse of this magnitude at this time.
Current recommendation: Attempt to suppress with extreme willpower and circulate Grand Primordial Chaos Art to resist erosion. Success likelihood: Minimal without external intervention or higher system capabilities.]
"Damn it all!" Su Chan swore, his vision blurring. "What the hell is this?! Even the system can't find a solution? What am I supposed to do?!" A wave of icy despair, even more chilling than the burning pain, washed over him. Just when he had grasped a thread of hope, when he had seen a path to change his fate, to protect those he was beginning to care for, this… this cruel, unseen enemy had struck from within.
It seems… I really am going to die… Just like the original Su Chan, but in a far more agonizing way…
His strength was failing. The vibrant power of the Chaos Divine Body felt like it was bleeding away, leaving him hollow and weak. The world began to spin.
Master… Senior Sister… Ning Youxi… Lin Ruo'er… I'm sorry… It seems I won't be able to protect you after all… I won't be able to bring glory…
With a final, shuddering gasp, the world went black, and Su Chan slumped forward, unconscious on his meditation cushion, his body still radiating an unnatural, destructive heat.
Simultaneously, across the Tianshang Holy Land and beyond, within the minds of the fifty-plus heroines bound to Su Chan's Diary System:
A series of urgent, crimson-red system notifications blazed into their consciousness, overriding any other thoughts, shattering any lingering peace or excitement from the earlier Chaos Vision.
[SYSTEM ALERT: DIARY HOST SU CHAN IS IN CRITICAL DANGER!
SYSTEM ALERT: AN UNKNOWN, POWERFUL CURSE HAS BEEN DETECTED ACTIVELY ERODING HOST SU CHAN'S CHAOS DIVINE BODY AND CULTIVATION!
SYSTEM ALERT: PROGNOSIS CRITICAL – IMMINENT DEATH OF HOST SU CHAN IF CURSE IS NOT COUNTERED!
SYSTEM ALERT: CURRENT SYSTEM LEVEL INSUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE SOLUTION OR DETAILED CURSE ANALYSIS!]
Fairy Peak – Main Hall (Moments after Su Chan had left):
Bai Lianxin: She had just dismissed her other disciples, a rare, proud smile still gracing her lips from Su Chan's earlier declaration. The sudden, terrifying system alerts hit her like a physical blow. Her blood ran cold, the Saint King's composure shattering instantly. Curse? Su Chan? Dying?! IMPOSSIBLE! Her figure vanished from the hall, reappearing an instant later outside Su Chan's courtyard, her aura blazing with an icy, murderous fury and a desperate, palpable fear she hadn't felt in centuries.
Fang Xin: She was walking back to her own chambers, her heart still light from Su Chan's newfound resolve. The crimson warnings seared into her mind. "Junior Brother Su Chan?!" she gasped, her face paling dramatically. All thoughts of her own cultivation vanished. She spun around, her graceful form a blur as she shot towards Su Chan's courtyard.
Ning Youxi: The warmth and hope that had blossomed in her heart turned to icy dread. Second Senior Brother… cursed? Dying? No! It can't be! Tears welled in her eyes as she, too, turned and raced after Fang Xin, her usually gentle aura now frantic with worry.
Lin Ruo'er: Her cheerful humming died in her throat. The system's words were like daggers. "Senior Brother Su Chan is going to DIE?!" she cried out, her voice trembling, tears already streaming down her face as she stumbled after her older sisters.
Other Heroines – A Wave of Shock and Despair:
Lan Xianyi (Holy Lord): Her enigmatic smile vanished, replaced by a frown of profound gravity. A curse capable of devouring a Primordial Grade physique like the Chaos Divine Body, and even this mysterious system cannot analyze it? What ancient, forbidden power is at play? Su Chan… his destiny was meant to be grand… Her own vast spiritual sense began to probe towards Fairy Peak.
Aan Chinner (Hundred Followers Holy Land): She dropped the practice sword she was holding. Su Chan… cursed? The one who knew Ye Fan's true nature… the one with the Chaos Divine Body… No! This can't be happening! He was supposed to stop Ye Fan! A strange, unexpected ache filled her heart.
Shen Qingyu (Ice Lotus Peak Master): Her icy aura fluctuated wildly. A curse of that magnitude? On Bai Lianxin's disciple, the owner of the Chaos physique? This is a calamity not just for Fairy Peak, but for the entire Holy Land!
Yu Xinyue (Alchemy Peak Master): Her gentle hands, usually steady as she concocted pills, began to tremble. Su Chan… that earnest boy… to suffer such a cruel fate after such a momentous awakening? Is there no heavenly justice?
Hua Yueli (Illusory Peak Master): Her usual delighted amusement at drama was entirely absent, replaced by a rare, shocked seriousness. A curse that even his powerful system can't handle? This isn't entertaining; this is terrifying. The Chaos Divine Body… gone, just like that?
Across the Tiaxu Continent, fifty-plus women, from powerful sect leaders to secluded princesses, from fierce warriors to gentle healers, all received the same horrifying news. The boy whose diary had inexplicably bound them together, the boy whose secret knowledge and unexpected rise had become a focal point of their hopes and fears, was on the brink of death, struck down by an enemy more insidious and terrifying than any they could have imagined. The undercurrents, once surging with excitement from the Chaos Vision, now roiled with a new, desperate urgency.