The bronze bell atop the central pagoda struck midnight, sending deep vibrations through the white marble flagstones of the middle tier. Ye Chen marched at the rear of a four man escort detail, his boots making soft contact with the stone as they patrolled the perimeter wall near the eastern archives. His external aura remained pegged at Body Tempering Stage 5 behind the dark violet bands of the Crystalline Shackle, projecting the image of a diligent outer disciple fulfilling his routine duties. Proctor Liu had assigned this night watch as part of the upper tier promotion protocol, giving the commoner a front row seat to the sect sensitive boundary zones.
Ahead of them, the patrol leader raised a closed fist to signal a scheduled halt near the corner of the Hall of Records. The senior gua
