Against The Eternity Chapter 23: [22] Chapter - 10: Crown Chakra Ignition (Part - 1/2)

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[22] Chapter - 10: Crown Chakra Ignition (Part - 1/2) Eklavya’s hold on his sword tightened as he adjusted his stance, positioning himself between the unconscious Anshvi and the five strangers. His breathing was still laboured from the fight, but he stood steadily nonetheless. His gaze scanned each of the strangers in turn, though he didn’t say anything. Each of them had the air of trained cultivators about them. Their breathing was slow and deliberate. Their eyes were calm, yet cold. The kind of eyes that had seen death too many times and had long since become desensitised to it. There was a quiet killing intent behind the calm facade they presented. It was an intent so potent that the air around them seemed heavy with it. But the man in the centre was the one who immediately caught Eklavya’s attention. He was obviously the leader of the group. His head was surrounded by short green hair that seemed to move with the night breeze, like blades of grass in the light of the moon. His eyes were the same shade of green as his hair, bright, cold, and full of the arrogance of someone with overwhelming strength and unquestioned authority. His posture was lazy, yet there was no mistaking the confidence in the way he stood. This was a man who believed that the world would make room for him. Eklavya knew this man immediately. Pranayan Nair. The Young Master of the Falling Leaf Sect—the most powerful sect in the entire Mati Empire. This name alone would make most cultivators lose their nerve. Most warriors would already have bent their heads in submission at the mere sight of this man because he was the young master of the Falling Leaf sect. Yet Eklavya’s face did not change. His mind, however, sharpened like steel sharpened on a whetstone. He analysed the formation of this group. The distance between them. The small degrees by which they were positioned. The small ways in which their gazes drifted to the corpse of the lion, to Anshvi lying motionless behind it. Pranayan Nair took a step forward, his boots crunching softly against the leaves that were scattered across the clearing. His eyes roved across the battlefield with genuine curiosity. The massive corpse of the Two-Snake-Tailed Lion. The cracked earth upon which this battle had been fought. The broken trees that surrounded this clearing. The lingering hum of dissipating ki in the air and then his eyes landed upon Eklavya. A smile spread across his face. “Well, well,” he said, his voice like silk running across water. “That was… impressive.” Eklavya didn’t respond to the praise. His gaze flicked down briefly to Anshvi. Her lashes trembled faintly, her breathing shallow as exhaustion held her unconscious. Dust and streaks of blood marked her face and clothes, evidence of the brutal fight they had barely survived. His grip tightened slightly as he adjusted his stance, placing himself more firmly between her and the newcomers. When he looked up again, his expression had turned cold. “What do you want?” he asked. Pranayan did not answer immediately. Instead, he allowed his gaze to wander lazily across the battlefield, as if inspecting a performance that had mildly entertained him. His eyes lingered briefly on the massive corpse of the Two-Snake-Tailed Lion before moving over the shattered trees and scarred earth. But Eklavya’s instincts screamed something different. The young master’s true interest was not the beast. Something about the situation felt wrong. ‘ I need to get out of here,’ Eklavya thought, his muscles tightening subtly. ‘These people aren’t here with good intentions.’ As he shifted his weight slightly, his eyes caught the jade pendants hanging from each man’s waist. The sigil engraved into them was unmistakable—a single falling leaf carved in delicate detail. Eklavya was now confirmed that they were definitely from the Falling Leaf Sect. Previously, he knew who they were because of their dress, but now, after seeing the sigil, it was confirmed to him. ‘Members of the Fall