It had been a week since Li Tianming ascended the first step of the Staircase of Stars and acquired the Heaven-grade skill Stellar Tempest Blade. The System was still analyzing the fragmented visions he'd absorbed—visions of ancient battles, forgotten immortals, and a white-robed woman lost to time.
And while he honed his new technique in secret, the sect buzzed with another topic altogether:
> A royal envoy had arrived from the Western Flame Empire.
This was rare.
Azure Cloud Sect sat above politics. Even empires treaded carefully around its domain. But this envoy came not to threaten—but to request.
More precisely: they brought a candidate.
---
Grand Assembly Hall – Cloud Throne Peak
Cloud Throne Peak, the highest summit in the sect, was reserved for elders, core disciples, and special events. Today, every elder and inner disciple had gathered in the Grand Assembly Hall—a towering dome with flowing banners of cloud silk and floating runes spiraling through the air.
Li Tianming stood among hundreds of disciples on the marble floor, his expression calm but eyes keen.
At the head of the hall sat Sect Master Mo Tianhua, a man whose aura was like a mountain above the clouds—silent, unseen, but omnipresent.
Beside him stood a middle-aged man in crimson court robes, the envoy from the Western Flame Empire, and next to him—
Her.
The crowd had already begun whispering.
"Is that her?"
"The Phoenix Princess of the West?"
"She's… stunning."
"Wait—she's joining the sect?"
She stood proudly, back straight, chin high. Her robe was scarlet with golden embroidery in the shape of flames and feathers. A flame-shaped pendant hung from her neck, and her hair was coiled into a regal braid adorned with phoenix pins.
But it wasn't her beauty that stunned the room—it was her aura.
Refined. Composed. Noble.
And powerful.
Even standing still, her spiritual energy shimmered like fire under ice. Controlled, focused, yet undeniably potent.
"My name is Feng Qingxue," she said clearly, her voice carrying across the hall without raising. "Daughter of the Western Flame Emperor, bearer of the Vermilion Heart Flame, descendant of the Phoenix Vein. I seek the right to join the Azure Cloud Sect and earn my place by merit."
A murmur passed through the disciples.
An imperial princess. Voluntarily subjecting herself to sect law.
Mo Tianhua nodded slightly. "Your identity carries weight, but here, all must prove themselves through trial. Even phoenixes must fly through storms."
"I would not have it otherwise," she replied.
---
Trial of Entry – Fire Lotus Arena
The arena blazed with spirit fire. Dozens of stone lotus platforms floated in concentric circles above a burning lake. Each disciple had to leap from one to the next, dodging flame spirits and absorbing fire essence without losing footing.
It was a test of control, not brute force.
Most inner disciples could cross five to six platforms before falling or losing focus.
Feng Qingxue?
She glided across ten, hair rippling, flames curling harmlessly around her form. Every time a flame spirit lunged, it parted for her like reeds before the wind.
On the twelfth platform, she paused—and unleashed a single, focused breath.
A blazing phoenix manifested behind her, wings spanning skyward. Then she dispelled it, gracefully bowing and returning to the starting platform.
> Trial passed. Rank established: Inner Disciple – Tier 3.
Honorary Core Evaluation: Pending.
The crowd applauded, not forced, but genuine.
Li Tianming, arms folded, watched with measured interest.
Then—her eyes met his.
For the briefest moment, the air between them warmed.
She nodded politely.
He returned it—just as polite.
But something flickered between them: recognition.
Not of past familiarity, but of similar weight. Two lives burning brightly under heaven's eye.
---
Later That Evening – Spirit Willow Garden
Beneath the weeping branches of glowing willow trees, inner disciples meditated or studied. Li Tianming sat on a stone bench, one hand tracing a rune while the System quietly analyzed the Stellar Tempest Blade's second form.
"You don't seem impressed," a calm, regal voice said behind him.
He didn't need to look to know it was Feng Qingxue.
"You didn't fall into the lake," he replied. "That's rare. I suppose that's impressive."
She walked around the bench and sat across from him, folding her hands neatly in her lap.
"You're the one who broke the mirror," she said. "The one who forced Leng Shuang'er into retreat. And the one the elders now whisper about."
"You're well-informed."
"I do my research."
He smiled slightly. "And what did you conclude?"
"That you're dangerous," she said without hesitation.
Then, unexpectedly, she smiled too. "That's not an insult."
Li Tianming tilted his head. "What do you want?"
She met his eyes. "Alliance."
"Already?"
"Soon, the sect will fracture," she said. "Too many power shifts. Too many ambitions. The Staircase of Stars? It's just the first spark. The Core Disciples are already watching you—and the elders are divided."
Li Tianming's expression darkened.
"And you?" he asked.
"I want freedom," she said. "In my empire, I'm a puppet princess with royal blood and no power. Here, I can become something else. But not alone."
He studied her.
Strong. Controlled. Calculating.
But also… sincere.
"You're the type that chooses her allies like choosing chess pieces," he said.
She nodded. "And you're the only piece I can't predict."
That earned a small laugh from him.
"Well then," he said. "We'll see how this alliance plays out. But fair warning—my board doesn't play by palace rules."
Feng Qingxue stood, graceful as ever.
"I never liked palace rules."
And then she left, like a candle snuffed by wind.
---
Meanwhile – Core Disciple Chambers
Gu Zhen knelt before a glowing mirror, face cold.
Inside the mirror shimmered the face of a man cloaked in shadow, his features distorted.
"Li Tianming has stepped beyond the allowed bounds," the voice said. "He cannot be allowed to rise unchecked."
"He's protected now," Gu Zhen replied bitterly. "Leng Shuang'er favors him. Feng Qingxue is circling him. The Sect Master watches him too closely."
"Then make it look like an accident," the voice whispered. "Or provoke someone else. Jealousy is more deadly than blades."
The mirror dimmed.
Gu Zhen stood, a cruel smile on his lips.
---
Atop Jade Wind Peak – Midnight
Li Tianming stood on the edge of a cliff, wind whipping through his hair. The stars were out—bright, cold, distant.
The System spoke softly:
> [New Side Quest Available: "Echoes of the Star Maiden"]
[Prerequisite: Interaction with Host's bloodline memory completed.]
[Objective: Locate the Lost Fragment – Temple of Withered Moon]
[Reward: ??? + Stellar Tempest Blade: Form 2 Unlock]
[Estimated Location: 900 li northeast – Uncharted ruins outside Sect territory]
He took a deep breath.
The path ahead was vast.
His allies were rising. His enemies were plotting.
And the heavens?
They were watching.
---
[End of Chapter 6]