In the great Jade Assembly Hall of Qingling Sect, golden incense burned in long streams, coiling like ancient dragons toward the vaulted ceiling. Hanging banners rippled with spiritual script. The full moon gleamed through the high windows, illuminating the flawless marble beneath.
Sect Master Lin Tianyan sat upon his celestial throne, his silvery-blue robes flowing like the night sky. His gaze was sharp, serene, and absolute.
At his side knelt his son, Ling Xuanye, robes of cloud-azure now stitched with silver trim of his new core formation rank. Calm, unreadable, he sat in silence, his presence commanding but quiet.
Before them, the hall was filled to the edges — the hall masters, seated cross-legged in the semi-circle near the dais; the elders, kneeling in their ranks beyond; and in long lines stretching to the gate, the disciples of all halls — Fire Orchid, Water Painting, Cloud Feather, Blade Song, and others.
Among the foremost stood Shui Lin, Yue Chányīn, Feng Ruo, and Huo Shan, all poised in silence, eyes fixed on the dais.
And in front, bowing with grace and stillness, stood Su Feilí.
When the final note of the morning bell faded, Sect Master Lin Tianyan spoke.
"All disciples. All elders. All halls."
His voice, calm but immense, echoed like distant thunder.
"The previous demon-hunting tournament was meant to test strength. What it revealed… was threat."
"The power of demons has surged. Their numbers are rising. Their cultivation has evolved."
A heavy stillness passed over the room.
"And so, Qingling will not sit still. We will act — not alone, but before the world."
He raised a sleeve. A scroll unfurled behind him, its script glowing faintly.
"In one month, Qingling Sect will host a Grand Dueling Tournament. All sects — all nations — shall be invited. Let the heavens know that humanity stands united."
Murmurs rippled. Eyes widened.
"From the Southern Flame Temple to the Crystal Wind Alliance. From the Empyrean Lotus Empire to the Sea Cloud Kingdom — all will send their chosen. We will show the world…"
His voice lowered with authority.
"…that Qingling does not fear the abyss. We guard the heavens."
An uproar followed.
Applause from disciples, cries of joy, muttered pride. Even some elders nodded with rare approval.
Qingling Sect — the most powerful, most resourceful, and largest sect in the world — was ready to show its strength again.
"The disciple who proves strongest," Lin continued, "whether from Qingling or another — shall be rewarded with treasures from the Deep Vault, rare pills from the Ancient Furnace Hall, and cultivation scrolls from my personal library."
The roar of excitement was deafening.
Huo Shan slapped Shui Lin's back. Feng Ruo smirked. Even Yue Chányīn raised an eyebrow.
📜 Orders Passed, Path Sealed
By nightfall, sealed letters had already left on spirit cranes and wind-gliders, bound for every major sect and royal palace across the continent.
Within hours, messengers crossed oceans and mountains.
A storm had been declared.
And all would gather at Qingling's peak.
🔒 The Cave of Ascending Stars
As the elders and disciples left the Jade Hall, only Xuanye and Su Feilí remained before the throne.
Lin Tianyan looked to his son.
"Xuanye. You will not join the preparations."
Xuanye blinked. "I won't?"
"No. You will go into seclusion."
The hall quieted. Su Feilí straightened.
"For one month, you will enter the Cave of Ascending Stars — the place I sealed after the last celestial storm. It is saturated with ancient qi from a fallen star. You will cultivate, refine your techniques, and master your foundation."
"You will not return until the day before the tournament."
Xuanye nodded, though something flickered in his eyes.
"Understood."
"And," Lin Tianyan said more quietly, "your power — the one we have not spoken of — is beginning to awaken. You've inherited an attribute of Void Lightning."
A silence dropped like a stone.
Even Su Feilí's eyes widened slightly.
"It is rare. More than rare. It is forbidden to many cultivation paths because it devours spiritual balance. But you… you were born for it."
He placed a jade slip in Xuanye's hand.
"Study this. It contains a single ancient technique—'Heaven-Drowning Pulse.' Use it only when you are ready to sacrifice something."
Xuanye accepted it, expression unreadable.
"You must learn not just to wield power," Lin said, "but to know when not to. That is what makes a cultivator become a king."
Su Feilí watched silently, her gaze soft.
"I'll escort him," she said.
"No. He must go alone," the Sect Master said.
"But—"
"Only alone will he meet himself."
Xuanye looked to Su Feilí and smiled faintly.
"Don't worry. I'll return with more tricks to annoy you."
"You better," she said under her breath.
And so, under moonlight, Xuanye left Qingling's central courtyard — robes fluttering in the cold wind — and stepped toward the distant cliffs, where the Cave of Ascending Stars pulsed like a forgotten star waiting to be stirred.
To be continued...