Episode 10 theme: there comes Xiao Kai at the entrance of the cultivation domain after spending 15 hours inside absorbing qi something no one has done before
Everyone was shocked as the aura of Xiao Kai fills everywhere more powerful than before but still Xiao Kai is still seen as just a dou qi cultivator which makes it more confusing to everyone
The masters, grandmaster and the ancestor honoured him including all disciples with Cheng Xiao being one of them...
Episode 10: The Rising Storm - Azure Dragon Sky Sect Selection Rite
The news spread like wildfire across the Qi Dynasty and beyond—Xiao Kai, the boy once mocked for cultivating mere qi in a world where Dou Qi reigned supreme, had reappeared. But not just as he was—he returned after 15 hours with an aura so overwhelming that it suffocated even seasoned elders and sect masters.
The entrance of the Cultivation Domain shook with silent awe as Xiao Kai stepped into the ancient sect grounds of the Azure Dragon Sky Sect, his eyes calm, his presence sharp like unsheathed steel.
He didn't changed. Profoundly.
The Grandmaster, the Elders, even the reclusive Ancestor—who hadn't shown himself in three decades to honor any disciples—rose from their thrones to honor him. The disciples stood in reverence, whispering nervously among themselves, but none dared challenge the strange phenomenon.
Even Cheng Xiao, the ice-cold prodigy of the sect who had defeated countless sect geniuses disciples, bowed her head in recognition and also at that moment on from the very moment she gets to start familiarizing with Xiao Kai she seems to already be thinking heavily of Xiao Kai more than before
What made it all the more terrifying?
Despite the divine aura that blanketed him like the heavens themselves, Xiao Kai still gave off the presence of a qi cultivator, not even possessing the distinct Dou Qi flow that would mark him as a true Dou Master, let alone a Dou Zong. Yet... everyone could feel it—his strength, his unshakable depth.
A Name Carved in Destiny
That very day, the Azure Dragon Sky Sect made a public declaration: Xiao Kai would be allowed to choose his master in a grand ceremony scheduled two days hence.
News broke across empires.
From the freezing caverns of the Northern Ice Reaches to the blazing volcano sects of the Southern Infernos, talents and prodigies arrived in waves. Some came to witness. Some came to challenge. And some came to understand the mystery behind this young man whose name was now engraved in the wind: Xiao Kai.
Even his estranged father and competitive brothers arrived—men who once dismissed him as the weakest of the family. They now looked on him with guarded respect... and a trace of envy.
That day, amidst the azure banners and the endless flow of spiritual qi around the Sect Mountain, the crowd witnessed an unprecedented spectacle:
A Duel Like No Other
One after another, talented geniuses—some even from royal lineages—stepped forward to challenge Xiao Kai. And one after another, they fell.
Some used advanced Dou Techniques passed down by ancestors. Some summoned rare beast spirits. One even unleashed a forbidden flame technique said to scorch even the soul.
Xiao Kai didn't reject a single duel.
He honored every request with calm nods, standing amidst the storm of egos like a mountain beneath lightning.
And each battle ended the same way—with Xiao Kai victorious, and never wounded.
The world trembled in confusion:
> "How is he doing this with only qi cultivation?"
> "Could he have surpassed Dou Zong without ever stepping out of Dou Qi?"
The spiritual path itself trembled as his story spread like divine thunder through the heavens.
The Master's Choice...
After the duels, the time for master selection arrived.
The Azure Dragon Sky Sect had prepared for anything—but not this.
There were over forty legendary elders present, each powerful enough to command a small sect on their own. Even a few outside realm sages from ancient clans arrived, hoping to be chosen by Xiao Kai.
But after brief silence...
He raised his hand and bowed deeply before none other than Cheng Xiao's father, the calm and wise Elder Mo Tianlong, a man known for his temperance and mastery of celestial sword arts.
The elder was stunned.
But with grace, he accepted, and the rites began immediately under the glorious twilight of the Azure Sky Sect's twin suns.
The Final Rite: Claiming the Azure Dragon Star Sword
The last rite was the most sacred.
Every newly accepted disciple under the elite ranks of the Azure Dragon Sky Sect was tested by the sword—the legendary Azure Dragon Star Sword, a divine relic sealed within the core of the mountain's heart.
Only those worthy could even touch it. In its ten-thousand-year history, no one had succeeded.
The sword, said to have been carved from the falling essence of a dying star, pulsed with immense cosmic will.
Xiao Kai approached.
From the moment the sword was unsheathed and brought into the ceremonial grounds, something shifted.
The Star Tears Orb, hidden deep within Xiao Kai's spiritual sea, began to resonate violently. He felt it instantly—the orb thrummed like a beating heart, and within it, the locked power clawed to be released.
Unseen by all, a dim violet-golden light flickered briefly in Xiao Kai's eyes.
He stepped forward.
And then... the storm began.
Power Unleashed: A Heavenly Clash
A crushing pressure fell over the entire arena, warping the space itself.
Lightning tore through the skies. Pillars cracked. Protective arrays shattered.
The sword rejected him.
A force so mighty surged toward Xiao Kai that even some elders staggered backward. Blood trickled from his nose. His arms cracked under the pressure. His meridians screamed.
But he moved forward.
One step. Then another.
His spiritual core burned. His qi cultivation, refined through the Star Tears Orb and guided by the mysterious Star Tears Scroll, surged Xiao Kai power to its limit.
Still, it wasn't enough.
His body began to break.
He felt his life slipping. His vision blurred. He fell to one knee.
> "No... not here," he whispered.
> "Not yet."
The Orb Answers
In that final breath between life and annihilation, the Star Tears Orb pulsed.
A golden star map exploded within his sea of consciousness, unlocking Stage 2—the second resonance form.
His qi cultivation rocketed to the Peak Dou Zong (Stage 9), but unlike any Dou Zong in existence, it carried Heavenly Resonance.
The orb began to merge with the sword's resonance, its ancient memory recalling something long forgotten—a pact, a fragment of an ancient oath.
The sword trembled.
And then... stilled.
Everyone stared under very heavy pressure. Silence fell. Xiao Kai's body hovered midair, surrounded by a swirl of stardust energy, cracks healing, bones reforging, as the sword's aura folded to his will.
Just as his hand reached the hilt...
---
SUSPENSE ENDING
A sudden scream echoed from the crowd—
A black mist tore open reality behind the altar, and from it, a hand made of shadows surged toward Xiao Kai.
An ancient voice spoke:
> "That sword... does not belong to the present age. Xiao Kai must fall."
The elders moved too slow.
Cheng Xiao gasped.
And as the shadow hand reached his heart—
Everything froze.
To be continued...