Morning at the inn.
Sunlight slanted through the window lattice,
Illuminating the letter and token on the table.
Xiao Chen packed his belongings, calm in demeanor—
Yet his gaze drifted often toward the window.
Xuan Chen sat nearby, tapping the wooden table with his right finger,
As if sorting through thoughts.
"Why do you think Ao Tian Academy suddenly extended an olive branch?"
Xiao Chen asked quietly.
Xuan Chen narrowed his eyes.
"It wasn't sudden.
They've been waiting for the right moment.
They likely uncovered clues long ago—
This time, they've confirmed our identities.
And the timing…
They probably noticed signs we were preparing to leave town,
Coupled with the recent commotion.
That's when they decided to act."
Xiao Chen nodded.
"Makes sense.
Otherwise, how could they move so precisely?
Still…
Won't this push Supreme Academy into a corner?"
He opened the door, nodded to Xuan Chen—
Signaling they were ready to depart.
The two dressed plainly, traveling light.
Their packs were clean and minimal—
No excess.
Downstairs, a few patrons were quietly eating.
As the two entered the hall,
The ambient chatter paused.
Eyes turned,
Voices dropped.
Some whispered, eyes flickering with caution and curiosity.
Others quickly looked away,
Their expressions tinged with unease and tension.
Many simply watched in silence—
Smiles half-formed,
Eyes hiding wariness and dread.
A server started forward,
Then froze mid-step,
Panic flashing in his eyes.
The innkeeper gave an awkward smile,
Said nothing,
And merely instructed the staff to bring food.
Xuan Chen smiled faintly, saying nothing.
His gaze swept the room—
Subtle, but sharp.
In one corner, a man in a plain blue shirt seemed unremarkable.
Yet under the scrutiny of many eyes,
He discreetly recorded something—
Then lowered his head.
Xiao Chen whispered,
"They're all watching us."
He frowned, sending a thought-message:
Brother, I think they know we're leaving.
Xuan Chen didn't reply.
He simply flicked a silver needle toward the window.
It embedded into the eaves—
No sound.
But a faint ripple of energy broke.
A sensing array, he said calmly.
But weak.
Likely just monitoring movement—
Not tracking us directly.
Let's go, then?
No rush.
If they really wanted to intercept us,
This wouldn't be the place.
After breakfast, the two settled their bill.
The innkeeper tried to remain composed—
But his fingers trembled as he handed over the coins.
Just as they reached the door,
A window upstairs creaked.
A faint, hidden aura swept past.
Xuan Chen remained calm,
Sending a thought-message:
Someone really doesn't want us to leave.
Moments after stepping outside,
Several figures blocked their path.
The leader wore a black robe with gold trim,
A purple-gold badge at his waist—
The mark of Supreme Academy.
He smiled, but his tone was cold.
"Since Ao Tian Academy has shown you favor—
Why not discuss things with us first?"
Xiao Chen blinked—
Then smirked.
"Are you here to invite us—
Or threaten us?"
A gray-robed youth beside him, eyes sharp and cruel,
Spoke coldly.
"You two sure know how to disrespect Supreme Academy."
Xuan Chen gave a faint smile.
"Your respect…
When did we ever accept it?"
The gray-robed youth flushed with rage.
Sword energy flared in his hand.
Several disciples behind him stepped forward,
Intent on blocking their way.
The leader's smile didn't fade.
"With your talent,
You should be on our side.
Otherwise…
If you disrupt the game,
It'd be a shame."
From the shadows of the alley,
More figures emerged—
All in matching black robes,
Eyes cold, auras suppressed.
They had clearly been lying in wait.
Xiao Chen stepped forward, voice icy.
"If you want a fight—
I'll send a few of you straight to your ancestors."
As the words fell,
He stomped the ground.
Dragon Soul appeared in his hand.
The spear didn't move—
But its aura surged like a tidal wave,
Distorting the air around them.
The gray-robed youth's face twisted in shock.
Just as he opened his mouth—
Xuan Chen flicked his finger.
A blade of invisible sword energy tore through the air,
Grazing the youth's ear—
And carving a fine line into the wall behind him.
"If you don't back off—
My brother here isn't as patient as I am."
The hidden figures sensed the shift.
In perfect sync, they moved to seal the alley—
Blades and swords drawn,
Silent, but radiating killing intent.
Xiao Chen raised an eyebrow,
Still walking forward.
He tilted his head and muttered,
"Black-cloaks again?
Why are they so obsessed?"
Xuan Chen replied softly,
"Left side.
Third man.
Behind the ear—see the slight bulge?"
Xiao Chen paused, then grinned.
"Oh, that ear?
I remember it.
The one who got clipped by the flying fan?
Bold of him to come collect that debt."
At that moment,
One of the black-cloaked men stepped forward.
His voice was raspy.
"Gentlemen, please stay."
Xuan Chen spoke calmly.
"Supreme Academy sent you?"
The man hesitated—
Then replied coldly.
"We're under orders.
You're to change course.
They don't want you stepping into Ao Tian Academy."
Xiao Chen leaned on Dragon Soul,
Smiling freely.
"What they want—
Shouldn't they ask what we want?"
The man snorted.
Five more black-cloaked figures arrived,
Forming a battle formation to block their path.
Tension rose.
Xuan Chen shifted his stance,
Sending a thought-message:
Quick and clean.
Don't alert the town guards.
Xiao Chen nodded,
A wicked smile forming.
"Don't worry.
I'm not in the mood to leave survivors."
Xuan Chen said quietly,
"I'll take the commander.
You handle the rest."
Xiao Chen grinned.
"Perfect."
Spiritual energy surged beneath their feet—
Cracks spread across the ground.
Xiao Chen stepped forward, face cold.
He raised his voice.
"Where's the guy who took my punch last time?
Hiding again?
Planning a sneak attack?"
His voice wasn't loud—
But it cut through the wind,
Echoing in all directions.
He turned to the masked men,
Eyes sharp.
"If you think you can stop us—
Try.
But I'll be honest—
None of you will last three moves."
The air froze.
Several faces paled.
One man instinctively glanced toward the alley's shadows—
As if waiting for orders.
Xuan Chen let out a cold laugh,
His gaze flicking toward the rooftop of a nearby tile house.
His voice was calm—
But carried absolute certainty.
"If you don't show yourself within three breaths—
I'll assume you're nothing but cowards."
As the words fell,
A faint ripple of spiritual energy stirred in the shadows—
Then quickly receded.
Someone had nearly stepped forward—
But hesitated.
Xiao Chen scoffed.
"Fine.
If you only dare to watch, not act—
Then get lost.
Don't block our path."
The black-cloaked figures exchanged glances.
Then quietly withdrew.
None dared step forward.
Xuan Chen and Xiao Chen didn't pause.
They walked straight through the alley.
The man in the gold-trimmed robe clenched his teeth,
Cursing under his breath.
But he swallowed his anger—
And waved his group away.
Xiao Chen sneered.
"When they can't have something—
They try to destroy it.
That's the real disgrace."
Xuan Chen replied calmly.
"In power struggles,
Nothing is off the table.
What we've seen so far—
Is just the appetizer.
If I'm right,
Supreme Academy and Starseizing Palace
Have a much bigger plan in motion.
The real game…
Is still ahead."
Their eyes met—
And they stepped onto the path toward Tianping Mountain.
—
Tianping Mountain lay several miles southeast of the town.
Its shape was perfectly symmetrical—
Balanced on both sides,
Hence its name.
Known as the meeting point of Yin and Yang,
It had long been a place of quiet cultivation.
A favored site for secluded talks among strategists and sages—
Symbolizing calm minds and balanced intentions.
The two ascended the mountain trail,
Reaching halfway up.
The surroundings were silent.
Only the wind brushing through pine branches
Made a soft, low hum.
Xiao Chen walked ahead—
Then suddenly stopped, frowning.
"Brother…
Do you smell that?"
Xuan Chen tilted his head.
A strange scent drifted through the air—
A mix of faint sulfur…
And floral fragrance.
"Southeast."
He pointed toward a vine-covered path,
His voice steady.
They carefully moved past the underbrush,
Venturing deeper.
Soon, they reached a hidden hollow behind a cliff—
Nestled within the mountain's curve,
Invisible to outsiders.
Strangely, amidst the tangled dead vines,
A single half-height flower bloomed.
Its petals shimmered faintly,
Its core flickering like starlight—
A soft blue glow pulsing in the shadows.
"What is…"
Xiao Chen crouched, trying to get a closer look.
But Xuan Chen suddenly reached out,
Stopping him.
"Wait," he said quietly.
Xuan Chen flipped his palm,
His fingertip traced the air—
Spiritual energy formed glowing patterns on the ground,
Revealing a hidden array of sigils.
Xiao Chen gasped.
"A trap array?"
Xuan Chen's expression turned serious.
He studied the formation carefully,
Then spoke.
"This isn't Central Plains style…
It resembles the ancient sects of Eastern Continent.
It's a reactive kill array—
But the resonance doesn't match fate marks.
It's hiding something…
A soul-based pattern, perhaps."
"Eastern Continent?"
Xiao Chen blinked.
"My master said they severed ties with us centuries ago."
"They did.
But this array was placed later.
It's not original—
It's a Redirect Array."
"Redirect?"
"Yes.
It draws something—
An object, an aura—
From afar, using a medium.
This flower…
Might be bait."
As he spoke,
Xuan Chen raised his palm into the air.
Spiritual energy rippled outward,
Touching the layers of spatial force.
Instantly, dust scattered from the underbrush.
Serpentine lines emerged—
Forming a fractured star map.
At its center—
The glowing blue flower.
Xiao Chen's eyes widened.
"That's… the array's core?"
Xuan Chen nodded.
"And it's broken.
Which means the array's master is long gone."
He paused.
"We can try to break the array and take the item—
But it must be done in one breath.
Otherwise, the backlash could be severe."
Xiao Chen steadied himself,
Holding Dragon Soul across his body.
His aura tightened,
Eyes focused.
Xuan Chen stepped lightly,
Tracing several spiritual glyphs.
Each one flowed into the array—
Like water smoothing cracked stone.
The glyphs followed the fractures,
Gradually restoring the star map.
Moments later,
He whispered—
"Break."
Boom!
A transparent shield exploded in the air,
Dissolving like a curtain of water.
Xuan Chen's palm trembled—
As if resonating with an ancient memory.
The blue flower shivered,
Its core flashing with starlight.
Xiao Chen moved instantly—
Snatching the flower, roots and all,
Then leapt back three steps.
Just as he left the spot—
The ground split open.
A chasm yawned beneath the array's core,
Swallowing it whole.
"Close one…"
Xiao Chen stared at the strange flower in his hand.
Suddenly, his fingertips tingled—
A surge of cold and heat rushed into his body.
Xuan Chen immediately grabbed his wrist,
Spiritual energy flowing to suppress the anomaly.
After a few breaths,
Xiao Chen gave a wry smile.
"Definitely not an ordinary spirit plant."
Xuan Chen examined the patterns at the flower's root.
"This is a Starcinder Bloom.
It absorbs soul remnants and lingering thoughts—
And resonates with fate marks.
Its presence here…
Likely triggered by the aura of a fallen fate cultivator."
Xiao Chen froze.
"So someone… died here?"
"Or someone used this place as a ritual anchor."
Xuan Chen placed the flower into his spatial pouch,
His voice low.
Xiao Chen pondered.
"Brother…
If that's true,
Then whoever set this array must've fused Central Plains fate cultivation
With Eastern Continent techniques.
Otherwise, how could they master both fate marks and this kind of array?"
Xuan Chen nodded.
"You're right.
The aura here carries traces of Central fate veins—
And Eastern-style spirit convergence.
If this person is still alive…
They're dangerous."
"Eastern Continent…"
Xiao Chen murmured.
Just then,
A deep chuckle echoed from behind an ancient tree.
"Young man has sharp eyes.
To recognize the fusion of Eastern spirit veins and fate marks—
Not bad."
An old man stepped out,
Wearing coarse linen robes.
His face was gaunt, his back slightly hunched—
But his eyes were bright as lightning,
His expression unreadable.
Xiao Chen rose, alert.
Dragon Soul remained still—
But his aura locked onto the stranger.
Xuan Chen raised an eyebrow.
"And you are?"
"Just a forest keeper.
Saw you passing by—
Thought I'd say hello."
The old man's voice was dry,
But not hostile.
His steps seemed slow—
Yet each one landed precisely on the forest's energy nodes,
As if he knew the terrain intimately.
"If you truly intend to enter Tianping Mountain—
Be cautious.
The mountain doesn't eat men…
But it hides hearts."
His words were cryptic.
He walked away,
About to vanish into the woods.
Then he paused—
As if listening to something in the wind.
Xuan Chen's eyes narrowed.
He tilted his head, listening.
In the stillness of the forest breeze,
They faintly heard the old man mutter—
"Energy and form reversed…
So it is one of that lineage…"
Xuan Chen's gaze deepened.
He whispered,
"That phrase—
'Those who reverse energy and form belong to the Gate of Balance'—
No outsider should know it."
Xiao Chen blinked.
"Brother…
You mean he knows your origin?"
Xuan Chen shook his head.
"Not necessarily.
But he's definitely met someone from that lineage."
Xiao Chen fell silent.
He didn't press further.
The two resumed their path into the mountain's depths.
Light and shadow danced through the forest.
And in the quiet wind,
A faint sense of unease began to stir.
At the summit of the mountain path,
The view opened wide.
Midway up Tianping Mountain,
A stone pavilion stood quietly—
Its base carved from green stone,
Its eaves dark and curved.
The plaque above was weathered beyond recognition.
Inside, a wisp of smoke curled upward from the stone table,
Lingering in the air—
As if someone had been waiting for quite some time.
Xuan Chen stepped toward the pavilion,
Paused slightly,
His brow lifting.
Xiao Chen noticed the shift.
He turned and whispered,
"What is it?"
Xuan Chen replied calmly,
"The spiritual energy here hasn't dissipated.
There's a hidden formation—
Subtle, but it combines defense and isolation.
Whoever set this…
Is no ordinary cultivator."
"Could it be someone from Ao Tian Academy—"
Before he could finish,
A gentle voice echoed from within the pavilion.
"You've come a long way.
Forgive this old man for not greeting you sooner."
A white-robed elder appeared,
Seated on the stone bench.
A dust whisk rested on his knee.
His expression was serene—
But between his brows,
Sword intent flickered faintly.
Xuan Chen glanced at him,
Did not sit.
He simply cupped his hands.
"May I ask your name, senior?"
The elder smiled,
But did not answer immediately.
Instead, he looked at Xiao Chen—
A strange light flickering deep in his eyes.
"You and he…
Are indeed tied to events of the past."
Xiao Chen's heart skipped—
But he showed no reaction.
His hand brushed the hilt of Dragon Soul,
Eyes wary.
"Who are you?"
The elder gently stroked his whisk.
Finally, he spoke.
"I am Cang Fuzi.
Once a guest elder of Ao Tian Academy.
In those days, I co-led the Star Court with Gu Ling—
Guarding balance,
Until the world began to shift."
Xuan Chen and Xiao Chen exchanged a glance—
Both feeling a chill in their hearts.
Cang Fuzi smiled.
"Ao Tian Academy is not as fallen as the world believes.
That old Headmaster…
Has never abandoned his purpose.
You were invited not because of bloodlines—
But because of your strength,
And your potential."
He reached into his robe,
Producing a silver-etched jade slip
And a black token.
"This is your entry pass.
Once accepted,
You may enter and leave freely—
Unbound by academy rules."
Then his tone shifted.
"But—
If you wish to access the inner sanctum,
To train in the academy's hidden domains…
You must swear an oath—
And accept a mission not disclosed to the public."
Xuan Chen's eyes narrowed.
"What mission?"
Cang Fuzi shook his head.
"This matter will be revealed in time.
Once you enter the academy,
Someone will speak with you in detail."
He paused,
His gaze returning to Xuan Chen—
A flicker of gravity in his expression.
"But I must warn you—
Supreme Academy will not let this go.
Especially Shen Ziyu.
His transfer wasn't for personal ambition alone.
There are deeper motives you've yet to see.
The real game…
Is only beginning."
With that,
Cang Fuzi turned to leave.
Xiao Chen cupped his hands.
"Wait, senior.
Why are you so certain we'll join Ao Tian Academy?"
Cang Fuzi paused.
His silhouette trembled slightly in the morning mist.
His voice drifted back.
"Because the path beneath your feet—
No matter how it twists—
Leads to the same place."
He paused again,
Then added—
"Ao Tian Academy doesn't need the most disciples.
It only needs the right one."
With those words,
His figure dissolved into the wind,
Like smoke—
As if he had never been there.
The pavilion fell silent.
Xiao Chen stared at the spot where he vanished,
Silent for a long time.
Then he whispered—
"Brother…
He knew we'd come."
Xuan Chen replied,
"That wasn't calculation.
It was faith.
Ao Tian Academy…
Isn't like those that chase numbers and prestige.
They're choosing roots for the future."
Xiao Chen took a slow breath,
Gazing toward the morning light over Tianping Mountain.
"Then maybe…
It's time we made a choice too."
Xuan Chen said nothing.
He picked up the token,
Weighed it briefly,
Then tucked it into his sleeve.
He smiled softly.
"It's just one more step on the road.
But the truth is—
In this game…
No one stands outside the board.
The only question is—
Will you place a piece…
Or become one?"