The skies above the Emotion Severing Cliff were no longer calm. Clouds surged like oceans, rolling endlessly, while an unseen pressure pressed upon the cliffside. Yet no thunder fell, no lightning tore through the heavens. What gathered this time was subtler, more dangerous.
A storm of the mind. A trial of the heart.
For most, it was unbearable. To be stripped of reason, to watch illusions devour memory, to be drowned in the weight of love and hate.
But Taiyi was different. He had long severed his emotions, his Dao an unfeeling blade. To him, the test of the mind was almost too easy. Illusions tried to bind him, but he walked through them like mist. Temptations tried to sway him, but his heart did not stir.
And yet… the heavens did not relent.
For the true trial had only begun.
The heart test descended.
---
He found himself once more within the boundless illusion of the trial. This time, not on a barren mountain, but in a familiar courtyard.
The fragrance of plum blossoms filled the air. He heard laughter—light, clear, and warm.
Turning, he saw a woman clad in crimson, her smile radiant as the sun. Tie Hongchen.
Her hand stretched toward him. "Taiyi," she whispered, "come home."
His chest constricted. For a moment, he forgot where he was. The warmth of her eyes pierced through the emotionless wall he had built, shaking its very foundation.
But Taiyi clenched his fists. "Illusion," he spat, his voice trembling despite himself.
The scene dissolved into ashes.
Next came another figure—Qin Tai Jian. Bloodied, broken, eyes filled with despair.
"You let her die," the specter accused. "You severed your heart, but you severed us too. Tell me, Master—do you feel nothing, even now?"
Taiyi staggered. His hands trembled. Memories of his disciple's pain, of his own failures, surged like tidal waves.
His Dao cracked.
Then came his daughter's cry—Tie Ling's first wail. It echoed through his soul, piercing deeper than blade or flame. The illusion showed him a future where he abandoned her, where she grew up cursing his name.
The heavens struck mercilessly, forcing him to confront every emotion he had buried, every bond he had denied.
Taiyi fell to his knees. His breathing turned ragged, sweat pouring down his brow. His emotionless Dao shattered completely, collapsing into dust.
But in the midst of collapse… something else was born.
Not the Dao of severance, but a Dao that embraced both clarity and feeling. A path that accepted contradiction. A path that belonged only to him.
As his tears fell, Taiyi whispered, "If this is the heart trial… then let my heart live."
The storm above roared in answer.
---
Far away, in the East Sea, Feng Jiu stood before the Dragon King's crystalline throne. Waves surged around them, dragons coiling through the waters.
The Dragon King's voice was thunderous. "You dare come before me after what you did? You humiliated me before my kin. You—"
Feng Jiu smirked faintly, though her grip on Tie Ling tightened. "That was years ago. Are you truly still sulking over a beard?"
The Dragon King's eyes blazed with fury. "Not just the beard—you plucked one of my sacred whiskers!" His roar sent tremors through the halls. "I should have torn you apart then!"
But then his gaze fell upon the child in her arms. His words faltered.
Tie Ling blinked up at him, innocent yet radiant. Tiny sparks of golden flame flickered across her skin—phoenix fire laced with faint traces of draconic power.
The Dragon King's expression turned grave. "This child… she carries dragon blood."
Feng Jiu's smile vanished. Her tone sharpened. "Yes. That is why I am here. I need the Spring of Nourishment and the Spring of Enlightenment. Without them, her bloodlines will consume her."
The Dragon King narrowed his eyes. "And why should I grant you such a thing? So that this abomination may grow to threaten even me?"
The hall grew tense. Water dragons circled menacingly, their scales glimmering. Feng Jiu's aura flared, flames dancing at her feet, forcing the sea itself to recoil.
"Careful, Dragon King," she said softly, dangerously. "An 'abomination' she may be in your eyes—but she is mine. And I will see her live, no matter the cost."
The Dragon King's claws tightened around his throne. For a moment, killing intent filled the hall.
But then his gaze returned to the child—her tiny hands reaching out, her eyes wide with curiosity. Something stirred in the depths of his ancient heart, something he could not name.
His killing intent wavered.
Yet Feng Jiu saw the hesitation, and her eyes sharpened further. If he refused… she was prepared to fight.
---
On the Emotion Severing Cliff, Taiyi's roar split the heavens as his new Dao began to take shape.
In the East Sea, Feng Jiu's flames blazed higher as the Dragon King's killing intent clashed against her maternal fury.
Two storms, one within and one without, raged simultaneously—each carrying the power to shake the heavens.
---