The road wound higher and higher, cutting through misty mountains where waterfalls roared and cranes wheeled across the skies.
For three days, Arhaan followed Elder Kael's uneven gait, the old man humming tunelessly as though they were on a stroll instead of a climb toward destiny.
At last, they crested a ridge. Before them rose a sprawling complex of jade pavilions and towering peaks, their tips lost in the clouds. Disciples in white and silver robes sparred in courtyards, while spirit beasts lounged lazily near lotus-filled lakes.
Arhaan's eyes narrowed. "This is… a sect?"
Kael smirked. "The sect. The Silent Peaks Sect. One of the great six in this region. And now… your new home."
---
Arrival
The gates were wide, carved with talismans that shimmered faintly. Disciples stood guard, swords at their sides, their gazes sharp.
As Arhaan and Kael approached, whispers rippled through the crowd.
"It's Elder Kael…"
"Didn't he vanish decades ago?"
"They say he went mad, chasing forbidden paths."
Kael ignored them all, grinning like a fox. "Disciples! I've brought you a new junior. His name is Arhaan. Try not to bully him too much—he bites."
Arhaan stiffened as dozens of eyes fell on him. Some curious. Most mocking.
"Another rootless stray?" one disciple snickered.
"Elder Kael really has lost it," another whispered.
"He won't last a week."
Arhaan said nothing, his expression calm. But inside, the chain-mark on his chest pulsed, reminding him of the vow he had made.
---
The Challenge
They hadn't even reached the inner courtyard before a tall youth in silver robes stepped forward, blocking the path. His aura rippled—clearly at the Qi Refinement Realm.
He sneered. "So this is Elder Kael's new pet? Trash with no root? Step aside, before you shame the sect."
Kael sighed dramatically. "Ah, the sect's favorite pup, Darian. Always barking." He winked at Arhaan. "Go on, boy. Show them you bite harder than you look."
Arhaan stepped forward, his eyes calm.
"I don't seek trouble."
The youth laughed. "Then trouble has found you!" He thrust his palm forward, spiritual energy surging.
The watching disciples cheered, expecting the newcomer to be flattened.
But Arhaan didn't dodge. He raised his hand—bare, scarred, steady—and caught the strike. The courtyard stones cracked beneath his feet, but he didn't budge.
Gasps rang out.
Before Darian could react, Arhaan's fist drove forward, a clean, sharp strike.
BOOM.
The youth flew backward, crashing into a stone pillar, coughing blood.
Silence fell.
Arhaan lowered his fist, voice cold.
"I don't start fights. But if you force me… I end them."
The crowd erupted in uproar. Some shocked, some furious, others staring at him with newfound awe.
Kael chuckled, eyes twinkling. "Excellent. You'll fit right in."
---
The Elder's Warning
That night, as torches burned across the sect, Kael spoke quietly to Arhaan.
"Listen well, boy. Sect life is not kind. They'll mock you, test you, hate you for walking a path they cannot understand. But remember this—every sneer, every challenge, every tribulation… is another chain you break."
Arhaan nodded, his gaze firm. "I don't care about their scorn. I only care about growing strong enough to protect."
Kael's grin widened. "Good. Then tomorrow… we begin."
Above them, the moonlight gleamed off the mountains. And in the distance, the heavens rumbled faintly, as though whispering:
The boy who defies destiny has entered the stage.