The Heavenly Academy stood proudly atop Cloud Peak, like a jewel adorning the neck of the sky.From afar, it resembled a mythical fortress, pulsing with energy, wrapped in a golden aura that spoke of its sacred grandeur.As one approached, the massive gate revealed intricate carvings that shifted like living ink — depicting legendary battles and ancient myths.
Inside, marble corridors stretched endlessly, flanked by strange glowing plants in vibrant hues, all leading toward the Grand Hall of Instruction.A place that changed its form according to the trial — sometimes a battleground, sometimes a sanctuary of cultivation and study.This floating haven was more than a place of learning; it was holy ground — where the dreams of warriors, the wisdom of sages, and the serenity of the pure-hearted converged beneath a single sky.
On her very first morning at the academy, she was stopped by that handsome troublemaker — Suo.
He casually draped an arm over her shoulder as if they'd been friends since the dawn of time, whispering conspiratorially to her.Then he handed her a jar filled with refreshing spirit drink. Before entering the lecture hall, he grinned and said teasingly:
"I'm counting on you, Disaster."
Huo Feng, ever so cheerful and ever so foolish, accepted the mission with delight.She placed the jar right on the instructor's desk and took a seat beside Suo — because he insisted on it.
When Master Li entered, his gaze instantly fell upon the jar. He opened it, inhaled deeply like a connoisseur, and said:
"Excellent. Now I can work in peace."
Master Li was known as the most carefree man in the entire kingdom — untouched by worry, unshaken by duty.Sometimes he was foolish… and other times, even more foolish.
The moment he took a sip, his tongue twisted, and his voice came out distorted as he howled dramatically — not out of fury, but pure comedic flair.
With exaggerated difficulty, he asked who the culprit was — fully expecting no one to confess.
As usual, Huo Feng raised her hand — because the Furnace Elder had strictly forbidden her from speaking without permission, no matter how trivial the matter.
Master Li, amused by her boldness, said:
"Very well… tell me who did this, and I promise they won't lay a finger on you — because you exposed them."
She answered calmly:
"It was me, Instructor."
Master Li blinked, genuinely taken aback, and studied her with those sea-like eyes — as if seeing her for the first time.
"No. Don't sacrifice yourself to protect someone else."
She tilted her head and replied:
"I'm not."
He leaned forward slightly, defending her from her own innocence:
"Why would you do that? You seem kind. I doubt you would do it… alone."
She stood up enthusiastically, pointed straight at Suo, and declared:
"He told me to."
Her eyes — beautiful, brilliant like twin clear ponds — were terrifying in their honesty. They stripped away one's masks, leaving the soul bare and trembling.After all, those eyes had absorbed the Mirror of Truth within the furnace.
Suo froze as if ensnared by a spell. His gaze locked onto hers, and he confessed without hesitation:
"I told her to, so blame me instead."
Instructor Li chuckled.
"I didn't think the new generation would be this naïve. You can't even hide your schemes properly."
Suo replied with a smirk:
"No one can hide from those eyes once they start pleading."
Instructor Li burst out laughing.
"Not just naïve — but utterly shameless too."
Then, after a brief pause, he added:
"Or maybe… just honest. No matter. You two can continue your little romance while cleaning the entire academy."
Suo pumped his fist enthusiastically:
"Easy."
Huo Feng turned to him and said as if scolding a child:
"You can't even clean the stable you live in. How is this easy?"
Laughter erupted, but Suo remained shameless and simply grabbed her by the shoulder, dragging her toward the exit under Instructor Li's amused gaze… and Instructor Wu Xin's furious one.
They split the chores. The vast garden fell to her.Suo insisted on cleaning the classrooms with his loyal friend Zhang Lin, and asked her to care for the spirit plants — pruning the sacred trees and watering the glowing flowers — because he truly believed it suited her.
As always, she fluttered among the blossoms like a bothersome little bee, convinced she was blessing them with her company.
Climbing to the top of the tallest tree, she looked over the radiant academy with sparkling eyes.She felt… alive again.
She threw her head back and shouted joyously:
"HOOOOO FOOOONG!"
Her laughter burst out like sunlight when her voice echoed across the garden… across the academy… across the kingdom.
But her laughter stopped abruptly when her name echoed back in a deeper, sharper voice.
A man's voice — cold and cutting like a blade.
"Huo Feng. Come down."
She looked down and found Instructor Wu Xin standing below, his eyes like storming steel.
She slipped and fell, pain surging through her back — yet it was nothing compared to the ache that stabbed her heart when she met his gaze.
Before she could speak, something inside her… snapped.
Her breath hitched. Confusion twisted her features. Terror, sudden and raw, surfaced in her eyes — drowning all light.
Buried memories clawed their way back — too vivid, too cruel.
Silenced screams. Shadows in forgotten dreams. Pain she had convinced herself she had forgotten.
She shoved him away and tried to run — but her legs failed her.
Wu Xin stepped forward, reaching out — confused by her sudden collapse. Was it fear? Of him?
She crawled backward like a wounded creature whose scars had been torn open again — scars she thought time had sealed shut.
But she had been wrong.Utterly… foolishly wrong.
For betrayal's wound never truly heals — and a heart once abandoned never forgets.
From afar, Suo sensed the disturbance in her aura and rushed over.
"Are you alright?"
He took her trembling hands and helped her stand, but her knees refused to hold.
He lifted her like a frightened kitten, shielding her as he shot Wu Xin a glare — a glare that asked:
"What did you do to her?"
Back in her room, she asked Suo to leave — just so she could breathe again… so she could gather the broken pieces of her soul.
And the moment the door closed—
The gates of hellish memory burst open.