Morning at Heavenly Peak had become a routine of chaos.
Kai Yun sparring with shadows.
Feng Xiao lighting leaves on fire.
Ruolan chasing after her with a bucket of water.
Tian Wen meditating with unnerving focus.
Mu Xiaofan feeding berries to the fox on his lap.
Wei Tian patrolling silently.
Ling Xueyin drinking tea like she was the only sane one alive.
Lin Xuanji walked into this scene with a long sigh.
"Alright. Group training again. Let's try to act like a real sect today."
Kai Yun raised a hand.
"Does a real sect allow me to fight the bear yet?"
"No."
"It's been a whole day!"
"No."
Feng Xiao smirked. "Just take no for an answer."
Kai Yun shook her head. "No means 'train harder.' That's what Grandpa always said."
Mu Xiaofan blinked.
"My grandpa said no means no."
"Your grandpa was peaceful."
"Your grandpa was violent."
Both stared at each other.
Lin Xuanji stepped between them. "Enough. No grandpa duels. Let's begin."
He guided the disciples to the practice ground, adjusting their positions.
But the moment Lin Xuanji started explaining basic qi circulation—
The mountain hummed again.
A deep, vibrating sound that rippled through the ground.
Lin Xuanji glared at the stone beneath his feet.
"Can you NOT hum every time I start talking?"
HUMMMMM.
Kai Yun burst out laughing.
"It's mocking you!"
"No it's not," Lin Xuanji snapped. "It's just… alive. And rude."
Ruolan tugged his sleeve.
"S-Sect Master… the humming feels… different today."
Lin Xuanji paused.
That was true.
This hum wasn't like the warm welcome it gave Tian Wen.
Or the excited vibration when Kai Yun trained.
Or the gentle resonance at Mu Xiaofan's arrival.
This one was…
Heavier.
Tian Wen opened his eyes.
"…It's calling something."
Mu Xiaofan tilted his head.
"The mountain is… anxious."
Feng Xiao frowned.
"Mountains can get anxious?"
Wei Tian gripped his spear.
"It means something is approaching."
Lin Xuanji stiffened. "What now—"
(Host.)
Don't you dare.
(Major event approaching.)
STOP.
(A sealed chamber beneath the mountain is awakening.)
Lin Xuanji almost dropped dead.
"We have a chamber?!"
He pointed at the ground.
"Since WHEN?!"
(Since always.)
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?!"
(Host never asked.)
"I DON'T ASK BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THINGS EXIST!"
Everyone stared at him.
Kai Yun blinked.
"…Are you okay?"
"No."
Feng Xiao muttered, "This is normal for him."
Ruolan nodded. "He argues with the wind."
Tian Wen stood slowly, steady and alert.
"What's inside the chamber?"
The mountain hummed again—
not chaotic, not happy—
but solemn.
Mu Xiaofan shivered.
"…Something old. And large. And sleeping."
Lin Xuanji went pale.
"Oh no. No no no. We do NOT need another beast."
Kai Yun's eyes lit up.
"Another BEAST?! Show me!"
"No!"
But it was too late.
The humming grew louder.
A shockwave pulsed across the courtyard.
Dust lifted from the ground.
Leaves trembled.
The sky dimmed for a moment.
Lin Xuanji's heart dropped.
"…It's waking up."
Wei Tian stood in front of the disciples like a wall of steel.
"Sect Master. Permission to enter defensive formation?"
"No. No fighting until I know what it is."
Kai Yun whispered, excited,
"Please be a dragon… please be a dragon…"
Mu Xiaofan closed his eyes.
"It's not a dragon. It's… sad."
Everyone turned to him.
"Sad?" Lin Xuanji repeated. "What does that mean?"
Mu Xiaofan pointed toward the cliff.
"It's older than the mountain."
Lin Xuanji stared.
"…Older than—"
Before he could finish, the cliffside shook.
A deep, ancient roar rumbled through the rock—
not hostile,
not wild,
but mournful.
Even the bear outside bowed its head.
Lin Xuanji swallowed.
"…Okay. Everyone behind me."
Kai Yun whispered to Tian Wen,
"This is SO cool."
"It is not," Tian Wen replied calmly.
"It is VERY cool."
"It is dangerous."
"Even better."
Lin Xuanji glared at both of them.
"You two stop bonding over danger!"
The ground split open.
A massive gust of wind erupted upward—
—and a colossal shadow moved beneath the mountain's surface.
Not fully awake.
Not fully free.
But stirring.
Ling Xueyin stepped forward.
Her voice was soft… but grave.
"The mountain is calling its Guardian."
Lin Xuanji froze.
"…Guardian?"
She nodded.
"This peak never truly slept. And neither did the beast it protects."
Lin Xuanji rubbed his temples.
"…We already have two beasts."
Ling Xueyin shook her head.
"This one is different."
The shadow beneath the cliff shifted again.
The roar echoed.
Ruolan hid behind Lin Xuanji.
Kai Yun practically vibrated with excitement.
Mu Xiaofan whispered something to the animals.
They bowed their heads in unison.
Tian Wen clenched his fists, steady.
Wei Tian stood ready.
Lin Xuanji sighed to himself.
"…This is going to be a long day."
The cliff cracked further—
And something ancient began to awaken