[Yuexi's POV]
The silver light faded, and I collapsed onto cold stone.
My stomach lurched. Teleportation felt like being turned inside out and squeezed through a tiny hole. I gasped for air, trying not to vomit.
"First time?" Elder Bai's voice was amused. "You'll get used to it. Or you won't. Some people never do."
I forced myself to look up. We were on a mountain so high the clouds floated below us. A small wooden house perched on the edge of a cliff, surrounded by gardens full of glowing spiritual herbs I'd never seen before.
"Where are we?" I managed to ask.
"My home. Hidden Peak Mountain." Elder Bai walked toward the house, his staff tapping against stone. "Nobody can find this place unless I want them to. Which means you're safe from your father, the Heavenly Sword Sect, and every demon in the realm." He glanced back. "You're welcome, by the way."
"Thank you," I said quickly, stumbling to my feet. "I don't know why you helped me, but—"
"I helped you because Divine-grade cultivators are rare as phoenix feathers, and letting one die or get enslaved by a greedy sect would be a waste." He pushed open the door. "Also because I'm old, bored, and haven't had a decent disciple in sixty years. You'll do."
I followed him inside. The house was bigger than it looked, filled with shelves of books and jars of strange herbs. A fire crackled in the hearth even though nobody had lit it.
"Sit." Elder Bai pointed at a chair. "We need to talk about your situation, and you're not going to like it."
My legs were shaking anyway, so I sat. "What situation?"
"Your cultivation base is a mess." He poured two cups of tea. "The seal breaking released eighteen years of suppressed power all at once. Your meridians are cracked, your spiritual core is unstable, and your body is trying to process energy it was never trained to handle. In simple terms? You're a bomb waiting to explode."
Fear shot through me. "You said I had a week—"
"If you're lucky." He sipped his tea calmly. "If you're unlucky, three days. Your power is too strong for your untrained body. It'll tear you apart from the inside unless we stabilize it immediately."
"How?" My voice came out small and scared.
"Brutal, painful training that will make you wish you were dead." His eyes gleamed. "Starting now."
He stood up and grabbed my arm, pulling me outside to a flat area near the cliff's edge.
"First lesson: meditation. You need to learn to calm your spiritual energy before we can do anything else." He sat cross-legged on the ground. "Sit. Close your eyes. Feel the power inside you."
I sat and closed my eyes, trying to sense my cultivation base like he said.
The moment I focused inward, I gasped. My power felt like a wild horse—bucking, thrashing, completely out of control. It burned through my veins, too hot and too fast.
"It hurts," I whispered.
"Of course it hurts. You're trying to hold an ocean in a teacup." Elder Bai's voice was stern. "But pain is just information. Stop fearing it and start controlling it. Breathe. Slowly. Guide the energy in circles through your meridians. Don't force it—persuade it."
I tried. I really tried.
But every time I reached for the power, it slipped away or surged too strongly. Sweat poured down my face. My whole body shook.
"I can't—"
"You CAN. You just don't want to work hard enough." His staff smacked the ground next to me, making me jump. "Again. And this time, stop whining."
We worked for hours. Or maybe days—I lost track of time. Every time I failed, he made me start over. No sympathy. No gentleness. Just endless, brutal repetition.
Finally, FINALLY, I managed to guide a small stream of energy in one complete circle through my meridians.
"Acceptable," Elder Bai said, which I was learning was high praise from him. "Now do it ten thousand more times."
I stared at him. "Ten thousand?"
"Did I stutter? Your foundation is garbage. We need to rebuild it from scratch before we can teach you actual techniques." He stood up. "I'll check on you in six hours. If you stop practicing, I'll know, and you won't like the consequences."
He walked back into the house, leaving me alone on the cliff.
I wanted to cry. Or scream. Or both.
Instead, I closed my eyes and started again.
One circle. Two circles. Three...
Six hours later, Elder Bai came back and examined my progress with a critical eye.
"Not terrible," he admitted. "Your control improved by maybe five percent. At this rate, you'll be stable in... three months."
"Three months?" I nearly fell over. "But you said I only had a week!"
"Which is why we're not stopping at meditation." He grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. "Tonight, you're going to learn the most important skill for any cultivator: how to fight while channeling energy. Because demons don't wait for you to meditate peacefully before they attack."
He waved his staff, and suddenly we weren't alone on the mountain anymore.
Three shadow wolves materialized from thin air—cultivation spirit beasts he'd summoned. Their eyes glowed blue, and their teeth looked very sharp.
"Kill them," Elder Bai said casually. "Use your cultivation. Don't die. Good luck."
"WHAT?" I yelped as the wolves charged. "I don't know how to—"
"Then learn fast!"
I barely dodged the first wolf's jaws. The second one's claws caught my leg, tearing through cloth and skin. Pain exploded up my thigh.
Focus! Remember the tournament! You fought the demon!
But that was different. That was pure instinct and desperation. Now I was exhausted, barely in control of my power, and facing three enemies at once.
The third wolf leaped at my throat.
I threw up my hands desperately, and golden light burst from my palms—not a proper technique, just raw power. It hit the wolf and sent it flying backward.
"Good!" Elder Bai called. "Wasteful and inefficient, but good! Now do it properly!"
The wolves circled me, growling. They were spirit beasts, so they wouldn't actually kill me—probably. But they'd definitely hurt me if I didn't figure this out.
I closed my eyes for one second, reaching for the meditation technique I'd just learned. Found that stream of energy. Guided it to my hands.
This time when I released it, the power came out controlled—a blade of golden light that sliced through the air.
One wolf dissolved into smoke.
"BETTER!" Elder Bai shouted. "Again!"
I fought the remaining wolves for what felt like hours, learning through pain and failure. Every time I got hit, Elder Bai would heal me just enough to keep going, then send me back into the fight.
By the time both wolves were defeated, I could barely stand.
"You lived. Congratulations." Elder Bai walked over and examined me with a critical eye. "Your technique is sloppy, your power control is awful, and you rely too much on brute force. But you have good instincts. We can work with that."
I collapsed on the ground, every muscle screaming.
"Can I sleep now?" I begged.
"For four hours. Then we start again." He turned toward the house. "Oh, and Yuexi? Don't think about running away. This mountain is surrounded by formations that will kill anyone trying to leave without my permission. You're stuck here until I say you're ready."
My heart sank. I'd escaped one prison only to enter another.
But at least this time, someone was teaching me to be strong instead of keeping me weak.
I dragged myself inside and found a small bedroom with a simple mattress. I collapsed onto it without even removing my torn, bloody clothes.
Sleep took me instantly.
I dreamed of dark eyes and a voice saying, "You're worth protecting."
When I woke up, my heart ached for reasons I didn't want to examine.
Shen Tianzhao, I thought. The man engaged to my stepsister. The man I'll probably never see again.
It was better this way. He was from a different world—powerful, important, destined for greatness. I was just a girl trying to survive.
But I couldn't stop wondering: Was he thinking about me too?
[Meanwhile, at Heavenly Sword Sect - Tianzhao's POV]
"You're distracted."
Uncle's voice cut through my thoughts. We sat in his study, discussing sect business, but I couldn't focus.
"I'm fine," I lied.
"You're thinking about that girl. Lin Yuexi." Uncle's eyes were sharp. "The one Elder Bai took."
I said nothing, which was answer enough.
"Forget her," Uncle commanded. "Your engagement to Lin Qingwan is confirmed. The marriage will happen in six months. This alliance is important for the sect."
"Qingwan knew about the seal," I said quietly. "She watched her sister suffer for years and said nothing."
"Irrelevant. She has the political connections we need." Uncle leaned forward. "Let me be clear, Tianzhao. That Divine-grade girl is dangerous. Powerful. Unpredictable. She could threaten everything we've built. If she ever returns, I want her brought directly to me. Understand?"
Something cold settled in my gut. "What are you planning?"
"Insurance." Uncle smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Divine-grade cultivators are weapons. And weapons should be controlled by those who know how to use them."
I stood up abruptly. "She's not a weapon. She's a person."
"She's a threat." Uncle's voice turned to steel. "And if you can't see that, you're too soft to lead this sect. Perhaps I should reconsider naming you as my heir."
The threat hung in the air.
I'd spent my whole life preparing to lead Heavenly Sword Sect. Everything I'd done, every sacrifice I'd made, was for this position.
But looking at my uncle's calculating eyes, I realized something that shook me to my core:
I didn't want to become him.
"I need air," I said, walking toward the door.
"Remember what I said, Tianzhao," Uncle called after me. "That girl is trouble. Stay away from her, or you'll regret it."
I stepped outside, breathing in the cool night air.
Somewhere out there, Lin Yuexi was learning to control her power. Getting stronger. Becoming the cultivator she was always meant to be.
And I couldn't stop thinking about the way she'd thrown herself in front of a demon to save me. About her honey-colored eyes full of pain and determination. About the brief moment when our energies had touched and I'd felt something I'd never experienced before—
A connection. Real and terrifying and impossible to ignore.
Forget her, Uncle had ordered.
But I had a feeling that was going to be much harder than it sounded.
A shadow moved in the corner of my vision. I spun, hand on my sword.
A messenger in black robes stood there, hood covering his face.
"Message from Elder Bai," the figure said in a raspy voice. "For Shen Tianzhao only."
He handed me a sealed letter and vanished before I could ask questions.
I broke the seal with shaking hands and read:
"The girl is safe. Training well. Don't look for her—she needs time without distractions. But know this: her power is even greater than we thought. When she returns, the world will change. Make sure you're on the right side when it does. - Elder Bai"
I stared at the letter, my heart pounding.
When she returns.
Not if. When.
Lin Yuexi was coming back. And when she did, I'd make sure I was ready.
Even if it meant defying my uncle.
Even if it meant risking everything.
She was worth it.
I just hoped she'd forgive me for not being able to protect her when she needed it most.