Chapter 3, Part 1: The Awakening Begins
The moment Liang Wei disappeared from the courtyard, the tension in the hall below became palpable. Zhao Rui's figure loomed like a storm, his eyes narrowed into slits of fury. "You!" His voice boomed, shaking the wooden beams of the hall. "Do you even realize what you've done? That boy—Liang Wei—is gone to the mountains! And you… you let it happen?"
Mei Lian froze, her face draining of color. "I… I didn't—" she began, voice trembling.
"Didn't?" Zhao Rui's tone cracked, a mixture of rage and disbelief. "Every chance you gave him… every moment you held him back, it's gone! He's gaining the advantage—and you—you thought you could control him? You've spoiled everything!"
"I… I thought I could influence him… I thought I could—" Mei Lian's words faltered. Her hands shook, and her chest heaved with a mix of fear and shame.
"You thought?" Zhao Rui repeated, stepping closer. "Your thoughtlessness may cost us everything! Do you even understand what this means?"
Mei Lian's shoulders slumped under the weight of her failure. She realized, for the first time, that Wei was no longer the naive boy she could manipulate. He had changed. He had become something dangerous—an enemy she could not bend to her will.
Zhao Rui's chest heaved, but his eyes softened slightly, shifting from anger to a bitter, hopeless despair. "I… I can't stop him," he muttered, almost to himself. "It's like… he's already a step ahead of me."
Mei Lian reached out, her hand trembling, resting it lightly on his arm. "Brother… breathe. We'll find a way. You're strong. We can still…"
"No," Zhao Rui interrupted sharply, shaking his head. "He's not just cunning. He's different. Dangerous. I… I fear that I may never match him."
Her lips parted, unspeaking words dying in her throat. The boy she had tried to seduce, manipulate, and charm had outgrown her influence completely. Mei Lian's panic was subtle but pervasive, a quiet tremor beneath her carefully maintained composure. She realized that every whispered promise, every false smile, had lost its effect. Liang Wei had grown into a man she no longer controlled—and now she had to reckon with him as a threat, not a pawn.
Outside the hall, atop the cliffs of the mountains, Elder Enoch's footsteps were calm and deliberate as he entered the Grandmaster's chamber. The high hall was steeped in the scent of incense and authority, every stone column and painted panel seeming to press down with silent judgment.
"Grandmaster," Enoch began, his tone steady and measured, "an assassination attempt was made against Liang Wei. The assailant has been neutralized. The attack was calculated, precise, and likely tied to rival factions within the sect. Liang Wei survived, but this demonstrates clear intent to impede his rise."
The Grandmaster's eyes narrowed as he listened, his fingers drumming lightly against the arm of his throne. "Wei… so young, yet such disturbances follow him. Perhaps… he is stronger than we imagined."
Enoch inclined his head respectfully. "Vigilance is required. The boy's safety must be ensured, and further observation of potential threats is advised."
Meanwhile, high on the mountain, Liang Wei sat cross-legged in the secluded retreat granted by Enoch. The pine-scented air was crisp, carrying faint echoes of distant birdsong. He focused on cultivating quietly, every thought measured, every breath deliberate. His mind flickered with memories of his previous life—lost cultivation, wasted pills, betrayals, and the day of the heir tournament. Every regret sharpened into determination, every loss became a strategy waiting to be executed.
Time blurred as he meditated. Wind swept across the cliffs, brushing against his hair and clothing. He felt subtle vibrations beneath him, the living energy of the mountain responding faintly to his presence. Then, suddenly, the world seemed to melt away. A pull, unnatural yet compelling, drew him inward. Wei's vision blurred and faded as he slipped into a trance, leaving the mountain and the world below behind.
In the haze of this trance, he saw a man suspended midair, moving with fluid grace, manipulating streams of Yin and Yang energy around him. Each motion was deliberate, precise, and beautiful, the dark and light currents weaving a living tapestry of power. Wei felt both awe and comprehension—the dual energy streams were raw and potent, a force that in their world only advanced cultivators above high human level could harness.
He watched intently. The man's movements, rhythmic and deliberate, injected the energy into his veins with a flourish that made Wei's mind race. In this world, the type of energy one wielded dictated strength, and Yin and Yang energy—basic yet potent—was typically reserved for the very highest humans and late-stage novices.
Wei's eyes widened with understanding. So this is the energy that defines true power… He recalled what he knew: the stages of cultivation—Human, Novice, High Human, each split into twenty tiers. To manipulate Yin and Yang energy as a novice would be considered impossible… yet here it was, showing him the path to surpass limits he never thought reachable.
The vision faded, leaving him with clarity and resolve. Wei opened his eyes, slowly standing and mimicking the movements he had seen. His hands traced intricate patterns in the air, attempting to draw the dual energies into his core. At first, only a faint trickle responded, hesitant and shy, like a stream testing the edges of a stone bank.