The night was colder than usual.
A thin veil of mist drifted across the mountains as Li Wei stood at the base of the towering Azure Cloud Sect.
Massive stone gates rose before him like silent guardians, their ancient surfaces carved with mysterious runes that shimmered faintly under the moonlight.
For ordinary people, entering the sect required recommendation, talent, and years of training.
Li Wei had none of those.
Yet he stepped forward without hesitation.
His fingers tightened around the black jade pendant hidden beneath his robe.
Ever since he awakened the strange power inside it, fragments of unfamiliar memories had begun appearing in his mind—visions of ancient cultivators, ruined cities, and forbidden techniques.
And tonight, those memories were guiding him here.
Li Wei slowly circled the outer wall of the sect. The guards at the main gate were strong cultivators.
Trying to pass them would be suicide.
But the memories inside his mind whispered something else.
"The forgotten path lies beneath the roots of the mountain…"
After nearly an hour of searching, Li Wei finally found it.
Hidden behind thick vines and jagged rocks was a narrow crack in the mountain wall.
From the outside it looked like nothing more than a natural fissure.
But when Li Wei stepped closer, the pendant suddenly grew warm.
The crack trembled slightly.
His heart pounded.
"This is it…"
Without hesitation, Li Wei squeezed into the narrow opening.
Darkness swallowed him immediately as he moved through the tight stone tunnel.
Cold air flowed from deep within the mountain.
The deeper he went, the stronger the strange energy around him became
Then suddenly—
A faint blue light appeared ahead.
Li Wei emerged into a vast underground chamber.
Ancient stone pillars surrounded the room, each covered in faded inscriptions. At the center stood a circular formation carved into the ground.
The moment Li Wei stepped onto it, the black jade pendant flared with light.
Symbols across the chamber began glowing.
And inside his mind…
Another memory fragment exploded awake.
A deep, ancient voice echoed through his consciousness.
"The Forbidden Path… has chosen a new bearer."
Li Wei staggered back in shock.
But before he could react—
A powerful presence suddenly descended from above.
Someone had discovered him.