The celestial woman's words hung in the pit like a tolling bell. "I think he isn't in the wrong place," she murmured, a wry smile at the corner of her lips.
The amusement in her tone faded, replaced by a far more solemn expression.
She drew back and extended her palm. A strand of white flame settled on his chest, pulling at writhing black tendrils until they unraveled beneath her light.
When the glow faded, the boy lay unchanged in appearance—yet the arrogance etched into his soul had been stripped away, leaving only quiet stillness.
The celestial woman's expression softened. "Corruption does not always mean evil," she said, almost to herself. "But this one… he has much to learn."
She lowered her hand as the last sparks faded into the air. With a gesture, stone beds appeared from nowhere, and with another, she guided the purified child onto one.
Then she turned, her robes flowing like water, and moved to the next child. Her ritual continued—slow and deliberate, an act she had performed for ages whenever the empire fed its fear to the flames.
But this time, something in her gaze lingered—an unspoken weight, as if she wanted to stop this cruelty of the empire.
Checking their memories had become more than routine—it was her way of glimpsing the outside world, a world she had long since chosen not to walk in.
From the fragments of their lives, she pieced together the changes—snatches of laughter, grief, and shifting empires carried by children who would never return home.
Through them, she remained tethered, though always apart.
Each time, she purified them. She drew out the shadows coiled around their hearts, burning away the corruption. Offering a chance at redemption, a chance to live unshackled by the past. But every gift demanded its price.
In exchange, her flame always left them lighter, freer… but at the cost of memories steeped in shadow.
Her hand drifted to the next child. A boy with unkempt black hair and plain brown clothes—Zhong Li. She touched his brow, and his life memories opened in front of her.
A small village and a hardworking family—warmth shaded by hardship. Mocked for his affinity, the boy learned bitterness more than trust.
She drew back slowly; her expression was thoughtful, tinged with sorrow. "Another soul spoiled by cruelty," she whispered. "But not lost yet."
Unlike the privileged boy before, Zhong Li carried no malice—only bitterness born of rejection.
She raised her palm, summoning a softer flame. It brushed over him like a warm breath, burning away the faint stains that clung to his spirit. His body eased, expression loosening into peace.
"The world was unkind to you," she murmured, her voice gentle with empathy. "Yet your light still endures."
One by one, she continued. Each child received her touch, her flames drawing out despair, anger, and fear.
Some bore the marks of bullies. Others had become bullies themselves. Some carried nothing but grief.
Yet to her, they were all the same—children grasping for warmth in a world too cold.
Through it all, her expression remained steady, a blend of compassion and quiet resolve. Her power was not meant for destruction, but for renewal. With every child, she offered the chance to rise above their past, even if it meant erasing fragments of who they once were.
By the time she lowered her hand again, three girls and six boys had been cleansed.
Then her gaze fell on the next child.
Yan Tian.
Even in unconsciousness, he seemed set apart. His violet hair shimmered faintly in the light, his presence strangely commanding, as if the air itself recognized him. Something in him pulled at her, insistent, undeniable.
She moved closer, her gentle hand reaching out to rest upon his forehead. Her touch was light and delicate, and the instant her palm made contact, her eyes fluttered closed. Memories surged forth, flooding into her consciousness—Yan Tian's past lay bare before her.
The first images were heavy with sorrow—a tiny boy, no more than two years old, clutching at emptiness as he lost his mother. The grief of that moment ran deep, carving loneliness into his young heart.
But the scene shifted, and she saw him grow up under his grandfather's care, a weathered but kind old man.
Though the ache of his mother's absence and the distant absence of his father remained, the warmth of family—the old man's steady love, the presence of his uncle and aunt—wrapped around the child, softening the wound little by little.
Then came the figure who shone brightest in his story: Yan Tian's cousin, Yan Fei.
Yan Fei was six months younger, a lively girl whose laughter seemed to light up the boy's world. From the very beginning, the bond between them was unshakable, a tether woven tighter with each passing day.
Yan Fei adored her older cousin.
The celestial lady lingered as their memories unfolded before her eyes: two children chasing one another through fields, collapsing in giggles beneath the summer sun.
In every memory, their bond remained the same—pure, unbroken, untouched by the cruelty she so often witnessed in mortal lives.
Yan Tian's protectiveness toward his cousin struck her deeply. The way he comforted her when she cried, the way they laughed together at the smallest joys—it was simple, yet it carried a weight of sincerity that was rare in this world.
The celestial lady found herself smiling, a soft, almost wistful curve of her lips. The innocence she saw between them warmed her in a way she had not expected, stirring emotions she rarely allowed herself to feel.
It was as if the purity of their bond reached past the veil of her long, detached existence to remind her of something she had nearly forgotten.
Minutes bled into what felt like eternity. She stayed immersed, unwilling to break the thread of their memories.
Finally, with a reluctant sigh, the celestial lady opened her eyes. That gentle smile lingered on her lips, the warmth of their memories still pressed against her heart.
For the first time in ages, she found herself wishing that the world outside held more bonds like theirs—untainted, unwavering, and pure.
She stood quietly, her gaze falling on Yan Tian's peaceful face. The bond between the cousins had imprinted itself on her soul, and she knew she would carry the memory of it long after this moment.
Softly, almost to herself, she whispered, "Does something this pure still exist in the world? Bonds like theirs… untouched, unwavering, bright enough to outshine the darkness? I have not experienced anything like this in all my years."
Wonder and longing colored her voice. She had wandered lifetimes, seen attachments formed and broken—yet this felt different. This was love in its truest form—innocent, steadfast, unyielding.
As she stepped back from Yan Tian, her hand lingered just above him. There was no darkness to purge from his soul, no corruption tainting his spirit.
Despite the sorrow carved into his past, his heart remained steadfast—filled with love and hope. For the first time in her long existence, the celestial lady encountered a child whose spirit had not been scarred by the cruelty of the world.
With a wave of her hand, she let her light energy flow around him. There was no need for purification, yet she felt compelled to bless him—to preserve the purity of his spirit. Her light energy embraced him, calm and soothing.
Then, without warning, the moment shattered.
A sudden black aura burst from Yan Tian's body, swirling violently into the air. The sheer force caught her off guard; her eyes widened in shock. She instantly withdrew her light, retreating a step as the dark energy twisted and writhed, then slowly faded away.
"What… what just happened?" she whispered, her mind racing to comprehend the surge of darkness.
Her shock turned to horror as black shadows sprang from Yan Tian's hands and feet. Dark flames licked at his limbs, consuming them in moments—his arms and legs burning away beneath the element's own fury.
The celestial lady, usually serene and composed, hovered in stunned silence as his body was consumed.
"This… this shouldn't be happening," she murmured, horrified as the darkness crept further up his arms and legs. Never before had she seen an affinity devour its own host. What was meant to empower him was now destroying him.
Forcing down her panic, she floated closer, scanning his form with heightened focus. Her eyes carried both dread and determination. She needed answers.
Her fingers trembled as she reached once more for Yan Tian's forehead. This time, she hesitated—a feeling utterly foreign to her. But she had no choice. Drawing a steady breath, she pressed her hand against him, her touch gentle but firm.
Her power pierced into his body, threading through his Qi, past the surface of his soul. She searched for corruption, imbalance, anything—but everything appeared normal.
Then she delved deeper, and she felt it. Something vast. Something impossible.
Her eyes flew open, shock written across her face. "How… how is this possible?" she muttered, her voice shaking.
Leaning in, she probed further, her brows furrowing as the truth unraveled before her. The more she explored, the clearer it became—and the more her disbelief grew.
"This boy's elemental affinity…" Her voice quivered with awe and the weight of discovery, "It's already at the Superior level?"
"Right after awakening?"
Never in all her existence had she encountered anything like this. Earlier, she had treated him as any other, offering the same gentle light she had always used.
But Yan Tian was different. His darkness affinity wasn't merely strong—it was unparalleled, raw and untamed, standing above every being with the darkness element she had witnessed on this planet.
The realization struck like lightning. She had been wrong. Fatally wrong.
The celestial lady stood in silence, her mind struggling to grasp the revelation. Yan Tian was no ordinary child.
What she had witnessed was not merely the awakening of a boy with an affinity for darkness, but something far more profound—a power that could reshape the very fabric of the world around him.
She muttered under her breath, almost as if reminding herself, "Every elemental affinity has distinct levels based on the control a cultivator has over their element."
"It begins with 'Normal,' the level everyone attains upon awakening their affinity. The second is 'Superior,' which this boy just revealed. Beyond that lie even higher levels, where one can command their element with unmatched mastery."
Realizing the truth, she extended her hand toward Yan Tian. From her palm, a green fire burst forth, enveloping his body. The darkness consuming him faded within moments, leaving him no longer under attack.
But the damage had already been done—his arms were gone up to the elbows, his legs burned away to the knees.
The celestial lady dismissed her powers and inhaled deeply, steadying herself. She knew she had to assess the situation carefully. Closing her eyes once more, she delved into Yan Tian's body with her powers, reaching for his soul.
The instant she touched it, a chilling realization struck her—his soul had weakened drastically, far more than before.
Opening her eyes, her expression tightened with concern. "His soul… it's dying… My powers triggered his element's self-defense—my mistake. I have to save him… but how?" Her whisper trembled as guilt pressed heavily on her heart.
She remembered the warmth she had glimpsed in his memories—the pure, unbreakable love between Yan Tian and his cousin. That bond was now on the verge of being extinguished. She clenched her fist. She couldn't let that bond be extinguished. Not here. Not because of her.