The sun was just beginning to crest the peaks of the Thundercloud Range when Lin Xun stood at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the path to destiny. A narrow trail of wind-carved stone twisted through the clouds, leading to an invisible summit cloaked in mist and might.
The Skyrect Sect.
This was no mere sect—it was a force of nature, a colossal fortress suspended between the heavens and earth, where prodigies rose and titans trained. From the world below, it appeared only as legend, a phantom citadel. But to Lin Xun, it was the beginning of everything.
He clutched the bronze medallion in his palm—the one Elder Su had handed him after the battle in the Firebone Mountains. Etched with the insignia of a soaring phoenix piercing a storm, it was the mark of invitation, proof that he had been chosen.
His flames simmered within, steady yet wild.
His blood remembered pain, but now pulsed with power.
> "From ruin to reverence," he whispered, taking his first step into the mists.
---
The ascent was not easy.
Lightning lashed from the heavens as though testing his resolve. The clouds screamed with spiritual pressure, enough to crush lesser men. Each step forward was met with resistance—not from the world, but from within.
Visions came.
Old wounds reopened.
> "You are nothing."
"A disgrace."
"Burn with your cursed blood."
He pressed on, teeth clenched, eyes unyielding. He remembered the ruins. The fire. The frost. The promise made to no one but himself—to rise.
As he neared the summit, a glowing bridge unfurled before him, carved of starlight and jade wind. At the other end stood a youth in black robes with golden embroidery—bored, leaning on a crescent blade.
"Another trial-seeker?" the boy asked lazily.
Lin Xun narrowed his eyes. "I'm not here to seek trials. I'm here to take my place."
The boy chuckled. "Then prove it."
The air thickened. Qi surged.
---
Their blades clashed like thunder. The youth moved with precision, a practiced elegance like a storm refined. But Lin Xun was chaos born in fire—each move unpredictable, each strike forged in desperation and instinct.
Frost spiraled from his left palm, fire burst from his right—unleashing a hybrid strike the black-robed youth hadn't anticipated.
He stumbled, skidding across the jade bridge, blade scraping sparks.
Panting, he grinned. "Interesting… You've got some real heat. Name?"
"Lin Xun."
"Good. I'm Bai Wuji. Inner Disciple of the Skyrect Sect."
With a nod of approval, Wuji tossed him a glowing crystal.
> "Show this at the gates. You've earned passage."
---
The Skyrect Sect was unlike anything Lin Xun had imagined.
Sky bridges connected floating pavilions, waterfalls descended from levitating cliffs, and spirit beasts flew alongside swordsmen meditating mid-air. Every inch of the sect pulsed with energy. It was a kingdom in the sky, and yet it felt alive—watching, testing, breathing.
He was guided to the Grand Registry Hall, where dozens of robed figures assessed new initiates.
The Elder overseeing admissions raised an eyebrow when Lin Xun handed him both the medallion and Bai Wuji's crystal.
"Dual acknowledgment?" the Elder muttered. "Interesting…"
The Elder placed a hand on Lin Xun's shoulder. A pulse of spiritual energy scanned his meridians.
The room fell silent.
One word escaped the Elder's lips: "Heaven-tier… dual affinity… monstrous potential…"
Quills scratched furiously as his name was etched into the registry.
> Lin Xun – Outer Disciple.
Affinities: Fire and Ice.
Status: Monitored. Potential Deviation. High Threat.
He was led to his courtyard—modest but serene. A waterfall flowed nearby, and the Qi was dense with elemental resonance.
As he sat beneath the moon that night, meditating, he didn't smile. He didn't celebrate.
He sharpened himself.
Because he felt it—the eyes of others already upon him.
---
The following day, training began.
The Skyrect Sect wasted no time. Sword formations, elemental control, spiritual sense refinement—every lesson was brutal, demanding absolute focus. Weakness was not tolerated.
Lin Xun excelled in elemental arts, his unique dual-core giving him unexpected advantages. Fire enhanced his offense, while frost layered defenses instinctively. Yet, he struggled with synchronization—balancing both in combat was draining.
And others noticed.
One disciple in particular—a cold-eyed genius named Yan Mo—watched him often.
Rumors said Yan Mo was the youngest disciple ever accepted into the Inner Pavilion, born of the Thundercliff Clan, known for their lightning arts and ruthless ambition.
Lin Xun didn't care for politics.
But when Yan Mo approached him on the training field, silence fell like dusk.
"You don't belong here," Yan Mo said, voice low and filled with disdain. "Trash bloodlines have no place among the true dragons."
Lin Xun met his gaze, eyes steady.
"I rose from ash. Let's see what rises from your arrogance."
Yan Mo's lightning crackled, but the clash was halted—by a girl's voice.
"That's enough."
She descended like moonlight—white robes, violet eyes, and a presence that made the sky itself pause.
Xu Qingyue.
Daughter of the Azure Moon Sect.
One of the Five Great Sects, and far above the Skyrect in prestige.
"Elder Moonlight sent me to observe cultivation exchanges," she said, her voice calm but commanding. "Not to watch peacocks scream."
Her gaze lingered on Lin Xun—curious, as though she saw something hidden in him.
And then she turned away.
---
Days passed.
Whispers spread. Of a dual-elemental genius rising from ruin. Of a fight waiting to happen between the dragon-blooded Yan Mo and the ember-hearted Lin Xun. Of a girl from the heavens showing interest in someone from the dirt.
But Lin Xun didn't care for whispers.
He trained.
Every day, deeper into the Flame and Frost Scriptures left in his inheritance.
Every night, dreaming of the day he would return to the Lin clan… and make them kneel.
Yet the ring pulsed again—faintly.
A new message.
> "When the frost devours flame, and fir
e drinks ice, the path shall split in three. Choose wisely, child of ruin."
Cryptic. Maddening.
But he knew—his journey had only just begun.