Molan Star, Tianyun Continent.
In the courtyard of the Yun family mansion, the daylight was filtered by ancient trees into mottled patches of golden light. On the stone table in the corner of the yard, several warm tea cups emitted faint residual warmth; servants hurried back and forth, occasionally whispering softly, but mostly the sounds were just busy footsteps. This was the Yun family—a well-known yet low-profile noble family on Tianyun Continent. The head of the family, Yun Tianling, was steady as a mountain. Within the family were a vast library, spiritual fields, and several small secret realms that gradually enriched the family's foundation. On this continent, cultivation had nine stages: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Transformation, Out-of-Body, Divided Spirit, Fusion, and Tribulation Crossing…
Lin Yuan stood outside the main gate, tightly holding the black jade pendant he had carried since childhood. The jade was smooth and moist; beneath its unblemished surface, shadows flowed as if bottomless. He raised his head to gaze at the Yun family's main door, his eyes filled with indescribable complexity. This place had once given him warmth, yet also confinement; it was the harbor of his childhood and the starting point he must now leave.
"Yuan'er, come eat." A soft voice without any hint of coquettishness came from the inner room. That voice, as always, was clear and pure like water flowing over stone. Lin Yuan turned around as a shadow gradually approached from the distant corridor. Su Yan stepped lightly into the courtyard at the stairway entrance—her arrival always silent, yet enough to catch Lin Yuan's gaze and make it involuntarily linger.
Su Yan still bore that cold and elegant demeanor, her plain clothes accentuating her slender and dignified figure. But as she drew near and cast him a glance that was gentle despite its coolness, the coldness melted into warmth. Lin Yuan always had a sentence in his heart whenever he saw her: she was the person he had grown up with, not by blood but closer than kin.
They had chased and played in the Yun family courtyard since childhood; mud and laughter alike were etched into the softest corners of their memories. The Yun family's long corridor, bamboo grove, study, and even the old well in the courtyard—all were shared memories. He remembered Su Yan's smile and understood her silences. Many years later, Lin Yuan gradually realized that this bond meant more than warmth—it was an unshakable responsibility.
"You're daydreaming again." Su Yan circled to his side and lightly touched his sleeve; her fingers were cold but caused warmth to rise in Lin Yuan's chest. He said nothing, only grasped the pendant tighter.
Today was the day he would leave. Yun Tianling, the family head, together with several elders, had already agreed: to avoid the recent disputes surfacing within the family and the prying eyes of external enemies, and to provide Lin Yuan with a broader environment for growth, it was decided that he would enter the sect, Tianxuan Sect, to study. The Tianxuan Sect was famous throughout Tianyun Continent—a great sect that emphasized both cultivation and heritage. Entering the sect would give Lin Yuan the opportunity to receive systematic guidance and greater chances of advancement. But this also meant he would temporarily part from Su Yan, leave the place that had nurtured him for many years, and face the unknown and dangers.
"I don't want to go." Lin Yuan said softly, his voice a little hoarse.
Su Yan's eyes shifted. She looked toward the small path outside the courtyard leading south to the mountains; the distant outline blurred, as if an unknown world was waiting for his footsteps. "But you must go," she replied calmly, "The family head's decision is both an expectation for you and a protection for us. If you leave, we won't be implicated."
Lin Yuan swallowed hard. In his mind floated several recent anomalies within the Yun family: someone spying on the backyard at midnight, the family talisman mysteriously failing one day, and low growls of beasts from the distant forest… The Yun family seemed peaceful on the surface, but inside stirred dark currents. Sending him into the sect was not only to avoid trouble but also to help him grow faster and have the power in the future to protect those he loved.
"I will come back." Lin Yuan's words were quiet, but each was like a stone dropped into water, stirring ripples, "No matter how long, no matter how hard, I will become stronger, protect you, protect everything in the Yun family that needs protecting. If one day you are caught in danger, I must have the strength to stand in front of you and shield you from all storms."
Su Yan's gaze blossomed at that moment. She reached out and held his hand, her palm warm and firm. "I will wait for you."
It was a vow without words, but it became the strongest belief in their hearts. Lin Yuan engraved this oath on his chest, like a brand that could never be erased.
But fate was not simple. On the night before departure, Lin Yuan happened to browse through an ancient family record and a secretly sealed letter in the family head's study. Originally, he only wanted to find some sect history to ease his regret before leaving, but inadvertently he saw the names of his parents and a hidden record.
His parents had once been guards escorting a precious sect artifact, and they disappeared during a conflict. The Yun family quietly took in the orphan but never told him the whole truth. The record vaguely mentioned "abnormal bloodline," "a night oath," and "leaving behind a piece of black jade awaiting the returnee." Lin Yuan's heart trembled violently at that moment: that black jade he always carried might not be an ordinary relic; it was inseparably connected to his parents, to the family, and to some ancient pact.
That night, under the watery moonlight, Lin Yuan lay on his bed, holding the black jade, trying to catch even the slightest meaning from it. Deep inside the jade, points of light seemed to flow, as if drawn by some invisible force. The light did not manifest, seeming both to wait and to call. He closed his eyes and heard a faint and ancient echo deep in his bloodline, like an ancient tide whispering inside him.
"Maybe…" he silently whispered in his heart, "maybe I am not an ordinary orphan."
The next day's farewell was not dramatic; the Yun family merely sent him off according to ritual. Yun Tianling stood at the gate, expression calm; but when Lin Yuan bowed deeply, he sighed—a breath filled with complexity and reluctance.
"Remember this," Yun Tianling patted Lin Yuan's shoulder, his tone especially steady, "a true strong person is not just powerful, but carries a demeanor others can rely on. You must learn to protect others with your strength, not let others bear burdens for you. Remember every oath you make right now."
Lin Yuan nodded solemnly. Then, the carriage slowly departed, the stone lions in the courtyard remained unchanged, sunlight casting parting shadows on the walls.
At the moment he stepped out of the Yun family gate, Lin Yuan glanced back at everything he once knew—the bamboo forest, the old well, the stone table, and the figure in plain clothes far away. Su Yan stood upstairs like a silent statue, her eyes faintly moist. Lin Yuan silently repeated his oath in his heart, then stepped into the carriage, heading toward the sect.
Along the journey, the scenery of the Tianyun Continent gradually unfolded: jagged mountains in the distance, the spiritual veins of the central plains like a vast web threading the land, and faint sect auras shimmering on the horizon. Lin Yuan's heart was both steady and expectant—this road may be perilous, but it would ultimately lead him to the power he sought.
Several hours later, the carriage passed through a desolate path. As Lin Yuan leaned against the carriage rail lost in thought, suddenly a commotion arose outside. The guards dropped the reins and leapt down; horses' hooves thundered chaotically as several slender figures darted out from the surrounding bushes. The bandit leader wore coarse cloth and had ruthless eyes: "Stop—any profitable caravan must hand over their goods, or don't expect to leave alive!"
These highway robbers were very common, but their timing and method always raised caution. The guards immediately drew swords to meet them, but the bandit leader's methods were ruthless. Several vicious slashes wounded one guard, who fell to the ground bleeding, staining the dust near the carriage wheels. In the panic, Lin Yuan quickly stood up. He didn't want trouble before entering the sect, but seeing his fallen companion, his fists clenched tightly.
The bandit leader sneered, "Kid, don't make trouble. Hand over the goods, maybe you can keep your life."
Lin Yuan's gaze darkened as he slowly approached the carriage. Without shouting or showing off, he only reached to touch the black jade on his chest. At that moment, the jade seemed to emit a faint warmth flowing through his palm into his body. A mixture of unease and anticipation surged in his chest.
He did not draw a sword, yet in the next moment did something that astonished everyone—he advanced toward the bandit leader with a calm and steady step. His pace had no flair but cut through the bandit leader's confidence like a sharp blade. As the bandit leader attacked, Lin Yuan suddenly thrust out his right palm; the palm wind was not dazzling but carried an oppressive force, crashing into the bandit leader's chest like a mountain strike. Though the palm force was not extraordinary, the bandit leader staggered back several steps, feeling a heavy sinking in his chest and suddenly spat blood.
The nearby guards exchanged glances, unable to understand why that single palm carried such power. Lin Yuan also felt a warm current in his palm, a strange resonance like a string being awakened, trembling lightly. Without further thought, he used his current Qi cultivation level of three layers, combined with his practiced footwork and boxing techniques, quickly taking control of the situation. Seeing their leader wounded, the other bandits fled in panic, unwilling to tangle with a prepared opponent.
Afterwards, the guards gave Lin Yuan thumbs up, but froze when they saw a faint golden pattern subtly rising on his left chest. The pattern was as fine as a hair, extending slightly then disappearing under the skin. Lin Yuan himself had not noticed, until the image of Su Yan before their parting flashed in his mind.
As the carriage resumed its journey, Lin Yuan felt a newfound certainty mixed with doubt: he knew he was no ordinary orphan, and that the black jade was not simple. But the feeling from that palm strike convinced him further—fate had silently begun to unfold. He must walk further on this path, learn to protect more people, and bear greater costs and sacrifices.
As dusk fell, the silhouettes of distant mountains stretched longer under the setting sun. Lin Yuan looked outside the carriage, as if gazing toward the future—a path both painful and glorious. In his heart, he silently repeated his promise to Su Yan: no matter how long, no matter how difficult, I will return.
The wheels crushed the gravel, carrying him toward the unknown, toward a sect called "Tian Xuan Sect," and also toward unfinished mysteries and future trials. The night swallowed the distance, stars appeared as promised; yet beyond the starlight, deeper unknowns awaited…
The journey ahead was uncertain and full of danger, but Lin Yuan's resolve had hardened like steel. He knew that only by becoming stronger could he protect those dear to him and fulfill the silent oath etched deeply in his heart.
As the carriage disappeared into the night, the quiet courtyard of the Yun family remained bathed in the soft moonlight. The old stone lions stood guard, witnessing the beginning of a path that would challenge fate itself.
The road to defying heaven had begun.