The dawn broke cold and sharp.
Mist clung to the peaks of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Sect, veiling the halls and courtyards in a pale haze. Bells tolled softly, summoning disciples to morning assembly. Yet beneath the harmony of ritual, tension rippled like a drawn blade.
Whispers of the Pavilion encounter had already spread. No disciple should have been able to slip beyond the sect wards at night — yet Xu Tian had returned with the fragrance of blossoms still clinging to his robes. And his cultivation…
Those with sharp eyes had already sensed it.
Core of Yin and Yang. Early stage.
It was unthinkable. Outer sect disciples, even prodigies, spent years simply opening their Qi Veins. But Xu Tian had cut through Foundation Blooming as though bottlenecks were cobwebs. He now stood among the Inner Sect in strength, though still ranked only a newcomer by decree.
Such brilliance was intolerable. And envy sharpened it further.
At the morning assembly, disciples stood in ranks within the Outer Sect courtyard. Elders sat above, gazes like hawks. Bai Heng lingered near the front, robes immaculate, expression twisted with pride. His cultivation too had risen — late Foundation Blooming — but beside Xu Tian, it was the light of a candle against a torch.
The presiding elder, stern-faced and robed in crimson, spoke with booming voice:
"By decree of the sect, the Outer Sect's rankings shall be revised. Disciples who advanced in recent months shall be tested in combat before all."
Gasps stirred. Such ranking trials were rare, usually held once every three years. To hold one now was clearly aimed at a single name.
Eyes turned, almost in unison, toward Xu Tian.
Bai Heng stepped forward, voice smooth, loud enough to carry:
"Honored elder, it would be unjust if some disciples hid their strength behind whispers. Let all brilliance be shown openly! I, Bai Heng, humbly request to challenge Xu Tian, who dares to boast of Core cultivation."
Laughter rippled among his allies. Murmurs swirled.
"Core already? Impossible.""He must have cheated — stolen treasures.""Even if true, Bai Heng's clan will crush him."
The elder nodded gravely. "Very well. Xu Tian, step forth. You will face Bai Heng. Let the sect witness truth."
Xu Tian stepped forward. His plain white robe caught the morning light, his expression serene. He clasped his hands in salute.
"This disciple obeys."
The disciples parted, forming a ring upon the stone courtyard. Elders leaned forward, eyes sharp. Some looked with interest, others with hostility, and at the highest seat, the Supreme Elder watched with a faint smile that carried no warmth.
The duel began.
Bai Heng's sword flashed free with a hiss. His Qi surged, fierce and brash, the air around him glowing faintly with his clan's technique: Crimson Fang Sword, a path of brutal strikes.
"Xu Tian!" Bai Heng roared, his voice ringing with years of bitterness. "Today, your arrogance ends!"
He lunged.
His blade screamed through the air, carrying the weight of a flood. Disciples gasped — many could not follow the speed.
But Xu Tian's eyes remained calm. He lifted his sword with quiet grace, meeting the strike not with power but with silence.
Steel met silence.
The air trembled. Bai Heng's strike slowed, staggered. The scar of silence lingered between them, unseen but unbreakable.
Xu Tian's wrist turned. His blade slipped past, cutting not Bai Heng's flesh but the thread of his rhythm.
The clash ended before it began. Bai Heng stumbled, his blade crashing against the stone floor.
Gasps erupted.
Bai Heng's face twisted with humiliation. He roared again, pouring more Qi into his sword. Crimson light flared, his veins bulging. He struck wildly, again and again, each blow strong enough to shatter stone.
Xu Tian moved with stillness. Each cut he made was not to block but to sever — rhythm, momentum, intent. Every strike of Bai Heng's grew heavier, more desperate, until his technique collapsed into chaos.
Finally, Xu Tian stepped within the storm. His blade whispered once, cloth fluttering, and Bai Heng's sleeve split neatly, his sword wrenched from his hand.
The silence afterward rang louder than thunder.
The elder in crimson rose, shock flashing in his eyes. "Enough. Victory to Xu Tian."
The disciples erupted in noise — awe, fear, anger, disbelief.
"Impossible…""He defeated Bai Heng without a wound.""Such technique—what Dao is this?"
Bai Heng staggered, face pale, fury trembling in his veins. His eyes burned with venom. "You… you—"
But Xu Tian's calm voice cut through.
"Bai Heng. Threads sever themselves when they strain too far."
Bai Heng choked, humiliated, his body trembling with rage.
Above, the Supreme Elder's smile sharpened. He rose slowly, his voice like a blade across silk.
"Xu Tian. Your strength is undeniable. Too undeniable."
The courtyard hushed at once.
The elder's gaze cut through disciples and landed cold upon Tian. "You rise like fire, yet fire unchecked consumes its forest. The sect will not shelter such danger. From this day, Xu Tian is barred from inner missions and forbidden from accepting disciples. His growth shall be monitored — if Heaven's wrath descends, it will be his alone to bear."
Shock swept the courtyard. Such a decree was half-punishment, half-condemnation.
Xu Tian bowed calmly. His eyes met the Supreme Elder's without fear.
"This disciple obeys," he said softly.
But within, his blade whispered differently: Heaven may bind. The sect may chain. Yet threads are threads. And all threads may be cut.
That night, Xu Tian sat once more in his courtyard. Zhou Wei hurried in, face pale, whispering:
"Tian-ge! This decree — it's exile within the sect! They fear you — no, they hate you. The clans whisper already. Bai Heng's elder uncle prepares charges to strip you of even your courtyard!"
Xu Tian remained calm. His gaze lingered on the silver token of the Pavilion resting upon his table, its crescent glow faint in the lantern light.
"Fear sharpens faster than hatred," he murmured. "Let them tighten their nets. The tighter the weave, the cleaner the cut."
He closed his eyes, and Qi surged through his veins, already stabilizing his new Core realm with terrifying speed.
Thunder stirred faintly above the peaks. Heaven, too, was listening.