Elder Ashen descended gracefully, landing just beneath the towering gates of Azure Sky Peak. His steps were steady, deliberate, and his gaze swept across the kneeling disciples who instantly saluted him, their reverence unmistakable.
Yet, Ashen's eyes did not linger on the salutes; instead, they traveled beyond to the edge of the courtyard where a lone figure stood apart.
There, amidst the bustling disciples clad in Azure Sky robes, stood a young man—simple, unassuming, dressed plainly, lacking the marks of a direct disciple. Ashen's eyes fixed on him with a trace of uncertainty.
That had to be Ethan.
But an inexplicable hesitation gnawed at Ashen. Despite the commotion, no spiritual power radiated from Ethan. No aura shimmered with the slightest hint of cultivation. To any ordinary observer, he was nothing more than a common man.
Yet Ashen was drawn to something else—a subtlety.
