The night breeze drifted softly, carrying the scent of damp leaves from the mountains. Moonlight pierced through the thin mist that lingered above the sect's courtyard, reflecting the silhouettes of trees on the still surface of a small lake. Jian Wu sat by the water's edge, staring at the ripples that trembled faintly under the silver light.
Since the incident in the valley a few days ago, everything had changed. The black and white energy inside his body had become more stable, yet something else pulsed within him, a strange rhythm, like the breath of a distant world.
"Can't sleep again?" Mei Xue's gentle voice came from behind. She held a small lantern, its orange glow dancing on her face. Her black hair was slightly messy from the wind, making her look softer, more real than usual.
Jian Wu turned slightly and gave a faint smile. "No. The world feels too loud to fall asleep."
Mei Xue sat beside him. "Or maybe… you just think too much."
Silence followed. Only the sound of crickets and rippling water filled the night.
"I'm scared," she said quietly, her voice barely louder than the wind. "Every time you fight, I feel like a part of you disappears. Little by little."
Jian Wu didn't answer right away. He plucked a few blades of grass beside him and rolled them in his fingers. "If I avoid it, the power will consume me. But if I face it, I might lose myself in another way. This world never gives us perfect choices."
Mei Xue looked down. "Still… I don't want to lose you."
The words lingered in the air, fragile and sincere. Jian Wu looked up at the moon. "Neither do I. But peace isn't something people like us are allowed to have."
In the main hall of the sect, a group of elders gathered under the dim glow of torches.
"The energy around the sect has shifted ever since that boy returned," Elder Zhao said grimly. "Even the protective formation trembled tonight."
Elder Ling stared out the window. "It's not only him. I sense something else, a foreign presence awakening in the north."
A deep voice rose from the far end of the table. "Could this be connected to the old prophecy… about the Heir of the Primal Law?"
The room fell silent.
That name hadn't been spoken for decades. It was only a myth, until now.
"If the prophecy is true," the elder continued, "then that boy isn't just another disciple. He's the key. But a key to what?"
No one could answer.
Back by the lake, Mei Xue rested her chin on her knees. "You know… before I met you, I thought cultivation was only about power. Now I see it's about surviving without losing your heart."
Jian Wu smiled faintly. "That's a costly lesson, Mei Xue."
She looked at him, eyes calm. "I don't regret it. If not for all this, I'd never know there's someone brave enough to fight destiny itself, even without a core."
Their eyes met briefly, but before the quiet could turn into something more, a thunderous rumble split the air.
The water of the lake rippled violently. Birds fled from the trees. From the northern sky, a flash of blue light formed a huge circular sigil, like an ancient gate opening.
Mei Xue stood up, alarmed. "That's… a teleportation formation?"
Jian Wu's gaze hardened. "No. That's a war signal."
The blue light expanded, symbols spinning slowly within the glowing vortex. The air trembled, and from the heart of that light, dark figures descended, their robes marked with a dragon emblem.
"The Black Sky Sect…" Jian Wu murmured.
Mei Xue's breath hitched. "How did they find this place?"
"They're not looking for the sect," he replied quietly. "They're looking for me."
The dark figures landed one by one, their presence heavy and oppressive. One of them pulled down his hood, revealing a young face with sharp eyes. "Jian Wu. We've been searching for you."
Jian Wu met his gaze, his aura pulsing softly. "If you came to talk, I'll listen. But if you came to force me, I won't back down."
The man smirked. "We're not here to persuade. We're here to make sure the world never again sees a creature like you."
Mei Xue stepped forward, her spiritual energy flaring white. "Then you'll have to walk over my corpse first."
The blue circle in the sky shattered, and dozens of shadows leapt down, surrounding them. Jian Wu exhaled softly. "It seems the night won't stay quiet."
He looked at Mei Xue, then up at the swirling moonlight. "If the world sees me as a threat… then let it know I never asked for this power."
The wind rose again, and the rippling lake turned crimson under the broken light above.
In the distance, the warning bell of the sect rang long and deep.
The night's silence was gone.