Two weeks had passed since Li Xiyan completed the Jade Steps trial, and already, ripples were spreading through Clear Wind Pavilion.
Some said she had bribed the elders.
Others claimed she was a spiritual vessel, harboring some divine entity.
Most, however, just watched.
Because despite her low cultivation stage and humble background, the Pavilion's most guarded hearts were opening around her like spring buds after frost.
Mu Chen, once a solitary sword cultivator, was now a regular visitor.
Elder Hao, known for his sharp criticism, praised her name openly.
And Mei Yu—who once looked at her with disdain—now sent her alchemy samples almost daily.
But not everyone welcomed the change.
In the Hall of Heavenly Techniques, Yue Lan crushed a porcelain cup in her hand, shards embedding into her skin unnoticed.
"She's not even a real cultivator," she spat. "Healing? Emotions? These aren't strengths."
Beside her, the silver-haired Yan Jue was silent. But his brows were furrowed.
"The sect has always valued balance," he said finally. "Sword and heart, blade and breath. Perhaps she is a reminder we've forgotten that."
Yue Lan turned sharply. "So you're on her side too?"
"I'm not on sides," he said. "But I know power when I see it."
Meanwhile, in her courtyard, Xiyan gently trimmed the leaves of a spirit root that had started to bloom under her care. It was a rare plant—sensitive to emotions. Its petals only opened in the presence of calm hearts.
It had remained closed for years.
Now, it opened daily.
Xiǎo Bai yawned beside her. "You've become quite popular, haven't you? There's even a rumor you're the Sect Master's illegitimate daughter."
Xiyan chuckled. "Let them think what they want."
"Hmm," the fox spirit said. "You say that, but you're worried."
She paused.
"Tomorrow's the Sect Assembly," she admitted. "And I'll be standing with the inner disciples."
"Afraid?"
"No. Not afraid. Just… I don't want them to think I'm here to replace anyone. I'm not trying to take anything from anyone."
Xiǎo Bai flicked his tail. "Then don't try to explain. Just keep doing what you do. That's louder than any defense."
The next morning, the Sect Assembly bell tolled across the mountains.
All disciples, elders, and guests gathered in the Grand Pavilion. Golden banners waved gently in the breeze, and incense filled the air with sacred calm.
Li Xiyan stood at the edge of the inner disciple group, wearing new robes dyed soft white with green trimming—an understated color, but one that caught attention precisely because it wasn't trying to.
Elder Hao stood, raising his hand. The crowd quieted.
"This year, we have witnessed many things: conflict, growth, and unexpected change."
His eyes fell briefly on Xiyan.
"Among those changes is a reminder: that cultivation is not just about combat or strength, but connection. Wisdom. The will to uplift others as we rise."
Murmurs stirred. Xiyan stood still, calm.
Elder Hao gestured to her.
"Li Xiyan. Step forward."
She did.
"She has healed injured beasts, resolved inner sect conflicts without a single sword drawn, and climbed the Jade Steps by willpower alone. She is not the strongest—yet. But she is the most steady."
A few scoffs echoed from Yue Lan's direction, but Elder Hao continued.
"For this, we grant her the title of Heart Root Disciple—a position rare and revered, meant not for warriors, but for those who cultivate the core of what makes us a sect."
A low gasp ran through the crowd.
The Heart Root title hadn't been granted in over fifty years.
Li Xiyan bowed, heart hammering.
When she stepped back, Mu Chen caught her gaze.
And nodded.
That evening, she returned to her courtyard and found it filled with gifts: herbs, scrolls, handwritten notes of thanks from younger disciples she barely knew.
A knock came.
This time, it was not Mu Chen.
It was Yan Jue.
"I thought you'd be angry," Xiyan said, after he refused the tea she offered.
"I was," he admitted. "But not at you. At myself—for not seeing what you were doing sooner."
She looked at him, curious.
"You haven't taken anything from anyone, Li Xiyan. You've just made them remember something they lost in pursuit of power."
He bowed slightly—formal, respectful.
"May I learn from you?"
Her eyes widened. "You—you want to study healing?"
"No," he said. "I want to understand the path of the Heart Root. If our swords sever bonds, yours restores them. And I think… our sect needs both."
She smiled, and it was soft and full of relief.
"Yes. I'd be honored."
As the moon rose that night, Xiyan sat beneath the spirit root tree, Xiǎo Bai curled in her lap.
"You know," the fox spirit murmured, "you're not just cultivating your power anymore."
She looked down at the blooming petals.
"You're cultivating a whole forest."
And indeed, far above, unseen to mortal eyes, something in the spiritual air began to shift.
Where once Clear Wind Pavilion had a thousand blades—
Now, it had a pulse.