Three days passed in relative calm, though "calm" in the Azure Cloud Sect was a relative term. For Li Tianming, every day brought new challenges—cultivation tasks, disciple duels, and unexpected visits from senior disciples curious about the "mirror-breaker."
His name was no longer whispered—it was spoken openly, with either admiration, fear, or envy.
But Li Tianming had no time to indulge in popularity. He had already found his goal: ascend to the core disciple rank within one year.
To do that, he needed strength—true strength.
---
Jade Wind Peak – Cultivation Chambers
Deep within the peak lay a series of sealed stone rooms used by inner disciples. Each chamber amplified spiritual energy and suppressed external interference. Tianming sat in one of these now, cross-legged, shirtless, soaked in sweat.
> [Qi Condensation Stage 3 → 4: 94%]
[Time to breakthrough: 3 hours 12 minutes]
[System Alert: New Quest Unlocked – "The First Forbidden Step"]
Objective: Reach the first step of the Staircase of Stars.
Warning: Entry is restricted. Detection may lead to punishment or death.
Reward: ??? + Exclusive Heaven Grade Ability
Accept?
He stared at the system prompt.
The Staircase of Stars…
Tianming had only heard whispers of it in the inner disciple manuals. A mysterious stairway hidden deep beneath the sect, where each step required overwhelming willpower and spirit force. It was said to be both a test and a legacy left behind by the sect's founder.
No one below Core Disciple rank was allowed near it.
Tianming exhaled.
"Accept."
> [Quest Accepted]
[Map Overlay Unlocked]
[Pathway Opened: Beneath the Pavilion of Fallen Light]
---
Midnight – Pavilion of Fallen Light
Rain fell in a soft drizzle as Tianming moved across the sect's silent stone walkways. Lanterns glowed faintly, their fire resistant to the damp. He wore a dark gray cloak, aura suppressed with the System's stealth function.
The Pavilion of Fallen Light looked like a burned-down shrine—abandoned, with rotted pillars and moss-covered tiles. No spiritual formations guarded it. To most, it was a ruin.
But to Tianming's eyes, guided by the System, glowing lines traced the entrance, forming a hidden seal.
He placed his palm to the cracked floor.
> [Override Initiated… Seal Bypassed]
A click echoed through the rain, and part of the floor slid aside, revealing a narrow staircase spiraling downward into the earth.
He descended.
---
The Staircase of Stars – Step One
At the bottom of the staircase was a grand cavern glowing with bluish-white light. Floating above a void was a long stairway made of translucent crystal steps, each one suspended in air. The ceiling shimmered with an artificial sky full of stars—so realistic it felt like the heavens had been brought underground.
Li Tianming stepped toward the first stair.
A barrier of pressure hit him like a mountain. Not physical, but spiritual—a crushing wave of ancient will.
He dropped to one knee, teeth gritted.
> [Warning: Ancient Intent Detected – "Ascendant Soul Trial"]
[Activating Mental Fortress: 48% resistance achieved]
He forced his foot forward and took the step.
The moment he did, memories that were not his own exploded into his mind:
– A sword carving apart a black sun.
– A golden spear piercing an immortal beast's skull.
– A woman in white standing at the edge of time, eyes filled with stars and sorrow.
– A name echoing through the void: Li Tian…
Then silence.
He gasped and fell to both knees, bleeding from the nose and ears.
> [Step 1 Completed]
[Reward: Heaven-Grade Ability Unlocked – Stellar Tempest Blade (Stage 1)]
[Mental Willpower +12%]
[Soul Strength Enhanced]
[Bonus: Title Acquired – "Star-Touched"]
He collapsed onto the crystalline step, body numb.
But somewhere deep within, something new had taken root—a flicker of celestial power.
And a whisper from the void.
"You are not the first… nor the last…"
---
Dawn – Disciplinary Hall
While Li Tianming lay unconscious at the base of the stair, above ground, trouble stirred.
A sensor formation near the Pavilion of Fallen Light had activated.
Within the stone fortress of the Disciplinary Hall, the formation blinked red.
Senior Disciple Gu Zhen, known for his cold temper and stronger fists, stepped forward and slammed his hand onto the desk.
"Someone entered the Forbidden Zone."
Another elder, a hawk-eyed man with a scar over his mouth, growled, "We'll find them."
But Gu Zhen's gaze turned dark.
"No… I already know who it was. Only one person would dare move with such confidence."
He tapped the table.
Li Tianming.
---
Afternoon – Medical Pavilion
Li Tianming awoke on a wooden cot, smelling of herbs and burning incense. A soft, floral scent tickled his nose.
"You're awake," a gentle voice said.
He turned his head—and froze.
A girl sat beside him, clothed in emerald robes with long black hair tied with a green ribbon. Her skin was pale as moonlight, her eyes like dew-speckled jade.
She looked about seventeen.
"You passed out near the Herb Garden," she said softly. "The guards brought you here."
He remembered the System prompt: Location spoofing active.
Smart.
"Thank you," he said.
"I'm Lin Yanyue," she said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "I study under Elder Shi Hua. I've seen you spar with Shuang'er."
"She didn't kill me. That was nice of her."
Yanyue laughed quietly. "You're different from the others. Most boys in the sect just glare or try to impress. You… don't try."
"I'm busy trying not to die."
"That's fair."
He studied her more closely now. Not a combat cultivator—but her spiritual aura was extremely refined. Her pulse was serene, yet her core glowed like a still lake with immense depth.
A spirit-type cultivator. Healers. Rare. Precious.
"…You have good meridians," she said suddenly, blushing as she realized how it sounded. "I mean—you recovered too quickly. You shouldn't be standing."
"I'm stubborn."
She looked at him seriously. "Stubborn people die young if they're not careful."
He smiled faintly. "I'll take my chances."
Yanyue looked as though she wanted to say something more—but the door slid open.
Shuang'er walked in, sword at her back, eyes narrowed.
"I heard you almost died," she said flatly.
"Almost is generous," Tianming replied. "What, you jealous someone else found me bleeding for once?"
Shuang'er gave Yanyue a side glance, then looked back at him.
"I came to warn you. Disciplinary Hall is investigating movement near the Pavilion of Fallen Light. They're watching you."
Li Tianming's eyes sharpened. "How much time do I have?"
"None," Shuang'er said. "They're sending someone tonight."
Yanyue looked between them, alarmed.
"What did you do?" she whispered.
Tianming met her eyes.
"…I climbed the first step."
Both girls fell silent.
Yanyue looked pale. Shuang'er stared at him like he'd grown a second head.
"You're insane," Shuang'er said. "Even core disciples fear that place."
"And yet," he said quietly, "I'm still breathing."
Shuang'er stared at him for a moment more, then grinned.
"I like you even more now."
Yanyue frowned. "I think he's reckless."
"I think he's fun."
"I think he's in danger," Yanyue said.
To that, both girls agreed.
---
That night, beneath the moonlight…
A squad of black-robed enforcers moved toward the ruins of the Pavilion of Fallen Light.
Gu Zhen led them, eyes cold and filled with killing intent.
But when they reached the entrance—
It was sealed.
The formation was gone.
And any trace of recent passage had vanished.
Only a single symbol glowed faintly on a broken tile:
星 (Star)
Gu Zhen's eyes narrowed.
"This won't end here."
---
[End of Chapter 5]