Chapter 2: The First Thread
The early morning sun painted the Cloudveil peaks in gold, but the sect grounds buzzed with whispers. Something had shifted in the air. The disciples didn't know what exactly — only that the heavens had stirred last night. Thunder had cracked the sky, and for a moment, everyone had felt a weight press against their souls.
But Li Tianyu walked with a calm, measured step.
He no longer limped. His posture straightened. His eyes, once dull and unsure, now gleamed with faint golden light. Yet, he said nothing. He didn't flaunt it. Let the others think what they wanted.
As he passed the training yard, a familiar sneer greeted him.
"Well, look who didn't die in the storm," mocked Wu Shun, a mid-stage Qi Condensation disciple who took every chance to humiliate Tianyu. "Still clinging to the sect like a rat under the floorboards?"
Several disciples laughed.
Tianyu looked at him — really looked — and then something strange happened. The Life Script Panel opened on its own.
The world slowed again, not frozen like before, but muted. And in front of Wu Shun appeared a smaller golden scroll.
[Life Thread: Wu Shun]
It glowed blue, and several flickering nodes appeared along a shining thread that stretched into the air — like stars connected by fate.
> Opportunity Node: "Discovers a Spirit Refining Pill beneath the East Pavilion in 2 days."
Turning Point: "Saves an inner disciple by accident — gains favor and is recruited."
Danger Node: "Is ambushed by spirit beast while bragging in the forest."
Tianyu blinked. This wasn't just reading someone's fate. It was like watching a timeline of their life, with highlights of key choices.
A small icon pulsed beside the first opportunity:
>> Intervene? (Cost: 3 Life Points)
Option A: Steal the pill.
Option B: Delay the event.
Option C: Leave untouched.
He selected Option A without hesitation.
The panel shimmered, then dimmed. His Life Points counter dropped to 17.
A subtle warmth spread across his hand — the script had obeyed.
Wu Shun continued laughing, unaware that a twist in his fate had just been stolen.
Tianyu smiled faintly. Not out of cruelty, but satisfaction. For once, he wasn't the one watching from the dirt.
He turned and left, but he didn't head back to his courtyard.
He went to the East Pavilion.
The old stone hall was nearly abandoned, with vines creeping through cracks in the walls. Tianyu followed the subtle pull in his chest, guided by instinct and script. Behind a crumbling pillar, beneath loose floor tiles, he found it:
A small jade bottle sealed with a silver cap. Inside — a Spirit Refining Pill — capable of improving Qi sensitivity by 30% permanently.
Even his previous self wouldn't have dared dream of it. Now it was real.
He clenched the bottle in his fist.
"This is just the beginning."
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That night, as stars shimmered above Cloudveil Sect, Tianyu sat cross-legged, pill dissolving in his mouth, and Qi surged through his meridians like wildfire.
The Life Script Panel hovered in front of him again, this time showing a message:
> You have altered a fate node. +3 Life Points. Total Life Points: 20
Unlocked New Skill: Fate Echo (Allows limited foresight of a chain reaction caused by a change)
He smiled.
> I don't need to fight the heavens. I just need to write better than them.
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✅ Word count: ~580 words