I. The Pursuit by the Orthodox Sects
The autumn wind swept over the peak of Heavenly Pavilion; even the white clouds dared not linger long.Inside the Hall of Celestial Assembly, twelve sacred banners stood unwavering around the Spirit Altar, each representing one of the twelve great sects of the Central Heaven Realm. Elders, sect leaders, protectors, and elite disciples were all gathered—drawn together by a seismic event unseen in the past three hundred years: the awakening of an ancient spiritual vein by the "Threefold Origin," shaking the very Dao-hearts of the world.
At the center of the altar, Elder Dực Từ Viễn of the Heavenly Wing Sect, robed in flowing white, his gaze like frost, stepped forward and declared in a grave tone:
"The one named Bé An—appearing near the old spiritual vein, bearing a Residual Thought unlike any seen before, with a soul yet incomplete, yet somehow resonating with the ancestral energy of the Original Thought... He is no ordinary child. He is the descendant of a long-lost demonic lineage from the Age of Forsaken Spirits!"
He paused, allowing murmurs of shock to ripple through the great hall, before continuing—his voice as cold and sharp as a blade cutting through snow:
"Such a being must not be allowed to exist within the orthodox path!"
A "Kill or Capture Order – Bé An" was engraved onto jade talismans and sealed by the three great sects: Heavenly Wing, Mysterious Cloud, and Nine Yin—sent swiftly across the realm.
At that moment, Lăng Tiêu's expression changed drastically. He stepped forward three paces, cupped his fists, and shouted:
"You've never even met Bé An—how dare you claim he is a demonic heir? His heart is as clear as autumn lake water, as gentle as spring grass!"
His protest echoed across the hall but was immediately suppressed by the spiritual pressure of three other elders. A cold voice from the Mysterious Cloud Sect sneered:
"Young Lord Lăng, personal sentiments cannot cloud heavenly judgment. Righteousness shows no mercy to abominations."
Diệp Vân Sơ turned pale, stepping beside Lăng Tiêu and whispering:
"Brother Tiêu, if we keep arguing, we'll only make things worse for Bé An…"
Lăng Tiêu's eyes darkened. Above them, twelve banners fluttered violently in the wind—declaring that the entire orthodox realm had united… to cast a child into eternal damnation.
Meanwhile, far on the outskirts of the Thought-Tribe lands, Bé An smiled innocently, watching the season's first butterfly—unaware that a bloody manhunt had already begun.
II. Bé An's Flight and Inner Turmoil
On the back of the desolate Stone Ridge Mountain, beneath a moonless night, Bé An curled up in a narrow crevice. His clothes were torn, his wrists bloodied, and his breath came in ragged gasps—like a wounded beast.
Above, a faint fluttering sound passed overhead. A spirit bird messenger soared by, carrying the freshly carved blood-red bounty talisman.
"Name: Bé An – bearer of Residual Thought Mark, suspected link to the Hidden Yin Sect. Kill on sight. Capturing alive rewards three hundred spirit stones and five hundred merit points."
An clenched his fists.These hands had once picked flowers for Sister Diệp, once played with Brother Lăng in fields of grass… now stained with blood and ash.
He didn't understand.
Why—because of a strange energy within—did the world want him dead?
Why—those who called themselves "righteous"—could be so cruel?
"What… did I do wrong…?"
Each step in his escape plunged him deeper into a maze of doubt and fear.At times, he heard whispers inside his mind—not his own voice, but something older, deeper, echoing from hidden memories:
"Don't be afraid, An. They don't understand… but I do."
The voice was gentle like spring breeze—but carried a tinge of demonic allure, giving him piercing headaches and dizziness.
Bé An had once believed he belonged in this world—that he could be loved and protected.But now… the entire world seemed determined to erase his existence.
He fled across cold lands where villagers locked their doors at the sight of his eyes, where fellow disciples who once shared pastries now drew blades to strike him down.
"Run… keep running… but in the end, you must face your true self."
An clutched his head, tears brimming, shoulders hunched like a lost child under a storm of ice.
Yet in that madness, a memory flickered—A hand reaching for his in fire—Lăng Tiêu's.A pair of gentle eyes—Diệp Vân Sơ's, like a true sister's warmth.
"No… I'm not a monster… I'm Bé An… I am…"
A low cry escaped him. A dark aura surged from his core, as if something within longed to break free.He collapsed.Inside him, the Residual Thought was no longer chaotic—it had begun to take form…It was awakening a will of its own.
III. Confrontation with the Orthodox – Light and Darkness Collide
The Crimson Execution Order—sealed on burning-red talismans—hung at every sect gate and on every sacred pillar:
"The Residual Thought-bearer—if unyielding, destroy without mercy."
Issued by the Celestial Pavilion Council, this was the first time in a century that the three major sects—Nine Yin, Heavenly Wing, and Mysterious Cloud—stood united.
At the base of Demon River Mountain, where blood flows through broken spirit veins, Lăng Tiêu and Diệp Vân Sơ sheltered Bé An.But the strange resonance from within Bé An disturbed the spiritual flow—exposing them to pursuit.
Disciples of the Nine Yin Sect soon arrived, led by Chu Minh Hàn, an inner disciple and former peer of Lăng Tiêu.
"Lăng Tiêu, do you intend to shield a demonic seed? That boy carries tainted thought—he cannot be tolerated!"
Diệp Vân Sơ stepped forward, her voice icy:
"You call yourselves righteous, yet act like bandits. He's just a child, ignorant of the world—and you wish to slay him without question?"
Chu Minh Hàn narrowed his eyes:
"It's not our choice—it's Heaven's decree. The Residual Thought appears—disaster follows. Kill him, and we delay the calamity!"
The battle erupted in a storm of talismans and sword light.The blood river split in two from their clashing auras.
Lăng Tiêu fought with lightning fury but was outnumbered.Diệp Vân Sơ summoned soul arts, parrying deathblows, but her spirit energy waned.
Bé An stood amidst the chaos, drenched in sweat, eyes wide with terror—but something within stirred.
"I must not let them die… Not because of me…"
As a blade neared Diệp Vân Sơ's neck—A soft, ethereal glow spread from Bé An's forehead.
Thought Awakening—the highest realm in the cultivation of Thought Arts, long lost to legend—emerged.
The light wasn't blinding, nor fierce—It drifted like mist, brushing past everyone's hearts.
In an instant, all within three meters froze. Their eyes glazed over.
Chu Minh Hàn halted mid-strike.A Heavenly Wing disciple burst into tears—remembering his long-dead brother.
"What is this feeling… like someone touching the deepest part of my memory…"
Just one breath of the Thought Awakening had stirred their hidden emotions—awakening grief, compassion, and the weight of past regrets.
Lăng Tiêu stood silently, gazing at Bé An—not as a guardian, but as a witness to a soul embracing an extraordinary fate.
"A child… touching the depths of higher thought…?"
From afar, storm clouds gathered. A thunderclap echoed.The Heavens trembled.
The orthodox sects were unprepared for this:
The hunted child… now held the key to a new era—Where Thought may no longer be divided into good or evil.
IV. Fractures Between Righteous and Demonic – The Seed of New Thought
Night deepened. The moon hung dim.Three figures—Lăng Tiêu, Diệp Vân Sơ, and Bé An—moved through ancient pines on the southern border of the Thought Tribe lands.
They had escaped the slaughter only by the miracle of Bé An's Thought Awakening.But all knew—it was only the beginning.
Elder Lưu Tịch, head of the southern border, called an emergency midnight council.Clan leaders from Cổ Lạc, Huyền Sa, and Mộ Thủ gathered.
Tension crackled in the chamber.Lưu Tịch's voice rang calmly:
"The orthodox call him a demonic seed. The unorthodox call him a catalyst. But I see… Bé An is the beginning of something new—a rightful successor to the future of our Thought Tribe."
A voice objected:
"But what if his awakening strays? He could shatter the Seven Gate defenses!"
Lưu Tịch pointed north—toward the battlefield still soaked in blood.
"And if we abandon him, as the Heavens once abandoned our ancestors… are we any different from them?"
Far away, in a deep mountain crevice shrouded in eternal darkness…
The Twelve Masked Shadows—Tàng Tử Thập Nhị Nhân—watched from afar.
Ngụy Tử Khâm, the Tenth Shadow in purple robes, muttered:
"That Thought ripple… not Residual, nor Pure…"
A hoarse, deep voice from the shadows—Shadow Two—spoke:
"It could be… Living Thought. If so… the time has come."
Another figure laughed coldly:
"Living Thought exists only in myths. If real… he may be the next Thought Sovereign—or the seed of the world's end."
Inside a stone cave, Bé An sat holding his head.Light still flickered softly in his palm.
Lăng Tiêu sat nearby, solemn.Diệp Vân Sơ meditated in silence—yet her eyes never left An's trembling form.
"What awaits us… beyond this path?"
Outside, the skies wept—not blood, but black snow.
For the first time in a hundred years, the chaos of Thought had shattered the ancient line between light and shadow.
The world… was changing.
And within this child—lay the future… or the fall… of the Realm of Thought.