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Chapter 46 - The Lotus Acknowledged

The courtyard still hummed with the afterglow of the Heavenly Stele's response. Even long after the light had faded, disciples found themselves glancing at the name carved there—as if it might stir again at any moment.

But ceremony had to proceed.

The great bronze gong tolled three times, its resonant note stilling the crowd. The elders rose from their seats, their robes rippling with authority. Elder Yun, voice solemn, stepped forward.

"Disciples of the Ethereal Heaven Palace, today the Heavenly Stele itself has borne witness. The lotus-born child has carved his destiny, his name shining brighter than many before him. By decree of Heaven and recognition of the Stele, we acknowledge him as one of our own."

His staff struck the marble floor with a resonant crack. The gathered disciples, both outer and inner, bowed in unison.

"All hail, Disciple Luminarael."

The title rolled across the courtyard like thunder, a chorus of voices bound in ritual. For a moment, it seemed as though the whole sect embraced him.

But within that bow, within that chant, seeds of discord sprouted.

Some disciples bowed with genuine reverence, struck by the purity of the boy who had moved the Stele. Others bowed reluctantly, their lips forming words their hearts rejected. A few bent only shallowly, their narrowed eyes sharp as blades, their envy thick enough to choke.

At the high dais, Elder Yun's voice continued:

"By the Sect's decree, you are henceforth placed in the Lotus Division, under the tutelage of Elder Suen. You shall cultivate alongside your peers, bearing both duty and burden. Remember: the brighter the flame, the harsher the winds that seek to snuff it."

Luminarael lowered his head respectfully. "Disciple Luminarael receives this grace."

His voice was clear, devoid of pride, his posture humble. Yet that humility itself sparked whispers.

"Is he pretending?"

"Too pure. Too naive. That kind of brightness… it blinds."

"Humility is just another kind of arrogance."

From the crowd, a pair of eyes burned hotter than the rest. Senior Disciple Kaelen, a core disciple whose name sat high upon the Stele, clenched his jaw until it ached. His own recognition ceremony years ago had been met with polite nods, not cosmic ripples. The idea that this newcomer had outshone him was intolerable.

When the bowing ended, the Sect Master descended. His robes shimmered faintly with starlight, each step carrying the weight of countless cycles. He stopped before Luminarael, his presence vast yet calm, like an ocean that could drown all storms.

"Disciple Luminarael," he said, his voice both gentle and terrifying, "the Stele has spoken, but remember: acknowledgment is not destiny fulfilled. Only your heart, unshaken, will prove whether the lotus blooms eternal—or withers before its time."

His gaze lingered, unreadable, and then he turned away.

The ceremony concluded, but the courtyard did not return to peace. Even as the elders dismissed the crowd, disciples whispered in corners, voices sharp with envy, reverence, or calculation. The name "Luminarael" was no longer merely carved in stone—it lived in every disciple's tongue.

As Luminarael followed the guides toward the Lotus Division, his footsteps soft and untroubled, unseen eyes followed him from every direction. Some watched with admiration, others with malice, and some with schemes already unfolding.

For in Ethereal Heaven Palace, acknowledgment was not the end of a trial—it was the beginning of countless unseen battles.

And among the shadows, a vow was already forming.

> "Lotus-born or not," Kaelen whispered to himself, his fists clenched tight, "I will break him. Before the sect, before Heaven itself—I will see his name dim."

Thus began the first stirrings of rivalry.

The lotus had been acknowledged… and already, storms gathered around its bloom.

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