The Misty Cloud Sect was a world apart from the mortal villages below. To climb its peaks was to leave behind soil and sweat, hunger and despair. Here, the mountains pierced the heavens, their ridges blanketed in drifting seas of white mist that glowed faintly with spiritual light. Waterfalls cascaded endlessly, plunging into unseen depths, while the cry of cranes echoed between towering cliffs.
Disciples in flowing azure robes moved across winding bridges and jade-paved courtyards. Some rode flying swords that gleamed like streaks of lightning; others sat in quiet meditation beneath ancient pine trees whose roots coiled around boulders infused with natural Qi. Every breath in the sect carried power.
Yu Ling paused at the edge of the Cloudspire Bridge, her boots tapping softly against the stone. From here she could see the grand hall rising above the fog, its roof tiled with black jade, its columns carved with dragons so lifelike they seemed ready to stir. Inside waited Elder Ji—one of the sect's most respected figures.
Her mission weighed heavily on her shoulders.
Lin Xuan's face returned to her mind, pale with exhaustion, yet lit by stubborn defiance. She had seen mortals face death before; most cowered, some begged. But not him. Even when his body seemed ready to collapse, his eyes burned with something unyielding.
And more than that—he had drawn Qi. A mortal, with no sect, no root, no training. That should have been impossible.
She pressed her lips together, exhaled, and walked forward.
The sect's great hall loomed vast and solemn, lit by lanterns that burned with pale spiritual fire. The light painted the walls with shifting shadows, and the silence inside was profound, broken only by the faint hum of power that resonated in the air itself.
Elder Ji sat upon the dais, her figure upright and still. Her silver hair fell like a waterfall down her back, yet her face was smooth, untouched by time. Her eyes were calm but sharp, as though they could strip away illusion and pierce directly into the truth of the soul.
Around the hall stood nearly two dozen disciples, each summoned to hear Yu Ling's report. Their gazes flicked toward her as she approached, some curious, some skeptical.
Yu Ling bowed deeply. "Disciple Yu Ling greets Elder Ji."
"Rise," Elder Ji said, her voice cool as mist rolling over stone. "Report what you found during your patrol of the southern forest."
Yu Ling straightened, clasping her hands. Her voice was steady, though her heart beat quickly. "I encountered a disturbance of Qi near an abandoned shrine. A Shadowfang Wolf had been drawn to it. When I arrived, I discovered a mortal boy engaged in battle with the beast."
A ripple of surprise passed through the gathered disciples.
"A mortal?" one muttered under his breath.
Yu Ling continued. "Yes, Elder. A common boy from the village below. Yet… he was not ordinary. His body radiated a faint fluctuation of Qi. Weak, unstable—but undeniable. Enough to lure the beast. He fought until collapse. I slew the wolf and ensured his survival."
The hall fell silent. The words lingered in the air, almost absurd. A mortal radiating Qi? Impossible. Yet Yu Ling was not one to speak recklessly.
Elder Ji's brow lifted slightly. "Describe him."
Yu Ling recounted Lin Xuan's appearance: thin frame, torn clothes, coughing blood yet still standing, his black eyes blazing with determination even as death closed in.
When she finished, the elder's expression had shifted. She no longer looked merely curious—she looked cautious.
"You claim he is mortal," Elder Ji said slowly. "And yet you sensed Qi within him?"
"Yes, Elder," Yu Ling replied firmly.
A low murmur spread among the disciples. Some shook their heads in disbelief; others leaned closer, eyes gleaming with sudden interest.
Elder Ji closed her eyes for a moment. The silence that followed was heavy, oppressive. Finally, she spoke:
"There are things in this world that should not exist. Ancient bloodlines thought extinguished. Hidden roots the heavens themselves sought to bury. If such a seed has sprouted again, it may bring fortune… or calamity."
The murmurs sharpened.
Yu Ling's pulse quickened. She had suspected Lin Xuan was unusual, but hearing Elder Ji speak of calamity made her uneasy.
"What are your orders, Elder?" she asked.
Elder Ji's eyes opened, gleaming like stars reflected on still water. "You will observe him. From this day forward, his life will be under our gaze. Do not reveal yourself again unless necessary. If the boy harbors a hidden vein of power, the sect must know. You will report every movement, every sign. Should others discover him before us…" Her tone hardened. "He will be seized. Or silenced."
Yu Ling's breath caught, though she bowed her head to hide it. "Yes, Elder."
But not everyone accepted the command quietly.
A tall male disciple stepped forward, his jaw tense. His name was Ren Hao, known for his sharp tongue and ambition. He clasped his fists and asked boldly:
"Elder Ji, forgive my boldness. Why not bring the boy here at once? If his body holds a unique vein, should we not secure him before another sect learns of him?"
The elder's gaze snapped toward him. It was not angry, but the weight of it made Ren Hao flinch as though the air itself pressed against his chest.
"And if the heavens buried that vein for a reason?" Elder Ji asked, her voice sharp as a sword's edge. "Would you drag such a curse into our halls without caution? Would you endanger every disciple here for the sake of curiosity?"
Ren Hao dropped to one knee, sweat beading on his brow. "Disciple dares not."
Elder Ji's gaze lingered a moment longer, then shifted away. "Remember, arrogance blinds faster than ignorance."
The hall fell silent once more.
Yu Ling felt a twist of conflict within her chest. The sect saw Lin Xuan as either an asset or a danger. Not a person. Not the boy who had fought with nothing but grit against a wolf that would have slain even trained villagers with ease.
Her hand brushed the hilt of her sword unconsciously.
"Do not let sentiment cloud you, child," Elder Ji said suddenly, as though she had pierced into Yu Ling's very heart. Her gaze settled on her with quiet intensity. "The Dao shows mercy to none. If this boy is a root of calamity, then mercy would be to cut him down swiftly."
Yu Ling bowed again, concealing the flicker of turmoil in her eyes. "Disciple understands."
The meeting dissolved shortly after. Disciples murmured to one another as they filed from the hall, some whispering excitedly of what it could mean, others casting suspicious glances Yu Ling's way as though she were tainted by association.
Ren Hao's voice reached her as he passed. "Careful, Yu Ling. Playing with mortals will not end well. If he becomes a threat, I'll see to it the sect handles him properly." His tone carried both warning and promise.
Yu Ling ignored him, stepping out of the hall into the cool mountain air.
The wind tugged at her robes as she stood on the balcony overlooking the endless sea of clouds. The sect bells rang in the distance, their tones rolling like waves through the mist.
She thought of Lin Xuan again. His ragged breath, his trembling arms gripping the crude weapon, his eyes burning with refusal to die. A mortal who dared stand before a beast. A boy the heavens themselves seemed to notice.
And now, she had been ordered to watch him—not protect, not guide. Watch. Report. And perhaps betray.
Her heart clenched. She had saved him once. Would she be forced to strike him down the next time they met?
The clouds shifted, parting slightly to reveal the mortal lands far below. Somewhere down there, Lin Xuan was alive, perhaps recovering, perhaps already training in desperation. Unaware that the eyes of an entire sect were turning toward him.
Yu Ling gripped her sword hilt tightly, her whisper lost to the wind:
"Lin Xuan… I hope you are ready. Because the Misty Cloud Sect is already watching you."
Far above, thunder rumbled faintly across the distant horizon, though no storm could be seen.
The heavens were listening.
And the next move would not be his alone.