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Chapter 10 - Chapter 10 – Before the Heavens awakened

The morning sun rose over Imperium Astrae like a divine ember, its light flowing down the marble spires of the Heavenly Blade Sect. The air shimmered faintly — as though the heavens themselves were holding their breath.

Then, the great bronze bells of the academy rang out.

Their toll echoed through every courtyard, hall, and mountain path.

GONG… GONG… GONG…

Students froze in their tracks. Some dropped their scrolls, others looked up from their training grounds. The sound meant only one thing — the announcement that came once every few decades.

From the Grand Pavilion, Instructor Liang Yuren stood on a raised platform, his robes fluttering in the breeze as hundreds of disciples gathered below. His expression was solemn, but even his eyes gleamed with reverence.

"Disciples of the Heavenly Blade Sect," he began, voice steady and commanding. "The time has come. In seven days, when the twin stars align above the Astrae horizon, the Celestial Resonance Ceremony shall begin."

A ripple spread through the crowd — whispers rising like wildfire.

"The Celestial Resonance… truly?"

"I thought it wouldn't happen for another decade!"

"Those who enter it can reshape their spirit roots!"

"No wonder the heavens have been glowing these nights…"

Even the more composed upper disciples couldn't hide their intrigue. The Celestial Resonance wasn't just a ritual — it was a divine alignment between heaven and earth, where celestial energy descended to harmonize with mortal spirits. For cultivators, it was an opportunity to break through their limits — or be shattered by failure.

Liang Yuren's voice boomed once again.

"The ceremony is not merely a gift — it is a trial. Those who enter must temper both heart and soul. Prepare your mind, refine your essence, and remember — the heavens bless only those who understand balance."

He raised his hand, and a soft light pulsed from his palm — a shimmering crystal seal representing the sect's divine bond with the stars.

"In seven days, your fate will be decided beneath the celestial canopy."

That day, the academy was more alive than ever before.

The clang of weapons echoed from training halls. Disciples meditated beneath waterfalls and trees, some praying, others trembling with excitement.

At the far end of the eastern training field, Chen Ruo was already pushing his limits. Sweat gleamed across his arms as he punched through air dense with energy.

BOOM!

Each strike of his Dragon Fist Art shattered the mist into rippling waves. Nearby, Lin Yuexi practiced her Petal Veil Formation, elegant yet unyielding — lotus petals of light spun around her, forming a radiant barrier.

"Ruo, you're going to burn yourself out before the ceremony even begins," Yuexi said, her tone calm but amused.

"I can't help it!" Chen Ruo grinned, panting. "This is the Celestial Resonance! Do you know how rare this is? If I don't at least hit mid-tier Spirit Phase, I'll never forgive myself."

Zeref watched them from beneath a tree, eyes half-closed, breathing slow and even. His posture was relaxed, but every inch of him radiated quiet concentration. A faint, almost imperceptible light pulsed from the center of his chest — the hidden mark of Aetherion, responding to something in the sky.

"You're unusually quiet today, Zeref," Yuexi said, walking over. "Not nervous?"

"Nervous?" he smiled faintly. "No. Curious, maybe. I feel like the Resonance will… answer something I've been waiting to understand."

Chen Ruo blinked.

"Answer? You talk like the stars owe you a conversation!"

Zeref chuckled softly. "Maybe they do."

Across the courtyard, Instructor Liang Yuren and Miss Lin Zhiyao watched the trio from a distance.

Liang's voice was low, almost approving.

"Their spirits are strong. That's good. The Resonance rewards conviction."

Miss Lin's gaze lingered on Zeref. Her golden eyes shimmered faintly.

"Conviction, yes… but his energy feels unlike anything I've sensed before."

Liang raised an eyebrow.

"You still suspect something about that boy?"

"It's not suspicion, Instructor Liang," she said softly. "It's… recognition. His essence resonates with something far older. When he channels energy, the air bends. The flow aligns with a higher frequency — almost divine."

Liang Yuren frowned thoughtfully.

"Strange words from you, Miss Lin. Perhaps the Resonance will reveal what we cannot."

"Perhaps," she replied, though her eyes never left Zeref.

That evening, training grounds glowed with silver light as lanterns were lit. The disciples practiced under the stars, each chasing their own hope.

Some meditated in silence.

Some sparred fiercely to polish their combat arts.

Others wrote spirit seals or refined talismans.

Zeref, Chen Ruo, and Lin Yuexi trained together by the Moonlit Courtyard, a place said to be blessed by celestial harmony.

Chen Ruo struck again and again, his fists glowing with amber light. Lin Yuexi's petals whirled around him to block his strikes in perfect rhythm.

Zeref stood between them — watching, analyzing. Then, without a word, he lifted his hand.

A faint wind gathered. The leaves trembled. His energy flowed outward like a gentle tide — yet in its calmness, there was immense force.

A pulse of light spread from him, harmless but powerful enough to distort the air.

Chen Ruo stumbled back, stunned.

"By the heavens— Zeref, what kind of technique was that?!"

Zeref looked at his own palm, eyes narrowing.

"I don't know… I just followed the rhythm of the stars."

Lin Yuexi's eyes widened slightly. She glanced up — and for a moment, the stars above shimmered in response.

"You're attuning to them already," she whispered.

"Attuning?"

"The Celestial Resonance will test how your spirit aligns with the heavens. If you're already in sync…" she trailed off, smiling faintly, "you might surprise everyone."

As night deepened, the students began to disperse.

The mountain wind carried faint music — the monks' chants from the western temple, preparing the sacred grounds for the ceremony.

Zeref remained in the courtyard a little longer, staring up at the night sky. The stars shimmered like molten rivers, flowing through the black canvas of eternity.

He could hear it again — that faint whisper, soft but insistent, calling him.

Come… align… awaken.

The mark on his chest pulsed once more, hidden beneath his robes.

"It feels like… the stars are waiting," he murmured.

Miss Lin stood silently at the edge of the courtyard, watching him from afar.

The breeze lifted her hair, and for a heartbeat, she saw it — the faint glimmer beneath his robes.

Her heart skipped.

"That mark again… the energy of Aetherion itself…"

But before she could step forward, Zeref turned — his expression calm, almost knowing.

She hesitated, then retreated into the shadows.

The next morning, the entire Heavenly Blade Sect awoke to the sound of the ceremonial bells.

Disciples bowed toward the rising sun, reciting the ancient verses.

Elders drew spiritual runes into the air.

And the heavens began to hum — faint, distant, magnificent.

Zeref stood with Chen Ruo and Lin Yuexi at the edge of the main courtyard, their gazes fixed on the glowing altar where the Resonance Seal awaited activation.

"It's beautiful," Yuexi whispered.

"It's terrifying," Chen Ruo muttered, though his grin betrayed excitement.

Zeref smiled faintly, feeling the mark on his chest thrum with energy.

"It's… familiar."

He clenched his fist as the celestial winds began to stir.

For the first time in years, he felt alive — like his soul had been waiting for this exact moment.

The stars pulsed overhead.

The ceremony was coming.

And deep within his heart, something ancient began to awaken.

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To be continued...

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