Chapter 39 – Seeds of Tomorrow
The Sect Recovers
The days after the battle were filled with smoke and silence. Disciples moved through the ruined courtyards, carrying away rubble, tending to the wounded, and laying to rest those who would not rise again. The scars of the demonic sect's ambush marked every peak, but Cloudsky's heart still beat.
Slowly, life began to return to the sect. The training fields reopened, furnaces in the Alchemy Pavilion burned once more, and the clang of hammers in the Armory Peak echoed like a promise that Cloudsky would not bow.
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A Gathering in the Grand Hall
When the worst of the cleanup was done, the Sect Master summoned the sect again to the Grand Hall. His figure was paler, his aura quieter, but his eyes held the same unyielding steel.
"Cloudsky has endured," he said, his voice ringing against the carved pillars. "And those who stood tall in our darkest hour will be remembered. But survival alone is not enough. The battle has shown us our weakness. We must rise stronger."
His gaze swept over the gathered disciples.
"Lin Xuan. Bai Liang. Senior Brother Wen. Junior Sister Mu. And you—outer disciples who held the south stair. You will be the pillars of Cloudsky's tomorrow."
A ripple of pride and awe ran through the hall. To be named pillars of the sect was not flattery—it was recognition of destiny.
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The Task
The Sect Master's voice dropped, heavy with intent.
"The pill to restore my strength requires rare ingredients. Beasts guard them, forbidden lands hide them, ancient seals bind them. This task cannot be given to mercenaries or outsiders. It must be borne by Cloudsky's own blood. You will go together."
Gasps echoed among the disciples. To send them as a group meant forging them in shared fire.
"This is not a punishment," he continued. "It is an honor—and a trial. Return with the ingredients, and you will have carved your place into Cloudsky's history."
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Rewards for the Worthy
At a gesture, attendants brought forth chests that thudded onto the jade floor.
"For those who fought valiantly, rewards befitting your courage."
Weapons and Armor: Forged from spiritual alloys, refined for battle. Wen received a sword inscribed with storm-pattern arrays. Bai Liang was gifted saber armor plated with beast-scale lamella. Lin Xuan's Blackstorm Pike was reforged with rare alloys to withstand greater bursts of qi.
Cultivation Resources: Bottles of mid-grade pills, stacks of spirit stones, and rare herbs to aid recovery and growth.
Access to the Scripture Pavilion: Each chosen disciple was granted entry into the second floor of the Pavilion, where higher-tier manuals rested. For some, this was a dream beyond their station.
Disciples bowed deeply as they accepted the treasures, the weight of expectation as heavy as the weapons in their hands.
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The Transition
After the meeting, the sect buzzed with new purpose. Elders whispered about which lands hid the ingredients. Attendants repaired maps of forbidden zones. The chosen disciples retreated to their peaks, some to prepare supplies, others to pore over the Pavilion's jade slips.
Lin Xuan and Bai Liang left the hall together. For a moment, they stood looking over the sect, its peaks wreathed in lingering smoke.
"We've been named pillars," Bai said, half-grinning, half-dazed.
Lin Xuan tightened his grip on his spear. "Pillars are meant to bear weight. Let's be ready."
The wind carried their words away, but the sect seemed to listen all the same.
Cloudsky had survived one catastrophe. Now it prepared for the next.