Chapter 40 – Oaths and Secrets
The Scripture Pavilion
The chosen disciples stepped into the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion, where rows of jade slips pulsed faintly with spiritual light. The silence was heavy here, broken only by the rustle of robes and the faint hum of ancient wards.
Each disciple scattered, searching for arts that would sharpen their path before they left the sect.
Bai Liang gravitated toward saber manuals. His hand lingered on one slip carved with flowing dragon patterns: Azure Sky Severing Saber Art. The moment he touched it, the script flared faintly. His saber path had found its voice.
Senior Brother Wen sought out deeper sword intent manuals.
Junior Sister Mu hesitated, her eyes sweeping through flame-controlling techniques and alchemical scripture.
Lin Xuan walked steadily, calm, already knowing he could take whatever he chose and make it more.
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Upgrading Bai Liang
Later, in the quiet of their assigned courtyard, Lin Xuan set Bai's weapon across his lap. His hands moved with certainty, channeling his gift. The saber's edge shivered as arrays carved into the alloy deepened, its qi resonance expanding. The blade rose from a solid Earth-grade weapon to touch Heaven-grade brilliance.
Bai watched, eyes wide, as Lin's hand pressed to his chest, qi spiraling through his meridians. The improvements he had felt after Lin's earlier upgrade deepened, his physique further condensed, his blood essence sharper, his saber art suddenly clearer in his mind.
"Lin…" Bai's voice caught, part gratitude, part awe.
"You don't need words," Lin said evenly. "Just fight beside me."
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Mu's Suspicion
But not everyone was blind. Junior Sister Mu, sharp-eyed and stubborn, had been watching. She cornered them as they left the courtyard, lips pressed thin.
"Something changed him," she said, staring hard at Bai. "Don't tell me it was luck. My intuition has never failed me—and it tells me you did it, Lin Xuan."
Lin didn't answer, his silence confirmation enough.
Mu straightened her back and, to their shock, raised her hand toward the heavens. "Then hear me! If you can make me stronger—if you can teach me alchemy—I vow upon the heavens themselves: I will never betray you. If I break this vow, may lightning strike me where I stand!"
Thunder rumbled faintly in the clear sky, the heavens acknowledging her oath.
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Lin's Reluctant Gift
Lin sighed. "I will not take disciples. Not now. But since you've bound yourself, I'll give you strength enough to stand with us."
He placed his hand upon her shoulder. Energy flowed. Mu gasped as her frail physique blazed with refinement. Weakness scoured away; her marrow glowed faintly gold, her qi channels widened, her flame affinity sharpened.
Her cauldron, once ordinary bronze, gleamed with new luster as Lin brushed a hand across it, inscriptions deepening until it pulsed like a heart. Manuals she carried quivered in resonance, raised a level higher.
Mu stumbled, trembling as newfound strength coursed through her. "I… I can feel it. My flames… they listen to me now." Her eyes shone, fierce and determined. "Lin Xuan, whether you want it or not, I'll follow you."
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Secrets and Truths
Bai looked at him knowingly. Mu stared at him in awe.
Lin finally spoke, voice quiet. "I have a talent that lets me make things… more. Weapons, pills, techniques, even people. But it's not without limits, and I'll not share everything. Some things must remain hidden."
They both nodded. Bai with trust, Mu with curiosity sharpened by her vow.
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Departure Approaches
The days passed swiftly as the group prepared. Armor was fitted, weapons tempered, supplies gathered. Each night, the chosen disciples studied their new manuals under the moonlight, preparing for the journey to come.
At the end of the week, the sect bells tolled. Packs were loaded, and the first assignment awaited.
Lin tightened his grip on the Blackstorm Pike. Bai's saber gleamed at his side. Mu adjusted the straps of her new cauldron, eyes alight with determination.
The gates of Cloudsky loomed ahead, and beyond them, the dangerous world waited.