---
Dawn breaks over the Nine Sects Alliance as Jiang Chen walks up a winding stone path toward the Inner Courtyard—the secluded training grounds reserved for elite disciples. Towering pines line the road. The air here is still, filled with dense spiritual qi. At the entrance stands a stern elder in violet robes—Instructor Mei, guardian of the courtyard.
Instructor Mei (coolly):
"You're the new one? Jiang Chen, is it? Don't expect respect just for winning one match. In here, talent is nothing without results."
Jiang Chen (bowing slightly):
"I'm not here for respect. I'm here to sharpen my sword."
Instructor Mei (studying him):
"Hmph. We'll see if you survive your first day."
He waves him inside. Jiang Chen passes through the gates and enters a sprawling compound of training halls, serene lakes, and sparring platforms. Disciples meditate or duel in silence. Their power radiates subtly but oppressively. Jiang Chen can feel it: this is where the real competition begins.
---
Inside the Meditation Pavilion, Jiang Chen begins channeling his qi to stabilize his breakthrough. As he enters trance, he suddenly feels a strange presence—a memory not his own, rising from within.
In his mind's eye, he sees an ancient battlefield, shattered by swordlight. At its center, a cloaked swordsman stands, alone, blade humming like wind against water.
Echoing Voice (from memory):
"The Whispering Sword was never meant to cut flesh. It cuts fate. It carves silence into the storm."
Jiang Chen gasps, pulled back into reality, drenched in sweat.
Jiang Chen (whispering):
"Who… was I?"
The blade at his waist trembles faintly, resonating with his breath.
---
Later that day, Instructor Mei posts the sparring pairings. Jiang Chen sees his name matched against Luo Feng, a senior disciple known for his defensive sword art, "Iron Reversal Stance."
Before the match, a short-haired girl in blue robes approaches Jiang Chen. Her aura is sharp, like a drawn dagger. This is Yue Qingshuang, a cold genius from the Moonshadow Sect.
Yue Qingshuang (bluntly):
"You're the one who beat Xu Fan and Nie Long? That swordplay… where did you learn it?"
Jiang Chen (calmly):
"From myself."
Yue Qingshuang (raising an eyebrow):
"Modest or mysterious—either way, I'll be watching your fight."
She walks away, leaving Jiang Chen slightly intrigued.
---
The circular dueling platform is surrounded by inner courtyard disciples. Luo Feng steps into the ring with confidence, unsheathing a heavy broadsword.
Luo Feng (grinning):
"You're good with flashy moves. Let's see how you do when they bounce off steel."
Instructor Mei announces the match. A gong sounds. Luo Feng charges, his sword forming a near-impenetrable wall. Jiang Chen observes calmly—his blade still sheathed.
The clash begins. Jiang Chen steps lightly around Luo Feng, his movement gentle but elusive, like a breeze against a fortress.
Then—he vanishes.
With one step, Jiang Chen reappears behind Luo Feng. A single strike of his sheathed blade lands on Luo Feng's shoulder. Clean, precise, unblockable.
Instructor Mei (eyes widening slightly):
"That movement… it wasn't qi. It was rhythm."
Luo Feng (staggering):
"H-how… did you…?"
Jiang Chen (softly):
"You were watching my sword. But it's the silence you should fear."
---
After the duel, Jiang Chen returns to his quarters, only to find a sealed scroll waiting for him. No name. Only a crimson mark shaped like a blooming lotus.
Inside: a single line—
> "Come to the southern courtyard by moonrise. Alone. We share a fate tied by silence."
Jiang Chen frowns. He senses no malice, only mystery.
---
That night, Jiang Chen follows the cryptic message to the deserted Lotus Courtyard, where a cloaked figure waits atop the water's surface. A woman. Elegant, unreadable. She removes her hood—it's Elder Mei Ling, a quiet and reclusive elder once believed to be neutral.
Elder Mei Ling (softly):
"You awakened the first layer of the Whispering Vein. You're the first in a hundred years."
Jiang Chen (tense):
"You knew about this technique?"
Elder Mei Ling:
"I was once a disciple of your clan's ancestor. The Whispering Sword is more than technique—it's a seal, a responsibility. The world thought it died with your clan. But fate kept a piece alive… inside you."
Jiang Chen (stepping closer):
"Then why hide it? Why now?"
Elder Mei Ling (gazing into the moonlit lake):
"Because the ones who destroyed your clan are watching. They fear your blade, Jiang Chen. And if you awaken its full path, they will try to erase you—again."
---
Far from the alliance, deep in a mist-shrouded fortress, the masked assassin from the Vermilion Shadow kneels before a blood-covered map of the Nine Sects.
Mo Yun (darkly):
"The Whispering Sword has shown its edge. So be it."
He lifts a bone-white token.
Mo Yun:
"Activate the Black Lotus Cell. Bring me Jiang Chen's head… before the third round."
---
End of Chapter 6