Li Wei knelt before the altar of wind and stone.
The initiation ceremony was simple—but heavy with meaning.
Around him stood the other successful candidates of the Spring Ascension Trial. Twelve in total, now dressed in dark blue robes embroidered with the Azure Wind Sect's crest: a silver spiral swirling into a blade.
Elder Mo stepped forward, his expression calm but distant.
"From this day forward, you are outer disciples of the Azure Wind Sect. You stand at the foot of the path. Whether you climb it, fall from it, or break upon it, is no longer our burden—it is yours."
He raised a jade tablet, inscribed with their names. Qi flashed across its surface.
"Your identities are now recorded in the Sect Registry. You may access the outer court resources, receive missions, and choose your cultivation path."
Li Wei bowed low, as did the others.
But as the elder moved to dismiss them, his voice dropped—meant only for Li Wei.
"You've drawn attention, boy. More than I can shield you from. Watch your steps."
Li Wei nodded silently, and left the ceremony with a storm brewing behind his eyes.
⸻
The outer disciple quarters lay at the foot of Windpeak, where long, vine-covered stairways rose toward the inner sect's towers.
Li Wei's new residence was modest: a stone hut with a meditation chamber, a training courtyard, and a spirit well—barely enough to replenish low-level qi.
But it was his.
For a while, he just sat in silence, letting the stillness soak in. His body still ached, but he was alive. And stronger.
He examined the pendant again. It had changed.
What once looked like an ordinary jade charm now shimmered faintly with lines of gold veining through it, almost like… seals. Three of them. Only one had begun to fade.
He placed his palm over it.
The wind stilled.
A whisper curled into his mind—not words, not yet—but a pulse of direction.
Something had awakened.
⸻
The next day, the disciples were summoned to the Path Hall, where every new outer disciple chose their cultivation focus.
There were five primary paths in the Azure Wind Sect:
1. Path of the Blade Gale – sword cultivation, speed, precision, and wind-augmented strikes.
2. Path of the Cloud Whisperer – spirit techniques, illusions, and detection.
3. Path of the Storm Anchor – body reinforcement, defense, and windroot martial arts.
4. Path of the Drift Leaf – mobility, stealth, scouting.
5. Path of the Tempest Heart – dual cultivation of qi and will, dangerous but powerful.
Each path had a master, and each master was watching.
Li Wei knew the obvious choice was Blade Gale—he had shown enough in his duel with Lin Yao to gain interest.
But as he stepped forward, a pulse from the pendant struck him again—stronger this time. His breath caught.
The wind outside the hall suddenly reversed direction.
Elder Mo turned sharply.
The disciples murmured.
And then the voice spoke—not to all, but only to him. Inside his mind, ancient and calm.
"The blade cuts the wind.
The heart commands it."
Li Wei raised his eyes.
"I choose the Path of the Tempest Heart," he said.
A silence fell like iron.
Even the elders exchanged glances.
Only one master stepped forward—an old woman in tattered green robes, leaning on a crooked staff.
Her eyes were blind, but her voice was sharp.
"You hear it, don't you?"
Li Wei blinked. "The wind?"
She smiled faintly. "No, boy. The storm beneath it."
⸻
That night, as he began the first meditation of the Tempest Heart technique, he felt something click inside him.
His meridian flared with new resonance.
Qi swirled into his dantian—faster now. Sharper. His breath aligned not just with the wind… but with its source.
The jade pendant glowed softly.
And the first seal on it cracked.
⸻
Far to the west, beyond the Endless Cloud Sea, an ancient array flickered alive after centuries of silence. A figure wrapped in bone-white silk sat cross-legged upon a cliff, eyes opening slowly.
He smiled.
"He's found the first seal.
Just like the last one did… before he burned the sky."