The wind screamed across the Whispering Steppes as Yun Jian moved with quiet purpose, his cloak rippling behind him like a tattered banner. The last of Feng Zhiren's light still smoldered in the distance, a testament to the battle's intensity. But Yun Jian did not look back.
Ahead, the land sloped upward, and jagged stone spires tore into the sky like the ribs of a long-dead dragon. Atop the highest ridge sat the Sky Temple Ruins, crumbling remnants of an ancient sect once devoted to mastering the sky. More importantly, it housed the Second Key—the Key of Ascent.
Legends said the temple once floated above the clouds, a stronghold between the heavens and the mortal realm, until it crashed to earth in a war against the gods.
Now, it was silent.
Yun Jian's boots crunched against the gravel as he entered the outer ring of columns. They rose high above him, fractured and weathered, vines snaking around their spines. A sense of pressure fell on his shoulders. Not weight—but presence. He wasn't alone.
The shadows around him quivered, sensing the threshold of power.
He moved through the ruined courtyard. Broken mosaics crumbled beneath his feet, depicting forgotten winged beings ascending toward the stars. At the heart of the temple, a dais floated slightly above the ground, held in place by invisible energy. From it, Yun Jian felt a steady thrum—like a heartbeat echoing in time with his own.
"The Key is here," he murmured.
Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through the ruins, and the world blurred.
He blinked—and the entire temple shifted.
Where once stood a ruin, now soared a pristine, gleaming palace of white and gold. The sky burned bright, the sun directly overhead, yet shadows still existed—long, patient, waiting.
Yun Jian found himself standing in a memory.
From the sky descended a being clad in robes of feathered silk, wielding a spear that sparked with lightning.
"You are the Shadowbearer," the guardian intoned. "And I… am the Ascendant Judge."
His voice was soft but carried power. His eyes glowed with the light of the upper planes.
"You seek the Key of Ascent. Then rise."
Without warning, the Judge struck.
Yun Jian barely reacted in time. He somersaulted back as the spear carved a line of burning air where his head had been. He hit the ground running, shadows rising to form a barrier that caught the second strike—but it shattered under the force.
The Judge soared upward on wings of wind and light.
Yun Jian followed.
Shadow Step.
In a blink, he vanished and reappeared behind his opponent, slashing with a blade of pure shadow. The Judge spun, parrying the blow mid-air with his spear. The two clashed among the clouds—sky versus void.
"Why do you climb?" the Judge asked as they exchanged blows.
Yun Jian grunted. "To protect those below."
"A lie. Power is not given for protection. It is taken for dominion."
"I will prove you wrong."
The Judge unleashed a barrage of wind spears, each one spinning with divine force. Yun Jian countered with Night Bloom, releasing a dome of shadows that absorbed the attacks and turned them into tendrils.
He pushed forward, teleporting between shadows cast by the very sunlight of the realm, striking from impossible angles.
Still, the Judge was strong—too strong.
Yun Jian's breaths grew shallow. He dropped to one knee after a mistimed counter. The Judge descended toward him, spear raised.
But Yun Jian smiled.
"You made one mistake," he whispered.
Shadow Mirror.
Behind the Judge, a perfect duplicate of Yun Jian appeared, born from the shadows. It struck with deadly accuracy, piercing the Judge's back.
The spear clattered to the floor.
The illusion broke.
The shining temple faded. Yun Jian found himself back in the ruins, breathless but standing. Before him, the real Key floated—an iridescent feather etched with wind runes.
He took it.
The Second Key was his.
But he didn't celebrate.
Because he wasn't alone.
A woman stood among the broken pillars, her silver hair glinting under the muted sun, her eyes an unnatural amber.
"Impressive," she said. "You killed an Ascendant Judge."
"I passed the trial," Yun Jian corrected, raising an eyebrow. "Not the same thing."
She smiled faintly. "Perhaps. But you've drawn attention."
He tensed. Shadows curled around his hands.
"I'm not here to fight," she said, stepping forward and lowering her hood. "I am Mei Lin, Watcher of the Third Key. I've been waiting."
"For me?" he asked.
"For someone who could survive the Sky Temple," she replied. "Many have tried. All failed."
Yun Jian studied her. Her aura was strange—not hostile, but powerful. Like a storm on the edge of breaking.
"What do you want?"
"I want to help you."
He didn't respond immediately.
She continued, "The Third Key lies beyond the Crimson Gate. It's not a place you can reach alone. It requires… passage. And a price."
"What kind of price?"
She shrugged. "That's up to the gate. But it never takes coin."
Yun Jian looked down at the feather in his palm. The Key pulsed once, then dimmed, merging with his spirit.
"I'll need more than power," he said. "I'll need allies."
She extended a hand. "Then walk with me, Sovereign. And I'll show you where the path turns red."