The day passed with a tension that sat heavily over Heavenly Peak.
Ruolan swept the courtyard three extra times.
Feng Xiao burned random sticks to "test flame control."
Wei Tian inspected the perimeter like he expected an army at any moment.
Lin Xuanji sat on the steps, staring at nothing, waiting for the System to say something horrifying.
It didn't disappoint.
(Host. Tian Wen has entered the forest near Heavenly Peak.)
Lin Xuanji inhaled sharply. Already? I thought I had at least a few hours!
(Incorrect.)
Why is he so fast?!
(Hatred improves physical conditioning.)
"I DIDN'T NEED THAT LESSON!"
Ruolan and Feng Xiao both flinched at his outburst.
Ruolan whispered, "He's yelling at the sky again…"
Feng Xiao nodded. "That's the stressed yelling. His voice goes slightly higher."
Lin Xuanji got up, straightened his robes, and pretended he had not just shouted at the air like a wild animal.
Ling Xueyin walked toward him quietly.
"He is coming?"
Lin Xuanji nodded.
Wei Tian joined them, spear in hand.
"Sect Master, should I intercept?"
Lin Xuanji hesitated. If the guard intercepts him, the boy might attack out of pure paranoia…
"No. We meet him peacefully."
The air suddenly shifted—
like a thin thread of killing intent brushed the edge of the mountain.
Feng Xiao shivered. "…Did the wind just get colder?"
Ruolan hugged his broom. "S-Sect Master… someone's… angry."
Wei Tian's eyes sharpened. "So this is the boy."
Ling Xueyin watched the forest below the peak.
"He carries grief… and rage. But he's not lost."
Lin Xuanji swallowed and began walking to the mountain path.
"We'll greet him. Together."
The disciples followed, nervous but determined.
Wei Tian stuck close, surveying everything.
Ling Xueyin walked beside Lin Xuanji, her presence steady.
They reached the lower path and waited.
Minutes passed.
Then—
Footsteps.
Slow.
Heavy.
Precise.
A boy emerged from the trees.
He was thin—almost too thin—with black hair hanging over cold, sharp eyes. His movements were stiff, uneven, like someone who had forced himself to keep walking long after exhaustion set in.
But his gaze…
That gaze burned.
He stopped about ten meters away and looked up at them.
"Is this… Heavenly Peak?"
His voice was steady, but something inside it trembled—like a bowstring pulled too tight.
Lin Xuanji nodded. "Yes. I'm the Sect Master, Lin Xuanji."
The boy's eyes flickered.
He bowed stiffly.
"Tian Wen. I… request to join the sect."
No fancy words.
No courtesy beyond necessity.
Just raw honesty.
Ruolan whispered, "He looks tired…"
Feng Xiao whispered back, "He looks like the forest tried to fight him and lost."
Lin Xuanji stepped forward slowly.
"What brings you here?" he asked gently.
Tian Wen raised his head.
"I need strength," he said simply. "Enough to take back what was stolen. Enough to… make them pay."
His voice cracked on the last word.
Ruolan flinched.
Feng Xiao's flame dimmed.
Wei Tian tightened his grip.
Ling Xueyin's eyes softened.
Lin Xuanji approached him carefully.
"What did they take?" he asked softly.
Tian Wen clenched his fists.
"…My spiritual root."
A heavy silence fell.
Ruolan covered his mouth.
Feng Xiao looked horrified.
Wei Tian sucked in a breath.
Ling Xueyin closed her eyes briefly.
But Tian Wen wasn't finished.
"And the man who helped me survive… a remnant soul… he disappeared yesterday. He told me… to climb this mountain."
His voice grew hoarse.
"He told me this place… was salvation."
Lin Xuanji's heart sank.
The System chimed.
(Host. He is compatible. Recruit him.)
Lin Xuanji exhaled.
"Tian Wen," he said softly. "If you want strength… if you want a place to stand again… then Heavenly Peak will take you."
Tian Wen's eyes widened—not in hope, but disbelief.
"You… accept me?"
Ruolan stepped forward timidly. "We… we were all lost once."
Feng Xiao nodded. "If you want to stand back up, then stand with us."
Wei Tian bowed slightly. "The peak protects those who belong to it."
Ling Xueyin spoke last, her voice warm and steady.
"You are welcome here."
Tian Wen trembled—just a little.
Then he bowed so deeply he almost collapsed.
"…Thank you."
Lin Xuanji stepped forward to catch him—
But Tian Wen straightened himself with sheer will.
"I can walk," he muttered. "I'm not broken."
Lin Xuanji smiled faintly.
"You're not. You're just beginning."
(Host. Preparing spiritual compatibility sequence.)
Lin Xuanji winced.
Tian Wen must not see anything strange. Please behave, System.
(Unlikely.)
"Why do you hate me?!"
Tian Wen blinked. "What?"
Lin Xuanji froze. "Nothing! I meant the wind. It… stung my eye."
Feng Xiao whispered, "He's not a great liar."
Ruolan nodded. "But he tries…"
Ling Xueyin hid another faint smile behind her sleeve.
Lin Xuanji cleared his throat loudly.
"Let's go home," he said. "Welcome to Heavenly Peak, Tian Wen."
The boy followed silently—
but his steps were steadier
than when he arrived.
The third disciple had joined.
And Heavenly Peak stirred again, quietly preparing for whatever came next.