The courtyard of the Silent Heavens Sect had never been this crowded. Word spread faster than wildfire. Lin Aether— The dead last disciple— had risen over seventy ranks overnight.
Now, all the eyes were fixed on the stone ranking stele. And more importantly— on the figure standing before it. Jian Wu. Rank 9.
He stood with quiet composure, hands behind his back. Unlike the others, he did not look shocked, he looked... interested. His gaze lingered on Lin's name. "Lin Aether..."
The name meant nothing to him before today. Now— It was the only thing that mattered. "Where is he?" A disciple spoke nervously. "No one's seen him since long before the disturbance from the mysterious spirit beast."
"Did he hide after seeing the rankings?"
"That would make sense..."
But Jian Wu shook his head slightly. "No." His voice was calm. "He didn't hide." He turned toward the mountain path leading into the forest. "He simply doesn't know yet."
At that exact moment— Lin walked back toward the sect, with a lightning wolf beside him. The first disciple who saw him froze.
"...What is that?" Another turned. Their face went pale. "Spirit beast..."
"A lightning-type spirit beast!"
Within seconds, the entire courtyard fell silent. All eyes shifted. Lin walked casually up the stone path, unaware of the attention. Volt padded beside him, sparks flickering faintly across its fur.
Lin scratching his head. "...Why is everyone staring?" Mei's voice echoed faintly in his mind. "Because bringing a spirit beast into the sect without explanation is... unusual."
Lin glanced around. "...Ah. That makes sense."
The silence broke. "LIN AETHER!" A disciple stepped forward. "You—what is that thing?!" Lin looked at Volt. "This? It's a wolf."
The disciple's eye twitched. "I KNOW IT'S A WOLF! THAT'S A SPIRIT BEAST!" Lin blinked. "...Yes."
Another disciple shouted—"Do you know how rare that is?! Especially a lightning-aligned one!?!" Lin shrugged. "It followed me."
The courtyard erupted. "Followed him?! Impossible! Spirit beasts don't just follow people! Unless—" One disciple whispered—"...he subdued it."
Jian Wu stepped forward and the crowd immediately parted. His gaze locked onto Lin. Then—onto Volt. For the first time, his expression shifted slightly.
Recognition. "Stormfang Wolf..." His eyes narrowed. "A mid-tier spirit beast. Even inner disciples struggle against one." He looked back at Lin. "...And you brought it back alive."
Lin scratched his cheek. "...Yeah?" Silence. Then Jian Wu spoke again. "You moved from rank 197... to 121." Lin blinked. "...Wait, WHAT??"
The entire courtyard froze. "You didn't know?" someone whispered. Lin looked at the ranking stele. His name. Rank 121. He stared for a few seconds. "..The heck? Huh? Huh."
Jian took another step forward. "Lin Aether." Lin looked back at him. "Yes?"
"I challenge you." The words landed like a stone in still water. The crowd gasped.
"A direct challenge?!"
"From Rank 9?!"
"That's insane!"
Lin frowned. "I don't understand... Why? Why me?" Jian's answer was simple. "Because something about you is wrong." Silence. "You rose in rank without competing. You formed a bond with a spirit beast overnight. And—" His eyes sharpened slightly. "I cannot sense your cultivation clearly."
Lin's heart skipped for just a moment. Mei's voice echoed faintly. "Be careful. He is observant."
Lin looked at Jian, then sighed. "...Do I have a choice?"
"No." Jian said.
"Great."
Moments later—The disciples gathered around the sparring arena. A circular stone platform in the center of the courtyard.
Lin stepped onto it slowly. Volt remained at the edge, watching silently. Jian walked to the opposite side. He unsheathed his sword. The blade gleamed faintly. Not flashy, but sharp, refined.
"Begin," he said. Lin stood still. No stance, no preparation. Jian observed him for a moment. "...You don't even know how to fight properly." Lin shrugged. "I practiced sword forms."
"That is not the same." Jian smiled, then he didn't move, he straight up disappeared.
Gasps echoed from the crowd. "Too fast!"
"Meridian Opening Realm movement!"
Lin's eyes widened— At the last second, he reacted. Lightning Qi surged through his body. He stepped sideways— Barely. The sword passed inches from his shoulder. A shallow cut opened across his sleeve. Blood started staining his robes.
The fellow cultivators watching the fight were in shock. "Lightning Qi?! We haven't had a lightning cultivator in 300 hundred years. That is like 3 generations."
Lin stumbled back. "...Okay. That was fast." Jian turned. His expression remained calm. But his eyes had sharpened. "He reacted not by instinct but by sensing..."
Lin exhaled slowly. His body still hurt from last night's cultivation. But something inside him— had changed. He could feel it now. The flow of Qi, the movement of the air, the tension before an attack.
Mei's voice echoed again. "Use the lightning, don't resist it, let everyone know that you can finally use Qi."
Jian attacked again, still holding back, but faster this time. Lin raised his hand instinctively. Lightning flickered, a small bolt burst forward—Jian's sword intercepted it.
Clang.
The lightning dispersed.
But—For the first time—Jian took a step back. The crowd went silent. "...He pushed Jian Wu back?" "That's impossible..."
Jian looked at his sword. A faint scorch mark ran along the blade. Then he looked at Lin again. "...Extremely rare Lightning-based technique. Unrefined. But dangerous."
Lin's breathing steadied. His fear was still there, but beneath it—Something else had emerged.
Focus.
Jian adjusted his stance. "Now I understand." He raised his sword again and pointed it towards Lin in a dramatic manner. "You're not weak, you're just incomplete. Get ready."
This time—He didn't hold back. His aura flared. The pressure of his cultivation spread across the arena. All the disciples in the audience felt it, a lot of them staggered backward in fear.
Lin felt it immediately. Heavy. Oppressive. "...Yeah. This is bad."
Jian Wu moved again—Faster than before.
Lin reacted—
Lightning surged—
Their attacks collided—
BOOM.
Dust exploded across the arena. A shockwave spread outward. The crowd shielded their eyes.
When the dust cleared— Both the figures were still standing. Lin was breathing heavily, several cuts across his arms, hip and legs bleeding and staining his already colored white sect robes. His robes were slightly burned due to excessive use of lightning.
Jian Wu stood steady. Uninjured. But— His expression had changed. Slightly. "...Interesting."
At the edge of the arena—Volt growled softly. Lightning flickered across its fur. Mei watched silently. "He's being pushed, but he's not breaking."
Back on the arena—Jian lowered his sword slightly. "This is enough." The crowd blinked. "...What?" "You're stopping?"
Jian ignored them. He looked at Lin. "You are not yet worth defeating." Lin frowned. "...Thanks?"
Jian turned away. "But you will be. And when that happens... I'll be waiting." Jian then disappeared out of everyone's sight.
The tension slowly faded. The crowd erupted into whispers. Lin stepped off the arena, exhausted, injured. Volt walked beside him again. "...I survived."
Mei's voice echoed calmly. "For now."
Far away— Beyond mountains, beyond rivers, within the territory of the Jade River Sect— A group of disciples moved swiftly across the land. At their front— Su Lian.
Her gaze fixed ahead. The wind carried something stronger now. Lightning, change, fate. And soon— Paths that had never even brushed against destiny... Would finally cross.