The golden dawn bathed the Azure Cloud Sect in gentle light. Dew sparkled on jade tiles as disciples began their morning routines — meditating, sparring, and tending to spiritual herbs.
Among them, Tian Shen walked toward the Alchemy Pavilion, exhaustion hidden beneath his composed expression. Only a day had passed since his return from the Southern Mist Valley, yet his thoughts lingered on the battle that had nearly taken his life.
That beast's roar… that surge of uncontrollable energy...
He clenched his fist around the crimson beast core in his satchel. It pulsed faintly, like a second heartbeat.
Inside the pavilion, heat and medicinal aroma filled the air. Elder Ru Han stood near a simmering cauldron, spiritual flames flickering around him as he refined a batch of pills. His white eyebrows twitched as he noticed Tian Shen bowing deeply at the entrance. "Disciple Tian Shen greets Elder Ru Han."
The elder's sharp gaze softened slightly. "Ah, the boy from the Mist Valley. Not bad — surviving that place at your realm means either luck… or willpower."
Tian Shen smiled faintly and produced the glowing orb.
"Elder, I was fortunate enough to slay a Scarlet-Furred Fang Wolf and obtain its core. I wish to refine it to strengthen my Qi, but I do not know how."
Ru Han's brows lifted slightly. "A mid-grade Qi Beast Core? For an early-stage disciple?"
He turned the core in his palm, inspecting the swirling essence within. "Not bad at all. But refining it is far more dangerous than killing the beast that owned it. The energy inside is wild, volatile. Mishandling it could destroy your meridians entirely."
Tian Shen bowed again, earnestly. "This disciple seeks guidance."
The elder chuckled softly. "Good attitude. Listen well." He began explaining slowly, his tone patient yet solemn.
"First, form a spiritual barrier with your Qi to shield your meridians. Second, separate the beast's residual consciousness from its energy — beasts are stubborn; even dead, their will lingers. Finally, guide the purified Qi into your Dantian, letting it merge with your own."
He paused, then added quietly:
"If your Qi begins to spiral out of control, stop immediately. You only have one life." Tian Shen nodded deeply. "Thank you, Elder. I will remember."
"Good. And one more thing, boy," Ru Han said, looking him in the eyes. "Power is not a thing to rush. Many have lost themselves chasing strength too quickly. Learn to hold power before you try to command it." Those words echoed in Tian Shen's mind long after he left.
That night, under the pale light of twin moons, Tian Shen sat cross-legged in his training chamber. The crimson core floated above his palm, pulsing softly.
He closed his eyes and began circulating his Qi, forming the protective barrier as instructed.
The air grew dense.
When his Qi touched the core, a violent reaction burst forth. Wild energy surged outward, rattling the room. His barrier cracked instantly — the beast's essence roared like a caged storm, slamming against his consciousness. "Steady…" he muttered, gritting his teeth.
Sweat dripped down his face as he pushed his Qi deeper, isolating the chaotic pulses within the core. Slowly, painfully, he began siphoning the energy into his Dantian.
Then, from deep within his chest — something stirred.
The hidden mark beneath his skin glowed faintly, threads of shadow-like energy coiling around his body. The red glow of the core darkened, turning pitch-black for a heartbeat.
His spiritual sea trembled. A foreign presence whispered within his mind. "Power… you seek to command it? Foolish. Power was born from me."
Tian Shen's breath caught. A towering silhouette flashed within his mind — faceless, immense, draped in endless darkness. "Who are you!?" he demanded inwardly. "You already know. The mark remembers, even if you do not."
Then the vision shattered. The beast core in his palm dimmed completely — refined. Tian Shen collapsed backward, chest heaving, robes drenched in sweat. His Dantian pulsed — heavier, denser. He had advanced, his Qi more solid than before.
But when he looked down, faint black veins traced his forearms — fading only after several breaths. "That voice again… what are you?" he whispered.
He never noticed the faint distortion spreading from his chamber — a subtle pulse that rippled through the entire sect's formation array.
High on the Azure Cloud Sect's main peak, several elders meditated in their own chambers. One of them — a silver-haired man named Elder Mu Fan — opened his eyes abruptly.
"Hmm?" He frowned. "A fluctuation… strange. It doesn't feel like fire, or water, or any elemental Qi I recognize."
Another elder beside him stirred from meditation. "You felt it too? For a moment, the sect's barrier quivered. Could it be one of the disciples experimenting with forbidden arrays?"
Mu Fan shook his head. "No, it wasn't formation energy. It felt… deeper. Heavy, but cold. Whatever it was, it's gone now." He gazed toward the eastern quarters, where Tian Shen's residence lay hidden beneath mist and moonlight. "Let's keep this quiet," Mu Fan said finally. "No need to alarm the sect master over a passing fluctuation." The other elder nodded, though unease lingered in their eyes.
Somewhere below them, Tian Shen meditated quietly, unaware that the energy he had awakened did not belong to any of the known elements — or even to the mortal realm itself.