The first light of dawn brushed across the Azure Cloud Sect, painting the mist-shrouded peaks in shades of rose and gold. Bells tolled faintly from distant towers, signaling the beginning of another day of cultivation.
At the eastern gate, four figures stood side by side, their robes rippling in the mountain wind. Behind them, the Azure Cloud banners fluttered — a white cloud pierced by a radiant sword, the emblem of the sect's unyielding spirit.
Tian Shen adjusted the strap of his spirit pouch, his eyes fixed on the horizon. His dark hair flowed freely in the morning breeze, and the faint glimmer of qi shimmered in his pupils. After weeks of cultivation and absorbing the Scarlet-Furred Wolf's core, his aura had stabilized at the late stage of Qi Awakening, calm yet deep like a still lake.
Beside him, Mei Ling's crimson robes seemed to burn faintly under the light. Her fire elemental affinity made her presence warm and fierce. Hao Feng, with his massive spirit hammer strapped across his back, gave off the feeling of a solid mountain, his aura that of a mid Qi Awakening cultivator. Lastly, Liang Rui, dressed in pale azure robes, carried himself with reserved composure. His eyes glowed faintly with runic light — the mark of a formation specialist, already at the late Qi Awakening stage.
Elder Mu Fan stood before them, hands clasped behind his back. His gaze lingered on Tian Shen a moment longer than the rest before he finally spoke.
"The path to the Ironspine range is perilous. Stay together, avoid unnecessary conflict, and remember — survival comes before glory."
The four disciples cupped their fists in unison.
"Yes, Elder!"
"Good," Mu Fan nodded. "Then go, and let the Azure Cloud name resound beyond these mountains."
With that, the four mounted their spirit cranes, their silver wings spreading wide. A moment later, the sky was torn by four streaks of light ascending through the clouds.
The journey began under a brilliant sky. Mountains, rivers, and forests stretched endlessly below them as their cranes glided above the clouds. The lands of the Huan Empire passed beneath them like a painting — vibrant and vast.
Hours passed before Hao Feng's booming voice broke the silence. "So, young genius Tian," he said, grinning. "How does it feel to be the Sect's favorite rumor?" Tian Shen smiled faintly. "Rumors grow faster than spirit herbs. I've learned to ignore them."
Mei Ling turned her head slightly, eyes gleaming. "Ignore them all you want — but people are saying you wield eight elemental affinities. That's no rumor. Even the elders are paying attention now." Tian Shen's gaze remained steady on the clouds ahead. "Affinity means little if you can't control it."
Liang Rui gave a small, approving nod. "Good. Remember that truth. The heavens test arrogance before they grant power."
The group fell into a calm rhythm after that. Days passed in harmony as the Azure Cloud mountains gave way to harsh ridges and barren valleys.
By the fifth day, the Ironspine Mountains rose into view — vast, jagged peaks black as forged steel, their edges gleaming with threads of silver qi. The air here was heavier, charged with lingering power.
When they landed at the foothills, a faint hum resonated beneath their feet. Mei Ling's flame aura flared slightly. "This place feels… ancient," she murmured.
Liang Rui crouched down, tracing faint markings in the dirt. "Residual formations," he said. "Old, fragmented… maybe from someone who once neared the threshold of immortality."
"Then we're in the right place," Hao Feng said with a grin, his spirit hammer already glowing faintly.
They pressed onward, following the trails of disrupted qi through the narrow passes. As the sun fell, they reached a cliff overlooking a mist-filled valley. The air shimmered faintly there — as if reality itself was bending.
They set up camp. The fire crackled softly under the twilight sky, their faces lit by flickering light.
Tian Shen sat slightly apart, staring at the mist that drifted below the cliffs. The world seemed to ripple — not visibly, but in essence. His senses stretched instinctively, brushing against something elusive and infinite.
Time slowed. The wind's whistle elongated; the falling embers seemed suspended midair.
For an instant, the world around him stood still.
Then — a faint resonance pulsed through his spiritual sea. Space folded faintly around him, like ripples spreading across a calm lake. His breath caught.
This… this feeling… It wasn't qi. It wasn't elemental energy.
It was something beyond — subtle, elusive, and profound.
The Dao of Space and Time.
A fleeting touch, no more than a whisper — yet it sent his heart pounding.
Moments later, the wind returned, the fire crackled once more, and reality resumed as if nothing had changed.
Mei Ling glanced his way. "You look like you've seen a spirit."
Tian Shen blinked, exhaling softly. "Just… the air here feels different."
Liang Rui chuckled quietly. "You're not wrong. Some remnants of ancient power still linger. It's said a cultivator on the verge of transcendence once died here. The mountain remembers."
Hao Feng stretched and lay back against a boulder. "Then let's hope his ghosts are friendly. I'd rather fight a beast than a dead man's will."
The firelight flickered across their faces as the group fell into silence. Above them, the stars shimmered faintly — yet in Tian Shen's eyes, they seemed closer than ever before.
He clenched his fist. The Dao of Space and Time… even in fragments, it exists here.
And deep within, he could feel it — a subtle thread connecting him to something vast and ancient, waiting to be understood.
Tomorrow, their descent into the Ironspine range would begin.
But tonight, Tian Shen realized the world was far deeper — and far more mysterious — than he had ever imagined.