The sun rose slowly over the valley, painting the mist in faint gold. The world felt calm, yet Jian Wu couldn't shake the sense that something was watching him from the horizon.
He had walked for hours through the winding paths of Yunlan Forest, following the faint flow of spiritual energy that seemed to pull him eastward. His clothes were torn, his steps heavy, but there was a strange strength flowing quietly inside him, the same warmth that had saved him the night before.
"The Azure Tower…" he muttered. "Let's see what kind of place rejects the heavens."
The forest opened into a vast plain. In the distance, standing among drifting clouds, rose a colossal structure, a spire of pale blue stone piercing the sky. Even from miles away, Jian Wu could feel its pressure. The Azure Tower wasn't just a building; it was a monument carved into the fabric of the world.
And at its base, the city of Qingyan stirred with life, merchants, travelers, and cultivators all moving beneath the shadow of the sect's power.
Jian Wu pulled his hood tighter and blended into the crowd.
The City Beneath the Tower
The streets of Qingyan were filled with the scent of incense and fried dumplings, a strange mix of holiness and hunger. Banners bearing the Azure Sky symbol fluttered above every street corner.
Jian Wu walked silently through the noise, watching cultivators in blue robes move past like streams of light. Every few steps, he caught sight of the tower beyond, distant yet ever-present, like a god watching from the clouds.
He overheard two men talking at a tea stall.
"They say the elders summoned all outer disciples to test for corruption."
"Because of that blast in the forest?"
"Yes. The heavens trembled that night. Something unnatural was born."
Jian Wu paused mid-step.
He didn't need to ask who they were talking about.
He turned into a narrow alley, away from the crowd, and leaned against a wall. His breath came out white in the morning chill.
"Unnatural…" he whispered. "Maybe they're right."
The mark on his chest pulsed once, faint but alive.
He clenched his fist. "No. I'm not some cursed thing. I'll prove it."
The Gate of Azure
By noon, he reached the tower's outer gate. Two guards in silver armor stood watch, their spears crossed. The air shimmered faintly around them, protective energy.
"State your purpose," one of them said.
"I was told to come by Yue Shan," Jian Wu replied calmly.
At her name, both guards exchanged a glance. One took out a talisman, pressed it against his forehead, then nodded. "You may enter. But do not draw your weapon inside the tower. The tower itself watches."
"The tower… watches?" Jian Wu frowned.
The guard didn't answer. He simply stepped aside.
Jian Wu entered.
The Path Within
Inside, the air was cold and still, filled with faint blue light that seemed to come from the walls themselves. Every surface glowed with carved runes, not merely decoration, but ancient formation seals humming with unseen power.
As he climbed the spiral walkway, he could feel the pressure of spiritual energy thickening with every step. It pressed against his skin like water.
At the center of the tower stood a grand hall.
Waiting for him there was Yue Shan, the same woman who had tried to kill him.
She looked different without her battle armor. Calm, almost graceful, dressed in ceremonial azure robes. Her sword was gone, but her eyes still held that same frost.
"You came," she said.
"You told me to," Jian Wu replied.
She studied him for a moment, as if trying to read the lines of fate written on his face. "Follow me. The elders are waiting."
The Circle of Judgment
They entered a chamber filled with floating crystals that emitted a pale glow. Six figures sat in a circular formation, the elders of the Azure Sky Sect.
Each radiated a different kind of power: flame, water, wind, thunder, stone, and light. But at the center stood one more figure, the Grand Elder, his long white beard glowing faintly with energy that bent the air around him.
"Bring forth the boy," he commanded.
Jian Wu stepped into the circle. His shadow flickered across the rune-carved floor.
The Grand Elder opened his eyes, and the world went silent.
"What is your name?"
"Jian Wu."
"You carry a strange mark," said another elder, the one cloaked in thunder. "It pulses with something beyond spirit, something that should not exist."
Jian Wu looked down at his chest, where the faint blue symbol throbbed beneath his skin. "I didn't choose this."
"Nor do most who bring disaster," the elder replied coldly.
Disaster.
The word sank into Jian Wu's chest like a blade.
But the Grand Elder raised his hand. "Enough. The heavens reject him, yet he stands before us alive. That alone demands curiosity, not condemnation."
The others fell silent.
"Boy," the Grand Elder continued, "when you touched the Obsidian Heart, what did you see?"
Jian Wu frowned. "Obsidian Heart?"
"The black stone you found," Yue Shan said softly. "It is one of the Seven Heavenly Fragments, remnants of a power that once defied the heavens themselves."
Jian Wu's heart skipped. "Then why was it hidden in a cave?"
"Because its existence was forbidden." The Grand Elder's tone deepened. "To touch it is to invite Heaven's wrath… yet here you are, alive. Tell me, Jian Wu, what did it say to you?"
He hesitated. The memory of that voice,deep, endless, and terrifying, echoed faintly in his mind.
You who are empty shall become the vessel of the void.
He raised his head. "It told me… I would become a vessel."
The hall darkened. The floating crystals dimmed as the elders exchanged uneasy glances.
"A vessel…" one whispered. "Then it has awakened again."
The Grand Elder stood. His robe rippled with unseen energy. "If what you say is true, boy, your existence may decide the fate of more than just our sect."
Jian Wu frowned. "Fate? I just want to live my own life."
The Grand Elder smiled faintly, not cruelly, but with something like pity.
"Then learn what it means to live, child. For power like yours will never allow you peace."
He turned toward Yue Shan. "He is under your watch now. Train him. Observe him. If he falters… end him."
Yue Shan bowed deeply. "As you command."
The Weight of the Sky
As the meeting ended, Jian Wu followed Yue Shan down the quiet corridor.
He could still feel the gazes of the elders on his back, heavy as mountains.
When they reached the exit, Yue Shan finally spoke.
"You shouldn't have told them everything."
"I didn't lie," Jian Wu said flatly.
"That's what worries me," she replied. "You don't understand what the Obsidian Heart is capable of. It doesn't give power, it takes."
He stopped walking. "Then why didn't your Grand Elder kill me?"
She turned her head slightly, eyes unreadable. "Because even Heaven doesn't kill what it can't control."
Jian Wu looked past her, toward the light at the end of the hall. "Then I'll make sure neither Heaven nor your sect can control me."
Yue Shan said nothing. She simply watched as he walked out, his silhouette swallowed by the glow of the setting sun.
For a moment, she almost felt… respect.
"Fooli
sh boy," she whispered, "you really mean to defy Heaven."
And far above the Azure Tower, the clouds began to spiral, faint, blue, and alive.
The heavens had taken notice.