Chapter 22 — The Path Beyond the Sky
The sun was high when they reached the edge of the mountains.
The air smelled clean, almost too clean, like the world had just been born again.
Jian Wu stood on a cliff, looking down at the valley below. Endless forests stretched out before him, dotted with silver rivers that shimmered under the light. Behind him, Yue Shan leaned against a rock, catching his breath.
"You should rest," Yue Shan said, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"I will," Jian Wu replied, though he didn't move. "I just… need to see it for a moment."
"See what?"
He looked out toward the horizon. "The world. I want to make sure it's still real."
Yue Shan sighed. "You're talking nonsense again."
"Maybe," Jian Wu said with a small smile. "But I used to think the world hated me. Now I'm not so sure."
---
A faint wind blew past, carrying the distant sound of water and birds.
It was peaceful. Too peaceful.
Then Jian Wu's expression shifted. "Do you feel that?"
Yue Shan straightened. "What?"
"The air changed."
Before Yue Shan could answer, the ground under them trembled, just once, but enough to send small rocks rolling down the cliffside. A moment later, a low hum spread through the air. It wasn't sound. It was vibration, deep and steady, coming from beneath the earth.
Yue Shan's hand went to his sword. "Don't tell me.."
Jian Wu raised his hand. "Wait."
He crouched down, placing his palm against the ground. The mark on his chest glowed faintly through his shirt, and the hum answered. It was like two heartbeats trying to match rhythm.
Then Jian Wu stood. "It's not an earthquake. It's something alive."
"Alive?" Yue Shan frowned. "Under the mountain?"
Jian Wu nodded slowly. "No… under the world."
---
The wind picked up, colder now. The blue light from Jian Wu's chest spread faintly across his body, forming thin lines like veins of light.
"Jian Wu," Yue Shan warned. "Whatever that is, don't.."
"I have to," Jian Wu said, stepping closer to the cliff's edge. "If I don't understand what's calling me, I'll never control it."
Before Yue Shan could stop him, Jian Wu pressed his hand to the ground again.
A flash of blue light burst from beneath his feet.
"Jian Wu!" Yue Shan shouted.
But it was too late. The ground shattered.
Both of them fell as the cliff exploded outward, rocks and dust scattering through the air. Yue Shan grabbed Jian Wu's arm mid-fall, but the force pulled them apart. Jian Wu was swallowed by a pillar of blue light that rose from the chasm like a living storm.
"JIAN WU!" Yue Shan's scream echoed through the valley.
---
The light carried Jian Wu deep underground, not falling, but floating, surrounded by shards of stone and light.
He couldn't see where it led, only feel an immense pressure pulling him forward.
Then everything stopped.
He landed softly on solid ground. The light dimmed, revealing a massive cavern, ancient, silent, and filled with crystals that glowed faintly like stars trapped in stone.
At the center stood a giant monument carved from black rock, covered in unfamiliar symbols.
Jian Wu approached slowly. Each step echoed through the cavern.
"What is this place…" he whispered.
Then, a deep voice spoke, not from the air, but from inside his mind.
"Welcome back, Vessel."
Jian Wu froze. "Who are you?"
"The one who waited."
The monument pulsed faintly, and cracks of light spread across its surface. A figure began to emerge, tall, shrouded in darkness, with faint silver eyes like twin moons.
Its presence made the air heavy.
Jian Wu clenched his fists. "Are you the one who gave me this power?"
"No," the voice answered. "You gave it to yourself. You called to the void… and it answered."
Jian Wu's heart pounded. "I didn't call anything!"
"You did, the moment you refused the heavens. The void is not evil, boy. It is balance. The world was drowning in power, choking on its own light. You simply gave it a place to breathe again."
The ground trembled. The air vibrated like a thousand silent whispers.
Jian Wu gritted his teeth. "If this power only brings death, then I'll reject it."
The figure laughed softly.
"Can you reject what you've already become?"
The blue light flared again around Jian Wu, stronger than before. He fell to one knee, clutching his chest. "AARGHH..!"
"The world above has started to move," the voice continued. "They will come for you soon — to seal what they fear."
"Then let them try," Jian Wu growled, forcing himself to stand. His eyes glowed silver-blue, piercing the darkness. "I'm done being afraid."
"Good," the voice said, pleased. "Because fear is what keeps mortals chained. You, Jian Wu, are no longer chained."
The figure stepped closer, its form flickering between shadow and light. "When the time comes, you must choose: to end the balance, or become it."
Jian Wu's breathing steadied. "If that's what it takes… I'll make my own balance."
For a moment, the cavern fell silent again. Then the monument split in two with a blinding flash, and a wave of blue energy erupted outward, rushing toward the surface.
---
Above ground, Yue Shan climbed out of the rubble, coughing hard. The sky above had turned gray again, swirling with faint blue light.
He looked toward the chasm, and froze.
A column of light shot into the sky, splitting the clouds apart.
"Jian Wu…" he whispered.
The ground around the mountain cracked as the light expanded, spreading across the valley like a heartbeat. Then, just as suddenly, it stopped.
Everything went quiet.
The birds, the wind, even the sound of water, gone.
And then, a voice echoed softly through the air. Jian Wu's voice.
"Yue Shan… stay away from here."
Yue Shan clenched his fists. "Not a chance."
He looked up at the now-silent sky. "If you're going to fight the heavens again, I'm coming with you."
---
Far below, Jian Wu stood alone in the fading light of the cavern. The mark on his chest glowed steadily, no longer wild, no longer burning. It pulsed calmly, like a heartbeat in sync with the world.
He took a deep breath.
For the first time, he didn't feel empty.
"Alright," he muttered to himself. "If this power chose me, I'll make sure it remembers why."
The wind stirred, though there was no wind under
ground, and faint whispers filled the air again, repeating his name.
"Jian Wu… Jian Wu…"
He closed his eyes and smiled faintly.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I hear you."