Chapter 23 — The Hunters of the Sky Sect
The light faded.
Silence returned.
Jian Wu stood in the middle of the ruined cavern, his breath steady, his body wrapped in faint traces of blue energy. The mark on his chest pulsed once, slow, calm, alive.
He flexed his fingers. No pain. No heat. Just strength.
"Looks like you're finally listening," he muttered to the power inside him.
No answer came, only the quiet heartbeat that seemed to echo through the stone.
Then the ground shook again, but this time it wasn't from the void.
It was footsteps.
---
Above the surface
The mountains trembled.
Smoke and dust rose from the split valley. A squad of cultivators wearing silver armor landed on the cliffs, their robes marked with the insignia of the Sky Sect Alliance, one of the six great sects that ruled the region.
At the front stood a tall man with black hair tied in a single knot and eyes sharp like steel.
Elder Shen Hao.
He scanned the scene below with cold precision. "So the rumor is true. The forbidden light emerged again."
A disciple behind him bowed. "Elder, should we begin the sealing ritual?"
"Not yet," Shen Hao said. "First, confirm if the vessel survived. I want the boy alive."
The disciple hesitated. "Alive, sir? But.."
Shen Hao's gaze cut him off. "We don't destroy what we don't understand."
He turned toward the abyss, where faint blue sparks still flickered in the cracks.
"Prepare the chains of spirit iron. If he resists… break his limbs, not his core."
The disciples nodded and leapt down the cliff.
---
Back underground
Jian Wu heard them before he saw them, metal boots hitting stone, the hiss of weapons unsheathed.
He exhaled slowly. "Already?"
When the first soldier entered the cavern, Jian Wu stepped forward, his eyes calm.
"There he is!" one shouted. "The vessel!"
Six of them surrounded him, spears glowing with sealing runes.
Jian Wu raised his hands slightly. "If you're here to talk, then talk. If not, make it quick."
"Silence, abomination!" the leader barked. "By the order of the Sky Sect Alliance, you are to be sealed and contained!"
Jian Wu tilted his head. "Contained? Like a beast?"
"You're worse than that."
He smiled faintly. "Then come prove it."
---
The first spear struck.
Jian Wu moved. His body flowed like water, one step, twist, strike.
His fist met the weapon mid air, the impact released a shockwave that shattered the runes instantly.
The soldier flew backward, crashing into the stone wall.
Another came from the left.
Jian Wu spun, catching the man's arm and driving his elbow into the soldier's chest. The armor bent with a metallic crack.
"Stop holding back!" shouted one of them.
They rushed him together, six blades cutting through the air.
For a moment, blue light filled the cavern. The mark on Jian Wu's chest flared; a wave of energy rippled outward, bending the air itself.
When the light faded, all six lay on the ground, groaning in pain. Jian Wu stood among them, barely breathing hard.
He looked at his hand, then at them. "I warned you."
---
From above, Elder Shen Hao watched through the dust cloud.
His eyes narrowed. "So he truly became the vessel."
He leapt down, landing silently in front of Jian Wu. The elder's presence was heavy, his aura pressing like a mountain.
Jian Wu frowned. "Another one?"
Shen Hao studied him. "You are the boy without a core. Jian Wu, disciple of the Cold Sky Sect, expelled for failure."
"Sounds about right," Jian Wu said quietly. "You're here to finish what they started?"
"No," Shen Hao replied. "I'm here to judge what you've become."
---
The air tightened. Shen Hao drew his sword. The blade shimmered with white energy, humming with restrained power.
Jian Wu steadied his stance. "If you attack me, I'll defend myself."
"I expect nothing less."
In a blink, Shen Hao vanished.
The sword struck from behind, too fast to see, but Jian Wu turned, catching the blade with his bare hand. Sparks exploded between their palms.
Shen Hao's eyes widened slightly. "Impossible."
Jian Wu's grip tightened. "You call this impossible?" He shoved the sword aside and countered with a punch that sent shockwaves through the cavern. Shen Hao slid back several meters, boots carving lines in the stone.
"Impressive," the elder said. "But unrefined."
He flicked his fingers. The sword dissolved into particles of light and reformed above him, splitting into a dozen identical blades. They spun in the air, pointing at Jian Wu.
"Let's see how your void handles this."
The swords flew.
Each strike carried spiritual pressure strong enough to crush rock. Jian Wu dodged the first, blocked the second, but the third cut his arm open. Blood spattered the floor.
He clenched his teeth. "So this is the strength of a real cultivator."
"Now you understand your place," Shen Hao said coldly. "Surrender. The void inside you will consume the world if left unchecked."
Jian Wu looked up, eyes burning blue. "Then let it consume me first."
The ground cracked under his feet as power surged again.
Blue lightning erupted from his body, meeting the rain of swords head-on. The clash lit up the entire cavern like day.
Boom.
The explosion tore through the ceiling, sending a column of light straight into the sky.
---
Outside
From the mountains, Yue Shan saw the light burst upward again. "No… Jian Wu!"
He sprinted toward the source, ignoring the falling debris. His clothes were torn, his face bruised, but his eyes burned with determination.
At the valley entrance, another group of Sky Sect cultivators blocked his path.
"Identify yourself!"
"I'm Yue Shan, disciple of the Cold Sky Sect," he shouted. "The boy inside, he's my brother!"
"Then you should turn back. That 'boy' is no longer human."
Yue Shan's eyes darkened. "If you think I'll abandon him, you don't know me."
He drew his blade and charged straight through them.
---
Back in the cavern
Smoke filled the air. The floor was torn apart, glowing with molten lines. Shen Hao knelt on one knee, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
In front of him stood Jian Wu, surrounded by faint blue mist. His clothes were scorched, his right hand trembling, but he was still standing.
"Why won't you die?" Shen Hao hissed.
Jian Wu's voice was low. "Because dying would make it too easy for them to forget me."
He stepped forward. Shen Hao raised his sword, but Jian Wu stopped inches away.
"I don't want to kill you," he said. "But if the world keeps coming for me… I'll fight back."
Shen Hao stared into his eyes. For the first time, he saw no madness there, only conviction.
Then the elder slowly lowered his weapon. "You can't hide forever."
"I don't plan to." Jian Wu turned toward the tunnel that led upward. "But when they come, I'll be ready."
Shen Hao watched him go, the faint glow of the void fading with each step.
Under his breath, he murmured, "A boy without a core… yet bearing the power of gods. The heavens will not ignore this."
---
At the surface
Jian Wu emerged from the cave, breathing the cold mountain air again. The sun was setting, painting the sky orange and gray. He looked down at his blood-stained hand and let out a quiet laugh.
"Still alive," he said.
Then he heard footsteps.
Yue Shan stumbled out from behind the rocks, bruised but smiling. "You look terrible."
"You too," Jian Wu replied.
They stood there for a moment, neither speaking. Then Yue Shan said, "The whole sect knows now. They'll send more after you."
"I figured," Jian Wu said. "That's fine."
"Fine? They'll hunt you to the ends of the continent!"
"Then they'll have to keep up."
He started walking toward the horizon. Yue Shan followed a few steps behind.
"Where are we going?" he asked.
Jian Wu looked ahead, eyes steady. "Somewhere the heavens can't see us."
---
As they disappeared into the forest, far above them the cl
ouds swirled again.
A single bolt of blue lightning flashed across the sky, silent, almost respectful.
The heavens, it seemed, were watching.