The Earthflow Sect was nestled between emerald hills and golden plains that pulsed with vitality. Ancient trees whispered secrets, and fertile fields shimmered with qi. Xiao Tu (Little Earth) had never known such comfort—his element felt at home, resonating with the soil beneath his feet.
After joining the sect with his impressive control over earth essence and his unique passive ability to nourish nearby plants just by walking, Xiao Tu quickly rose in favor. Elders admired his potential; disciples respected his calm, warm demeanor. Unlike the fiery passion of Little Fire or the wild freedom of Little Wind, Xiao Tu was quiet, methodical, and deeply kind-hearted.
But it wasn't the praise of elders or missions he enjoyed most—it was her.
Her name was Lan Yue, daughter of the Earth Clan's Head, a woman of jade eyes and soft smiles, a cultivator whose every movement echoed with the elegance of a mountain breeze. She had approached him one day after a mission, complimenting the way his earth barrier had saved a wounded boy.
"You are kind," she had said, her eyes glittering. "That is rare in our world."
And he—poor naive Xiao Tu—had smiled.
They began to meet regularly. At first, under the pretense of exchanging techniques, then during afternoon strolls along spirit flower fields, and finally, one moonlit evening, on what could only be described as a romantic date.
She led him to the Hanging Garden Terrace, a cliffside meadow full of floating moss lanterns. Beneath them was a sea of glowing grass that shone under moonlight. She wore a pale green robe that night, her hair loose like river silk.
"I like this place," she said, sitting beside him. "It's where I come to think."
Xiao Tu tilted his head. "About what?"
"About the future. About pain… and how to protect what matters."
He nodded slowly. "You've lost someone before."
A shadow passed her eyes. "My mother. Years ago. She loved this place. I like to imagine her here, smiling in the wind."
Xiao Tu gently placed a hand over hers. "She would be proud of you."
She squeezed his hand, eyes soft. "Would she?"
That night, when he walked her back to her courtyard, she stood on her toes and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
"Thank you for seeing me," she whispered. "Truly."
Xiao Tu didn't sleep that night. Something bloomed in his chest—a mixture of love, peace, and… unease.
---
A few weeks passed, and the sect began preparing for its grand Earth Ceremony, held once every decade to honor the planet's core spirit and share earth energy with the realm. Disciples lit golden flame-pots around the Cradle Canyon, where earth qi was most concentrated. Elders blessed the land, and cultivators walked barefoot across spirit stones, offering reverence.
Xiao Tu participated, barefoot and solemn. He walked the entire canyon while reciting the Three Stones Mantra, feeling the tremble of earth veins under his soles.
At the ceremony's end, a blinding light erupted near the canyon's center—an earthquake, followed by an eruption of dust and stone. From the crater's heart, something rolled out: a jagged, pulsing crystal.
"Earth Power Stone!" cried an elder. "Formed by nature's condensation of five hundred years of earth essence!"
Everyone's eyes widened. It was a treasure that could accelerate cultivation by decades.
Before anyone could move, the stone bounced—right to Xiao Tu's feet.
He blinked.
Lan Yue stood not far behind him, breathless. Her eyes fixed on the stone, then softened when they met his.
"Fate is strange," she said. "Maybe it chose you."
But something flickered behind her smile.
He reached down and picked up the stone—it was warm, heavy, humming with energy. Without thinking, he walked over and handed it to her.
Her breath caught. "You… you're giving it to me?"
"You've helped me so much," he said, voice sincere. "I don't need shortcuts. I'd rather earn my strength."
Her eyes shimmered with something he didn't understand. Regret? Victory?
She kissed him again—this time on the lips.
And that was that.
---
A few days later, Xiao Tu sat cross-legged under a banyan tree, cultivating. His skin glowed faintly as he pushed earth qi through his meridians. He had developed a unique technique, an original art he called "Great Destruction Steps"—a footwork-based martial art that combined seismic shock, pressure release, and terrain manipulation.
"It's not finished," he murmured. "Still unstable at the fourth movement."
He wiped sweat from his brow.
A gust of wind stirred, though the day was calm.
And then… he felt it.
A chill.
A deathly presence that didn't belong here.
Xiao Tu opened his eyes slowly to see a dark-robed figure perched on a boulder. Cloaked in layers of shadow qi, the figure's face was hidden behind a wooden mask with a painted skull. It was Little Death—the clone most shrouded in mystery.
"Little Earth," the figure said softly. "The soil nourishes. But it also buries."
"What… do you mean?"
"Trust your roots, not your flowers. Some beauty hides poison." He turned, voice fading. "Not all pain comes from enemies."
"Wait!" Xiao Tu stood. "What are you saying?"
But Little Death had vanished.
A soft breeze passed, disturbing only the leaves.
---
That evening, Lan Yue invited him to her family courtyard—a place filled with jade ornaments and walls of earth scripture. They sat by a koi pond, sipping spirit tea.
"Your technique," she said. "It's strong. But dangerous."
He nodded. "It's not complete. I've had visions of ten steps. But I only have six figured out. The seventh… might destroy me."
She placed a gentle hand on his. "Then stop. You don't need to push so hard."
"But I do," he said quietly. "I need to prove something to myself."
She leaned in, her voice silk. "Then let me help. Show me the first six steps. I promise I'll keep it secret."
He hesitated. Something in the air felt heavy. Like the calm before a landslide.
Still, he smiled faintly. "Alright."
He summoned his qi and began demonstrating the Great Destruction Steps in the courtyard—a series of thunderous stomps and precise slides that shaped terrain around him, cracking tiles and shaking the earth. She watched, eyes gleaming, memorizing every detail.
When he finished, he collapsed into a seat. "That's it. Seven… still escapes me."
She knelt beside him and wiped sweat from his brow. "You're incredible," she whispered. "You'll change the world one day."
He blushed.
Above them, the moon hid behind clouds.
And somewhere deep in the Earth Clan's inner chamber, Lan Yue's eyes flashed cold.
She turned away from his sleeping form that night and began writing—drawing out what she remembered of the technique.
She had everything she needed—except the seventh step.
But in time, she'd have that too.
And when that time came, Xiao Tu would no longer be of use.
[To be Continued]