Morning sunlight filtered through sheer curtains, casting soft golden patterns across the wooden floor. Xiao Feng awoke to the warmth of Shuye's arms around his chest. For a moment, he lay still, breathing in the scent of mountain flowers from her hair. The memory of the black wind returned to him — the strange storm that had erupted from within the night before.
He slowly shifted, careful not to wake her. After washing up and changing into a clean robe, he stepped outside. The courtyard was quiet, but the wind held whispers in its current, as though it carried voices from far beyond the mountain.
He didn't have time to dwell.
Shuye appeared not long after, dressed in a flowing robe of emerald green, her hair pinned up with silver leaf-shaped ornaments.
"You're up early," she noted, a touch of concern in her gaze.
"Just… couldn't sleep too long," Xiao Feng said, avoiding the part about the night before.
She handed him a small jade token. "Today, I've arranged for you to be formally registered as a disciple of the Wind Sect. You'll need to go to the Hall of Recognition and show this token to Elder Mu."
Xiao Feng took it with a respectful nod. "Understood."
"Oh, and one more thing," she added, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes, "stay out of trouble."
He gave her a small smile. "I'll try."
---
The Hall of Recognition sat in the heart of the sect, carved into the side of a jade-green cliff. Tall wind-forged pillars lined the entrance, and statues of the Wind Clan's ancestors stood like silent guardians.
Inside, Elder Mu — a thin, gray-bearded cultivator with hawk-like eyes — sat behind a stone table, his gaze piercing.
"So, you're the boy Elder Shuye took in." He examined Xiao Feng like one might examine a strange beast. "Core Creation… mid-stage… yet your foundation is surprisingly solid."
He waved his hand, and a scroll floated to Xiao Feng. "Sign your spiritual name. This makes your identity official. But remember — being under Elder Shuye's wing offers you no protection if you disgrace the sect."
Xiao Feng nodded. "I understand."
As he left, he passed several disciples murmuring nearby. Their voices were low, but he caught enough.
"That's him… the one who sparred with Senior Bai."
"I heard the elders are watching him now."
"Too much attention for someone so new."
---
Later that day, with nothing scheduled, Xiao Feng wandered through the sect grounds. The Wind Sect was beautiful — a series of pavilions and gardens nestled into the mountainside. Waterfalls streamed down from high cliffs, mist dancing in the sunlight. Flowering trees bent with the wind, their petals spinning like feathers.
In one open courtyard, he saw young disciples practicing wind formation techniques. In another, several inner disciples meditated near floating rocks suspended by compressed wind arrays.
"Focus your breath — feel the pull of the wind as an extension of your intent," an instructor guided them.
Xiao Feng watched quietly for a while before moving on.
Eventually, he reached a quiet garden behind the sect library, where the wind was gentler. A small stone path led toward an archway formed by two leaning trees. Beyond that, a thin trail twisted downward into a forested valley.
An elder sweeping nearby glanced at him and smiled. "Looking for something, young man?"
"Just walking," Xiao Feng said, returning the smile.
"Ah… then you've found the Whispering Path. It leads to a place known as the Lover's Hollow. Don't get the wrong idea — it's not just for couples. Many go there for quiet reflection. But," the elder chuckled, "if you go there with a lady, rumors are sure to follow."
Xiao Feng raised a brow. "I'll keep that in mind."
---
He didn't walk the full trail that day but memorized the route. The idea of such a peaceful spot intrigued him. Maybe someday, he thought, when things weren't so complicated.
By sunset, he returned to his quarters, where Shuye had left a meal covered neatly on the table — steamed lotus buns, wind rice, and jasmine tea.
He sat to eat, feeling a rare moment of peace.
But peace didn't last long.
As he meditated later that night, trying to understand the black wind's presence, his mind drifted into his spiritual sea — a vast inner space where his elemental energy swirled like a storm.
There, at the center, the black wind pulsed gently — no longer violent, but waiting. Around it, his natural wind element flowed in circles, as if unsure whether to accept it or fear it.
Then… a voice.
"Do not fear what you are becoming."
Xiao Feng's eyes snapped open. He looked around — but there was no one. The voice hadn't come from outside, but from deep within.
He took a slow breath. "Who… are you?"
No response came.
But something had changed. A mark now flickered faintly on the back of his right hand — a small, black spiral shaped like a cyclone.
He covered it with his sleeve and stood.
---
The next day, Shuye approached him with news.
"The Elders have approved your participation in the Wind Selection Trial," she said, handing him a scroll. "You'll be joining others from the Core Creation and Nascent Soul stages to compete for sect recognition. There's a chance you'll earn your own peak if you perform well."
Xiao Feng blinked. "My own… peak?"
She nodded. "Each major sect disciple who proves their strength is given a cultivation peak. It's both an honor and a responsibility."
He opened the scroll, eyes narrowing. The trial would take place in ten days — a three-day survival test in the Wind Labyrinth, an ancient formation built into the cliffs. The final trial? A one-on-one battle before the Elders.
Shuye's face was calm, but he noticed her fingers curling slightly in tension.
"You don't want me to go," he said.
"I didn't say that," she replied. "But I know how these things go. You'll be a target — and not just because of Bai Xu."
Xiao Feng tilted his head. "Then why?"
She looked away. "Because you're changing. I can feel it in your wind."
A silence stretched between them before she spoke again, softly.
"I won't stop you… but I'll worry."
He stepped closer and bowed lightly. "Then I'll give you a reason not to."
---
That evening, as the stars blanketed the sky, Xiao Feng stood at the edge of his training platform, watching the wind blow over the cliffs. His robe fluttered softly, and his mind was quiet.
But in the shadows beyond the cliff, Bai Xu watched.
"He's growing too fast… He must not survive the Wind Labyrinth," he whispered to a hidden figure beside him.
A second voice — deeper, older — replied, "Then let us ensure he doesn't."
---[To Be Continued]---