The lecture hall pulsed with soft light. Runes flickered along the stone walls, reacting to the presence of elemental cores. Five flame basins lit each corner of the domed room, each flickering a different color: crimson for fire, silver for metal, moss for wood, ochre for earth, and a soft blue-white for water.
Dozens of new initiates sat on tiered steps — some whispering, some bored. A few still winced from recent Gate Trials, fingers trembling from the energy backlash.
Wan Juo sat at the rear. As always. Cloak drawn, eyes sharp. Not for the lecture. But for the people.
A door opened, and a young man entered — not much older than the rest, but dressed in flowing scholar robes inked with the hexagram of Tianxuan. His voice carried, despite the lack of effort.
"My name," he began, "is Tao En, Keeper of Records and Lesser Scribe of the Flame Archives. I am here to explain what you think you already understand."
The room shifted. A few nobles smirked. Others yawned.
But En walked to the center and clapped his hands once.
A ripple of elemental energy burst from his palm, climbing the walls in spirals of fire, water, earth, metal, and wood. The runes above shimmered. And then, like breath on glass, the world unfolded.
A shimmering illusion-map of the continent hovered over the basin.
"The world of Shenluo is shaped like a wheel of fate," En said. "Five great lands make the rim. Each tied to one of the five prime elements: Fire, Metal, Water, Wood, and Earth."
The illusions pulsed as he named them, forming five vast lands each glowing with a corresponding elemental hue.
"And in the center of it all… lies Tianxuan."
The center flared - a glowing hexagon, with the great Academy at its heart.
"This is the only place where all elements converge without tearing each other apart. This is why we can train you — without you dying on the first day."
A few laughs broke out. One boy from House Argent Fang winced. His arm was still bandaged from his gate backlash.
"You've opened your first gates. Congratulations. You've stepped onto the Path of the Elementalist. But understand this:
First Ring Elementalist - one gate open. You've kindled the ember.
Second Ring - four gates. Now you can circulate energy, wrap your limbs, form elemental skins.
Third Ring - eight gates. You are no longer a boy playing with sparks. You are a weapon.
"And then…" En smiled faintly, raising a hand. A burst of flame spiraled upward, but then warped - forming a flower of fire. "You walk the path of the Master. You choose your sub-element. Poison, Sound, Sand, Ice, Ash, Steam. You deepen your bond. You become less human, and more… concept."
Wan Juo watched that flame flower with narrowed eyes.
"And finally… the unreachable. The unreal. The Grandmasters."
The illusions shifted. Vast lands formed again - but now five domains blazed on the map, each saturated in a specific element.
"Only six Grandmasters live," En said. "Five rule the elemental domains - the lands named after their power. And one… rules Tianxuan."
The illusions darkened.
"You don't find Grandmasters. They are. When one breathes, the air for a hundred miles bends to their element. Their energy becomes law. They do not gather disciples. They do not take sides. Even the elders bow."
"And yet," En added, voice low, "they gather once a year. Only once. During the Solar Eclipse. Where even Heaven cannot track them."
A girl raised her hand.
"Why don't they stop wars? Protect the weak?"
En blinked. "Would the moon stop the tide?"
"And the sixth…" En hesitated, tone quieting. "The VoidSun. Tianxuan's hidden Grandmaster."
No image formed. Just darkness.
"He does not live in the world. His domain is not land. He appears only on eclipse. He built the Academy's Core Star. And he disappears again. A phantom of power. A rumor in robes."
He let that sink in.
Wan Juo thought of that name. "VoidSun." And felt the tiniest chil... not fear. Just recognition.
Like something old… had whispered once in his sleep.
"But not all walk the path of elements," En continued. "There are others. Cultivators. Those who refine their primordial essence instead of aligning with elemental flow."
"They seek power through pain. Growth through destruction. Their energy burns from within. And when it runs out… they turn to dust."
The image changed - showing battle-hardened cultivators with glowing cores in different parts of their bodies.
"They rise through Ranks 1 to 4, and then become Supreme Elders. Equal to peak Elemental Masters. But each rank multiplies the pain. Each step consumes their soul."
A second image appeared — demonic cultivators, their bodies twisted by corrupted essence.
"The Demonic Path burns twice as bright… and twice as fast."
"And yet," he said, looking around the room, "they still rise. Because Cultivators do not care for laws. Or balance. Only power."
A silence fell.
"But war…" En whispered, "…is returning. Rumors stir in the Woodlands. One Grandmaster's domain has gone silent."
Students murmured. One noble whispered, "Silent? Grandmasters don't go missing."
Wan Juo leaned forward slightly.
En turned to them, gaze sharp.
"And the VoidSun has not returned in two years."
A pause.
"So study. Train. Fight. Grow. Because the gates you open today may be the only reason you're alive tomorrow."
The illusions faded. The basins died out.
Tao En bowed.
"Welcome… to Tianxuan."
At the edge of the balcony, beneath the burning dusk, Wan Juo leaned on the rail, staring out toward the horizon. The great towers stood like ancient gods, unmoving. The air shimmered with elemental energy. A land of legends… now his battlefield.
He thought of the beasts, his life..
Of Mei.
Of the bun.
Of the scream.
And now, of the VoidSun - a Grandmaster without a domain, missing.
He took a deep breath, let the fading sun kiss his ash-scarred cheek, and whispered: "This world is indeed filled with so many things.... "