Chapter 9: Shadows over Falling Cloud
The air in Falling Cloud City was thick with tension.
The Broken Heaven Stone Trial's shockwave had not yet faded, and rumors spread like wildfire—some whispered in awe, others in fear.
Lin Sheng's name was on every tongue. But with fame came danger.
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A Visitor in the Night
Beneath the silver light of a waning moon, a cloaked figure slipped silently through the city's winding alleys. His steps were quiet, but the air around him carried the heavy scent of death.
Zhao Wei, a shadow assassin of the Celestial Qin Clan's secret hand, known as the Silent Blade, had been sent to eliminate the spark before it became a wildfire.
He paused outside Lin Sheng's humble dwelling in the slave quarters.
His fingers brushed a cold steel dagger etched with forbidden runes.
A whisper came from the shadows:
> "The flame must be extinguished.
Or the heavens will fall."
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Lin Sheng's Vigil
Inside, Lin Sheng sat meditating, his breath steady despite the events of the past days. The ember inside him now burned steadily—no longer a flicker, but a steady flame of resolve.
Mu Yanyu stood watch by the door, her eyes sharp and unwavering.
Suddenly, the window shattered.
Zhao Wei struck.
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The Clash of Shadows and Flame
The Silent Blade was swift—like a serpent in moonlight.
But Lin Sheng moved with a calm born from the fire within.
A wall of golden law-fire erupted between them, burning the shadows away.
The dagger struck the barrier and shattered into ash.
Zhao Wei growled, summoning dark qi.
But before he could launch another strike, Mu Yanyu unleashed a burst of lunar frost, freezing his limbs.
Lin Sheng's eyes gleamed.
> "You are not welcome here."
With a wave of his hand, a binding sigil formed—a cage of time and flame.
The assassin struggled, then vanished in a flash of cursed smoke—defeated but alive.
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Aftermath and Warning
Mu Yanyu knelt beside Lin Sheng.
> "They won't stop. The Celestial Qin will send others—stronger, faster, more cunning."
Lin Sheng nodded.
> "Then I will grow faster. And burn brighter."
His voice held no fear—only determination.
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A Call to the Mountain Sect
Word of the assassination attempt reached the Mountain Sect elders.
Elder Wei Tianlan summoned Lin Sheng.
> "You are no longer just a boy with a strange power," he said gravely.
"You are a beacon—and a target."
He paused.
> "You will need allies."
Lin Sheng looked toward the looming mountains beyond the city.
> "I will forge my own path. But I will accept allies willing to walk beside me."
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The Whisper of Fate
Far above, in the Upper Realm, Immortal Venerable Yaolun closed his eyes.
> "The Restart Mark burns brighter than before. The boy survives the shadow's strike."
He opened a hand, revealing a flickering crystal orb.
> "Prepare the trials ahead. Fate must be tested... and rewritten."
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Thus, the land braces for a storm of flame and shadow.
And Lin Sheng's journey into legend has only just begun.