The night was silent. Stars hung low over the skies of the Twilight Sky Sect, as if whispering secrets to those brave enough to listen.
Inside a small stone chamber that served as his quarters, Li Yun sat cross-legged, his body drenched in sweat. Spiritual energy surged from the heavens and the earth, coursing through him and seeping into meridians that had long lain dormant.
"You've fused with your first primary energy point. This is the beginning of the 'Opening of the Four Gates.' Once all four are awakened, you'll be able to absorb the energy of nature without limit," said Tian Luo's voice from within the black pendant.
Li Yun let out a soft groan. His body felt as if it were being torn apart from the inside. But he endured the pain. Compared to the agony of watching his clan burn during his childhood, this was nothing.
When his meditation ended, his eyes slowly opened. Around him, small stones floated briefly, then fell back to the floor. He exhaled—a slow, deep breath.
But before he could rise, a soft knock echoed at the door.
Tok. Tok.
"Li Yun."
That voice... Yan Zhiya.
He opened the door. In the flickering torchlight, the girl stood in a long robe, her blood-red eyes reflecting the flame like buried gems.
"Something you need?" Li Yun asked bluntly.
Zhiya stared at him for a moment before handing him something.
An old scroll, wrapped in worn linen.
"What's this?"
"The sect's historical records. The part erased from the official archives," she said quietly.
Li Yun looked at the scroll. Its aura felt... bitter, as if containing a tale not meant to be told.
Zhiya continued, "I stole it from the third-level vault. No one can know I gave this to you."
Li Yun unwrapped it carefully. Ancient writing filled the pages. As he read, his expression shifted.
"Year 2763 of the Celestial Calendar. The Three-Clan Alliance—Clan Yan, Clan Mo, and Clan Li—formed a defensive line against the invasion of the Night Blood Clan. However, due to internal disputes and the struggle over a celestial artifact, the alliance crumbled. Clan Li, who held the final artifact, was accused of betrayal. In the end, Clans Yan and Mo decided to annihilate Clan Li..."
Li Yun's hands trembled.
At the bottom of the scroll was a red stamp like dried blood—the official seal of the Twilight Sky Sect.
It wasn't a rumor. It was buried history… sanctioned and silenced.
"All this time… everyone believed a lie," he muttered. "My clan was branded as cowards. Traitors."
Zhiya lowered her gaze. "I know this won't bring your family back. But if you want justice… you have to know the truth first."
Li Yun clenched the scroll tightly.
"Why are you doing this? Isn't your clan one of those that destroyed mine?"
Zhiya looked at him. Her face betrayed no emotion, but her voice… was honest.
"I was born after it all ended. I don't want to inherit sins that aren't mine… And I… believe in your eyes."
Li Yun fell silent. Her words struck deeper than a thousand blows.
"Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving the sect," he said suddenly.
Zhiya looked at him. "Are you sure?"
Li Yun nodded. "I'm going to find the rest of the truth. The world is too vast to believe in just one version of the story."
She handed him something else—an old map. "This leads to the ruins of Clan Li. It lies outside the Twilight Sky Sect's domain. Forgotten… but it still holds something."
"How do you know all this?" Li Yun asked, eyes narrowing.
Zhiya turned, a faint smile touching her lips. "I've been watching those ruins for a long time. But I'm not the one meant to unlock what lies there."
The next morning, before the sun rose over the mountain peaks, Li Yun stood at the outer gates of the sect. With an old sword on his back, the Tian Luo pendant at his neck, and the historical scroll in his pouch, he stepped forward—without farewell, without sound.
Behind the trees, Zhiya watched from afar. She didn't follow. She simply nodded.
"Go. And return… when you're strong enough to write your own history."