Chapter 17 – The Hidden City of Ashes
The wind carried the scent of smoke and rain.
Ren Yu and Lira moved silently along a narrow path that cut through the base of the Western Peaks. The storm had faded behind them, leaving the world eerily still. Broken pillars and ancient carvings lay half-buried in the soil — remnants of a civilization long forgotten.
Lira stopped, brushing her fingers over one of the stone slabs. "These markings… they're old. Older than the Council's archives."
Ren Yu nodded. "They belong to the Era of Bridges — when mortals could walk among the divine realms. Before the Betrayal."
She looked up at him. "Your ancestor's time."
He didn't reply. His gaze lingered on the faded glyphs — two suns carved into the stone, orbiting a spiral horizon. It was the same symbol that pulsed faintly over his heart.
After several hours, the path narrowed into a cavern entrance veiled in mist. Lira raised a brow. "This is where the tracker led?"
Ren Yu nodded. "Kairen sent word — an underground refuge for exiled martial families. They call it the City of Ashes."
They stepped inside.
The City Beneath the Earth
The air was cool and damp. As they descended, faint glimmers of blue light appeared along the walls — glowing crystals that hummed softly with spiritual resonance. Then the tunnel opened into a vast underground city, stretching as far as the eye could see.
Buildings of stone and metal rose in terraces along the cavern walls, lit by suspended lanterns infused with qi. Water flowed through channels carved in geometric patterns, and hundreds of people — martial artists, scholars, and refugees — moved through the streets.
At the center stood a massive statue — a hooded figure holding two spheres, one gold, one silver.
Lira whispered, "The Twin Suns…"
A voice echoed from behind them."Not many still recognize the symbol."
They turned to see a man in his thirties, dressed in black and gold robes. His long hair was tied neatly, his eyes sharp yet calm. A faint aura of power surrounded him — steady, but deep as the ocean.
"I am Elder Shen, guardian of this city," he said, bowing slightly. "And you, young man, bear the mark of the Horizon."
Ren Yu inclined his head. "Then you already know why I'm here."
Elder Shen smiled faintly. "Of course. Few can hide a power that bends the air itself. The Path of Two Suns has returned after centuries of silence."
He gestured for them to follow. "Come. There is someone who has waited a long time to meet you."
The Seer of Ashes
They entered a domed hall filled with ancient relics — scrolls, broken weapons, fragments of runes carved into obsidian. At the far end, sitting cross-legged on a dais of white stone, was an old woman. Her eyes were covered by a band of silk, yet she turned her head toward Ren Yu as if she could see him perfectly.
"So," she murmured, her voice soft as drifting ash. "The blood of the Betrayer walks once more."
Ren Yu bowed. "You know who I am?"
The Seer nodded slowly. "The storm told me. The serpent's roar shook the lower realms. You carry the Second Vein, do you not?"
"I do."
Her wrinkled hands brushed the air, tracing invisible symbols. "Then your journey has truly begun. The third seal lies not in the mountains, nor the sea, but within a city that no longer exists."
Lira frowned. "A city that no longer exists?"
The Seer smiled faintly. "Destroyed, yet not gone. The Fallen Capital of Tianxia — buried beneath the sands of the southern desert. The Council guards it closely, for within its ruins lies the Heart of the Divine Vein."
Ren Yu's gaze hardened. "Then that's where I go next."
Elder Shen interjected, "The Council's watch grows tighter. Even their enforcers fear that place — it devours the weak. But before you face it, you must learn to harness your storm completely."
Ren Yu exhaled. "You mean—"
"The Vein Meditation of the Horizon," the Seer finished. "The technique your ancestor abandoned before his fall. It was designed to unite opposing qi through harmony, not dominance. You, Ren Yu, are the first in ten generations capable of wielding it."
She raised a trembling hand. "Sit. Listen."
The Vein Meditation
Ren Yu knelt before her, closing his eyes as she began to chant softly. Her words weren't in any known language, yet they resonated deep within his spirit. The air thickened, vibrating with energy.
"Two suns burn," she intoned. "One for creation, one for destruction. Between them lies the path — neither light nor dark, but the horizon itself."
Ren Yu felt his breathing slow. The twin energies within him stirred — golden flame and silver wind, circling each other in silence. Then, for the first time, he sensed a third presence — faint, distant, like a reflection in still water.
It was his own will.
He guided the energies with calm focus, letting his spirit form a bridge between them. The warmth and cold began to intertwine, flowing through his veins like a spiral river.
Outside, the Seer's voice grew softer. "You've taken the first step toward transcendence. But remember, young one — balance is not peace. It is a storm contained within the self."
Ren Yu opened his eyes. His aura shimmered faintly, calm yet vast. For the first time, his energy did not pulse outward — it breathed with him, natural and steady.
Lira smiled. "You're getting better at this."
He nodded, rising slowly. "Enough to survive what's next."
Elder Shen approached, handing him a small metal tablet engraved with runes. "This is a Vein Locator. It will lead you toward the third seal — but it also draws attention. Use it sparingly."
Ren Yu accepted it, bowing. "You have my thanks."
The Seer's voice followed him as he turned to leave.
"When the third sun rises, the heavens will tremble. Be ready, Heir of the Horizon."
The Shadow Moves
Far above the hidden city, beneath the darkened sky of the Western Peaks, several figures in silver robes stood before the sealed entrance. Their leader held a crystal sphere glowing faintly red.
"The storm's heir is moving," one of them murmured.
The leader's lips curved into a cold smile. "Good. Let him chase the seals. The further he walks, the closer he comes… to the gate we built."