The morning breeze carried the faint fragrance of peach blossoms — though the old tree in Xiao Wang's courtyard had not bloomed in years.
Yet, for the first time since his rebirth, a single petal drifted down, pale and fragile, landing upon his shoulder.
He opened his eyes.
The world was silent, but alive.
The dull colors of his small home seemed brighter now — the cracked walls shimmered faintly, the sky felt deeper, and even the air hummed with a strange, unseen rhythm.
He rose slowly, his robe rustling.
His body felt lighter, yet stronger. The power within him was no longer the fragile Qi of a lowly cultivator — it pulsed with a depth he could barely comprehend.
"So this… is the beginning."
He gazed at his palm, where faint red markings — shaped like flowing runes — appeared and faded with each heartbeat.
They weren't tattoos; they were imprints of the devoured — remnants of the energy consumed by the sword.
The faint whisper from last night still lingered in his mind.
That ancient, calm voice.
The woman in the starry realm.
Her words:
"Every time you feed the sword… it feeds on you as well."
He clenched his fist, feeling the faint sting of warmth where the runes glowed.
The Quiet Before the Storm
The village was waking.
Children's laughter echoed from the dirt road. Merchants shouted from their stalls. Smoke curled lazily from clay chimneys.To anyone else, it was a normal morning.
But Xiao Wang felt it — the pulse of power beneath the earth, the faint shifts of energy that ordinary people couldn't perceive.
It was as if the world itself had changed overnight.
"Brother, are you up already?"
The soft voice came from behind him.
He turned, and his expression softened.
A little girl, no older than ten, stood at the doorway. Her hair was tied in twin buns, and she held a bowl of steaming porridge with both hands. Her smile was bright, innocent, and warm — the kind of warmth Xiao Wang hadn't felt since before betrayal and death.
"Xiao Mei," he said gently. "You should rest more."
She shook her head stubbornly. "You didn't eat last night. Mother said food helps when you're sad."
He smiled faintly.
To her, he was just her older brother — the one everyone called a failure, the "waste who couldn't cultivate."
She didn't know about the forest.
She didn't know that last night, he had stood on the edge of life and death — or that a celestial weapon now beat in rhythm with his heart.
He took the bowl from her and ruffled her hair. "Thank you, Mei'er."
She grinned. "Eat well, or I'll tell Mother!"
Then she ran off, laughing, her steps light as petals on wind.
He watched her disappear beyond the gate, his smile fading slowly.
She's not my real sister.
But maybe… that doesn't matter.
The Whisper of Blossoms
After breakfast, Xiao Wang sat beneath the peach tree again.
The old bark was rough beneath his fingers, yet there was life hidden deep within it — faint energy thrumming like a heartbeat.
He closed his eyes and began to meditate, circulating his Qi.
The power within him now flowed differently — not the smooth cycle of normal cultivators, but a spiraling vortex that devoured surrounding energy, refining it into something purer.
It was terrifyingly efficient.
And… unnatural.
A faint hum rippled through his thoughts — soft, melodic, familiar.
"You are adapting quickly."
His eyes snapped open. "You again."
The sword beside him pulsed faintly, red light blooming across its surface.
"You have consumed the essence of the beast. But to grow further, you must devour not only Qi… but fate itself."
"Fate?" Xiao Wang frowned. "What does that mean?"
The voice was calm, patient — like the whisper of a deity teaching a mortal child.
"There are forces in this world bound by destiny — souls marked by heaven's design. To devour them is to defy the heavens themselves."
He fell silent, the words echoing within him.
Defying heaven…That path was one few survived.
"And what happens if I refuse?" he asked quietly.
"Then you will remain what you are — a mortal with celestial chains upon your soul."
Her tone softened.
"But if you accept… you will ascend beyond the will of the heavens."
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "And lose myself in the process."
There was a brief pause — then a faint, almost sad whisper.
"Perhaps. But that is the only path left for one who was betrayed by gods and men alike."
The air stilled.
Then — a sound broke the silence.
A soft thump, followed by a muffled voice.
The Girl Beneath the Tree
"Ugh… that hurt…"
Xiao Wang turned sharply.
Someone had fallen into his courtyard — a girl, tangled in a faded travel cloak.
She sat up, brushing dust off her face. Her hair spilled like ink down her shoulders, her eyes bright as dawn — but there was something oddly familiar about her aura.
Even hidden beneath dirt and exhaustion, she radiated a faint, mysterious energy that made the very air stir.
"Apologies!" she said, looking up at him, flustered. "I didn't mean to trespass. I was just—"
Her words stopped.
Her eyes widened.
And for a moment, the world seemed to freeze between them.
Xiao Wang's breath caught.
The faint mark on her forehead — a small, glowing sigil — identical to the one that had appeared on the Sword's Echo in his vision.
It can't be…
The girl blinked, confusion in her gaze. "Why are you staring at me like that?"
He took a cautious step forward. "Who are you?"
She hesitated, biting her lip. "My name… is Lian Yue. I came from the north, looking for someone."
Her tone faltered as she looked around the modest courtyard, then back at him.
"But you…" She frowned slightly. "You feel familiar. Like I've… seen you before."
Impossible, he thought. She's human… yet she bears the mark of the sword realm.
The sword beside him pulsed faintly — and the whisper returned, urgent now.
"Do not trust her."
He stiffened. "Why?"
"That mark… belongs only to the one bound by my fate. If she bears it, she is either my echo… or my enemy."
Xiao Wang looked at Lian Yue again.
Her hands were trembling slightly, but her eyes — though mortal — held a strange sorrow, like someone who carried centuries of memories.
"You're hurt," he said finally. "Sit. I'll get water."
She blinked, startled. "You're… helping me?"
"You fell into my home," he replied simply. "Even strangers deserve kindness."
She smiled faintly — a sad, tired smile.
"You're strange, you know that? Most cultivators would've thrown me out or demanded payment."
"Then maybe I'm not like most cultivators."
As he poured water into a cup, he caught her reflection in the rippling surface.
Her expression had softened — but her eyes glowed faintly crimson for a heartbeat before fading back to normal.
The Shadow Beneath the Light
As night approached again, Lian Yue sat beneath the peach tree, gazing at the stars.
"Do you ever wonder what's above all this?" she asked softly.
Xiao Wang, sitting across from her, nodded. "Every day."
She smiled. "Then maybe you and I are chasing the same sky."
The wind whispered through the branches, carrying the faint sound of her laughter.
It was gentle… haunting… and too familiar.
Deep within him, the sword stirred — whispering like a heartbeat.
"She is not what she seems. Be ready, young one. Fate has begun to twist once more."