Night never truly left.
Darkness clung to the pavilion even as dawn approached, as if the heavens themselves refused to let morning break. A thin mist hung over the rooftops, shifting with each cold breeze.
Qi Shan Wei barely slept.
He stood at the highest rooftop, watching the rotating golden symbol burning above the clouds. Its glow lit the mountains for miles, casting long shadows that stretched unnaturally across the land.
The Mark of Summoning.
A heavenly beacon.A curse.A floodlight for every ambitious sect and bloodthirsty clan.
He could feel pressure building — not against his body, but against his destiny.
"Shan Wei."
Ling Xueyao's voice drifted from behind him, soft as winter wind.
He turned.
She stood there in her frost-blue robes, hair flowing, the cold aura around her blending perfectly with the mist. Her sword was strapped at her waist — she had slept with it.
She approached him quietly and stood beside him.
"You haven't closed your eyes all night."
He gave a faint smile."I didn't want to miss anything."
"You mean you fear something might strike us in our sleep," she corrected gently, watching the golden sign in the sky. "And you don't want anyone else to face it."
He said nothing.
But she read him perfectly.
"You're carrying too much," she said. "Leadership is heavy. You're learning its weight."
He exhaled slowly."I just… I can't let them suffer because of me."
Ling Xueyao's gaze softened.
"You don't cause suffering. You prevent it."
She stepped closer.
"You protect people in ways most cultivators never think about."
A gust of wind passed. Xueyao's long silver-blue hair brushed against his shoulder. Shan Wei's heart thumped unexpectedly.
Before either spoke—
A tiny weight landed on Shan Wei's head.
"Fweee—CHIR!"
Drakonix's feathers rustled as he settled comfortably on his new favorite throne — Shan Wei's head.
Xueyao covered her mouth to hide a smile.
"You've become his nest."
Shan Wei sighed."He refuses to sleep anywhere else."
Drakonix puffed his chest proudly.
"CHII—!"
Shan Wei rolled his eyes affectionately.
But the peaceful moment shattered abruptly when the golden symbol in the sky pulsed — once, then twice — like a heartbeat.
The mountain trembled.
Xueyao's hand went instantly to her sword.
Drakonix's feathers shot up, trembling. His eyes burned crimson-gold.
"Fwee…!"A warning cry.
Shan Wei's entire body tensed.
"What is it?" Xueyao asked.
Drakonix pointed a wing toward the east, where the golden symbol reflected over distant clouds.
Shan Wei narrowed his eyes.
"I don't know. But something is coming."
Across the Realm — Enemies React
Far away, in a black stone fortress carved into a mountain, a man with long dark hair stared at the sky, his smile sharp as a blade.
"The Mark has appeared… The Prismatic Child lives."
He tapped his fingers on the throne.
"Prepare the Shadow Assassins."
A roar echoed through the fortress.
—
Deep within the Spirit Vein Continent, an elder wearing volcanic armor slammed his fist onto the table.
"The heavens acknowledge him?! That boy will disrupt everything!"
A disciple trembled.
"Elder… should we… act?"
The elder snarled.
"Send watchers. If he grows two more realms…we must kill him."
—
In the Beast Origin Realm, ancient beasts raised their heads in unison.
An old lion-beast king murmured, "The Prismatic One… has awakened."
A phoenix-like bird screeched into the sky.
"Should we hunt him?"
The lion shook his head.
"No. We watch… for now."
—
In the sky above an ancient mountain…
A hooded woman sat cross-legged in the clouds, eyes glowing silver.
She gasped as she sensed the mark.
"Impossible… this qi…"
Wind spiraled around her.
"It's him."
She stood slowly.
"I must find him."
Back at the Pavilion — Jin Wei's Repair Begins
Shan Wei rushed to the sacred forging chamber.
Inside, Jin Wei rested silently, half-covered in glowing formation plates. His missing arm lay beside him like a fallen monument. Sparks flickered weakly from his exposed wires.
Elder Lu circled the platform with a brush dipped in jade ink, drawing intricate sigils on the floor.
"Good, you're here," Elder Lu said. "We're ready to begin the repair ritual. But understand — Jin Wei's core is ancient. If you overwhelm it with flame, even a flicker, he could…"
Shan Wei finished the sentence for him.
"…die permanently."
Elder Lu nodded grimly.
Ling Xueyao placed a hand on Shan Wei's shoulder.
"I'll control the cold to keep your flame balanced."
Drakonix hopped onto Jin Wei's chest and sat like a tiny guardian, eyes fierce.
"Fwee…"
Shan Wei knelt beside Jin Wei.
He placed his hand over the cracked core.
"We're starting."
The runes ignited.
Elder Lu began chanting.Ling Xueyao raised a frost barrier.Drakonix opened his mouth and released a soft stream of gentle fire to sync with Shan Wei's rhythm.
The chamber pulsed with power.
Shan Wei's prismatic flame rose—
slower, steadier than before—a soft dance of crimson, gold, and void.
He guided it carefully into Jin Wei's core.
Jin Wei shuddered violently.
"M—Master…"
His voice broke into static and distortion.
Shan Wei stabilized his flame instantly.
"I'm here."
"…Hur… hurts…"
Shan Wei inhaled sharply.
This was the first time Jin Wei had expressed pain.
Ling Xueyao stepped closer, placing a hand on Jin Wei's frame.
Her frost aura spread gently.
"Jin Wei. Endure. You are not alone."
Her voice was so soft that even Shan Wei looked at her in surprise.
The puppet quieted.
Shan Wei concentrated harder, pushing prismatic energy into the shattered circuits. The formation plates glowed brighter. Jin Wei's chest slowly reformed with a faint metallic hum.
Then—
CLANG.
Jin Wei's missing arm twitched.
Runes along the limb brightened.
Ling Xueyao gasped. Elder Lu froze.
Shan Wei gritted his teeth and pushed harder—
The arm reattached.
Metal sealed.Wires reconnected.Energy flowed.
Jin Wei exhaled with a deep metallic rumble.
"Re…pair…Phase… one…Success."
Shan Wei collapsed forward, panting.Ling Xueyao grabbed him before he hit the ground.
"You did it," she whispered. "You saved him again."
Drakonix cheered, jumping onto Shan Wei's lap.
Elder Lu wiped sweat from his brow.
"Heavens… boy… you worked like a master craftsman."
Shan Wei managed a weak smile.
But suddenly—
BOOOOM.
The mountain shook violently.
Everyone froze.
Ling Xueyao's hand shot to her sword.
Drakonix hissed.
Jin Wei attempted to rise, but Shan Wei stopped him.
"No. Stay. You just reconnected your arm."
The Pavilion Master burst into the chamber.
"Qi Shan Wei! We have a visitor!"
Shan Wei blinked."A visitor?"
The Pavilion Master's face was grim.
"Not a disciple. Not a sect envoy. Not a messenger."
Thunder cracked overhead.
Drakonix trembled.
Ling Xueyao's eyes turned sharp.
The Pavilion Master whispered:
"A cultivator from the Spirit Vein Continent has arrived."
Shan Wei's heart dropped.
"Here? At our gates?"
"Yes."
"What do they want?"
The Pavilion Master's voice was tight.
"They requested one thing."
Shan Wei clenched his fists.
"What did they ask for?"
The Pavilion Master swallowed.
"They said:'Bring me Qi Shan Wei.We must speak about… the omen.'"
Shan Wei's breath caught.
"Who is it?"
The Pavilion Master looked at him gravely.
"A young woman.Golden eyes.Carrying a phoenix feather staff."
Ling Xueyao's face changed instantly.
"…Impossible."
Shan Wei looked at her."You know her?"
Ling Xueyao hesitated.
"She's from one of the strongest clans. A sealed clan. A divine bloodline."
Shan Wei felt the world tilt slightly.
"Why would she come for me?"
Ling Xueyao turned to him, eyes serious.
"Because if she's here…it means the heavens didn't just mark you."She swallowed."They summoned her to prevent something."
Shan Wei's voice lowered.
"Prevent what?"
Ling Xueyao whispered:
"…your rise."
To be continued..
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