The darkness twisted.
"What do you fear?"
His breath paused.
In his previous life, he feared death. He feared the hospital bed, the machines, the growing silence around him.
But now…
"I fear losing control."
The voice went silent.
Then everything shook.
Light exploded from the tablet. The plaza was engulfed in a violent pulse of spiritual energy. Candidates stumbled back. Elders shielded their eyes.
"What is happening?"
"That tablet never reacts like this!"
"His soul is resonating too deeply. This is dangerous!"
The tablet cracked.
A symbol emerged upon its surface.
Two tomoe, intertwined like an endless loop, pulsed with crimson light.
Elder Mo's expression changed completely.
"That mark… does not belong to our sect."
Lin Yuhan's eyes widened, the first genuine surprise he had shown since appearing.
"That symbol… is born from his soul?"
Spiritual energy spun around Shen Tian like a vortex. His Sharingan flared to life on its own, reflecting the same symbol on the tablet.
The crowd trembled.
"He has no Qi, yet his soul shakes the formation."
"What… is he?"
Shen Tian pulled his hand away. The glow faded, and the world settled. The stone tablet, however, remained marked—permanently altered.
Elder Mo stared at Shen Tian in disbelief.
"All three trials… you passed them without Qi. Without techniques. Without anything we understand."
Shen Tian stood completely still, his voice quiet.
"I passed because I do not use your path."
Elder Mo inhaled slowly, composing himself.
"Shen Tian. From this moment on… you are an outer disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect."
Shen Tian bowed slightly.
Around him, silence persisted.
No applause.
No cheers.
Only disbelief.
The crowd did not know how to react to someone who did not follow the rules, someone who carved his place by breaking them.
As Shen Tian stepped away, Lin Yuhan appeared beside him.
"You have entered the sect," Lin Yuhan said, his tone calm. "But be warned. Your presence will change things. Those who fear change… may try to erase you."
Shen Tian met his gaze.
"They can try."
Lin Yuhan smiled faintly.
"I look forward to seeing whether you become a star that ascends… or a calamity that must be sealed."
Shen Tian walked toward the sect grounds, with countless eyes watching his back.
Some curious.
Some fearful.
Some already plotting.
He did not look back.
He did not need to.
He came to this world with nothing.
Now, the heavens themselves were forced to acknowledge his existence.
___________________________
A bell tolled throughout Azure Cloud Sect, its deep chime echoing through the mountains like ripples across a calm lake. The newly accepted disciples gathered at the foot of Azure Cloud Peak, where ancient stone steps led toward sprawling structures built into clouds.
Shen Tian stood among them, quiet as always. The other disciples stole glances at him, whispering behind cupped hands.
"That's him."
"The one without Qi."
"He passed all the trials. How?"
"I don't know, but he makes me uneasy."
Some eyes carried curiosity
Some held fear
Others, resentment
Power drew attention, but power that defied understanding bred suspicion.
A stern-looking elder in silver robes stepped forward. His presence alone was enough to silence the entire group. His beard flowed down his chest, and his eyes seemed to pierce through one's soul.
"I am Elder Bai, guardian of outer disciples," he announced. "Remember this well. In Azure Cloud Sect, every breath you take must earn your worth. The strong rise. The weak fall. There is no middle ground."
His voice rolled like thunder across the courtyard.
"Now, you shall receive your tokens."
Disciples approached one by one, collecting jade plaques that bore their names and identity marks. The plaques shimmered faintly, infused with sect formations that could track one's location and record achievements.
When Shen Tian's turn came, Elder Bai paused for a split second before handing him a plaque.
He held it longer than necessary, his eyes narrowing as if weighing something unseen.
Shen Tian accepted it calmly.
The plaque felt warm to the touch, almost alive. His name was inscribed on it, but unlike the others, the characters seemed slightly darker, as if etched more deeply.
"Interesting," Elder Bai murmured.
Shen Tian heard the word clearly, but the elder spoke no more. He simply waved him away.
Once all plaques were distributed, Elder Bai gestured toward the mountain path.
"Outer disciple housing lies to the east. Study halls, training grounds, and martial fields are above. Choose your own schedule. Your future here is determined only by your effort and your will."
With that, the crowd dispersed.
Shen Tian walked along a stony road lined with cherry trees. Pink petals drifted in the wind, landing softly on his shoulders. Though beautiful, the sect's serene scenery contrasted sharply with the undercurrents of rivalry hidden beneath the surface.
As he walked, he felt gazes follow him. Some disciples masked their hostility poorly.
A group of three blocked his path.
One stepped forward, folding his arms with a smirk.
"So you're the famous Shen Tian," he said, voice dripping with contempt. "The one who passed without Qi. The elders might have been fooled, but we aren't."
Shen Tian stared at him, expression unreadable.
"And who are you supposed to be?"
The youth's smirk stiffened. He clearly wasn't expecting Shen Tian to speak so directly.
"I am Chen Hao," he declared, puffing out his chest. "Peak-ranked among new disciples, already at the first stage of Qi Refinement. I don't know what trick you used earlier, but whatever it is, it won't matter in the sect."
Shen Tian remained silent.
Chen Hao leaned closer.
"Let me give you some advice. Low-profile freaks don't last long. This place devours the weak."
Shen Tian blinked once.
"And yet, you're still alive."
The disciples behind Chen Hao stifled their laughter before realizing Shen Tian wasn't joking. Chen Hao's face twitched.
"You dare mock me?"
Shen Tian tilted his head slightly.
"I merely made an observation."
Chen Hao clenched his teeth, but before he could lash out, a calm voice echoed from behind the group.
"Enough."
Everyone turned.
Lin Yuhan approached, his expression unchanged. His presence alone silenced the courtyard.
Chen Hao quickly bowed.
"Senior Brother Lin."
Lin Yuhan's gaze shifted to Shen Tian.
"Come with me. There is something you need to see."
Shen Tian hesitated only briefly, then followed.
Chen Hao stepped aside, glaring at Shen Tian with venom.
"You won't be arrogant for long."
Shen Tian didn't spare him a glance. His footsteps were steady, unhurried. The whispers returned as he and Lin Yuhan left the courtyard.
Once they were alone near a secluded hall, Lin Yuhan finally spoke.
"There is a secret in this sect. Records of an ancient eye technique found in a forbidden scroll. Only a few know it exists."
He paused, his voice lowering a fraction.
"Your eyes reacted to the Soul Tablet. That has happened only once before—in history."
Shen Tian's own heartbeat paused.
Lin Yuhan turned toward him, his gaze sharp.
"Your Sharingan… may not be the first of its kind."
Shen Tian's pupils shrank slightly.
Someone else?
In this world?
The idea was impossible. The Sharingan belonged only to the Naruto universe. He should have been the only anomaly here.
Lin Yuhan stepped closer and whispered.
"But the one who possessed those eyes before… died without revealing their secret."
Shen Tian felt a chill crawl down his spine.
A dead predecessor.
An unknown legacy.
And a path no one else could guide him on.
For the first time since arriving in this world, Shen Tian understood something.
He was not merely a stranger here.
He was walking a road someone else had started.
Shen Tian stood frozen in place, eyes fixed on Lin Yuhan. For the first time since awakening in this world, a sense of unfamiliar unease settled in his chest. If the Sharingan was not unique to him, then what did that mean? How could something born from an entirely different universe appear here?
Lin Yuhan walked ahead, his voice carrying softly over the stone path.
"This sect is old, Shen Tian. Older than any kingdom on this continent. There are legacies buried here that even the current Sect Master does not fully understand."
They reached the entrance of a dusty hall. Its doors were cracked, its walls worn by time. Spiderwebs clung to corners, and the old wood carried a faint scent of forgotten history.