A full day had passed since Li Yi's battle at the Star-Sundering Gorge. He now soared through the skies on his sword, a crimson streak across the darkening horizon. The talisman he'd retrieved from the corrupted shrine pulsed faintly within his robe. It was not just a token of the abyss—but a fragment of a sealed path… a map to the blocked gate leading to the God Realm.
The wind brushed against his face as he crossed over mountains and rivers, the Xuan Realm stretching endlessly beneath him. Despite the beauty of the land, a sense of unease gnawed at his heart.
The masked figure from the gorge had not died. That much he was certain of. He had vanished—but not perished. And that meant the abyss was stirring far more actively than the sects believed.
As Skycloud Pavilion came into view, nestled high atop the Azure Flame Mountains, its spirit barriers shimmered with protective formations. The immortal fog surrounding the peaks parted as Li Yi approached, allowing his sword to descend onto a landing platform carved from white jade.
Several disciples watched his return in silence. His robes were torn, his face smeared with blood, and the aura surrounding him had deepened—no longer the sharp glow of a promising disciple, but the dense, steady pressure of someone who had walked through the jaws of death and returned stronger.
From the shadows, a voice called out.
"You've returned sooner than expected."
It was Elder Han, the stern master of the Pavilion's External Affairs Division. His hair was silver, eyes sharp as eagle talons. He studied Li Yi intently.
"You weren't expected back for three days."
"I completed the mission," Li Yi replied calmly. "The corruption source was cleansed. An abyssal creature had taken root within the Star-Sundering Gorge."
Elder Han's brows furrowed. "A creature?"
"A Lord-class entity," Li Yi confirmed, voice firm. "It wore a human mask, manipulated abyssal Qi, and attacked without provocation."
That caused a stir among the nearby disciples. One of them dropped a jade scroll.
Elder Han stepped closer, voice dropping. "You're certain?"
"Yes. And I believe he was scouting… not just feeding."
Han's expression turned grim. "The Pavilion Council must hear this."
Before he could say more, the air above the mountain shimmered.
A golden ray of light shot from the central tower of the Pavilion, forming a sigil in the sky.
"The Pavilion Master summons all Core Disciples and Elders to the Divine Hall," a voice echoed from the heavens. "A matter of great urgency."
Li Yi and Elder Han exchanged glances.
—
The Divine Hall of Skycloud Pavilion was an imposing structure carved from black jade and starlight crystal. Floating in mid-air above the main peak, it was held aloft by ancient formations designed by cultivators from the Upper Realm thousands of years ago.
Li Yi entered the hall alongside dozens of Core Disciples. Elders stood on both sides of the great room, and at the far end, seated on a golden lotus throne, was Pavilion Master Yun Tianji.
Yun Tianji looked no older than thirty, his features handsome and dignified, but the air around him bent subtly, as though reality itself hesitated in his presence.
His cultivation was hidden, but everyone knew—Peak Unity Ascension Realm, one step away from ascending into the heavens.
The moment Li Yi entered, Yun Tianji's gaze locked on him.
"Disciple Li Yi," he said, his voice calm yet commanding, "step forward."
Li Yi walked steadily into the center of the hall and bowed deeply.
"You cleansed the gorge?"
"Yes, Pavilion Master. I also recovered this."
He retrieved the talisman and offered it forward. A golden thread of Qi floated from the talisman into Yun Tianji's hand. The Pavilion Master examined it for a moment before narrowing his eyes.
"This is a Gate Fragment… a sliver of the divine seal that once bound the path between the God Realm and the Lower Realms."
A wave of murmurs swept through the hall.
Li Yi stepped back as Yun Tianji rose from his throne.
"The implications of this are vast," the Pavilion Master said. "During the final battle of the Abyssal War, the path to the God Realm was sealed from above—not to prevent mortals from ascending, but to ensure that the demons of the abyss could not descend."
An elder on the left—the Grand Array Master Mu Qing—spoke up. "Then this fragment suggests the seal is weakening."
Yun Tianji nodded. "Or that someone is trying to break it."
He turned to Li Yi. "Tell me everything."
Li Yi recounted the events in detail—from the demonic whispers to the battle with the masked figure. He held nothing back.
As he spoke, many of the elders grew pale. Only Yun Tianji remained still, his fingers tapping the lotus throne lightly.
When the tale ended, silence ruled the chamber.
Finally, Yun Tianji broke it.
"We can no longer pretend the abyss is dormant," he said. "This is no longer a regional matter—it is a crisis."
He looked to the gathered crowd.
"As of this moment, I am activating Skycloud Protocol: Black Moon. All disciples ranked Core or above will enter military readiness. Outer Disciples will be relocated to the inner peaks for protection. Communication with other sects will be reestablished immediately."
Then, turning to Li Yi: "You, Li Yi… will be inducted as a Provisional Inner Elder, with authority to act independently on behalf of the Pavilion."
The hall gasped.
"But Pavilion Master, he's only—" one elder protested.
Yun Tianji raised a hand. "He has done what no one else dared. He has faced the abyss and emerged victorious. His flame is of divine origin. His bloodline… is not of this world."
Li Yi said nothing, but a faint flame shimmered in his pupils.
The hall remained tense.
Yun Tianji concluded: "Dismissed. Prepare. War may not be far."
—
That night, Li Yi stood on the balcony of the Inner Pavilion.
The stars were out, but the sky felt heavier. He held the cracked talisman in his palm, tracing the seal with his Qi. It pulsed once, twice… and for a moment, he felt the faint touch of a realm far beyond this one.
He saw golden cities suspended in voidspace. He saw an endless battlefield, where abyssal beasts clashed with celestial warriors.
And in the center of it all, a woman clad in golden fire—her eyes burning like twin stars.
Mother…
The image vanished.
Behind him, a voice spoke. Soft, amused.
"You're changing everything."
Li Yi turned to see Bai Qing walking toward him, her crane gliding beside her.
"They talk about you nonstop in the inner peaks now. Some say you're a reincarnated flame spirit. Others believe you're the heir of the Vermillion Bird."
"Let them talk," he said quietly. "Truth doesn't care for gossip."
She stepped closer, eyes serious. "There's something you should know."
He looked at her.
"I saw that masked man… once before. Years ago. In the Upper Realms."
Li Yi's breath caught.
"He attacked a delegation from the Upper Heaven Sect. Slaughtered dozens. But he wasn't alone—he was part of a group. Five of them. All wearing masks… all channeling abyssal power."
She stared into the distance. "If they've begun to descend again… then we don't have much time."
Li Yi clenched his fist around the talisman.
"Then we must ascend… before they do."
The crane let out a soft cry as the wind picked up.
Far below, in the valley, the earth trembled.
Something… was waking up.
---