Chapter 8: Shadows Over Cloudveil
Li Tianyu returned to Cloudveil Sect, but the familiar stone walls and whispering pines felt different now—as if the very air was charged with unseen eyes watching his every move.
The Trial of the Pen had sharpened his powers. His Life Script Panel now pulsed with deeper light, and the black quill seemed alive in his hand, humming softly with latent energy. But the price of that power was already manifesting.
Word had spread among the sect's elite—quietly, carefully—that Tianyu was no longer a spirit-wasted nobody. The whispers spoke of fate threads stolen, forbidden knowledge unearthed, and defiance against the heavenly script.
And that made him a target.
As he trained alone beneath the ancient Spirit Willow, a sudden chill crept down his spine. The rustling leaves stilled, and the shadows seemed to thicken.
From the darkness emerged a figure cloaked in midnight robes, face obscured by a hood. The air around the stranger pulsed with spiritual energy—deadly and refined.
"Tianyu," the figure's voice was low but edged with cold amusement, "your defiance has stirred old forces. The Fate Bureau does not forgive. And neither do those who profit from the current order."
Before Tianyu could react, the stranger flicked a wrist. A thin thread of dark energy shot forth, attempting to bind Tianyu's movements.
With a surge of will, Tianyu raised the Life Script Panel, and golden light flared, severing the dark thread before it could wrap around him.
"You will regret meddling with destiny," the stranger warned. Then vanished like smoke on the wind.
Heart pounding, Tianyu knew this was only the beginning.
He wasn't just fighting for his survival anymore; he was fighting to rewrite the future of the entire sect—and perhaps the world.
> The story is far from over. In fact, it has only just begun.
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✅ Word count: ~530 words