The Wind Sect was alive with activity, a harmonious blend of wind techniques and elegant martial forms filling the mountain air. As Xiao Feng followed behind Sister Shuye through the open courtyards and spiral walkways, he couldn't help but feel the subtle tension in the stares he received. Wherever they walked, whispers followed.
"I heard he came with Elder Shuye herself…"
"But he's just at Core Creation…"
"Another young brat getting special treatment."
The words stung, but Xiao Feng kept his head held high.
They arrived at the cultivation pavilion, where the air was thick with swirling spiritual winds. A grand platform overlooked the valley, and atop it stood Bai Xu — the senior disciple Xiao Feng had noticed before — performing a wind blade technique that split the air with frightening precision.
"Xiao Feng," Shuye said, pointing toward a side chamber, "this will be your residence and training space for now. I've prepared a cultivation manual suited for your elemental affinity."
Xiao Feng nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Sister."
She smiled softly. "No need for thanks. But be cautious. This sect values strength and position — not everyone will welcome you."
Just as she turned to leave, Bai Xu descended from the platform, his long robes fluttering dramatically. "Elder Shuye," he called with a courteous smile. "Who is this guest you've brought into our ranks?"
Shuye's tone remained neutral. "This is Xiao Feng. He is here to cultivate under my guidance."
Bai Xu's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Interesting. A Core Creation cultivator personally tutored by you… How fortunate."
Xiao Feng bowed politely. "Senior Bai."
Bai Xu's gaze flicked to him. "I wonder if fortune alone will protect you when you're tested in the sparring fields."
Shuye's expression hardened, but Xiao Feng spoke up, "I'll be ready when the time comes."
After Bai Xu walked away, Shuye whispered, "Be careful. He's not just jealous — he's dangerous. He sees you as a threat to his standing."
That night, Xiao Feng sat in meditation, the wind element swirling gently around him. But his heart was restless. He could sense the hostility in the air, the pressure of expectations, and the strange heat of something deeper — something he felt when Shuye looked at him too long or touched his shoulder gently.
What was it? Admiration? Dependence? Or… something else?
He closed his eyes and returned to his breath.
The next morning, he was summoned to the sparring platform.
The crowd of disciples gathered quickly. Bai Xu stood on the opposite end, smirking. "I requested a simple test of strength. If you are truly worthy of Elder Shuye's time, then show us."
Xiao Feng glanced toward the crowd. Shuye stood at the edge, watching calmly but with a spark of concern in her eyes.
"Begin!" a referee elder declared.
Bai Xu moved first, releasing several wind blades that howled through the air. Xiao Feng dodged with grace, using footwork Shuye had taught him. The disciples murmured as he deflected a strike and sent out a sharp wind burst of his own.
Bai Xu grinned. "Not bad."
But the senior disciple wasn't holding back. He gathered wind essence around his hand and hurled a slicing gale toward Xiao Feng's chest. Just before impact, Shuye stepped forward.
"That's enough," she said coldly. "This was a spar, not a duel to maim."
The elder referee hesitated but nodded. "Test concluded."
Xiao Feng was bruised but not broken. He looked up at Shuye, who offered him a hand. "You did well," she whispered. "I'm proud of you."
That evening, they returned to their private quarters. Shuye applied healing ointment to his shoulder, her touch gentle and quiet.
"Thank you," he murmured, his heart fluttering at her closeness.
"You're welcome, silly," she teased. "But next time, don't stand there and take the hit like a noble hero. Dodge better."
He smiled weakly. "It's hard when your teacher is prettier than the sky and more dangerous than a storm."
She froze for a moment, then laughed — not the elegant, restrained laugh she showed others, but a real, warm laugh that filled the room.
"I see the wind has learned how to flatter," she said.
Later that night, after the lights dimmed and silence wrapped the mountains, Xiao Feng stirred restlessly. Shuye was fast asleep beside him, her breaths soft and even, a small smile on her lips.
But Xiao Feng's chest felt heavy, like a pressure was building inside — not of anxiety, but raw, uncontrollable power. A humming sensation gathered in his dantian, swelling toward his heart.
"I… can't breathe…" he whispered, clutching his chest.
Without waking Shuye, he stepped out into the moonlit courtyard, the night wind cold against his face. He dropped to a meditative pose, guiding his breath, but the pressure only grew stronger.
Unbeknownst to him, Bai Xu had noticed his movements and, curious, followed silently through the shadows.
Xiao Feng sat in lotus position near the cliff's edge. Wind swirled around him, but this was no ordinary breeze. Silver threads spiraled from the air, gathering into his body.
Bai Xu's eyes narrowed from his hiding place. "What is this…"
He watched as Xiao Feng's body absorbed the wind with terrifying speed. The cultivation aura was far purer than anything Bai Xu had seen before — it resembled the ancient wind of the upper realms, the kind taught only in god-ranked legacies.
And then it happened.
The wind turned black.
A deep, terrifying gale burst from Xiao Feng's core. The trees bent, and the sky darkened slightly as if the moon itself recoiled. The black wind erased the grass beneath him. Stones dissolved into nothingness.
Bai Xu's breath caught. "That's… that's Ninth Level Wind Element… Only God Cultivators have that!"
Inside Xiao Feng's spiritual sea, far beyond his awareness, another consciousness stirred.
In a dark void, far from any world, a figure sat watching. It was Little Death — Xiao Siwang. Though trapped beyond the mortal realm, his soul lingered on the edge of existence. He watched through Xiao Feng's body like a silent guardian.
"Little brother…" he whispered. "You inherited part of my gift… even if unknowingly."
The Black Wind was not Xiao Feng's alone. It had come through the fractured soul-tie with Little Death — a wind forged not only of nature, but of despair, void, and rebirth. It was a storm of endings.
Back in the physical world, Bai Xu shuddered. He turned and fled quietly. He had come hoping to destroy Xiao Feng's foundation… but what he saw instead left him terrified. "He must be eliminated before he matures…"
As the wind calmed, Xiao Feng collapsed to the grass, panting. The pressure had faded, replaced with a deep calm, and a connection to something vast… and sorrowful.
He rose and walked quietly back to the residence, unaware of the silent war already brewing around him.
He laid beside Shuye again, exhausted, but this time, something in his aura had changed. She stirred slightly in her sleep, turned to him, and wrapped her arms around his chest.
"You're warm… like the morning wind," she mumbled sleepily.
He didn't respond. But in his heart, he whispered back, "I'll protect you… no matter what darkness comes."