Kell simply stared at Fuzi, saying nothing. His eyes, once dimmed by sorrow, now held a flicker of something deeper—uncertainty, perhaps... or hope.
Fuzi placed a gentle hand on Kell's shoulder. "Rise, my disciple. It's time we go somewhere more suitable... for your training."
Kell stood up slowly, and in that very moment, both their bodies vanished as if they were never there—like dust dispersed by a sudden gust of wind. One heartbeat, they stood in the ruins. The next—silence.
A Yin-Yang teleportation formation—black and white rings glowing faintly—spun beneath their feet as they vanished into thin air. The formation dimmed, leaving behind only stillness, like the echo of something divine.
Far away, amidst the towering peaks of a vast mountain range blanketed in snow, the same formation lit up on the summit of a solitary mountain. From its center, Kell and Fuzi emerged, stepping into a realm of eternal winter and untouched beauty.
The mountains were colossal, veiled in shimmering snow, their peaks stretching skyward as though daring to pierce the heavens. In the valleys below, radiant wildflowers bloomed despite the chill, their vibrant hues dotting the white canvas like scattered stars. Crystal rivers, born of ancient glaciers, cut through the woods and echoed like soft music through the frozen air.
Fuzi took a long breath, eyes scanning the horizon, then spoke in a low, solemn voice.
"This place... is better for you."
Kell followed his gaze, standing behind him. He still looked hollow—fragments of past suffering clinging to him like frost—but something inside stirred. He remembered his days of depression, his aimless wandering, and the weight of helplessness.
But now…
"Heaven has given me another chance. I won't waste it."
"I will grow stronger—strong enough to protect those I love. Strong enough to face this universe without fear."
_ _ _
His eyes lit up with purpose.
"Master," he asked with a rising flame in his voice, "where exactly will we train here? There's nothing but mountains around us. And… why is time so strange between this realm and Earth?"
His words raced out like water breaking through a dam. He wasn't just curious—he was eager.
Fuzi offered a faint smile. For a moment, the old sage allowed a trace of warmth into his voice, as if he too was quietly proud. Then he pointed toward a towering mountain far to the north.
"There. On Mount Austin."
Kell followed his finger, eyes widening. "Mount Austin…" he whispered.
From that distance, the mountain looked like a silver titan—massive and serene. On its peak was a broad, sapphire lake that shimmered like a mirror. And in its still surface, both the sun and moon appeared side by side, reflecting a scene that belonged to no ordinary world.
Fuzi looked at Kell at that moment—not as a broken boy, but as someone meant to walk this path.
"In that moment," Kell would later recall, "he didn't just look at me like a teacher... he saw me as someone destined for something greater."
_ _ _
Ancient structures lined the lakeshore, carved from stone and wood, covered in snow yet standing tall like guardians of memory. The architecture bore the aura of a long-forgotten empire. Strange blue flowers bloomed along the paths, filling the air with a faint celestial fragrance.
But there was no one there.
No monks. No students. No life. And yet... it wasn't dead.
Every stone seemed to hum with energy. Every flower leaned toward the wind, as if listening to whispered instructions. The silence was not empty—it was sacred.
"This is the Snow Flower Sect," Fuzi said, his voice heavy with memory. "Once, it was a haven of cultivation and glory. But now, its disciples have been taken... not by death, but by the will of gods. They've been moved to another realm—across time and space—for a divine training of their own."
Kell's eyes shimmered. He stood still, absorbing the sacredness of the place. "It's so… beautiful," he said. "And yet, it feels like something still lives here."
"It does," Fuzi replied. "This place is waiting—for the next one worthy of its legacy. And that… is you."
As the cold wind swirled around them and the sun-moon lake gleamed with ageless calm, Fuzi slowly lifted into the air, motioning Kell to follow. As they soared toward Mount Austin, a subtle shift echoed through the valley—an unseen ripple, like the breath of the mountain itself acknowledging their arrival.
But far beneath the silence, something ancient stirred.
Something that had waited… for centuries...