The sun had barely risen over the misty peaks of the Verdant Mist Sect when Long Tianyan stepped past the grand stone gates of the Inner Sect. Clad in the simple yet distinct black and silver robes newly issued to him, he looked like a shadow cutting through fog. No cheers greeted him. No loud announcements. Only silent reverence followed him now, an echo of the battle that had stunned the entire sect.
The path was lined with stone lanterns and cultivated spirit trees. Spirit beasts lay dozing in gardens that pulsed with energy. Inner sect disciples walked with steady, controlled pride. Some cast curious glances at him; others looked away as if his mere presence disturbed the balance.
He walked alone, but no one could ignore the weight he carried.
Just a day ago, he was a nameless figure among the outer sect. Today, he was the only personal disciple of Sect Master Qing Wuyou—an existence that had never occurred before in the sect's entire history.
Word had spread like wildfire.
The Crimson Flame had fallen.
And the silent dragon had risen.
At the peak of a private ridge, nestled among clouds and carved into a crescent-shaped cliff, stood a courtyard unlike any Tianyan had seen before. Bamboo groves whispered in the wind, a small stream ran through the inner yard, and an ancient stone plaque read:
Heaven's Silence Residence.
It had been prepared in a single night. No one knew who cleaned the stone, pruned the groves, or laid the formation arrays—but when Tianyan arrived, it was perfect. And waiting by the gate, was a familiar figure.
"Chen Yixuan," Tianyan greeted softly.
She gave a shy smile, dressed in light green robes, her twin blades gone from her back. "I knew you wouldn't get lost."
"I followed the silence," he replied.
She laughed gently. "Of course you did. Come. Let me show you around."
They walked the stone path into the inner yard. Tianyan noted the formation lines buried under the soil, the faint runes etched in the wood beams. Defensive formations. Concealment arrays. Killing intent hidden under tranquility.
"Your master personally designed this place," Yixuan said, watching him. "Qing Wuyou may never have taken a disciple before, but... it seems he made an exception for you long before the finals."
Tianyan paused by the stream, where spiritual qi glided through water that glowed faintly with spiritual light.
"Tell me about him," he asked.
Yixuan sat on the stone bench beside the water. "No one really understands Sect Master Qing Wuyou. He's mysterious, but not cold. Quiet, but never absent. He's led the Verdant Mist Sect for eighty years and never once took a disciple—until yesterday."
She looked at him. "When he stood up during the final battle, that alone made the elders sit straighter. But when he descended and said your name... some thought it was a mistake. Others thought they were dreaming."
Tianyan said nothing.
"You're his only disciple," she continued. "That makes you... more than special. Every elder in the inner sect is at the Spirit Transformation Realm. You'll have to tread carefully now. Jealousy, suspicion—those will follow you just as much as admiration."
Tianyan finally spoke. "I didn't ask for any of this."
"No," Yixuan said gently. "But you earned it. You didn't win because of tricks. You won because you refused to fall. And because you were terrifying."
There was no mockery in her tone. Only a strange fondness.
They sat in silence, watching the stream flow. Birds sang in distant groves. The mist clung softly to the treetops.
After a while, Yixuan turned and smiled. "You know, back in the outer sect, we had the rankings. Liu Yan was always number one. I was fourth."
Tianyan raised an eyebrow. "Who were the others?"
She began listing them:
1.Liu Yan – Crimson Flame prodigy, the strongest before Tianyan's rise.
2.Han Bei – A sword genius known for his Wind Cleave Nine Forms.
3.Qiu Lanfeng – A calm female cultivator who mastered Ice Needle Lotus Technique.
4.Chen Yixuan – "Me," she said with a little smile.
5.Zhou Kang – A berserker who used the Thunderbreaker Fist.
6.Lei Mingzhi – Lightning body refinement user, very fast.
7.Yu Feihua – A gentle-faced healer with deadly hidden talismans.
8.Deng Wu – Poison specialist, rarely seen.
9Meng Yuan – Used gravity-type spirit arts, crushed most opponents.
10.Zhang Ji – Balanced, but never stood out.
"They'll all be watching you," she said. "Some already resent you. Others may challenge you."
Tianyan simply nodded. "Let them come."
A breeze rustled the bamboo leaves. Somewhere far below, the sect bell chimed once.
"Tianyan," Yixuan said, more softly now. "You're not alone here."
He glanced at her, a flicker of surprise in his usually calm eyes.
"I mean it," she added. "Even in the Inner Sect, even when things get harder, you'll have someone to talk to. Someone who remembers who you were—before the applause."
For a moment, the silence between them felt warm.
Then, with a final smile, Chen Yixuan stood. "I'll leave you to rest. Your new journey starts tomorrow."
As she disappeared into the mist, Tianyan looked at the clouds swirling over the mountain.
From this moment on, he knew—everything would change.
But for now, in the stillness of Heaven's Silence Residence, he allowed himself a rare moment of peace.