Chapter 4: The Gathering of Immortal Families & the Prophecy's Shadow
The halls of the Immortal King's palace shimmered like starlight, and the air was heavy with whispers and the weight of ancient power.
A Summoning of Power
Iron Sovereign had summoned them all—
The three great families, their elders and prodigies, warriors and scholars.
The air was taut with tension, each word measured like a blade drawn but not yet swung.
The hall was a sea of silks and jade—
The Fen Clan, stoic and proud, standing with quiet strength.
The Chu Clan, flames flickering behind calm eyes.
The Hu Clan, their sword-bloodline pulsing with restless energy.
At the center of it all stood Iron Sovereign—
His presence vast as the sky, his gaze as deep as the sea.
"The prophecy has spoken," he said, his voice calm yet echoing like distant thunder.
"Prepare yourselves, for the coming storm."
Outside, the wind rattled the jade lanterns—an omen in every gust.
A False Interpretation
Murmurs rippled through the hall like a tide.
An elder of the Hu Clan spoke first, voice cool and certain.
"The twin phoenixes—surely they are the daughters of the Chu Clan."
"Their blood is pure. Their talents unmatched."
Another voice joined, older and harder.
"And the warrior shrouded in uncertainty—"
Eyes flicked toward Li Tianyuan, standing tall and arrogant.
"He is the one. His swordplay is divine, his heritage unbroken."
A Boy Overlooked
No one looked to the boy who stood in the shadows—
Fen Hao, whose eyes burned like dying stars, silent and watchful.
A girl behind a fan whispered, laughter in her voice.
"The outcast? He is nothing. He is only a stain on the immortal bloodline."
Yet through it all, Fen Hao stood unmoving—
His silence a shield and a wound, his heart steady beneath the weight of their scorn.
A Challenge and a Mockery
Li Tianyuan stepped forward, his eyes glinting with cold amusement.
"A waste of space, unable to cultivate—how pathetic."
Laughter rippled through the gathered nobles, soft as silk and twice as cruel.
"Tell us, Fen Hao," Li Tianyuan said, his voice smooth and sharp as a blade.
"Do you dream of standing among us, even as you grovel in the dirt?"
The words fell heavy, but Fen Hao met them with a calm that burned like an ember—
Unseen, but alive.
A Daughter's Quiet Gaze
Chu Lanyue stood beside her father, her eyes calm and unreadable.
Yet when she looked at Fen Hao, something flickered—
A question she could not name, a memory she could not touch.
Her twin sister's laughter was like wildfire.
"Sister, do you have someone you care for? Someone you hide in your heart?"
A teasing whisper—
"Or is your heart as cold as your eyes?"
Chu Lanyue said nothing.
But her hand at her side trembled—only once, quickly hidden in the folds of her sleeve.
The Black Society Watches
Far from the light of the palace, in the shadows of forgotten streets, the Black Society leader listened to the rumors with a faint smile.
His eyes glinted like a predator's in the dark.
"The world sees only what it wants to see," he murmured, his voice soft and dangerous.
"A child of two worlds, born to shatter everything they hold dear…"
A follower knelt before him, breathless.
"Shall we bring him to you, master?"
The leader's smile widened, shadows coiling around him like a lover's caress.
"No," he said softly, his voice a blade in velvet.
"I will meet him myself."
The Echo of the Prophecy
Above them all, in the highest tower of the palace, Iron Sovereign sat in silence.
The blindfolded Star Reader stood before him, the last whispers of the prophecy echoing in the cold marble halls.
"When the child of two worlds awakens, the realms will tremble…
and the gates of chaos will break free."
The words fell like ice in the quiet, each syllable a ripple through fate.
Iron Sovereign's breath was slow and measured, yet his fingers curled against the arm of his chair—
A flicker of fear, quickly hidden.
"The twin phoenixes—Chu Lanyue and her sister," he said softly,
"but the warrior shrouded in uncertainty… who is the boy that prophecy speaks of?"
Outside, the wind howled—cold and unyielding.
The storm was coming.
And in the silence of the immortal halls, the world seemed to hold its breath.
End of Chapter 4