Chapter: Chosen by Heaven and Fire
Su Yang stood before Valley Master Mei Yuling, the air around her subtly rippling like silent flames. Though she had yet to release even a wisp of her cultivation, Su Yang could feel the immense pressure of her presence—like standing before a boundless sea of fire, deep and unknowable.
She studied him in silence before speaking again.
"Do you know why I called you here, Su Yang?"
Su Yang shook his head honestly. "I… only assumed it was because of the trial."
She nodded slightly, her gaze turning thoughtful. "Indeed. It was not just your battle performance, nor your final ranking, that drew my attention. The reason lies deeper… in the legacy of this sect itself."
She turned her back to him and looked out over the grand peaks of the Seven Valley Sect.
"Ten thousand years ago, the Seven Valley Sect was formed by seven supreme cultivators—each mastering a different element and leaving behind a legacy trial meant to find successors."
She raised her hand, and a fiery rune flickered into the air.
"The Seven Heavens Illusion Array was built based on their principles. Each illusion represents one of the seven emotions and temperaments a cultivator must face on the path to transcendence: Greed, Fear, Desire, Guilt, Wrath, Love, and Identity. It does not merely test cultivation strength—but will, spirit, heart."
She turned to him again, her voice low and serious. "Most fail at the fifth stage. Few reach the sixth. Even I, as the current Valley Master, failed at the seventh."
Su Yang's eyes widened in surprise. Even the Valley Master…?
She continued calmly, "The array has not chosen a single successor in over 600 years. Yet you—Su Yang—not only passed all seven stages, but the formation itself… resonated with you."
Elder Lin, who stood beside her silently until now, added, "You did not merely survive the Seven Heavens… you were chosen by it. The central core of the formation lit up when you passed the seventh illusion. That core hasn't activated in centuries. It means… one of the seven legacies has acknowledged you."
Mei Yuling narrowed her eyes slightly, her voice softening. "Or perhaps… it wasn't one of the seven."
Su Yang frowned slightly, sensing the hidden meaning. "You mean…?"
"The Hidden Legacy," she said.
Elder Lin inhaled deeply. "There is a hidden eighth legacy, known only to sect leaders. Left behind by the one known as the Nameless Founder, who transcended mortality and vanished from the continent. The scrolls say he created a heaven sword art far more complex than any other, embedding a law ."
Su Yang's breath hitched.
"The seventh illusion was not meant to be passed," she continued. "It is a mirror of one's very soul, a collapse of identity and purpose. Even I could not overcome it."
"But you," she said, walking closer to him now, "not only passed it—you manifested a phenomenon we've never recorded before. A karmic fire… with sixteen blooming petals."
Su Yang said nothing, heart pounding. He thought he had kept his Karma Fire Body hidden. But this was the Valley Master. She hadn't named it directly… but she knew something.
She looked into his eyes, expression unreadable. "I will not force your secrets. The path of cultivation is filled with hidden roots and unexpected blossoms. But I will say this: you were chosen by the array itself. That cannot be faked."
"I have lived for more than a hundred and fifty years," she continued. "And I have never seen the array react like that. Even the spirit of the mountain stirred. That is why I summoned you."
Then, her voice lowered into something reverent. "It was not we who chose you, Su Yang. It was the legacy."
Su Yang's heart pounded as he took a slow breath. He suddenly felt the weight of many eyes—past, present, and unseen—pressing on him. Not just from this realm, but perhaps from realms beyond.
"…Then what does that mean for me, Valley Master?" he asked quietly.
She turned again to the horizon, her voice soft but firm. "It means you are no longer just a disciple. You are a potential inheritor. A future pillar. But it also means you will walk a road filled with envy, danger, and challenge."
Su Yang nodded silently. He already knew that.
Valley Master Mei Yuling looked at him one last time.
"Keep your secrets, Su Yang. But cultivate diligently. Master your fire, strengthen your soul, and grow your mind. This sect will not hinder your path—only provide you the foundation to take your next steps."
Then, her expression turned unusually warm.
"Welcome… to the real Seven Valley Sect."
---