Two days of travel brought them to a forgotten valley tucked between jagged cliffs and whispering woods.
The town at its center was little more than dust and old stone. Most buildings leaned on splintered wooden frames, their tiled roofs cracked from age and neglect. Moss crept along the broken paths, and old banners hung in tatters from half-standing towers.
But the air buzzed with Qi.
Even decayed, this place breathed cultivation.
"This was a sect," Ning'er murmured. "A long time ago."
"Still is," said Ranyi. "Hidden under the name of Hollow Wind Clan. They survived by giving up glory. By burying their name."
Shen Liun could feel it too—the presence of powerful formations buried under the earth, hidden seals woven into the wind itself.
"Smart," he said. "But scared."
"They had no choice," Ranyi added. "After the Empire declared the Ashen Flame forbidden, dozens of smaller sects were either enslaved, absorbed… or erased."
Ning'er eyed the stone path. "And now you're about to walk in and ask them to stop hiding."
Liun didn't respond.
He just kept walking.
---
At the heart of the town stood a weathered shrine, its steps guarded by two statues of wolves, half-broken by time. On the top step sat a man in gray robes, his long beard tied with a copper ring, his posture like stone.
He watched them approach.
"I know who you are," the man said as Liun stepped onto the first stair. "I saw the bell ring when you claimed Dawnmourne. I watched the runes ignite when you forged the Verdict."
Liun met his gaze. "Then you know why I'm here."
The old man nodded. "To awaken ghosts and set the heavens on fire."
"I'm here," Liun said slowly, "to build something that cannot be silenced. I don't need followers. I need believers."
The man chuckled. "We have too many scars to believe in dreams."
Ranyi stepped forward. "He doesn't need your blind faith. Just your strength. Your choice."
The old man's eyes shifted to her. "Daughter of General Xue Han. You have no right to speak here."
"I'm not here as his daughter," she said. "I'm here as someone who knows what it means to be used."
A silence stretched.
The man finally sighed.
"Come," he said. "We'll let the wind judge you."
---
They were led deep into the shrine, past cracked murals of sword-bearing warriors and paintings faded nearly to white. Eventually, they reached a vast underground chamber carved into the mountain itself.
At its center stood a wind altar—a platform etched with spirals and talismans, surrounded by thirteen silent figures.
Each was old. Each powerful.
These were the last elders of the Hollow Wind Sect.
The leader gestured. "Stand in the center."
Liun did.
Wind surged from the altar immediately—sharp, almost alive. It spun around him, brushing his hair, his clothes, his soul.
The air grew cold.
Then came the voices.
"Will he protect, or will he punish?"
"Is he justice, or vengeance?"
"Is he flame, or shadow?"
The questions came from the wind itself, echoing around the chamber.
Liun closed his eyes.
"I am both," he said. "Because I was forged in fire, and shaped by darkness. I won't offer false peace. I won't promise to spare those who cling to cruelty. I'll burn until this world changes."
The wind screamed.
Then—settled.
One by one, the elders opened their eyes.
One by one, they nodded.
---
Later, under the cracked dome of the old shrine, the leader of the Hollow Wind Sect stood beside Liun, gazing at the valley below.
"We cannot march openly," he said. "But we will teach your people. Hide your wounded. And spread your message through the roots of the world."
Liun bowed. "That's all I ask."
The man smiled faintly. "You remind me of someone. Long ago, a boy stood on these same steps, dreaming of rebellion. His name was Feng Xuan."
Liun froze.
"Feng Xuan… was my grandfather."
The old man stared at him, eyes wide with realization.
"Then the wind was right," he whispered. "The ember never died. It simply waited."
---
That night, Shen Liun stood alone in the courtyard, staring up at the stars.
Ning'er approached quietly. "You did it."
He nodded. "One step."
"You sound tired."
"I am."
"You'll take more steps," she said softly. "You always do."
Ranyi joined them a moment later, holding a scroll. "Intel from the scouts. Empire troops are mobilizing along the western ridge. Broken Nail is leading a force here. They'll reach us in less than a week."
Liun took the scroll.
His jaw tightened.
"Then let's not waste time."
He turned toward the training hall.
> "From tonight forward… the Ashen Flame trains warriors."
"And when Broken Nail arrives—"
"He'll find more than a boy with a blade."
"He'll find a cause."
---