Chapter 30 – Secrets of the Storm Horizon Sect
Chapter 30: Secrets of the Sect Leader
The battlefield was still in shock after Tianming's sudden disappearance. Jiang Chen and Lei Xueyan stood frozen, their hearts pounding.
"He's gone…" Jiang Chen muttered, fists clenched.
Lei Xueyan's emerald eyes burned with determination. "No. There has to be a way to bring him back."
She turned abruptly, heading toward the sect's grand library.
Jiang Chen hesitated for only a moment before following.
The Storm Horizon Sect's library was vast, containing ancient texts dating back thousands of years. If there was any record of such an event, it would be here.
As they combed through scrolls and books, Jiang Chen paused. "That cloaked figure… They spoke as if this was meant to happen."
Lei Xueyan bit her lip. "Which means someone knew about it."
Realization struck them at the same time.
Her father—the Sect Leader.
---
Jiang Chen and Lei Xueyan hurried through the sect's grand halls, their footsteps echoing against the ancient stone corridors. They had found a possible way to help Tianming—but they needed confirmation.
"Are you sure about this?" Jiang Chen asked, glancing at Lei Xueyan.
She nodded, determination flashing in her amber eyes. "If there's anyone who knows the truth, it's my father."
The two soon arrived at the sect leader's chamber. The heavy wooden doors loomed before them, guarded by two disciples. As soon as they recognized Lei Xueyan, they stepped aside without question.
Inside, Lei Tianxing, the Storm Horizon Sect Leader, stood with his back to them, gazing out at the vast mountains beyond. His navy blue robes rippled slightly in the wind, and his presence alone was enough to command respect.
"I was expecting you," he said without turning around.
Lei Xueyan and Jiang Chen exchanged glances.
"You knew we'd come?" she asked, stepping forward.
Lei Tianxing finally turned, his piercing gaze landing on them. "The moment Li Tianming awakened that power, I knew someone would seek answers."
Jiang Chen clenched his fists. "Then tell us the truth. What is happening to him? What did he awaken?"
Lei Tianxing sighed, walking toward a large jade table where an ancient scroll lay unrolled. The illustrations depicted figures bathed in celestial light, standing against monstrous beings shrouded in darkness.
"The Celestial Jade of Primordial Chaos," he said slowly. "It is no ordinary artifact. It is something that should have been lost to time."
Lei Xueyan's eyes widened. "You… you know about it?"
Lei Tianxing nodded. "More than you realize. The power Tianming wields is beyond what this world was meant to hold. It is a remnant of an era long forgotten—a force that once defied even the heavens."
Jiang Chen frowned. "But then why does it seem unstable? Why does it feel like it's… consuming him?"
Lei Tianxing's expression darkened. "Because it is incomplete."
Silence filled the room.
Lei Xueyan's breath hitched. "Incomplete…?"
The sect leader gestured toward the scroll. "The jade was once whole, but long ago, it was shattered. Its fragments were scattered across the world. Without all the pieces, the power Tianming holds is unstable, incomplete… and if he continues using it without control—"
"He will be consumed by it," Jiang Chen finished grimly.
Lei Tianxing nodded. "If Tianming wishes to survive, he must find the missing pieces before it is too late."
Lei Xueyan clenched her fists. "Then we have no time to waste. We need to tell him!"
But Lei Tianxing's expression remained unreadable.
"There's something else, isn't there?" Jiang Chen asked.
The sect leader sighed. "Yes. You are not the only ones searching for the missing fragments. There are others—powerful forces that will do anything to obtain them."
Jiang Chen and Lei Xueyan felt a chill run down their spines.
"And if they find Tianming first," Lei Tianxing continued, "they will either take the jade from him… or destroy him before he becomes a threat."
Jiang Chen's temper flared. "And you didn't say anything?!"
Lei Tianxing's gaze sharpened. "Because it was not your place to know."
Lei Xueyan's voice wavered. "Then tell us now. Where is Tianming?"
The Sect Leader stood, his presence overwhelming. "He has been taken to the Celestial Sovereign's Trial—a test meant for those who hold the Celestial Jade of Primordial Chaos."
Jiang Chen's breath hitched. "So the legends were true…"
Lei Xueyan's eyes narrowed. "Then how do we bring him back?"
The Sect Leader exhaled slowly. "That… is the difficult part."
---
Lei Tianxing gestured toward a hidden compartment behind his throne. With a wave of his hand, the wall shifted, revealing an ancient stone tablet covered in glowing runes.
"This is the Gate of Reclamation," he explained. "A lost technique, used to retrieve souls from beyond the mortal plane."
Jiang Chen stepped forward. "Then we can use it!"
But Lei Tianxing's next words crushed his hope.
"No. The gate requires a price. A life must be exchanged for the one we seek."
Lei Xueyan stiffened. "A life?"
The Sect Leader nodded. "If you wish to pull Tianming back before he completes the trial… someone must take his place."
Silence fell over the hall.
Jiang Chen's fists trembled.
Lei Xueyan's heart pounded.
Was there another way? Or would they be forced to make an impossible choice?
---
Meanwhile – The Trial Continues
Tianming stood in a vast, endless battlefield.
Before him stood three versions of himself.
One—his past self, the fallen genius, filled with bitterness.
Two—his present self, standing where he was now.
Three—his future self, a towering figure radiating celestial power, eyes cold and unreadable.
A voice echoed through the skies.
"Only one may ascend. Choose wisely."
Tianming's grip on his sword tightened.
"To surpass myself…" he muttered.
His gaze locked onto his future self.
" I'll carve my own fate."
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What Comes Next in Chapter 31:
Lei Xueyan and Jiang Chen struggle with the cost of using the Gate of Reclamation.
The Sect Leader reveals more secrets about the Celestial Jade.
Tianming faces his future self in a battle that will determine his destiny.
A mysterious force interferes with the trial.
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