Bye Qingsu....

The morning dew still clung to the leaves as mist coiled gently across the earth like sleeping dragons. The atmosphere was quiet, touched only by the whisper of wind sliding through the forest canopy. Gu Yue Fangtian stood atop a mossy cliff, eyes closed, feeling the quiet rhythm of the land. His long black hair fluttered softly with the breeze, casting gentle shadows over his pale, smooth skin. He wore traditional robes—white on the inside and cloaked in a dark outer layer—like a being suspended between light and darkness. His eyes, thoughtful and narrow, watched the world with an eerie calmness, always carrying the weight of sorrow and a silence that spoke volumes.

Behind him, Chu Qingsu knelt by a small patch of glowing azure herbs. Her movements were careful, each gesture precise as though plucking the breath of heaven from the ground. "These are Spiritveil Blossoms," she explained without looking up. "They only bloom under the misty moon. They should help you recover faster."

Fangtian merely nodded. His silence wasn't rudeness—it was his nature. His world had long been buried under agony and betrayal. Trust was a currency he could no longer afford to spend.

She glanced at him with faint sadness. The light touched her face gently, highlighting her delicate features—soft, determined, ethereal. "Gu Yue Fangtian," she said quietly, "My sect, the Jade Celestial Sect, could protect you. You don't have to wander this world alone."

For a moment, he remained still. Then his voice came—calm, cool, unwavering. "A sect cannot protect me from what's already inside."

"So you're going to walk this path alone?" Her voice trembled slightly. "Even after all you've suffered? You don't even know who did it—who let it happen."

He turned his gaze to her, downcast eyes lifting for a heartbeat. "I know enough. I know what this world truly is."

She stared at him, lips parted as if to speak. But in the end, she didn't. She bowed her head slightly. "Then… I hope your journey brings you peace."

He watched as she disappeared between the trees, her white robes fading into the forest. As her presence vanished, the quiet returned—not empty, but weighty, as though it carried memories of another loss.

Fangtian's journey led him deeper into the mountainous border of the Scarlet Grove Province. The path was rough, filled with overgrown roots and jagged rocks. His body ached from the strain of his breakthrough to the Rank 1 Initiate. The pain had been unbearable—but he had endured it with silence. This time, he hadn't cried.

"I chose this path," he whispered under his breath, eyes sharp. "This time, I will not beg. I will not kneel. This world will kneel to me."

Just ahead, the sharp scream of a girl shattered the silence.

He vanished like mist and reappeared in the treetops, his narrow eyes scanning below. In a clearing, four men in dark robes surrounded a girl wearing fine, embroidered silks now torn and bloodied. She stood with a broken dagger, panting heavily.

"City Lord's daughter, you can't escape us now," one of them sneered.

Fangtian's eyes narrowed. His spiritual sense scanned the area. The girl's cultivation had been sealed—these men weren't here for robbery. They were here to silence something.

He leapt down.

"Who the hell—?" one man barked before a dagger pierced his throat.

Fangtian moved like a storm. Swift, precise, merciless. Within seconds, two more dropped, bodies twitching.

The last one turned to run.

"You came hunting prey… but became prey yourself," Fangtian whispered, appearing behind him.

Blood sprayed.

Silence returned.

The girl fell to her knees, still panting. Her long, jade-hued hair clung to her sweat-drenched face. She looked up, stunned. "You… saved me."

Fangtian offered a calm, polite smile. "It was the right thing to do."

But inside, he thought:

They're tools. All of them. Pawns for my rise.

She bowed deeply. "My name is Yue Lian. My father is Yue Zhonghai, Lord of Greenwind City. I… owe you my life."

He nodded, silent.

She reached into her tattered robes, pulling out a jade token. "Please. Come to the city. My father will reward you."

Fangtian took it without expression. "I'll consider it."

Her eyes lingered on his face. There was something enigmatic in the way he stood—beautiful, cold, untouchable. Something that drew her in and made her heart ache.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Fangtian."

She looked like she wanted to say more, but he turned and disappeared into the woods.

As he walked deeper into the wild, Fangtian touched the ancient ring on his finger. A pulse of energy hummed.

"You grow fast, Fangtian," came a voice from within the ring—calm, commanding.

It was Rerum, the god who had once ruled a thousand heavens, now sealed in a ring of stone and starlight.

"You showed no hesitation," the voice continued. "No mercy. You're becoming what you must."

Fangtian's hand clenched. "They took my mother. This world watched. No one helped. I don't believe in mercy anymore."

"Good," Rerum said. "Because on this path… you'll find none."

Back in the Jade Celestial Sect, Chu Qingsu stood by a jade pool, her reflection rippling. She traced the edge of her robe, eyes distant.

"He refused," she whispered.

Behind her, her senior sister approached. "That boy? The one from the forest?"

"He's… more than a boy."

"So you're attached already?"

Chu Qingsu didn't answer.

Far away, beneath the blood moon, Fangtian stood over a cliff, watching the horizon. His thoughts were a storm—but his face was calm.

"My name… will be carved into this world."

The wind howled.