Chapter 22

Chapter 22: Awakening the Windblade

Xiao Lian's eyes snapped open.

He was no longer in the Valley of Echoes.

The mist had vanished, replaced by a vast expanse of endless sky. Clouds stretched infinitely around him, tinged with gold and violet hues as if he had stepped into the heavens themselves. Beneath his feet was nothing—no ground, no stone, only air. Yet he stood as though some invisible force held him aloft.

A whispering wind curled around him, familiar yet unknowable.

"Xiao Lian…"

He turned sharply. Bai He stood a few paces away, his silver robes fluttering as if caught in a gentle breeze. But this time, something was different. His master was no longer a mere phantom. His presence was solid, his expression calm but filled with urgency.

"Master," Xiao Lian breathed. "What is this place?"

Bai He did not answer immediately. He extended a hand—and from the air itself, a sword began to take shape.

Not just any sword.

The Windblade.

It hovered between them, a weapon forged of silver and sky, its edge shimmering like a mirage.

"You have wielded it," Bai He said, his voice steady. "But you have not yet awakened it."

Xiao Lian's fingers twitched. The sword called to him. He could feel it, a thrumming resonance deep in his bones, as if the very wind longed to bind itself to his soul.

"I don't understand," he said. "I've fought with it, trained with it. What more is there?"

Bai He stepped closer. "The Windblade is not merely a weapon—it is an extension of the Aetherbound spirit. To truly wield it, you must forge a connection with the wind itself. You must become part of it, allow it to guide you."

The sky darkened. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

Bai He's eyes bore into him. "Are you ready?"

Xiao Lian swallowed hard, but he did not hesitate. "Yes."

At that moment, the Windblade pulsed—once, twice—before launching toward him.

Xiao Lian reached out—

—And the world exploded in wind and light.