Chapter 24

Chapter 24: The Gathering Storm

Xiao Lian staggered as his senses rushed back. The Valley of Echoes loomed around him, but it no longer felt the same. The air was thicker, crackling with an energy he had never noticed before.

He looked down at the Windblade in his hand—no longer just a weapon, but an extension of himself. The once-muted silver now pulsed faintly with streaks of translucent blue, like veins of sky woven into steel.

Yun Mei was at his side in an instant. "Xiao Lian, what happened?" Her eyes searched his face, wary and urgent. "You vanished into the mist—then the wind exploded like a storm."

Xiao Lian met her gaze, his chest rising and falling. "I—" He hesitated. How could he explain what had happened? That Bai He's spirit had guided him? That he had become one with the wind? That the blade was no longer just a tool, but alive?

Before he could answer, a deep tremor rolled through the earth beneath them.

Yun Mei cursed, drawing her daggers. "That wasn't just thunder."

From the far edge of the valley, the mists began to shift. Not by the wind—but by something moving within them.

A shadowy figure emerged, its form distorted, flickering as if it did not fully belong to this world. It wore black robes, embroidered with ancient sigils that pulsed with an eerie crimson glow. Its face was obscured by a mask of obsidian, carved in the shape of a demon's snarling visage.

Xiao Lian felt the weight of its presence immediately. The air around them grew unnaturally heavy, as if the wind itself had recoiled.

The figure spoke, its voice smooth but edged with menace.

"So… the heir of the Aetherbound finally awakens."

Yun Mei's stance shifted. "Who are you?"

The figure ignored her, its masked gaze locked onto Xiao Lian. "I have watched you struggle, boy. Watched you flail against your fate, trying to grasp power you were never meant to wield."

Xiao Lian tightened his grip on the Windblade. "And yet, here I stand."

A low chuckle escaped the figure. "For now."

The wind stilled completely. Not a single leaf stirred.

Then, in a flash of black lightning, the figure vanished—

—And reappeared behind Xiao Lian, striking with unnatural speed.

Xiao Lian barely had time to react. His body moved on instinct, twisting as he raised the Windblade to block the incoming strike—

CLANG!

The force sent a shockwave rippling through the valley. Rocks cracked. Trees trembled.

Xiao Lian's arms shook from the impact. Whoever this was, their strength was beyond anything he had faced before.

Yun Mei lunged at the figure from the side—only for the masked warrior to vanish again before her blades could land.

"This is pointless," the enemy mused, now standing atop a jagged rock formation. "You are untested, unworthy. If you truly wish to challenge fate…" The air around them darkened, as though the very sky itself dimmed.

"Then prove yourself."

A storm of black energy erupted from the figure's hands—

—And the battle truly began.