Broken Heaven and Shattered Qi

Chapter 4

Kian's vision returned in fragments. One moment he was blindingly engulfed in white light; the next, he landed roughly on soil that felt ancient and charged with energy. Dust motes danced in beams of crimson sunlight filtering through an arch of jagged rock formations. He groaned, scrambling to his feet as an indescribable hum resonated deep inside him—a rhythm that matched the beat of his own heart.

Before him, the landscape unfolded like a living tapestry of myth. Floating in the distance, suspended near a cliff that stretched toward a bruised sky, was a structure carved into the mountain face—the Broken Heaven Peak. Crackling with arcane energy, its surface bore scars of lightning qi and silent battles between celestial forces. Kian sensed it was no ordinary place; it was a gate, waiting for the right resonance to reopen long-sealed dimensions.

In his daze, Kian clutched the watch—the Chrono Shard—tight in his palm. Its pulsing, blue glow lent a spectral contrast to the ruddy sky above. This relic, now unmistakably significant, connected him to universes beyond his own, and this realm was one of them.

A sudden whisper of wind and swirling motes of light coalesced into a figure at his side. A young woman with determined eyes and a confident stance stepped forward—Jin Yue. In the attire of a cultivator yet marked by a rebellious air, she carried a small, intricately carved talisman that pulsed with the energy of a Core Formation cultivator.

"Who… Who are you?" Kian stuttered, his voice raw from both shock and the unfamiliar air that vibrated with spiritual qi.

"Call me Jin Yue," she replied, her tone brisk yet not unkind. "You're not from these lands, are you? Your arrival has disturbed the balance—qi here is unstable, and the heavens themselves are restless. The Chrono Shard has drawn you here for a reason."

Before Kian could muster a response, a low, resonant voice echoed from the craggy ridge. Master Liangu—the revered head of the Tianxu Sect—descended slowly from the high ledges of the floating mountain. Draped in garments that shimmered with the hues of twilight, his eyes glowed with profound knowledge and quiet authority. In his presence, even the unruly energy of the realm fell momentarily into harmonious silence.

"Young traveler," Liangu intoned, his voice echoing as if it came from the very earth itself, "you meddle with forces you scarcely comprehend. The Shard is an object of legend—a Heavenly Relic, said to be forged by the Jade Immortals. It can disrupt the natural order of qi, challenge the very fabric of existence. Many have sought its power for enlightenment or conquest, but few can wield its unpredictable force."

Kian, still overwhelmed by the surreal new world, clutched his jacket as if it could anchor him back to familiarity. "I... I don't understand—how did I end up here? I was just in my world, then... then everything changed."

Liangu's gaze softened, but only slightly. "The Chrono Shard chooses its vessels. It senses not the limits of worlds but the potential within souls. In your world, you were an ordinary boy. Here, you must learn to refine your inner qi and master the energy that surrounds you if you wish to survive."

Jin Yue stepped closer, her eyes fixed on the pulsing artifact in Kian's hand. "The cultivators here speak of stages: Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and beyond. Those who train become one with the natural order. But you… you are different. When you touched the Shard, something awakened in you—a spark of potential that even the ancient techniques have not seen in generations."

As they spoke, the ground beneath them trembled as if the realm itself was testing the newcomers. Above, clouds swirled into ominous shapes—a celestial warning—and the Broken Heaven Peak pulsed in response. The sky split with a roiling display of qi that seemed to beckon them onward.

Liangu raised a hand, and the air around them stilled as if time itself paused in reverence. "There is a trial ahead—a Sky Trial long foretold in our scrolls. The peak holds both the key to your destiny and a threat to our realm. Should you fail, your very soul might be lost to the ethereal void. But if you succeed… you may forge a bond with the qi of the universe, transcending even the limitations of mortality."

Kian's heart pounded—not merely with fear, but with a dawning curiosity. He had only ever known the gritty, mundane survival of his own world; now, faced with an almost otherworldly promise of power and transformation, he hesitated between terror and exhilaration. "What must I do?"

Liangu's calm gaze swept over him. "You must climb Broken Heaven Peak, overcome the trials that guard its summit, and face the celestial storm that protects the ancient secrets within. This is not merely a physical climb—it is a journey inward, where your inner qi will be tested and forged anew."

Jin Yue exchanged a glance with Master Liangu. "I will accompany you, Kian. I too have long desired to break through the limits of my cultivation. The Shard's appearance may be our fate intertwined."

A low rumble emanated from behind them, drawing their eyes to the horizon. In the distance, spectral figures—remnants of the ancient cultivators who had once walked these lands—appeared like shimmering mirages. Their solemn expressions hinted at regrets and warnings from a bygone era.

Kian felt the weight of destiny settling upon him. The chaotic blend of modern curiosity from his previous life and the mystical, disciplined world of cultivation now demanded that he take a stand. As the broken yet magnificent peak loomed ever closer, he realized this was a journey unlike any he had ever imagined—a journey that would force him to master not just the technology of a watch from another world, but the timeless energy of the cosmos itself.

"I'm ready," Kian declared, voice trembling yet resolute. "I'll learn to use the Shard… and if fate has chosen me, I won't run from it."

Master Liangu gave a rare smile—a mixture of approval and sorrow at the inevitable challenges ahead. "Then let the trial begin. Step forward, and may the qi of all worlds guide you."

The three set their course toward Broken Heaven Peak, the landscape shifting around them as time and space converged in strange, mesmerizing patterns. Every step Kian took was a step further into a destiny woven through the multiverse—a destiny that could either elevate him to immortal heights or shatter him like the fragile glass of his former world.