Chapter 23: Sky university’s legacies

The bell chimed three rising tones—clear, crystalline, and long—across the sprawling campus of Sky University. Above the mountains that cradled the floating halls, long streaks of morning mist caught the sun in white-gold spirals, like a dragon curling over the city's dawn.

In the West Courtyard Plaza, uniformed students flowed between halls, robes fluttering in low wind. Each uniform bore embroidered lines in elemental colors—cyan for water-aligned Gens, crimson for fire-types, obsidian for shadow, and a shimmering spectral tone for rare spatial users. Xiang ZhiHun's lapels bore soft violet and white stripes, marking his cosmic-tuned heritage and spiritual lineage. Sheng JunLun walked beside him, his own robe detailed in silver-threaded patterns, indicating his Arcane String-type Gen—subtle, intricate, and control-oriented.

Today was Genealogy and Technique History, a class only offered to advanced gen-users in Sky University's Inner Tier. The room, located in the Cloudflow Pavilion, had walls of translucent mist-glass showing filtered sunlight and aerial views of DanNuan City below. Floating light-glyphs lined the ceiling, humming faintly as they adjusted to ambient student presence.

Instructor Yao, a tall figure with parchment-colored eyes and vine-wrapped sleeves, waved a sigil and conjured a panoramic projection above the podium. It displayed a shifting family tree made of light and root-threads, linking names like "TaiYu Dragon Lineage," "Star Soul Root," "Jade Umbra Clan," and "Stormborne Heirs."

"Today," Instructor Yao said, voice smooth as damp bark, "we delve into the convergence of Mutative Gens and their associated ancestral lineages. While Mutative Genes define potential—bloodlines root the soul's behavior."

He gestured, and the projection zoomed into a section: a cluster of stars forming the XingHeng Pulse, the ancestral pattern tied to the Star Soul lineages.

"In this chart," he continued, "we see the resonance harmonics that form the basis for 'Mutation Technique: Nebula Edge'—used by the current gen-user, Xiang ZhiHun."

Heads turned as ZhiHun sat straighter, eyes focused on the floating strands of stellar patterns.

"The Nebula Edge," Instructor Yao continued, "is not merely a blade technique. It is a spatial-spiritual fold, woven from resonance mapping inherited through Star Soul roots, enhanced by cosmic Gene Awakening. The Gen grants access, but the Lineage preserves function."

Sheng JunLun, seated two rows behind, scribbled notes with a flick of silver-thread ink suspended mid-air. His own Gen—Arcane Threads—allowed micro-threaded manipulation, and his handwriting danced in midair even as his eyes never left the lecture. Beside him, Kun JiaNing was already half-asleep, head tilted against a moss-backed study wall, likely recovering from last week's intense mutation trials.

"Let's review," Instructor Yao said. "Sheng JunLun, define the secondary function of a Reawakening Ritual in a dual-inheritance gen-user."

JunLun stood up without hesitation. "Reawakening," he said clearly, "is the induced second-phase resonance of one's Mutative Gene structure. In dual-inheritance gen-users—those who inherit both a bloodline Legacy and a mutated Gen—the ritual enables cross-referencing of suppressed pathways. This can evolve dormant techniques or reframe their expression entirely."

"Example?" Instructor Yao raised a brow.

JunLun held up his hand. Silver string danced across his fingers and formed into a floating chrysanthemum of wire.

"Mutation Technique: Silken Snare, Variant Bloom Formation," he said. "Pre-Reawakening, it only allowed binding and detection. Post-Reawakening, it can store kinetic memory and redirect impact."

"Well stated."

As class ended, the projection faded, and the glass walls cleared to reveal a drifting red-crowned bird gliding past. Students began packing scrolls and crystal tablets into spatial satchels.

ZhiHun stepped beside JunLun as they exited. "Your Variant Bloom's smoother than before."

JunLun nodded. "It remembers how much pressure was applied last time. I used it to trip up a Chainbound gen-user in sparring yesterday."

They passed through the campus' Wind-Tier Bridges—suspension paths of controlled air pressure connecting pavilions. In the lower courtyard, energy glyphs pulsed from the sparring ground where Groundtouch students practiced "Mutation Technique: Ember Bloom Kick" and "Stone Channel Pulse."

JunLun pointed. "Basic Earth-Gen manipulation. Good compression, but lacks directional finesse."

ZhiHun's eyes flicked skyward. He was always listening for astral tremors—minor ripples that only Star Soul types could feel. A faint shiver passed across his spine.

"No tremors today," he said.

"No interference, then," JunLun replied. "Which means... tea?"

They turned into the eastern study grove, where shade-fanned leaves cooled the ambient temperature. Some senior students were already seated—Qing KunJue among them, motionless under a wind-chime tree. A pot of orchid-root tea steamed on the stone table before him.

"ZhiHun. JunLun." KunJue's voice was calm, formal, with the gravity of a martial son from a proud Gen family.

JunLun sat across from him. "Still practicing silent breathing, KunJue?"

KunJue nodded once. "Skyform Breathing, Second Coil. Internal Gravity Rotation. It tempers internal Gen turbulence before a breakthrough."

ZhiHun sipped tea and looked toward the martial hall in the distance. "You preparing for the Skyguard Trials?"

KunJue didn't answer, but the tension in his shoulder told the truth.

The grove was peaceful. Mutative Gens hummed under their skins but remained still. Lessons rang behind them in distant pavilions—phrases like "conceptual memory of Gen echo" and "reverse-folding the spatial field" drifted faintly on the wind.

Just another day at Sky University.

Yet in the sky above, behind the curtain of clouds and serenity, spatial tremors were already brewing.

The bell tolled in gentle, rising tones—three harmonic chimes suspended in the air like notes written on skyglass. Across Sky University's central spire district, the sound drifted through vine-laced balconies, winding staircases, and glass-capped lecture halls shaped like lotus blooms unfurling toward the heavens.

Inside Lecture Hall D–9, the lesson was just beginning.

"...and so, the Fifth Epoch unification of the Twin Serpent Lineage resulted in the compound inheritance known today as the Azure Fang Gen. Now, can someone name its inheritor in the Generation Nine examination?" The instructor—Master Fei Lin, a tall woman with streaks of copper light in her hair—spoke crisply as she waved her hand, drawing a projection into the air. It shimmered: a hologlyphic depiction of a bloodline tree spiraling upward.

Sheng JunLun sat near the front, eyes half-lidded but mind perfectly alert. His fingers tapped against his desk softly, rhythmically. Threads of silken energy coiled lazily from his wrist—subtle as breath, but ready.

Beside him, Xiang ZhiHun leaned forward with bright interest, starlight reflecting faintly in his eyes. "Oh! That was Yun LanQin," he whispered, barely moving his lips. "He awakened dual serpentine fangs and could inject mutative venom through space, remember?"

JunLun gave a slight nod. "Overkill for a Tier 3 Trial, but impressive control."

Master Fei Lin turned back toward the class. "Correct—Yun LanQin, inheritor of the double helix path. Now—"

The grand wooden doors opened, slow and ceremonial. A breeze passed through, fluttering robes and threads. Everyone turned.

In the doorway stood a new figure.

She was tall for her age, posture poised but not stiff. Her uniform, a tailored variant with silver trim, clung elegantly to her form. Her hair—silver-black like brushed mercury—was tied in an asymmetrical braid that fell over her left shoulder. What truly caught the eye, however, were her eyes: one a muted garnet, the other a silver so pale it nearly vanished under the sunlit glyphs floating above.

"Introduce yourself," Master Fei Lin said, not unkindly.

The girl nodded once, then spoke in a calm, clear voice. "Yue LunMu. Transfer from XianShan High Pavilion, ranking Top 9 in Advanced Gen User Track. My Mutative Gen is the Silver Marionette."

There was a moment of collective silence. Even ZhiHun blinked. [Silver Marionette? That's an apex control-gen, isn't it?]

JunLun narrowed his eyes slightly. Threads, puppetry, control arts… his instincts flickered, but not from threat. From familiarity. From challenge.

"Silver Marionette Gen," repeated Master Fei Lin, her gaze momentarily sharpening. "That is a rare legacy indeed. Capable of controlling autonomous constructs and linked spirit-puppets via trans-spatial filament threads—often silver-natured, correct?"

LunMu nodded. "My threads extend from my marrow and are spiritually responsive."

ZhiHun whispered, "Fancy way of saying she can use puppets without visible seals or scrolls."

JunLun said nothing, but his fingers paused in their tapping.

Master Fei Lin gestured toward an empty seat—conveniently, one just to JunLun's right. LunMu walked calmly, not scanning the classroom like someone insecure or seeking attention. Her silver-thread earrings barely moved. She sat, placed her palm on the glyph scanner, and her interface ignited softly.

"Now then," Master Fei Lin resumed, "as we were saying—bloodline integration in Mutative Gens is not merely about physical traits or elemental bias. It's about legacy memory and dimensional anchoring. The deeper the Gen, the closer it ties you to ancient biological lineages, even mythical constructs."

The lesson continued.

LunMu remained quiet, focused, her screen scrolling with notes in a smooth, elegant font. Her fingertips barely brushed the glyph-pad, as if typing without touching. JunLun noticed. So did ZhiHun.

[Auto-filament response interface,] JunLun noted. [So the threads aren't just for combat.]

Eventually, the class ended. Students began to rise, chattering among themselves. A few glanced toward LunMu—some curious, some admiring.

JunLun stood slowly, not rushing, and for once, he initiated conversation.

"You don't use vocal thread chants?"

Yue LunMu looked at him directly. "Only for combat technique declarations. Not interface weaving."

There was a pause.

"I'm Sheng JunLun," he added. "Silken Snare lineage."

That made her brow lift, just slightly. "Arcane Strings?"

He nodded.

"The technique known as 'Mutation Technique: Thousand-Nerve Binding Net' was developed by your line."

"Among others," JunLun said. "I've adjusted it. Mine's 'Mutation Technique: Silken Snare – Labyrinth Thread Domain.'"

Now she smiled faintly. "A domain thread-user. Rare."

ZhiHun leaned over from the side. "And I'm Xiang ZhiHun. Star Soul Lineage, Celestial-Grade Mutative Gen. I glow."

JunLun rolled his eyes.

But LunMu nodded respectfully. "The Star Soul Gen… said to echo the breathing pattern of distant nebulae."

"You read the poetic interpretations," JunLun said.

"I memorize full Gen Logs," she replied, calmly. "The poetic ones too."

That drew a surprised blink from both boys. For a moment, no one spoke.

Then LunMu asked, "Would you be willing to spar sometime? Domain-vs-marionette. Threads versus strings."

JunLun tilted his head. "Only if you promise to not hold back."

ZhiHun sighed. "Everyone flirts so weirdly here."