Chapter 9: Whispering Peak – Winds of the Past

The mist curled tightly around the jagged cliffs as Ye Tian walked forward, every step echoing across the silent peak. The ground faded beneath his feet, swallowed by clouds. Whispering Peak loomed ahead—ominous, ancient, and forgotten by all but the wind.

Floating lazily behind him, Rongyan flipped upside down midair with her arms behind her head. "Creepy place," she said with a grin. "I like it."

"You like anything that wants to kill people," Ye Tian muttered without turning.

"It builds character," she replied smugly, doing a slow spin.

Suddenly, a silver-blue ripple shimmered in the air ahead. The gate to the Skyreach Wind Trial cracked open like light fractured through glass.

[System Alert: Trial Initiated – Wind Element Core]Warning: Karmic Echo Engaged – Trial of Self Begins Now.

Ye Tian didn't hesitate. He walked into the light and disappeared.

Inside the Trial

Endless sky.

Floating islands.

And silence broken only by the whisper of wind that wasn't wind.

Here, the trial twisted around him—memories, regrets, illusions. It showed Ye Tian the people who betrayed him, the chances he lost, the warmth he never got to hold.

But he stood firm.

"I've failed once. I won't fail again."

He fought illusions of himself, raced through collapsing sky paths, and resisted a phantom made of his own doubts.

At last, the sky calmed.

[Trial Passed – Wind Element Core Acquired: 13% Synced][Perk Gained: Wind Affinity Lv.1 – Enhances Speed, Reaction, and Evasion]

A glowing jade staircase materialized in the sky, leading to a floating altar—and upon it, a spirit slumbered inside a lotus of wind.

A girl.

Delicate, silver-haired, her body breathing with the clouds.

[Wind Spirit Detected – Awakening Possible]

Ye Tian approached slowly. The wind itself parted around him.

Her eyes opened—soft and silver, ancient and calm.

"You… hear the wind," she said.

"I came to understand it," he replied.

She studied him for a moment… then nodded. "Then I will follow you."

[Wind Spirit Acquired – Awaiting Naming Ceremony]

Ye Tian closed his eyes for a second, thinking. Then he smiled faintly.

"Your name will be... Kaze no Tsuki. Wind of the Moon."

The spirit's expression softened, and she whispered, "Tsuki... I like it."

The Hidden Vault – Heaven's Veil

Just as they turned to leave, the system blared with force:

[SYSTEM ALERT – HEAVEN-RANK OBJECT DETECTED]Location: 19 meters undergroundItem Class: Obfuscation-TypeEffect: Conceals Qi, Bloodline, Soul, Karma, and FateDetection Resistance: All Realms Below 9th

Ye Tian's eyes narrowed.

They followed the signal and unearthed a vault buried beneath the altar—a sealed chamber filled with wind-forged crystal.

There, floating midair, shimmered something almost invisible—Heaven's Veil, a cloak that bent reality around it.

[Bound: Heaven's Veil]Effect Passive: Cannot be sensed, seen, or tracked below 9th Realm Manual Visibility Toggle: Available

The moment Ye Tian touched it, it vanished into his chest—becoming one with his soul.

"This... will be a problem for my enemies," he whispered.

Reunion – Cloaked in Silence

Back outside, Yun Qingyu sat with closed eyes, meditating in the wind. Rongyan was doing loops in the air.

"He should've come out by now," Qingyu muttered.

Suddenly—

"You're both terribly unobservant," Ye Tian said behind them.

Rongyan let out a scream and bonked into a tree.

"WHAT THE— You're INVISIBLE?!" she shrieked.

Yun Qingyu stood, her eyes wide. "I couldn't feel your breath… your qi… even your existence."

Ye Tian smiled faintly. "Let's just say I found something useful."

Spirit Showdown Begins

As Ye Tian walked ahead, Tsuki floated silently beside him.

Rongyan glared.

"Okay, listen here, feather duster," she growled, flying right up to Tsuki's face. "I'm the top spirit. Got it?"

Tsuki blinked calmly. "Your fire chars fruit. My wind guides fate."

"Don't you dare go poetic on me!"

"Are you… threatened?"

Ye Tian turned, sighed, and flicked Rongyan on the forehead.

"Owww!" she wailed, spinning backward mid-air. "AGAIN?!"

"Behave," Ye Tian said coolly.

Tsuki smirked.

"Don't think you're safe either," Ye Tian added.

He gave her a swift flick too. Her cheeks turned faintly pink, hair fluttering like snow.

"H-Hey! You can't just assault the wind!"

Rongyan snorted. "Justice!"

Yun Qingyu, watching from the side, chuckled softly.

"You three are ridiculous."

Ye Tian looked back at them, face calm, voice quiet:

"And yet… you're mine."

The three of them fell silent.

Then Tsuki softly floated closer.

"Where to next?"

Ye Tian turned toward the descending clouds and distant sect.

"Back to the world. And forward into the storm."