Chapter 11 – The Sky Changes

The sky trembled, as if the heavens themselves were restless. Dark clouds gathered in swirling masses, blotting out the sun. A crack of thunder rumbled through the air, shaking the ground beneath Xiao Xuan's feet. It wasn't just a storm. No, this was something far more dangerous—something unnatural.

Xiao Xuan stood at the edge of the forest, his eyes scanning the swirling tempest above him. His instincts screamed at him to run, to take cover. But something deep inside, a pull that he couldn't explain, urged him to stay. It wasn't fear he felt—this was something else. The air was charged with a raw, chaotic energy that made his skin tingle. Every fiber of his being screamed for him to understand what was happening, but it was too vast, too beyond him.

A bolt of lightning, brighter than any Xiao Xuan had seen before, tore through the sky, splitting the clouds in a flash of brilliance. He winced, stepping back as the air crackled. Then, the ground beneath him shook with a violent force. Trees bent and cracked, their trunks splintering as though the very earth was breaking under the weight of an ancient power.

As the world around him trembled, Xiao Xuan's heart raced. "What in the heavens is this?" he whispered, unsure whether it was the storm or something even more dangerous.

The rumble of thunder intensified, now followed by what sounded like a mighty roar. It wasn't the sound of wind or the earth shifting—it was something alive. Something… powerful.

Without warning, a massive flash of light filled the sky, and a figure plummeted from the heavens, trailing an aura of fire and lightning. It crashed into the ground, leaving a crater in its wake. The earth quivered, and Xiao Xuan could feel the air grow heavier, as if the impact had disrupted the very flow of Qi in the surrounding area.

The figure, crumpled in the center of the newly-formed crater, was barely visible through the dust and smoke. But one thing was clear—whoever—or whatever—had fallen from the sky was powerful. Too powerful.

Xiao Xuan hesitated for only a moment before running toward the site of the crash. His feet pounded the earth, his breath quickening. His mind raced with questions, but one thing was clear: whatever had fallen from the sky wasn't normal. It wasn't just some beast or a simple storm. This was an event, something momentous. His curiosity burned in his chest, and despite the overwhelming sense of danger, he pushed forward.

When he reached the crater, his breath caught in his throat. In the center, a figure was suspended by a tree, her body broken and bloodied. She hung limply from a vine, the tips of her hair singed, her clothes torn. Her face was pale, but there was an undeniable aura of strength that radiated from her, even in her weakened state.

Xiao Xuan rushed forward without thinking. He didn't care that the sky above him was still swirling with unrestrained energy. He didn't care about the danger. He had to help. The voice in his mind that urged caution had no place here. There was only the burning need to act.

He cut the vine holding her up and gently lowered her to the ground. His hands shook as he checked for signs of life. Her breathing was shallow, but it was there. Her pulse was weak but steady. He could feel the faintest trace of Qi lingering in her body, though it was scattered and chaotic, as if it had been torn apart by the forces she had encountered.

"Are you—?" he began, but before he could finish, the woman stirred. Her eyes fluttered open, and her gaze locked onto him. Despite her injuries, there was an undeniable sharpness to her stare.

"Forgive me," she rasped, her voice soft but filled with an odd sense of finality. "If you die, then I shall be your widow. If you live, I shall be your wife."

Xiao Xuan blinked, stunned. "What…?"

She reached out weakly, placing her hand on his chest. "I will heal you," she whispered, her fingers glowing faintly. She began to absorb his life Qi, and Xiao Xuan felt an odd sensation rush through his body. His energy seemed to slip away, drained by her touch, but at the same time, he felt no fear, no weakness. Instead, a strange warmth filled him, as though his Qi was being transformed into something… pure.

The woman's eyes widened in shock, and she pulled away. "What are you?" she whispered, disbelief in her voice. "How are you still alive?"

Xiao Xuan frowned, trying to push through the confusion. He was still alive, despite her draining him. In fact, he felt more alive than ever before—his Qi, his life energy, it was endless. It was like nothing he'd ever felt before.

"You…" Her voice trailed off, her expression flickering between awe and something darker, like a revelation she hadn't fully processed. "I've never met someone like you. Your Qi, it's… infinite."

Xiao Xuan's heart skipped a beat. Infinite? Could she be talking about… his immortality?

She winced and tried to sit up, but the pain in her body was too much. Xiao Xuan gently supported her, careful not to push her too hard. She seemed to notice his hesitation and gave him a small, wry smile.

"You're confused," she said. "I understand. But I'll explain later. For now…" She paused, gathering her strength. "We have no time. I've been sent here for a reason. And so have you."

Xiao Xuan's mind spun as the weight of the storm above him, the woman in his arms, and the inexplicable sense of destiny crashing down on him all at once. Was he truly at the center of something bigger than he could ever have imagined?

The woman took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling. "I must return to my clan. But first, I need to know—what will you do? Will you help me? Will you help yourself?"

Xiao Xuan met her gaze, the overwhelming sense of power and uncertainty filling him. "I want to create something powerful. Something lasting. And I want to understand… why all of this is happening."

Her lips curved into a faint smile. "Then, we are not so different."

With that, the storm above them seemed to quiet, the clouds parting just enough to allow a single ray of light to break through. The sky had changed. And with it, Xiao Xuan's journey had truly begun.