A solemn quiet settled upon the ancient Skyrect Sect, yet beneath its surface, storm clouds brewed unseen. Lin Xun stood still at the edge of the ancestral peak, his gaze fixed on the horizon where the first rays of dawn sliced through the heavens like blades forged by fate. Behind him, the wind whispered through the jade pines, carrying with it the scent of dew and danger alike.
The revelation of his father's awakening had spread through the sect like wildfire. Whispers echoed in the halls—some hopeful, some fearful. Though the elder generation trembled with memories of the man once hailed as the Crimson Sovereign, the younger disciples only saw Lin Xun's shadow growing longer.
But the boy who once knelt in disgrace was no longer the same.
"Lin Xun," a voice called from the path behind him. A tall figure emerged—Elder Baiyang, robed in gold and indigo, his expression unreadable. "The Saint Assembly begins. The Seven Thrones await."
Lin Xun nodded, the flame in his eyes smoldering quietly. "Lead the way."
---
The Saint Assembly was held once every century—an event where the most ancient sects under the Heaven-Piercing Banner would gather to test their heirs. Seven Thrones, seven legacies. And among them, the Skyrect Sect stood once more, its lineage renewed in Lin Xun.
As they entered the Hall of Venerated Echoes, the vast chamber dimmed under star-engraved ceilings. Elders from sects like the Voidbane Temple, the Thunderling Court, and even the elusive Lotus of Celestial Flame had gathered. Their eyes bore into Lin Xun—curious, cautious, contemptuous.
Seated atop the obsidian throne carved with phoenix wings was the Sovereign Saint of Skyrect himself—Lin Xun's father, whose awakening had stirred a thousand rumors. Though his body remained still, his eyes—two flames of crimson divinity—burned silently.
"My son," his voice rang out, low and steady. "Step forward."
Lin Xun bowed deeply. "Father."
"Today, you stand not as my child but as the heir of this sect. Let the heavens judge your worth."
Suddenly, the hall shifted. Pillars of light surged upward, revealing a celestial battlefield in the sky—formed by illusions, qi constructs, and divine runes etched through space. A test of blood and spirit.
Lin Xun stepped into the arena. One by one, youths from other sects followed. Each had trained for decades, their names carried on winds of prestige. But Lin Xun—he stood alone, unacknowledged.
That is, until the petals descended.
---
A hush fell as a girl walked into the light—silver hair braided with starlight, eyes like frost-kissed sapphire. She wore the white robes of the Celestial Lotus Sect, a faction so revered that even the Voidbane Temple bowed thrice before their emissaries.
She said nothing. Her gaze brushed over Lin Xun—and paused. A faint smile curled on her lips.
"Interesting," she whispered, stepping into the arena.
The others stepped back. For her, they would not fight.
The duel began.
---
Lin Xun moved like the wind before thunder. His flames spun around his arms, blooming like lotus petals ablaze. The girl—her name was Yue Lian—moved with grace beyond comprehension. Her blade was shaped of moonlight, her steps woven like silk across the stars.
The arena shook.
Flames met frost, steel danced with starlight.
And in the stillness between strikes, they studied each other. Yue Lian's gaze lingered not on his flames, but his soul.
"You're not from here," she said. "Your spirit… it does not belong to the lower heavens."
Lin Xun's eyes narrowed. "What do you know?"
Yue Lian smiled faintly. "Enough."
With a final clash that shattered illusions, they were separated by the judges. No victor declared.
But everyone had seen it—the flame that stood equal to the stars.
---
Later that night, Lin Xun sat alone beside the Sect's Flame Cauldron. The stars overhead blinked silently. A presence approached. It was his father.
"She recognized something," Lin Xun said quietly.
"She saw your lineage," his father answered. "And others will too, soon."
"Tell me," Lin Xun said, fists clenched, "who was my mother?"
The Crimson Sovereign's eyes gleamed. "A woman from a world far above this one. A sect not even the Celestial Lotus dares speak against. And your blood… bears her power."
Lin Xun turned slowly. "Then why have I been hunted? Branded as trash? Left to rot in silence?"
"Because the world feared what would happen if the blood of flame and divinity awakened at once. You were sealed, son. Protected. Until now."
The stars shimmered violently, and far above, beyond even the Divine Sky Realm, a ripple passed through the heavens.
A name echoed in Lin Xun's soul—a name hidden by fate, but known now.
He was the child of the Crimson Sovereign…
And the last heir of the Celestial Flame Throne.
---
In a dark corner of the Voidbane Temple, a cloaked figure whispered, "He's awakened."
And in the frost-palace of the Celestial Lotus Sect, Yue Lian sat in silence, tracing a sigil with her fingers—
L
in Xun's name, written in divine script.
The world would remember.
The bloodline had returned.