The clearing had finally grown quiet again.

  The spring rippled gently beneath the moonlight, its waters calm after the chaos of the night. Mist drifted lazily above the surface, thin and harmless now.

  Four elemental manifestations had appeared.

  Four companions had been chosen.

  And yet the night had not truly ended.

  A small fire crackled beside the spring. Orange light flickered across the clearing, illuminating five figures seated in a loose circle.

  No one spoke at first.

  Feng sat with one knee raised, idly tapping his fingers against the stone beside him. Every so often, faint metallic qi flickered along his knuckles like sparks striking steel.

  Lin Fan sat cross-legged near the fire, carefully poking at a roasting root with a stick.

  Ru Yan leaned against a smooth rock beside the spring, arms folded, still looking mildly irritated about having been drenched by a mythical water manifestation.

  Li Wei sat quietly, staring into the fire.

  Across from them sat Zhi Yuan.

  The silence lingered.

  Finally, Feng broke it.

  “Alright,” he said, glancing around the circle. “We’re going to talk about it, right?”

  Lin Fan blinked.

  “Talk about what?”

  Feng gestured vaguely at everyone.

  “About the giant spirit animals that fell out of the sky tonight.”

  Lin Fan slowly raised a hand.

  “Fair point.”

  Li Wei exhaled softly.

  “The Vermilion Bird.”

  Feng snorted.

  “Yeah. That thing nearly cooked the spring.”

  Ru Yan tilted her head slightly.

  “The White Tiger nearly tore Feng’s meridians apart.”

  Feng pointed at her.

  “But it didn’t.”

  Ru Yan continued calmly.

  “And the Black Tortoise nearly drowned me.”

  Lin Fan muttered under his breath.

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  “And the Azure Dragon tried to kidnap me.”

  Feng grinned.

  “You did scream pretty loudly.”

  “I was flying!”

  “You were floating.”

  “I WAS PANICKING!”

  Li Wei rubbed his temples.

  “We are missing the point.”

  The group quieted again.

  The fire crackled.

  The mountain wind whispered through the trees.

  Li Wei looked slowly around the circle.

  “Four manifestations,” he said quietly.

  “Metal. Wood. Fire. Water.”

  His gaze drifted toward the spring.

  “This mountain gathers the Five Elements.”

  Ru Yan nodded slowly.

  “Five Elements Mountain.”

  Lin Fan blinked.

  “Wait.”

  He looked around.

  “Then what about the fifth one?”

  The clearing fell silent.

  Slowly—almost instinctively—everyone turned toward the same person.

  Zhi Yuan.

  He sat calmly beside the fire, hands resting loosely on his knees.

  Completely ordinary.

  No qi stirred around him.

  No elemental presence lingered.

  Nothing.

  Feng tilted his head.

  “Yeah.”

  Lin Fan frowned.

  “Now that you mention it…”

  Ru Yan’s sharp eyes studied him carefully.

  “You didn’t react to any of it.”

  Zhi Yuan smiled faintly.

  “Should I have?”

  Feng shrugged.

  “I mean… a giant dragon made of green lightning grabbed the kid.”

  Lin Fan pointed angrily.

  “THE DRAGON GRABBED ME.”

  The fire popped softly.

  Li Wei continued.

  “Feng received Metal.”

  Feng raised his hand lazily.

  “Still here.”

  “Lin Fan received Wood.”

  Lin Fan puffed his chest slightly.

  “Azure Dragon, apparently.”

  “Ru Yan received Water.”

  Ru Yan rolled her eyes.

  “Against my will.”

  Li Wei looked down at his palm.

  “And Fire came to me.”

  The faintest warmth flickered along his fingers.

  Then he looked at Zhi Yuan.

  “But nothing appeared for you.”

  The silence deepened.

  For the first time that night, Zhi Yuan’s smile faded slightly.

  He looked into the fire.

  The flames reflected in his eyes.

  Then he spoke.

  “Maybe,” he said quietly.

  “Maybe I don’t belong to this world.”

  The words hung in the air.

  Lin Fan blinked.

  “What?”

  The fire crackled softly.

  And the conversation that followed lasted long into the night.

  The Next Morning

  Morning came quietly to Five Elements Mountain.

  Dew formed along the leaves of the ancient trees. Spiritual birds called to the rising sun as thin clouds drifted slowly across the sky.

  The clearing beside the spring slowly came back to life.

  Ru Yan sat alone on a smooth stone, deep in thought about the conversation that had taken place during the night.

  Lin Fan was already awake, moving energetically through the trees as he gathered fruits and herbs from the mountainside.

  Li Wei stood near the spring, practicing slow breathing as faint warmth circulated through his meridians. His understanding of his fire spiritual roots had deepened overnight.

  Feng, meanwhile, was still fast asleep.

  A small bubble inflated and deflated from his nose with every breath while drool slowly collected at the corner of his mouth.

  It seemed he was having a particularly delicious dream.

  Zhi Yuan lay nearby, sleeping more peacefully than he had since arriving in this world.

  Ru Yan looked at him.

  A faint smile crossed her face.

  “Thank you,” she murmured softly.

  “For the future.”

  Suddenly —

  Lin Fan came running back through the trees, leaping over roots and stones.

  “I’m done gathering!”

  Li Wei nodded calmly.

  “I’ll be ready when he wakes.”

  Lin Fan grinned mischievously.

  Without warning, he scooped a handful of spring water and flung it at Feng.

  Splash.

  Feng jolted awake instantly.

  “What—?!”

  He blinked groggily, looking around in confusion.

  “Is it lunch already?”

  Lin Fan burst into boyish laughter.

  Feng wiped his face and glared at him.

  “You little —”

  Lin Fan grinned.

  “Are you ready?”

  Feng stretched lazily.

  “Yeah,” he muttered. “I’m ready.”

  Just then —

  Zhi Yuan opened his eyes.

  He blinked once.

  Then he sat up. And froze.

  Because the other four were suddenly kneeling in front of him.

  “We’re ready, Zhi Yuan.”

  Lin Fan raised his hand enthusiastically.

  “I’M READY TOO, MASTER!”

  “Hey,” Li Wei said immediately, frowning.

  “We agreed not to call him that.”

  Feng leaned forward slightly.

  “That sounded ominous.”

  Zhi Yuan leaned back, gazing quietly up at the sky.

  For a moment, he said nothing.

  The clouds drifted slowly overhead.

  Then he spoke.

  “Let’s go.”

  Something had shifted.

  Five travelers had come to the mountain.

  Four had been claimed by the elements.

  And now—

  A journey had begun.

  For now.

  yet one remained untouched.

  Those who wish to know can find that conversation in Chapter 27.5.

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