The seasons had shifted once more, and five months had passed sihe festival at Red Moon City. The once-vibrant hues of autumn had faded into the stark chill of winter, only for the thaw of early spring to paint the world in fresh greens once again. The air in Pine Vilge was crisper, and the wind carried the sts of damp earth, budding flowers, and burning firewood from the vilgers’ eys.Feiyin stood at the edge of the training field, the familiar st of dust and sweat filling his nostrils. His long bck hair was ly tied back, revealing his striking gray eyes, flecked with hints of amethyst that shimmered uhe m sun. Over the past months, his body had grown taller, leaner, and more defined—his once-childlike frame now carried obvious muscuture, though he remained agile and fluid rather than bulky. Vitality thrummed beh his skin, a stant hum of energy in his veins.But the most profound ge was his perceptiohing—the way the wind whispered through the trees, the fai shifts in movement, the subtlest variations in sound and st—was clearer than ever before. His five senses had sharpened siderably. The once-overwhelming world of osciltions he had struggled to grasp now felt more natural, as though his mind had learned how to filter, categorize, and analyze everything at ond this strength had not gone unnoticed.

  The militia training grounds were located at the western end of Pine Vilge, a wide, open space surrounded by simple wooden fehe ground, hardened by stant footfalls, bore numerous patches of disturbed dirt and faint cracks, remnants of past sparring matches. Several wooden training dummies lihe edges, their surfaces chipped ahered from repeated strikes. A small ons rack stood nearby, stocked with practice bdes, staffs, aed training gear.At this moment, the militia members were gathered, going through their m drills.Among them was Jiang Hu, one of the militia’s unofficial officers and a seasoned warrior in his early forties. A broad-shouldered man with a stern face, his hair ulled bato a tight bun, a few strands of silver betraying his age. His sharp eyes rarely missed anything, and his calloused hands bore the marks of decades of training.Then there was Sun Ke, one of the younger militia members—lean, quick-witted, and always ready with a sly remark. His short brown hair was often messy, and a mischievous glint danced in his dark eyes. Uhe others, Sun Ke had a habit of sneaking died hawthorn into the training grounds, much to Feiyin’s amusement.Further back stood Luo Fan, a man built like an immovable boulder. T and thickly muscled, he carried himself with an air of quiet authority. Unlike Sun Ke, who could talk his way out of trouble, Luo Fan preferred to let his fists do the talking.Several other militia members of varying ages and builds filled the field, each with their own strengths and personalities.As Feiyin stepped forward, a few of them turheir eyes flig over him with subtle intrigue.He had always been a curiosity, the you among them yet training just as hard—if not harder—than the adults. But today, their gazes carried something new.Respect.Jiang Hu was the first to speak, his deep voice cutting through the murmurs. “Feiyin, you’re looking… stronger.” His sharp gaze swept over him, analyzing the way he stood, the way he breathed, the quiet fiden his stance. “I take it your training has gone well?”Feiyin nodded, suppressing the proud grin threatening to break across his face. “Yes. I’ve been making progress.”Sun Ke, ever the troublemaker, smirked. “Progress, huh? I’d say it’s more than that.” He crossed his arms, tilting his head. “Last time we sparred, you were just barely holding your own. Now, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you could knock me ft.”A few of the other militia members chuckled, but there was no mockery in their voices—only good-natured amusement.Luo Fan, who had remained quiet, finally spoke. “How much strength have you reached now?”Feiyin took a steady breath, feeling the hum of energy beh his skin. “Three thousand kilograms.”A beat of silehen, Jiang Hu exhaled sharply, eyes narrowing. “Three thousand?”Su out a low whistle. “Damn. I don’t think I hit three thousand until I was seventeen.”Luo Fan, who rarely showed surprise, let out a thoughtful grunt, arms crossed over his chest. “That’s enough to shatter boulders.”The murmurs among the militia grew. It wasn’t just that Feiyin had gotten stro was how quickly he had done so.Jiang Hu rubbed his , gng toward Cai Feng, who stood at the side, quietly. “Your father’s training must be relentless.”Feiyin smiled slightly. “He makes sure I earn every step forward.”Cai Feng’s gaze met his, and though his face remained as unreadable as ever, there was the fai glimmer of pride in his eyes.Jiang Hu let out a deep chuckle. “Well, I suppose we’ll have to see just how much you’ve improved. Sun Ke, Luo Fan—help me test the boy’s limits.”Sun Ke groaned dramatically. “Ah, so I have to get beaten today? Great.”Luo Fan, oher hand, merely cracked his knuckles. “Good. I wao see what he’s capable of.”Feiyin rolled his shoulders, excitement bubbling in his chest. He had been waiting for this moment.

  The sparring session began with Sun Ke as the first oppohe two stood across from each other, the training ground’s dust settliween them. Suhough lean, was fast, his movements fluid and uable. He grinned, shifting into a low, boung stance, his weight on the balls of his feet.“Alright, Feiyi’s see what you’ve got.”Feiyin took a steady breath, feeling the vibrations of the earth beh his feet, the faint movements in the air around them.Sun Ke moved first, lunging with a burst of speed, aiming to slip past Feiyin’s guard.But Feiyin saw it.His improved perception allowed him to anticipate the rhythm of movement, and with a swift pivot, he sidestepped, his arm snapping forward.Thud!His palm struck Sun Ke’s chest with trolled force, sending him stumbling back several paces. Sun Ke blinked, his smirk repced with mild shock.“Damn,” he muttered, shaking out his arms. “You weren’t this fast before.”Feiyin grinned.Jiang Hu nodded approvingly. “His speed has caught up with his strength. That’s good.”Luo Fan cracked his neck, stepping forward . “Alright, my turn.”Feiyin steadied himself, knowing this fight would be vastly different. Luo Fan was a wall of muscle and raw power, his strikes heavy and uing.The moment the spar began, Luo Fan lunged, his fist whistling through the air. Feiyin barely had time to react before the impact sent a shockwave through his arms, f him backward.The fight was on.

  The sparring tinued for several rounds, Feiyin pushing himself further each time, feeling the limits of his newfound strength and trol. Every block, dodge, and terstrike refined his movements, bringing him closer to mastery.By the time the session ended, Feiyin anting but exhirated, his body thrumming with energy.Jiang Hu cpped a hand on his shoulder. “You’re progressing faster than I expected. Keep this up, and you’ll surpass us in no time.”Feiyin smiled, feeling something deep within him settle.He was getting stronger.And this was only the beginning.—-As the sun began to set, casting long shadows over the vilge, Pine Vilge had begun to wind down for the evening. The st of burning firewood and simmering broth filled the air, and the distant ughter of children pying ireets echoed through the humble homes.Yet, despite the peaceful atmosphere, an underlying tension lihree months ago, rumors had begun to spread—whispers carried by traveling merts, traders, and messengers passing through the region.A sect had beeroyed.Not just a, but the Blue Sword See of the seves within the kingdom, and the closest to their region.No one knew who had do. No one knew why.But everyone knew what it meant.Whe powers cshed, the ones who suffered most were always the on folk.

  Mei Liao had heard the whispers first.She had been tending to her usual trade, iating with merts, when a group of traders from the south entered Red Moon City’s marketpce, speaking in hushed, anxious voices.She had caught ss of their versation as she ied a set of silk fabrics.“…pletely wiped out.”“Not a single disciple left?”“They say not even the elders survived. The entire sect… gone.”Mei Liao had quietly stepped closer, her ears sharp. “What happened?” she asked, keeping her voice casual.The mert—an older man with a bushy gray beard—paused, gng at her before l his voice. “You haven’t heard?”She shook her head.“The Blue Sword Sect is no more,” he murmured. “Destroyed. No one knows by who. One of the seven pilrs of our kingdom… wiped out ht.”Mei Liao’s fiightened around the fabric she had been holding. “ht?”The mert nodded. “The details are scarce, but those who’ve traveled he area say the sect grounds are in ruins. There’s nothi. Not even the bodies of the disciples.”A cold shiver ran down Mei Liao’s spi wars were not unon, but for aire sect to be annihited without warning…Something about this felt wrong.She had finished her business quickly that day, returning to the vilge with unease curling iomach.

  The news spread like wildfire, and though Pine Vilge was far from the sect’s location, it was still close enough that people felt uneasy.“What if it was the work of another sect?”“What if the kingdom is about to go to war?”“If one of the seves could be destroyed just like that… how any of us be safe?”The questions lingered in the air, like an unspoke pressing down on the vilge. Fear of the unknown was the worst kind of fear—it g people’s thoughts, fed their paranoia, made them see threats where there were none.Cai Feng had remained silent oter for a long time, keeping his own suspis close to his chest, but Feiyin could see the way his father’s gaze had grown sharper, the way his posture remained mid than usual, as if preparing for something unseen.And Mei Liao, despite her usual lighthearted demeanor, had been keeping an even closer watch over their surroundings.It was a night like this, with Feiyin helpihe diable, when the versation finally came up.His mother pced a cy pot of hot soup in the ter of the table, her expression unusually serious. “I heard more rumors today,” she said.Cai Feng, who had been quietly sharpening his bde at the side of the room, didn’t stop, but Feiyin noticed the slight pause before he tinued.“Still about the sect?” Feiyin asked.Mei Liao aking her seat. “The details are vague, but… the ones who went to iigate the sect grounds never came back.”Feiyin’s fiightened around the wooden chopsticks in his hands.“Never came back?” he echoed.Cai Feng finally spoke, his voice calm but firm. “Which means someone—or something—doesn’t want the truth to be known.”A siletled over them.Feiyi his mind rag. In all the history lessons his mother had taught him, no major sect had ever been pletely erased ht without leaving any traces of survivors. Even in war, some remnants always remained.But this…This was different.“I don’t like this,” Mei Liao admitted, resting her on her hand. “A sect being wiped out is already ing, but the fact that no other sect has cimed responsibility makes it worse.”Feiyin furrowed his brows. “Wouldn’t a seally want to show off if they won?”Mei Liao smiled wryly. “Exactly.”Cai Feng finally put down his bde, looking at Feiyin. “This is why your mother and I always say strength matters. When powerful forces csh, they don’t care about the people caught iween.”Feiyi a slow determinatiole in his chest.He had already been pushing himself hard in training, but now he felt even more resolved.If the world beyond Pine Vilge was this dangerous, he o bee strong enough to face it head-on.

  Though there had been no signs of immediate dahe rumors had left their mark on the vilge.The militia trained harder, their once-casual drills being more disciplined, more calcuted. The hunters and traders who left the vilge were more cautious on the roads, and even the children who once pyed freely in the fields stayed closer to home.Feiyin had overheard a versatioween Jiang Hu and Sun Ke just a few days ago.“You think something’s ing?” Sun Ke had asked, twirling a wooden practice bde in his hand.Jiang Hu had exhaled, rubbing his . “I don’t know. But whes start getting erased without a trace… it’s never a good sign.”Luo Fan, who had been listening in silence, had nodded grimly. “It means the bance of power is shifting.”Feiyin, standing nearby, had absorbed every word.The world beyond their quiet vilge was ging.And whether he liked it or not, those ges would eventually reach them too.

  That night, as Feiyin y in bed, staring up at the wooden ceiling of their home, he let his mind drift back to everything that had happened in the past five months.His training, his growing strength, his time with the militia.The festival, the memories he had made with his family.And now, this looming uainty.He wasn’t afraid.But he uood why his parents were ed.Closing his amethyst-flecked gray eyes, he took a deep breath, feeling the steady hum of irength c through his body.‘I’ll keep growing stronger,’ he thought. ‘So that no matter what happens… I won’t be powerless to stop it.’And with that resolve burning in his heart, he let himself drift into restful sleep, knowing that tomorrow would bring new challenges, new lessons, and new battles to fight.But that was exactly what he was training for.