Inside the cave, Bai Jian carefully laid Lian Huaixin against the cool stone wall. He reached over to steady her, pulling her hood back slightly to check her injuries. His breath hitched as her face became visible in the faint cave light — she was strikingly beautiful, her features sharp yet serene, as if untouched by the harshness of their world.
"Really falling into this cliché situation, huh?" he muttered to himself with a hint of a smirk, pulling his gaze away.
As he settled her into a more comfortable position, a sudden warmth flared in his chest. He instinctively reached inside his robes, feeling the key from the mysterious map pulsing with energy. When he pulled it out, he found it glowing faintly, illuminating the shadows around him.
"Is this... the cave from the map?"
With growing excitement, he unfurled the map, realizing that they had reached the hidden location at the heart of the Yinwu Forest. The markings matched perfectly. Just as he pieced this together, the key suddenly shot from his hand, glowing brighter as it disappeared into the depths of the cave. Bai Jian watched it go, the light quickly swallowed by the shadows.
He turned back to Huaixin, ensuring she was secure and safe before venturing deeper into the cave, curiosity and destiny urging him forward.
….
As he descended further into the cavern, the narrow passage opened into a grand chamber, dimly illuminated by a soft, ethereal glow that seemed to pulse with the energy of ancient times.
At the center of the chamber stood a stone altar, weathered but still imposing, emanating a faint aura. As Bai Jian approached, the key returned to him, landing in his palm and drawing him closer to the altar.
Suddenly, a powerful voice filled his mind, resonating with authority and wisdom:
"My name is Yun Feiyang, the junior brother of the White Cloud Sect's Sect Master"
The voice carried a hint of pride and defiance.
"Born with mediocre talent, I was told by many I was destined for nothing. To that, I took up my sword and trained with all my effort and might. Who cares that I wasn't born talented? I forged my own path, breaking through with sheer willpower. If I wanted to continue on the path of cultivation, not even the heavens could stop me! Armed with nothing but a sword, I cut down every enemy who dared stand in my way!"
A shiver ran through Bai Jian, stirring a sense of courage deep within him as he listened.
"I spent my entire life chasing the great Dao, and although I never reached the Pathfinding Realm, I stood tall within the Cangwu Continent!" Yun Feiyang's voice echoed with unshakable pride.
"In an attempt to leave behind a legacy, I have created this inheritance trial. If you have arrived here, then fate has drawn us together, and I offer you the chance to undertake this trial. Should you decline, your memory of this encounter and all that led you here will be erased."
The voice paused, and the tone softened, revealing a hidden sorrow. "But if you accept, I ask for one favor in return: when you have the strength, take this pendant to the Xuan Clan of the Central Continent, and see if a woman by the name of Xuan Mei is still alive. Tell her that I, Yun Feiyang, have never forgotten my promise to her."
Bai Jian's heart raced as he absorbed Yun Feiyang's words. He knew that this was a chance he couldn't ignore.
After listening to Yun Feiyang's words, he felt a similarity between the two of them. Gritting his teeth, he raised his head, feeling his resolve solidify.
"Yes," he whispered, his voice steady with conviction. "I accept."
In an instant, the chamber vanished, and Bai Jian found himself standing atop a vast, endless sky, suspended among clouds and roaring winds. A storm crackled around him, thunder booming as flashes of lightning illuminated his path. His heart pounded as the winds tore at him, striking his body with force, each bolt of energy testing his will to endure.
The weight of the storm pressed down on him, and pain lanced through his body as he struggled to stay upright.
"Am I truly strong enough for this?", Bai Jian thought to himself.
The thought crept into his mind as exhaustion clawed at him, each strike draining his strength. He felt himself wavering, his will flickering.
But a fierce determination surged within him as he remembered why he was here. He hadn't come to this world to live a life of mediocrity; he was here to rise above, to find out the mystery behind his transmigration.
Gritting his teeth, he braced himself against the storm, focusing on his purpose. The storm intensified, but so did his resolve, and with a final, defiant shout, he forced himself forward.
Suddenly, the storm ceased, and he found himself back in the chamber, his body trembling. A faint glow appeared in his hand — a token engraved with the emblem of drifting clouds, pulsing with Yun Feiyang's energy.
Before him, a beautiful white sword adorned with delicate cloud patterns floated gracefully toward him, its ethereal light illuminating the chamber. As Bai Jian reached out, a vision filled his mind — the image of a dignified figure, head held high wielding the very same sword.
The man's movements were elegant and powerful, his strikes fluid as if he were one with the clouds themselves. His form exuded a quiet strength, each motion deliberate, precise, and carrying the weight of years of mastery.
Bai Jian then heard a voice begin to speak within his mind,
"Cloudrend Strike."
This technique channeled the skies' energy, allowing the user to summon the force of the clouds themselves. With each swing, ethereal energy would gather, creating devastating shockwaves that cut through the air like a storm unleashed.
Initial Mastery
At this foundational level, the practitioner grasps the form and flow of Cloudrend Strike, creating strikes that carry a faint aura of cloud energy.
Practitioners at Initial Mastery begin to sense the currents of air around them, allowing for more accurate strikes that can reach foes just beyond the edge of the blade. These early strikes resemble the gentle stirring of mist before a storm.
Profound Mastery
With Profound Mastery, the practitioner has refined Cloudrend Strike to a level where each movement summons swirling clouds of ethereal energy around the blade.
When executed, the technique channels denser storm energy, sending shockwaves that can tear through stone and disrupt weaker protective barriers.
Strikes gain an extended range, creating a sharp, spiraling wind that reaches out several feet from the blade.
At this level, the practitioner's attunement to the sky deepens, allowing them to adjust the force and direction of each strike.
True Mastery
At the pinnacle of Cloudrend Strike, the practitioner's connection to the storm is so profound that every strike calls forth the power of a thunderstorm.
Each swing of the blade generates an ethereal cloud that crackles with raw lightning and roars with the force of a storm.
The shockwaves unleashed can tear through solid steel, and the swirling storm energy extends far beyond the blade, allowing for devastating long-range attacks that travel as condensed clouds of cutting wind.
With enough qi, they could even summon a single, powerful strike resembling a storm descending from the heavens, capable of decimating enemies in its path.