"I need to awaken it," a voice muttered.
The dim light of the moon seeped into Wei Jin's cultivation abode, casting an ethereal glow over the room.
Shelves lined the stone walls, crammed with ancient scrolls and jade slips inscribed with forbidden techniques.
Crystals pulsed faintly, their light shifting between hues of green and blue. In the center of the room, a bronze cauldron emanated an acrid, metallic scent. Around it lay scattered ingredients: dried phoenix feathers, powdered dragon bone, and flasks of spirit dew that glimmered like liquid starlight.
A faint hum filled the air as spiritual energy gathered, dancing in translucent threads above the materials.
Wei Jin sat cross-legged on a cold jade mat, his brows knit in frustration. His dark hair, slightly disheveled, fell over his angular face.
His hands rested on his knees, trembling slightly as he mumbled under his breath.
"This time, I will awaken it!" he muttered. His voice was hoarse, a mix of desperation and exhaustion. "All of them... my brothers... the pride of the Wei family. But me? Am I not worthy? I don't believe it!"
His gaze shifted to the mirror placed before him.
The reflection stared back—his dark eyes, devoid of the legendary crimson glow that marked the Wei family's Inverse Eyes.
Those eyes, capable of piercing illusions and summoning the spirits of the underworld, had been awakened by every member of his family.
Except him.
His fists clenched. "Even Ru Shaonian…" he whispered her name like a prayer. Yet, it carried a weight that made his chest ache. "Is that why... she cannot love me?"
Memories of her flashed in his mind. Her delicate features, the way her laughter once lit up his world, and the cold indifference that had replaced it after their marriage.
Three years.
Three years of marriage and not once had she looked at him the way a wife should look at her husband.
They hadn't even consummated their bond.
But he couldn't blame her. How could she respect a man who had failed where all his siblings had succeeded?
With a deep breath, Wei Jin straightened his back. He pressed his palms together and closed his eyes. "One more time," he muttered. "This time… this time, I will awaken the Inverse Eyes. Once I do, Ru Shaonian will finally acknowledge me!"
The temperature in the room dropped as he began to chant. "Heaven and earth, spirits and demons, hear my plea. Grant me the sight of the Wei ancestors. Inverse Eyes, awaken!"
A surge of energy erupted from within him. The air around him shimmered, distorting like ripples in water. His veins bulge, and a faint crimson hue began to flicker in his eyes.
Then, darkness.
The room was silent for a heartbeat.
Suddenly, the sound of crack! crackle! filled the air as the protective barrier of the abode shattered.
Shadows slithered into the room, writhing and twisting like living things.
A bone-chilling laugh echoed, sending shivers down Wei Jin's spine.
"Daring, aren't you?" a voice hissed. It was guttural, inhuman. A demon's voice.
Wei Jin gritted his teeth, beads of sweat rolling down his face. "No… not demons again."
But then, the presence shifted. It wasn't a demon this time.
A cold, ancient aura pressed down on him, suffocating.
The shadows condensed, forming a spectral figure. Its hollow eyes bore into Wei Jin's soul.
"You seek power," the spirit growled. Its voice was sharp, like the edge of a blade. "But your body is weak. Let me take it, and I will show you true strength."
Wei Jin's chest heaved as he fought to maintain control.
The spirit's energy clawed at him, threatening to tear his soul apart. His vision blurred, and the edges of his consciousness began to fray.
"No!" he roared, his voice echoing through the room.
With a surge of his cultivation, he turned the spirit's assault back on itself.
The figure writhed and screeched, its form dissipating like smoke. Wei Jin's spiritual energy surged, consuming the spirit in a burst of light.
Wei Jin was stunned, 'the soul disappeared just like that?' he thought.
"Usually, demons aren't that easy to destroy, but how is it that this inner spiritual demon was immediately erased?"
However, suddenly, he froze.
Memories began pouring like water inside his head.
For a moment, silence reigned.
Not long, Wei Jin opened his eyes, expecting to feel triumph. But there was nothing in it anymore.
No joy, no relief.
Just emptiness.
The usual cheerful, clean and youthful appearance seemed to disappear.
He turned his gaze to the blank wall of the cultivation abode. The flickering light of the crystals reflected in his eyes, but they held no warmth. His usually cheerful demeanor was gone, replaced by an unsettling hollowness.
Slowly, he stood. His movements were mechanical, as if he were a puppet being controlled by invisible strings.
He stepped out of the abode, his robes billowing in the night wind. The path to the Ru family estate was long, but he moved with purpose with steady and unwavering steps.
As he walked through the streets, whispers followed him.
"Isn't that Wei Jin?"
"Didn't he say he was going to awaken his Inverse Eyes?"
"Why is he heading to the Ru family now?"
Wei Jin ignored them all. His mind was a storm of thoughts, but his expression remained unreadable.
…
Half a day later, the Ru family estate was alive with celebration.
Lanterns of every color hung from the trees, casting a warm glow over the courtyard.
Music filled the air, and the laughter of the guests mingled with the clinking of wine cups.
At the head of the banquet table sat Ru Shaonian, her beauty radiant even among the crowd. She wore a flowing crimson gown, the embroidery shimmering with traces of spiritual energy. Her father, the Ru patriarch, raised his cup in a toast.
"To Shaonian's success in breaking through to the Spirit Foundation Realm! She is no longer mortal and has stepped to the path of true cultivation!" he declared.
The guests cheered, their voices echoing through the hall. Even the Wei family elders were present, nodding in approval.
"Truly, a matchless talent," one elder said, stroking his beard.
But as the festivities reached their peak, a loud boom! shattered the air.
The doors of the banquet hall burst open with a force that sent shards of wood flying.
Kabang!
Gasps filled the room as everyone turned to the entrance.
There, standing in the doorway, was Wei Jin. His robes were disheveled, and his face was pale. But it wasn't his appearance that shocked them. It was his eyes.
The usual warmth and kindness were gone. In their place was a sharp, piercing gaze that seemed to cut through the room. His presence was overwhelming, suffocating even the most seasoned cultivators.
"Wei Jin?" Ru Shaonian's voice trembled. She had never seen him like this before.
He stepped forward, his boots echoing against the marble floor. The room fell silent, the festive atmosphere replaced by a heavy tension.
"Wei Jin, what is the meaning of this?" one of the Ru elders demanded.
Wei Jin ignored him. His gaze locked onto Ru Shaonian, and for a moment, the room seemed to hold its breath.
"Ru Shaonian," he said, his voice firm and unyielding.
The entire hall waited, the weight of his words hanging in the air.
"Let's get a divorce!"
The hall was silent, stunned into stillness by Wei Jin's words.
Faces around the room reflected a myriad of emotions: disbelief, shock, and even faint traces of amusement.
The Ru family elders furrowed their brows, their expressions darkening.
The guests' mouths hung open, their voices caught in their throats.
Ru Shaonian's usually composed face betrayed her shock; her lips parted slightly as if to protest, but no words came out.
The Wei family elders exchanged wide-eyed glances, as though they couldn't believe what they had just heard.
Wei Jin stood tall, his trembling hands betraying the storm within him. He scanned the room, his gaze heavy with purpose.
"Yes," he said, his voice sharp, breaking the suffocating silence. "I am repeating myself. I, Wei Jin of the Wei Clan, demand a divorce!"
A collective gasp swept through the banquet hall.
It was like a stone dropped into a still lake, rippling out until every guest murmured in disbelief.
"Did he just say—"
"Divorce? Wei Jin?"
"Impossible! Isn't he madly in love with Ru Shaonian?"
"Has the world turned upside down?"
The murmurs rose to a crescendo, like the rustling of leaves in a storm. Wei Jin's ears buzzed with the sound, but he stood firm.
From among the crowd, a mocking laugh pierced through the whispers.
It came from Wei Cheng, one of Wei Jin's elder cousins. His voice was loud and dripping with scorn.
"Wei Jin, are we hearing you correctly? You, the one who treasures Ru Shaonian as if she's the only woman under the heavens, want a divorce?"
Wei Jin's jaw tightened. His hands trembled at his sides, but he nodded slowly, deliberately. "Yes." His voice was firm, even as the tremor in his hands betrayed his vulnerability. "I… I do."
The room froze as if waiting for someone to announce it was all a joke. But Wei Jin's unwavering expression made the truth clear.
"Unbelievable," someone muttered.
"I never thought I'd see the day…"
Even as the murmurs continued, Ru Shen, the patriarch of the Ru family and Ru Shaonian's father, raised his hand, commanding silence. His calm demeanor cut through the chaos like a blade.
Slowly, he rose from his seat, his presence dignified and imposing despite his advanced age.
"Son-in-law Wei Jin," Ru Shen began, his voice steady and measured. "You have always been a man of respect and honor. What could possibly lead you to this sudden change of heart? May we find the reason behind this decision?"
Wei Jin's gaze softened as it fell on the elder.
Memories flooded his mind: the first time he had met Ru Shen, the old man's gentle yet commanding presence, and the wisdom he had imparted.
Even now, Wei Jin couldn't bring himself to show disrespect.
He stepped forward and clasped his hands, bowing deeply.
"Elder Ru, I have always respected you and your family. That has not changed, nor will it ever. But…" He straightened, his voice calm yet resolute. "I have only one life. I know my limitations. I have decided to let Shaonian go. This decision… it is for irreconcilable differences."
The room buzzed again with whispers.
"Irreconcilable differences?"
"Is he saying they're incompatible?"
"How could that be? Wei Jin adored her!"
Ru Shaonian's lips tightened, but she said nothing.
Wei Jin glanced her way, his heart tightening when he noticed something he had never seen before—a faint sparkle of joy in her eyes.
It was fleeting, disappearing the moment she caught his gaze, but it was enough to leave him hollow. She quickly looked away, but the damage was done.
Ru Shen's sharp eyes caught the exchange. "Wei Jin," he said, his voice thoughtful. "Tell me, is this decision because of your cultivation?"
Wei Jin hesitated, his mind racing.
The elder's words seemed to strike a chord, and his shoulders sagged under their weight. After a moment, he nodded slowly. "Yes," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "Let's leave it at that."
The room seemed to collectively understand his meaning.
"So it's because Wei Jin hasn't awakened his Inverse Eyes?"
"Ru Shaonian just reached the Spirit Foundation Realm recently. The gap between them must feel insurmountable to him."
"Poor man. He must think he's unworthy."
Ru Shen studied Wei Jin for a long moment. His gaze was piercing but not unkind.
"Wei Jin," he said finally, his voice heavy with the wisdom of years.
"Do you truly believe that cultivation levels determine a bond between husband and wife? Shaonian and you are like heaven and earth in cultivation, yes. But does that truly matter?
"A man's worth is not measured by his strength alone. Your character, your devotion, your kindness—these are what make you worthy."
Others nodded in agreement, murmuring their support.
"Indeed, Wei Jin is a good man."
"Why should it matter if he hasn't awakened his Inverse Eyes?"
But Wei Jin shook his head. "Thank you, Elder Ru, for your kind words. But my decision is firm."
With that, he reached into his robes and retrieved a small, glowing herb.
Its vibrant green leaves shimmered with a golden hue, exuding an aura of immense spiritual energy.
Wei Jin held it up for all to see before tossing it onto the banquet table.
"This is the Hundred-Year Spirit Herb," he said, his voice steady. "It is a treasure I found during my travels. Consider it my compensation for this decision. Though I know it is not enough to make amends, I hope you can respect my choice."
The herb landed softly, its glow illuminating the faces of the stunned guests.
Ru Shen looked at the herb, then back at Wei Jin. His gaze was unreadable, a mix of pity and respect. "Hmmm," he mumbled at last, his voice quiet but firm. "Is there no way to stop your decision now?"
The murmurs in the room grew louder, but Wei Jin nodded and ignored the rest.
His eyes remained fixed on Ru Shaonian for a moment longer before he turned on his heel and walked out of the banquet hall.