The sky was clear, but Zeravon's path felt more clouded than ever.
He stood alone in the northern segment of the disciple arena. The echoes of earlier battles still rang across the stone, but the crowd had thinned. Most had moved to watch stronger contenders in the main hall — where dazzling techniques clashed and spiritual Qi flooded the air.
Zeravon?
He was forgotten again.
Even Yueyin had disappeared after their brief encounter. She hadn't said a word. No warning. No explanation. She had simply turned her back and vanished into the wind.
He didn't chase.
He couldn't.
His shoulders were heavy, his thoughts heavier.
> *Why do I feel like... I'm not meant to chase anyone?*
---
**Back in the Observation Tower**
Instructor Wei frowned. "The boy hasn't advanced."
Elder Lin narrowed his eyes. "No. He's learning something else."
> "Failure," said another elder, scoffing. "That's what he's learning."
Lin didn't reply. He simply observed — deeply.
---
**Cloud Vein Sect – Next Morning**
The final rounds of the Outer Disciple Ranking Tournament had begun. Only top 100 remained.
Zeravon wasn't one of them.
Yet he still stood among them — unranked, uninvited, but unnoticed.
He wasn't here to fight.
He was here to **watch**.
Names flashed. Techniques exploded. Bodies flew.
Zeravon watched the flow of Qi in each movement. He studied how elemental affinities reacted, how flaws formed in techniques under pressure, how exhaustion changed posture.
No one else saw what he saw.
Because no one else was looking for **truth** in defeat.
---
**Later – Behind the Stage**
A voice broke his observation.
"Hey."
Zeravon turned. A tall, lean youth stood there, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
**Name:** Lin Yao
**Cultivation:** Mid-stage Qi Condensation
**Specialty:** Dual-blade footwork techniques
"Why'd you back out?" Lin Yao asked. "You could've entered top 200 easily."
Zeravon blinked. "I lost."
"Intentionally." Yao's eyes narrowed. "You were holding back."
Zeravon didn't deny it.
Lin Yao chuckled. "You're not the only one who sees more than they should. You don't need to hide. Not from me."
Before Zeravon could reply, Yao added:
"I'm going to win this round. Watch me."
And then he walked off.
---
**On the Battlefield**
Lin Yao's movements were clean — swift and unorthodox. His dual blades flowed like water, using footwork that bent Qi direction to confuse opponents.
Zeravon watched silently.
Another presence stood beside him.
"You're making friends now?"
He turned slightly.
**Name:** Nian Zhi
**Cultivation:** Late-stage Qi Condensation
**Specialty:** Ice Mist Palm — a rare variant technique
A calm, thoughtful girl with sharp intuition.
"You should have fought," she said. "But I understand why you didn't."
Zeravon tilted his head. "Why?"
She didn't answer. She just looked at him like she saw a version of him **he didn't know yet**.
---
**Elsewhere — Yueyin's Temporary Quarters**
Yueyin sat on a floating stone overlooking the mountain range, her gaze distant.
A soft flicker of light pulsed in the pendant she wore — a mirror of the item she had given Zeravon.
> *"He hasn't used it yet…"*
> *"Good. He's not ready."*
Her eyes narrowed.
> *"But when he is… even the Dao will feel his breath again."*
---
**Back in Zeravon's Room – Late Night**
He opened the pouch Yueyin had given him once more.
Inside, the item was still cold — a blue crystal, shaped like a scale, but smoother than any spirit jade. It didn't respond to his Qi. It didn't glow.
But when he held it… he felt **seen**.
As if something ancient on the other side was **waiting for him to remember**.
He closed it gently, returning it to the pouch.
> "Not yet."
---
**Cloud Vein Sect — Master's Hall**
Elder Lin received a scroll that night.
It was a list of disciples being nominated for inner sect promotion.
Zeravon's name wasn't on it.
But at the bottom, someone had written in fresh ink:
> **"He must not be tested."**
Lin's hands tightened.
> "Someone beyond the sect is watching him now…"
---