A Song For The Ages

Feiyin descended the mountain path, his footsteps light but his heart heavy.

Each step carried the weight of everything he was leaving behind: his circle, his growth, the warmth of the Runeweavers courtyard, his friend. All of it, left behind because of one man's awakening.

The Old Devil.

Feiyin clenched his fist, the fabric of his robe tightening against his fingers. The oppressive feeling of being under someone's thumb pressed hard on his chest, just like it did the day he was torn from his parents. It echoed in the memory of Hui's death, in the way power had dictated their lives.

Beside his neck, Baiyu, coiled protectively around him, gently rubbed her head against his cheek. Her touch was soft, comforting.

"We have to get much stronger," he whispered.

Baiyu hissed in agreement, a quiet sound of solidarity.

Feiyin managed a small smile. "Yes, don't worry. I'm fine. Just venting a bit."

He paused on the trail, taking a slow breath, and crouched into a running stance, wanting to let loose.

"Baiyu, tighten up! We'll have some fun along the way."

The white snake understood instantly, coiling firmly around his torso.

Feiyin launched himself forward, the wind rushing against his face as he leapt. A crater formed where his feet had been. His laughter echoed along the mountainside, a rare sound of unburdened joy. It felt freeing.

He ran faster, pushing his limits, then added a burst of essence qi to the soles of his feet just as they touched the ground.

Boom.

The burst doubled his speed. Surprised, Feiyin tried again, adjusting the angle of release and his posture.

Two times speed. Then slightly more. Then three times. The wind screamed in his ears. He could barely see the world around him now, guiding himself with his spiritual sense. But then, resistance. The air itself thickened around him. He'd hit a wall.

Interesting

He tried again, refining the way he used his essence qi, his oscillation sense reading the backlash and correcting in real-time. But just as he was beginning to test a new rhythm,

Tap.

Baiyu's tail flicked him on the head.

He slowed.

*Hisss*

"Yeah, you're right. I should be careful. Especially since, " He looked up. "We're already this close."

In front of him rose the silhouette of the outpost, built into the rise of the hill like a fortress. Stone walls. An iron gate. Disciples bustling within.

Feiyin chuckled and patted Baiyu's head. "Still, three hours of a regular soldier running done in five minutes. Wasn't that fun?"

She hissed gently in agreement.

"Right? We have to this again! But for now, let's get into this party."

As he passed through the gate, the noise hit him like a wave. Disciples from all the branches had gathered, white robes lined with red, green, blue, purple. Some had beasts beside them. His eyes caught several from the Beast Taming branch, eyes lingering curiously on Baiyu. She hissed once, low and sharp. They backed off.

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Alchemists were few, just three in total. Two bore the silver trim of first-class disciples. One, like him, had two silver streaks.

Then he noticed them, the black robes.

Not the coarse robes of menial disciples. These were smooth, flowing silk, embroidered with sigils. Inner disciples.

The first was a man with a shaved head, broad shoulders, and skin like carved granite. His dark robes bore the symbol of a titan hoisting the world atop his shoulders, stitched in glowing gold thread that pulsed with a quiet authority.

Saint Body Branch.

His sheer presence made the earth feel denser beneath Feiyin's feet, like gravity itself acknowledged his weight. He stood motionless, yet felt more rooted than the mountain. His thick palms were folded across his chest, each as wide as a slab of stone, and his expression bore the stillness of one who had endured countless battles. The other disciples around him, all broad, armored in muscle, and disciplined in bearing, seemed like carved fragments of the same mountain.

Feiyin blinked, taking in the disciples smiliar hair style, then shivered to himself.

Yue with a shaved head...

He gave a quiet laugh, shaking off the image forming in his mind.

Another stood nearby. A young woman with blood-red eyes, their depths like stagnant pools of ancient blood, stared coldly at the crowd. Her long, black hair tumbled down her back like spilled ink, parted only by the two pointed wolf ears perched atop her head. Her aura reeked of copper and iron to Feiyin's senses, thick and cloying like a slaughterhouse at dusk. She wore the dark robes of the Saint Blood Branch, a crimson teardrop stitched into her left chest that seemed to pulse faintly with her heartbeat.

Even her stance was unsettling, perfectly still, not from serenity, but the coiled stillness of a predator before it pounces. Every movement around her, even the wind, seemed muted in comparison. Her fellow branch disciples, burly and ruthless-looking in their own right, gave her a wide berth, as if merely the idea of approaching her was terrifying.

Feiyin instinctively tightened his grip on Baiyu. The girl couldn't have been older than sixteen, but her presence screamed of death. She had walked through oceans of blood, and remembered every step.

Next, Feiyin's eyes turned to a striking figure seated with effortless grace atop a majestic white deer whose crystalline antlers shimmered under the sunlight. The woman astride it had cascading blonde hair like molten gold, framing a flawless, heart-shaped face. Her bright blue eyes glimmered with intelligence and barely restrained irritation. She wore a flowing black robe, the fabric dancing like flower petals around her as she shifted in the saddle. Her beauty was unmistakable, drawing the attention of nearby disciples, especially from the Beast Taming branch.

The deer beneath her wasn't merely a mount, it radiated power and intelligence, its every motion deliberate, its crystalline antlers humming faintly with essence. Despite the crowd around her, she exuded aloof confidence, clearly used to being admired, yet uninterested in the flattery.

A disciple to her right, a man with eager eyes and a smile too wide, leaned closer, his voice dripping with forced charm. "Come on, you ride a deer, how about trying a dragon for once? I could roar for you, and you'd never want to dismount again."

The woman shot him a glare that could chill molten stone, lips curling slightly with disdain. "Keep dreaming. I prefer riding creatures with dignity."

Feiyin chuckled under his breath. Even without knowing her name, he liked her already. He turned to look at the man speaking to her.

Then his gaze froze.

A handsome elf stood with an ease that bordered on arrogance. His long blue hair flowed down his back like a silken curtain, catching the light and reflecting faint ripples of color, his deep blue eyes calm yet unnerving. The dark silk robes he wore shimmered faintly, their fabric of the highest grade, and at their center glowed the yin-yang sigil of the Joyful Union Branch.

His face was like carved jade, smooth, elegant, and disturbingly flawless. Pale skin, sharp features, and a too-perfect smile. Everything about him was composed, refined, and yet… to Feiyin's senses, the man reeked of rot.

His oscillation sense twitched in disgust. Feng Liu's aura was like still water left to fester, a miasma of stagnation cloaked in perfume. The elegance was only a mask for something diseased beneath.

Feiyin's chest tightened. Hatred rose like bile in his throat.

Feng Liu.

Baiyu felt it too. She tightened her coils, golden eyes narrowed.

It's him...

The one who killed Hui.

The one he promised to kill.

But not yet.

He inhaled deeply, slowing his breath. Ice filled his veins. He met Baiyu's gaze, steady and strong.

Not yet.

The blonde woman atop the deer spoke loudly. "Feng, I already asked you to stop bothering me. I won't repeat myself."

Feng's smile didn't waver.

Feiyin forced himself to look away. He couldn't afford to tip his hand.

One step at a time.

For now, Let's slip in

Instead, he approached the three alchemists, walking calmly. He nodded to the second-class among them.