Chapter 7: The Return to Azure Cloud and a Gathering of Secrets
The fog of the Misty Forest clung to Lin Yue’s clothes as he stumbled back into the Azure Cloud Sect at dusk. His arm throbbed where the qi-eating wolf had bitten him—even with the healing pill, the wound was still red and tender—and his legs ached from hours of walking. But he didn’t stop. He headed straight for Elder Mu’s hall, the journal and map clutched tightly in his hand.
Xiao Yu was waiting outside the hall, her face pale with worry. When she saw Lin Yue, she ran forward, her hands flying to his injured arm. “You’re hurt! What happened? Did you find the journal?”
“I’m okay,” Lin Yue said, gently pushing her hand away. “And yes—I found it. But we need to talk to Elder Mu. Now. It’s about the Shadow Sect. About the Azure Dragon Pearl.”
Xiao Yu nodded, her expression hardening. She led him into the hall, where Elder Mu sat at his desk, surrounded by scrolls. The sect leader looked up, his eyes widening when he saw Lin Yue’s state. “You look like you’ve been through a war. What did you find in the Misty Forest?”
Lin Yue laid the journal and map on the desk. “My father’s journal. He wrote it before the Shadow Sect took him. The Azure Dragon Pearl isn’t just an artifact—it’s a prison. It holds a fragment of the Dark Dragon’s soul. The Shadow Sect wants to release it, and they think merging it with the Azure Dragon Codex will let them control it.”
Elder Mu’s breath caught. He picked up the journal, his fingers trembling as he flipped through the pages. “The Dark Dragon… I thought that was just a myth. Stories told to scare children.”
“It’s no myth,” Lin Yue said. “My father saw proof. And Elder Zhang—he wasn’t working with the Shadow Sect by choice. They took his wife, threatened to kill her if he didn’t steal the pearl and frame my father.”
Xiao Yu gasped. “That’s why he helped them? I can’t believe it.”
Elder Mu set the journal down, his face grave. “This changes everything. If the Shadow Sect releases the Dark Dragon… not just our sect, but the entire realm will be destroyed. We need to act—but we can’t act alone. The other sects—Clear Water, Golden Mountain, Iron Palm—they need to know. We need to form an alliance.”
Lin Yue nodded, but a doubt nagged at him. “What about the Shadow Palace? My father’s there. Elder Zhang’s wife, too. We can’t just leave them.”
Elder Mu sighed. “I know. But the Shadow Palace is guarded by hundreds of dark cultivators. Lord Xiao—their leader—is said to be at the Core Formation Stage. Even if we gathered all the sects’ strength, attacking now would be suicide. We need time. Time to train, time to gather allies, time to find a way to break through their defenses.”
Lin Yue’s jaw tightened. He hated waiting—hated knowing his father was trapped, suffering— but he knew Elder Mu was right. He was still only at the early Foundation Establishment Stage. He couldn’t take on the Shadow Sect alone.
“Long Xuan says I need to strengthen my dragon qi,” Lin Yue said, after a moment. “The codex has techniques for absorbing natural qi, but it’s slow. I need to find a way to speed it up—without rushing, without hurting myself.”
Elder Mu smiled faintly. “The Azure Cloud Sect has a Spirit Spring in the back mountain. Its water is infused with pure qi—perfect for cultivation. You can use it, but be careful. Absorbing too much qi too fast can damage your meridians, even with the codex guiding you.”
Xiao Yu stepped forward. “I’ll help him. I know a few low-grade healing techniques—if his meridians start to ache, I can soothe them. And I can keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn’t push himself too hard.”
Elder Mu nodded. “Good. Lin Yue, tomorrow you start at the Spirit Spring. Xiao Yu, you’ll join the scout team—we need to keep an eye on the Shadow Sect’s movements. They know Lin Yue found the journal now. They’ll be watching. They’ll be waiting.”
That night, Lin Yue sat on his bed, flipping through his father’s journal again. He stopped at a page halfway through, where his father had drawn a rough sketch of a symbol—a circle with three dragons 缠绕 (twined) around it. Next to the sketch, there was a note: “The key to the pearl’s prison. Only the codex’s wielder can activate it. But beware—the Dark Dragon’s soul will fight back. It feeds on fear.”
Lin Yue traced the symbol with his finger. He didn’t know what it meant, or how to activate it, but he knew it was important. He folded the journal, tucking it under his pillow, and closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he would start training at the Spirit Spring. Tomorrow, he would take the first small step toward saving his father.