Chapter 7: Rumors and Rising Tension
The courtyard had never been this silent.
Since the duel between Luo Qingshen and the arrogant inner disciple, hushed voices stirred like wind through bamboo. No one dared speak too loudly, as if the stone walls themselves had begun listening.
"He only used one hand...""And the elder actually stopped the fight.""Who is that guy?"
Luo Qingshen walked through the sect grounds with his usual calm. His black robes, lightly dusted with silver threads, caught the breeze like whispers of the night. He said nothing, ignored the stares, and made his way toward the mountain path where few dared tread.
But above, on the observation platform, a figure stood still as stone.
It was Elder Zhen, the oldest among the seated masters. His gaze was sharp, and his hand trembled slightly as he sipped his tea.
"The Spirit Veins have begun to stir," he murmured."A presence... older than this mountain."
Meanwhile, deep in the bamboo grove, a silver-haired girl watched from behind a veil of blossoms. Her eyes, pale as moonlight, followed Luo Qingshen with quiet intensity. She clutched a scroll tighter in her hands—the one she had found hidden in the library's forbidden archive.
The name on the scroll?"Qingshen, Divine Exile."
That night, clouds rolled over the mountains. The moonlight dimmed. A ripple of qi pulsed beneath the earth, unnoticed by most… but not by all.
Far beyond the sect's walls, on a distant peak, a dark-robed figure stood overlooking the valley. His face was obscured, his eyes glowing faintly with divine rune-light.
"He lives…" the stranger whispered, a crooked smile forming."The Hidden God walks again."