**Year 746 of the Veiled Phoenix Dynasty**
**Age: 24**
Four years had passed since Kai Jin last stood before the Sect Master of Dawning Blades.
In those years, the quiet flame within him had grown steadily, hungrily. Though he never proclaimed a single advancement, never sought recognition, he became a myth within his own sect. Not for what he said—but for what he endured. What he withheld. What he refused to show.
He still trained alone.
Still refused to join the inner sect.
Still wore the robe of a common disciple.
And yet, tales of suppressed duels, of outer sect disciples leaving the sect in disgrace after challenging him, had spread across provinces. He was Kai Jin, the Unmoving Blade. The ghost who walked the halls of cultivation with no need for spirit or sword.
Even the one assigned to watch him had long since been replaced—twice.
Now, on the cusp of the Gods' Tournament, his name had once again reached the ears of the great.
---
The sun burned high above the mountain peaks, casting a golden veil across the valley where the Dawning Blades Sect stood tall and proud. The sect had spent the past year preparing: disciples refined their techniques, elders scouted talent, and alliances between sects began to ripple in the distance.
The **Gods' Tournament** was more than a test of strength. It was a stage of empires. Of opportunity and destruction alike.
Every four decades, the most powerful sects of the continent sent their brightest disciples to compete. The winner would earn favor from the Celestial Courts, a gift from the heavens themselves—an offering that could change the fate of kingdoms.
And now, as the tournament returned, Kai Jin could no longer be ignored.
---
He stood alone atop the western cliff, his robes unmoved by the wind.
His hair had grown long, now tied behind him in a loose warrior's tail. His features had matured: sharp cheekbones, a jaw refined by trial and solitude. But what marked him more than time were his eyes—calm, unreadable, ancient beyond their years.
Below, the sect bustled in preparation. Flags were raised. Transport formations activated. Caravans gathered disciples from outer provinces. And in the heart of it all, the inner court flourished with anticipation.
Kai watched silently.
Footsteps approached from behind.
It was Yue.
She had changed, too. Her once-strict features now bore the confidence of experience. Her cultivation had advanced into the early stages of Core Foundation, and she carried herself like someone who no longer feared being underestimated.
"It begins soon," she said, standing beside him.
He nodded. "I know."
They stood in silence for a time.
Then she added, "They asked me if you would compete."
"And what did you say?"
"That you would. Whether they liked it or not."
Kai gave the faintest hint of a smile.
---
Later that day, within the Grand Hall, the Sect Master convened a council of elders.
Elder Xuan Yu sat at the center, flanked by the heads of each discipline.
"It is time we finalize our roster," he said, tone grave. "The Gods' Tournament is less than three months away. We will be judged by what we send."
An elder in crimson robes leaned forward. "Kai Jin."
The room quieted.
"He's a risk," muttered another. "Still unranked. Still untested in official capacity."
"Or he's our hidden blade," Yue said, stepping into the chamber with a scroll.
Xuan Yu raised an eyebrow. "You speak on his behalf?"
"I speak on what I've seen."
There was silence.
Then the Sect Master nodded slowly. "Very well. Add his name to the list. Let the heavens judge."
---
That night, Kai meditated beneath the full moon. The breeze brushed his skin like the memory of battles never fought.
Within his mind, the **World Eye** stirred, silent for years, now whispering again.
**It begins.**
Kai opened his eyes slowly.
"Let them come."
---