Night had already settled over the sect.
Dark clouds drifted slowly across the sky, occasionally revealing the pale silver glow of the moon. The usually lively courtyard outside the healing pavilion was now quiet, with only the faint rustling of wind passing through the bamboo trees.
Inside the pavilion, the atmosphere was tense.
Lanterns burned softly along the wooden walls, their dim golden light illuminating rows of medicine cabinets filled with rare herbs and spiritual remedies.
At the center of the room lay a young man.
Lin Xianwu.
He had not moved for two days.
His breathing was faint but steady, rising and falling like fragile waves upon a calm sea. His once powerful aura was now almost nonexistent, suppressed by the severe damage inside his body.
Several elders stood nearby.
Among them was Elder Wen, the head healer of the sect. His brows were tightly furrowed as he carefully checked Lin's pulse once more.
The other elders waited silently.
Finally, Elder Wen withdrew his hand and sighed.
"The damage is severe."
One of the elders immediately asked,
"How severe?"
Elder Wen looked toward Lin Xianwu's pale face before answering.
"His meridians are cracked in multiple places, his spiritual energy is completely exhausted, and his dantian has suffered intense pressure."
The elder's expression darkened.
"Can he recover?"
Elder Wen hesitated.
"If his body was normal… I would say no."
The room fell silent.
But then he continued.
"However… something strange is happening inside him."
Another elder stepped forward.
"What do you mean?"
Elder Wen turned toward them.
"His internal injuries should be getting worse… yet they are slowly stabilizing."
"Stabilizing?"
"Yes."
Elder Wen's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"It is as if something inside his body is repairing the damage… little by little."
The elders exchanged confused looks.
None of them had ever heard of such a thing.
Before anyone could speak again—
The atmosphere suddenly changed.
The lantern flames flickered violently.
A powerful yet calm pressure filled the room, like a silent tide spreading through the air.
Every elder immediately straightened.
They recognized that presence instantly.
Footsteps echoed softly from the hallway.
Slow.
Steady.
Each step carried a quiet authority that made even the elders feel small.
The wooden door slid open.
A tall figure entered.
He wore long, simple robes that flowed like quiet clouds around him. His silver hair rested neatly over his shoulders, and his calm eyes held the depth of countless years.
The Supreme Master had arrived.
Every elder immediately bowed.
"Supreme Master."
The Supreme Master gave a small nod.
His gaze slowly moved across the room before settling on the unconscious figure lying on the bed.
Lin Xianwu.
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then he walked forward.
His steps were light, yet the room seemed to grow heavier with each movement.
Elder Wen stepped aside respectfully.
"He has not awakened since the incident."
The Supreme Master stood beside the bed and looked down at Lin.
The young disciple's face was pale, his breathing weak, but despite his condition… there was still an unusual calm surrounding him.
The Supreme Master raised his hand.
Two fingers gently touched Lin's wrist.
The moment contact was made, a thin stream of spiritual energy flowed into Lin's body.
Instantly, the Supreme Master's consciousness traveled through Lin's meridians.
What he saw made his brows slowly tighten.
Cracks.
Damage.
Energy depletion.
It was worse than the elders had described.
Any ordinary cultivator would have already died.
Yet Lin Xianwu was still alive.
The Supreme Master continued examining deeper.
His spiritual sense entered Lin's dantian.
And then—
He paused.
A faint golden glow flickered deep within the core of Lin's body.
It was extremely weak.
Almost impossible to detect.
But it was there.
The Supreme Master's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Interesting…"
Elder Wen looked surprised.
"Supreme Master?"
The Supreme Master did not answer immediately.
Instead, he allowed his spiritual energy to carefully approach the golden light.
The moment it touched it—
The golden energy pulsed.
A soft ripple spread through Lin's body.
The cracked meridians trembled slightly, as if responding to that mysterious power.
The Supreme Master slowly withdrew his spiritual sense.
A rare expression of surprise appeared on his calm face.
Elder Wen noticed it instantly.
"What did you discover?"
The Supreme Master remained silent for a moment before finally speaking.
"This disciple…"
He looked at Lin again.
"…should not still be alive."
The elders stiffened.
"But he is."
The Supreme Master nodded slowly.
"Yes."
His gaze deepened.
"And something inside him is protecting his life."
Elder Wen frowned.
"A treasure?"
"No."
The Supreme Master shook his head.
"It is part of him."
The elders exchanged shocked looks.
"Part of him?"
The Supreme Master folded his hands behind his back.
"It appears that the emblem he used during the council incident triggered something."
Elder Wen immediately remembered the moment Lin had unleashed its power.
"That pressure…"
The Supreme Master nodded.
"Yes."
His eyes returned to the unconscious Lin Xianwu.
"A dormant force inside his body has awakened."
The room grew silent again.
One of the elders spoke carefully.
"Is it dangerous?"
The Supreme Master thought for a moment.
Then he replied,
"That depends."
"On what?"
The Supreme Master looked toward the dark window, where the moonlight quietly illuminated the mountains beyond the sect.
"On what that power truly is."
Elder Wen hesitated before asking another question.
"Will he wake up?"
The Supreme Master glanced at Lin again.
"He will."
"When?"
"Soon."
Then he added quietly,
"His body is recovering faster than it should."
Elder Wen looked relieved.
But the Supreme Master's expression remained thoughtful.
After a few moments, he turned toward the elders.
"No one outside this room is to know about what we sensed today."
The elders immediately bowed.
"Yes, Supreme Master."
The Supreme Master looked at Lin Xianwu one last time.
The faint golden energy pulsed quietly beneath the surface of the unconscious disciple.
A power that had slept for many years.
Now beginning to awaken.
The Supreme Master slowly walked toward the door.
Just before leaving, he said calmly,
"Watch over him carefully."
Then he added,
"The moment he wakes… inform me immediately."
The door closed softly behind him.
The overwhelming presence disappeared.
Yet the atmosphere inside the room remained heavy.
Elder Wen looked down at Lin Xianwu.
The young disciple still slept peacefully, unaware that something deep within him had begun to change.
Outside, the wind continued to move through the bamboo trees.
And somewhere in the distant mountains…
A storm was slowly gathering.