Chapter 7: The Road to the Stormlands
The wind carried the scent of rain as Xiao Lian and Yun Mei descended from the floating temple. Below them, the world stretched vast and untamed—rolling forests, winding rivers, and distant mountains wreathed in mist. Somewhere beyond those peaks lay their next destination: the Stormlands.
Xiao Lian adjusted the Windblade at his side. "You never told me what's in the Stormlands."
Yun Mei's gaze remained on the path ahead. "The remnants of the Aetherbound's knowledge. If you want to master the Windblade, we need to find the Hall of Forgotten Winds."
Xiao Lian frowned. "I thought the Aetherbound were wiped out."
"They were," Yun Mei said, her voice quiet. "But their secrets remain, hidden in the Stormlands. And if the Shadow Sect is hunting you, we need every advantage we can find."
The thought of Lei Feng sent a chill through Xiao Lian. The way the Tempest Fang had looked at him—it wasn't just as an enemy, but as a prey whose time was running out.
He clenched his fists. He wasn't going to die as prey.
Yun Mei picked up the pace. "Come on. We need to reach the river before nightfall."
They moved swiftly through the forest, the wind whispering through the trees like an unseen watcher.
But they weren't alone.
The Shadows Close In
Xiao Lian felt it first. A shift in the wind—something unnatural.
Then came the sound. Soft. Barely there. But unmistakable.
Footsteps.
He stopped. "We're being followed."
Yun Mei didn't look surprised. "They move faster than I thought."
From the trees, the shadows came alive.
Figures emerged—silent, masked, clad in the midnight robes of the Shadow Sect. Their blades gleamed under the fading sunlight.
There were six of them.
Xiao Lian drew the Windblade. His grip was steady. He had fought assassins before.
But then—
A new presence stepped forward.
Not just another assassin.
This man radiated killing intent.
His robe bore a silver insignia—a crescent fang.
Yun Mei tensed. "A Shadow Fang."
Xiao Lian didn't need an explanation. This wasn't just another assassin. This was a hunter. A warrior of the Shadow Sect trained specifically to eliminate dangerous threats.
The Shadow Fang tilted his head. "The Windblade's wielder… disappointing."
Xiao Lian's heart pounded, but he didn't react. Stay calm. Watch his movements.
The Shadow Fang's eyes glinted. "Lei Feng gave you a warning. Yet here you are, running straight into the storm. Perhaps you wish for death?"
Xiao Lian raised his sword. "If I wanted to die, I wouldn't be standing here."
The Shadow Fang smiled—a cold, joyless thing. "Then I will grant you the hunt you seek."
He vanished.
The Hunt Begins
Xiao Lian barely had time to raise his sword before the Shadow Fang was on him.
A flash of steel—too fast.
He dodged, barely, the blade cutting through the air where his throat had been.
Then another strike. And another.
Each movement was precise. Ruthless. The Shadow Fang wasn't testing him. He was trying to end it immediately.
Xiao Lian parried, but each impact sent shocks through his arms. The force behind the attacks was immense.
The Windblade trembled in his grasp. He was not ready.
The Shadow Fang saw it. He moved for the kill—
Then Yun Mei intervened.
A burst of wind sent the assassin staggering. Yun Mei landed beside Xiao Lian, twin daggers drawn. "I'll handle him. Take the others."
Xiao Lian didn't argue.
The five remaining assassins lunged.
Wind and Steel
Xiao Lian flowed into motion.
His mind was clear. No fear. No hesitation.
He became one with the wind.
A blade came for his back—he turned, vanishing like mist before striking the assassin's side. The Windblade howled, cutting through cloth and flesh.
Another attacker leapt from above—Xiao Lian let the wind carry him, shifting aside before striking upward.
One by one, they fell.
Then—
A sharp crack.
Xiao Lian turned.
Yun Mei collapsed, blood trailing from her side.
The Shadow Fang loomed over her, his blade slick with crimson.
Xiao Lian's breath caught.
The assassin met his gaze. "Do you see now?" he murmured. "You are not strong enough."
Something snapped inside Xiao Lian.
The wind around him roared.
The air thickened, swirling with raw energy. The sky darkened, storm clouds forming from nothing.
The Shadow Fang's eyes widened. "What—"
Xiao Lian vanished.
A single step.
The wind screamed.
He reappeared behind the assassin.
The Shadow Fang's sword-arm fell to the ground.
A second later, his body collapsed.
Xiao Lian stood over him, the Windblade shimmering in his grasp.
For the first time, the assassin looked afraid. "This power… is impossible…"
Xiao Lian pointed his blade at the man's throat.
"Leave. Tell Lei Feng I'm coming for him."
The Shadow Fang hesitated. Then, clutching his severed arm, he disappeared into the night.
The storm began to fade.
Xiao Lian turned to Yun Mei.
She was pale, her breathing shallow. "That… was reckless," she muttered.
Xiao Lian knelt beside her. "I had no choice."
She gave a weak smirk. "Then maybe you really are an Aetherbound after all."
Xiao Lian exhaled. The battle was over. But something inside him had changed.
He had awakened something new.
The power of the Aetherwind.
And now, there was no turning back.