---
They say when someone reaches the peak of cultivation, they ascend beyond the sky—into the Upper Realm, where mortals are dust, and gods walk freely.
Few ever return.
But today, one did.
He didn't come with fire or thunder. He didn't need to.
He simply arrived—and the world knelt.
From the clouds above the Yun Clan, a figure descended silently. His robe shimmered like stars, his steps left golden ripples in the air. Cultivators of the clan—elders, generals, even the Patriarch—stood frozen.
No one spoke his name, but all knew who he was.
> Xiao Yan.
A man who once walked among mortals. A man who now made the heavens bow.
He came for one thing.
Or rather, one person.
Yun Qianxue.
The Young Miss of the Yun Clan. Talented. Cold. Untouchable.
And today, she walked out of the main hall, stood beside him without hesitation, and nodded once.
There was no marriage. No goodbye. No discussion.
She left with him like she had always belonged to that higher world.
No one dared stop them.
Not the clan. Not her father.
Not me.
I stood at the edge of the courtyard, half-hidden behind a pillar, dressed in plain gray servant robes. My name is Li Tian.
I had served Yun Qianxue for ten years—guarding her carriage, preparing her pills, protecting her in secret missions. She never owed me anything. I never expected more.
I wasn't heartbroken.
I was just… reminded.
Reminded that people like me don't reach the sky.
When the two vanished into the clouds, I turned and went back to the servant quarters. No one noticed.
That night, I packed what little I had and left.
---
I stood in the courtyard with my small bundle, trying to figure out what to do next. But there wasn't much to think about.
I didn't need anyone to tell me. It was over.
I had seen it before.
When the master leaves, the servants go too. It's not personal, it's just how things work.
---
As I walked toward the back gate, I saw Elder Wu standing by the wall, looking at me. He wasn't surprised. Neither was I.
"Leaving, huh?" he said, his voice tired.
I nodded. There was nothing to explain. The clan didn't need me anymore. Yun Qianxue was gone, and with her, I had no place left.
---
Elder Wu reached into his robe and pulled out a small pouch. He held it out to me, and I took it, unsure if I should thank him or not.
"Ten years," he muttered. "It's not much, but take it. A little something to help you get by."
---
I looked at the pouch. It was heavier than I expected, but it felt strange in my hand. It wasn't a gift. It was just… a formality.
I didn't want his money, not really. But I couldn't refuse it either.
"Thanks," I said, my voice quieter than I intended.
---
He didn't say much more. He didn't need to. He'd seen people leave before. We both knew what it was—just the end of one chapter.
"Take care, Li Tian," he said, his eyes meeting mine for the first time like he was actually seeing me. "Don't let the world crush you."
---
I nodded and walked past him, out through the gate. The sound of the clan behind me faded.
---
No one asked where I was going. No one tried to stop me. It wasn't cruel, just indifferent.
I wasn't angry. I wasn't sad. I was… numb.
I took the pouch with me, feeling its weight but not knowing if it mattered.
It wasn't cruel. But it wasn't kind either. It was just how things worked.
The village was small. A winding river split it in two, and mist clung to the fields each morning like silk to skin. Here, no one cared about sect rankings or ancient bloodlines. The strongest man in town was the blacksmith—and he had a limp.
I bought an abandoned tea house near the edge of the market square. With what little silver the Yun Clan elder had given me—retirement money, they called it—I rebuilt it into a humble herbal shop.
No name on the signboard. Just a symbol of a leaf, carved by hand.
It wasn't much. But it was mine.
---
The first few months were quiet.
I rose with the sun. Brewed tea. Sorted herbs. I learned to listen—not with spirit sense, but with patience. A tired farmer's cough. A merchant's aching joints. A child too sick to cry.
I wasn't a doctor. But I helped where I could.
And slowly, the people started coming.
---
"Uncle Tian, the roots you gave my mother worked!"
"You really lived in a great clan before, huh? Bet you were a bigshot!"
I would just smile. I never spoke of the Yun Clan. Not because I hated them—just because that life wasn't mine anymore.
---
One night, nearly a year after I'd arrived, I lit incense and sat by the old cherry tree behind the shop.
The wind was still.
The stars blinked slowly overhead.
And then—something changed.
---
A pressure, like the entire sky pressing down. But not violent. Just… ancient.
A whisper moved through the branches—not sound, but presence.
Then, in my mind, a voice:
[System Detected.]
[Compatible Host Identified: Bloodline - Voidfire Origin (Dormant).]
[Offer: Heavenborne System. Do you accept?]
I didn't panic. I didn't jump to say yes.
I stared at the stars for a long time.
Then I whispered, "Why now?"
There was no answer.
Just silence.
---
I didn't accept the system that night.