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  Ancient Fragment #7

  High above in the firmament, a thunderstorm raged. Lightning of many colors flashed across the heavens, and a lone figure stood there. He raised his arm, a large hammer in hand, drawing the lightning, absorbing all of their brilliance. Recorded in 'Immortal Sightings' Chapter Nine, Page Twelve.

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  Inside, Long Tianyu and Hua Qingqing could hear the commotion outside. The faint sounds of the village drifted in, yet inside, it felt as though the world had narrowed to just the two of them.

  Long Tianyu sat across from her, listening as she spoke, but his gaze slowly drifted down. His eyes lingered at her neck, where a thin cord of silver rested against her skin. At the end of it hung a small, unremarkable pendant.

  Hua Qingqing noticed his stare almost immediately. Her cheeks warmed, and she instinctively reached up to cover it.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  Long Tianyu snapped out of it and coughed lightly, looking a bit embarrassed. “Qingqing, is your necklace some kind of treasure?” he asked.

  The words made Hua Qingqing quiet down. Her fingers tightened around the pendant as her eyes lowered. For a moment, she did not answer. Then she gently pulled the necklace free and held it in her palm. With a careful motion, she opened it.

  Inside was a small mirror, or what remained of one. A jagged crack ran across its surface, splitting the reflection into broken fragments. Whatever power it once held was clearly gone.

  “My mother gave it to me before she passed away,” Hua Qingqing said softly. “She told me it would protect me.”

  Her voice wavered at the end. She stared at the cracked mirror, her reflection distorted and incomplete. It had always been with her, ever since she could remember. Through cultivation, danger, and fear, it had remained whole. Until now.

  Hua Qingqing's chest tightened. This was the only thing her mother had left her. And it had been destroyed in The Godslaying Abyss.

  “Oh…” Long Tianyu said quietly, regret in his eyes. “I’m sorry, Qingqing. Maybe you can fix it someday. We haven’t seen Brother Xuanfeng since he left Moondragon City. Maybe he’s become a great forgemaster and can help you now.”

  Hua Qingqing looked up at him. His words were simple, but they carried warmth. Slowly, a small smile appeared on her face. She closed the pendant and gripped it tightly in her hand, as if by holding it she could preserve what little remained.

  She nodded. “I’ll ask him next time I see him.”

  For a brief moment, the mood softened. Then Hua Qingqing’s expression changed. The smile faded, replaced by something heavier. Her brows knitted together, and her posture straightened.

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  Long Tianyu noticed immediately. He stopped speaking, his own expression turning serious. They both knew there was something they could no longer avoid.

  “Tianyu,” Hua Qingqing said quietly. “About The Godslaying Abyss. I felt something too. Something strong, telling me to find Nine Tribulations.”

  Long Tianyu’s eyes narrowed slightly. He listened closely.

  “I don’t know exactly what it is,” she continued. “Maybe some of the sects know about it. But I think something happened inside. Something changed us. I know so much more now. These memories aren’t even mine, but they feel real.”

  She paused, pressing a hand to her chest.

  “I also know I have a bloodline. It’s called the Soul-Reaping Melody Bloodline. It makes it easier for me to cultivate music and soul attacks.”

  Long Tianyu exhaled slowly. He did not interrupt her. Every word she spoke resonated with what he had been feeling. When she finished, he took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts before speaking.

  “There was a shadow inside,” he said. “So big it looked like a mountain. When I saw it, I felt afraid. It was different from facing a strong cultivator, like the third prince. It was like something divine was watching me. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

  His fists clenched unconsciously.

  “After we fell into that sea of lightning, I think something happened to us,” Long Tianyu continued. “Maybe it helped us or awakened something. But this obsession is so strong. It keeps echoing in my mind, telling me to find it and bring it back.”

  He closed his eyes briefly. The image of the massive shadow still lingered behind his eyelids. Even now, thinking about it made his heart beat faster.

  “And there’s so much information,” he said. “About cultivation, realms, laws, and things I don’t fully understand yet. It’s like knowledge was forced into me, and I haven’t had time to process it.”

  Hua Qingqing listened in silence. Her fingers trembled slightly as she held her necklace. She felt the same pull, the same sense that something unseen was guiding her steps. Hearing Long Tianyu describe it made her realize that whatever had happened in The Godslaying Abyss was not an accident.

  “And…” Long Tianyu hesitated, then looked directly at her. His eyes were steady, filled with a mixture of confusion and resolve.

  “I have a bloodline too,” he said. “It’s called the Nine Heavens Sword Bloodline.”

  The room fell silent once more.

  Hua Qingqing’s eyes widened slightly. She did not speak right away. Instead, she studied him, as if seeing him for the first time. A sword bloodline, and one that carried the name of the heavens themselves.

  “So it’s not just me,” she murmured, then smiled.

  “That’s great, Tianyu! I’m sure it’ll help with your cultivation.”

  Her reaction made Long Tianyu smile. Seeing this simple joy eased the tightness in his chest.

  “I hope so,” he said. “Right now, it feels more like a burden than a gift. I can sense something huge behind it, like a sky that’s out of reach.”

  Hua Qingqing shook her head gently. “All powerful things start out that way. When I first felt the Soul-Reaping Melody Bloodline, I was afraid too. The sounds I heard while cultivating weren’t always gentle. But once I calmed down and accepted it, everything made more sense.”

  She leaned back slightly, her gaze drifting toward the ceiling. “Besides, you’ve always liked the sword. It suits you.”

  Long Tianyu laughed softly. “I hope so.”

  The atmosphere lightened, though the deeper issues still lingered beneath the surface. After a moment, Hua Qingqing’s expression turned thoughtful again.

  “We shouldn’t rush. If the sects know something, we can learn from them. If not, we’ll get stronger first. The stronger we are, the more choices we’ll have.”

  Her words were calm and steady. They also made him calm down. He could always trust her.

  “You’re right,” Long Tianyu said. “No matter what’s ahead, we’re not powerless.”

  “And when we’re strong enough,” she added, “we’ll go back into The Godslaying Abyss, with or without Nine Tribulations.”

  Long Tianyu looked at her, feeling a quiet resolve settle in his heart. The path ahead was unclear, filled with danger and mystery. But for the first time since leaving his home with Hua Qingqing, he felt more than ever ready to walk it.

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  End of chapter 7 - The resolve