The Wall of Talent.
It was the immutable truth of the world, a silent executioner that spared no one, no matter how hard they worked or how fiercely they dreamed. Talent was the dividing line—the chasm that separated the great from the ordinary, the destined from the forgotten.
Li Zenith knew this better than most. He'd lived it. He'd seen it.
When he was young, he'd watched his twin brother leap ahead of him with infuriating ease, carving paths that Li could only stumble through despite putting in double the hours, double the effort. That was the first lesson.
The second came with the Martial King. Li had been there, his brother standing tall and proud, wielding the sword style that was their family's pride. And then, the Martial King had crushed it—crushed it underfoot like a handful of fragile plum blossoms. His brother's pride, their family's legacy, trampled to dust.
