Chapter 10: The Hall of Forgotten Winds
The storm had not relented.
Xiao Lian and Yun Mei pressed forward through the howling winds, their cloaks snapping like banners caught in a tempest. Every step toward the Hall of Forgotten Winds felt heavier, as though the very air resisted them.
And yet, the Windblade at Xiao Lian's side pulsed with an eerie calm. The deeper they ventured, the more he could feel it—a rhythm, a presence within the wind itself.
Yun Mei wiped the rain from her face. "Tell me again why we're heading into the heart of a storm?"
Xiao Lian exhaled, watching the swirling mist ahead. "Because someone is waiting for us."
Then, as if answering his words, the wind shifted.
The mist parted—revealing a colossal structure carved into the mountainside.
The Hall of Forgotten Winds.
The Gate of the Ancients
The hall was no mere ruin. Its towering pillars stood unyielding against the storm, their surfaces covered in ancient carvings. The entrance—an arched gate of dark stone—was flanked by two statues of warriors, their swords raised to the heavens.
A strange stillness settled over them as they approached.
Yun Mei frowned. "This place… it feels like it's watching us."
Xiao Lian felt it too.
Then—a voice.
Not spoken, but carried on the wind itself.
"You have come at last, heir of the Aetherbound."
The wind howled as a figure emerged from the shadows of the gate.
An old man, his robes white as mist, his eyes like clouded glass. Despite his frail form, there was power in his presence—like a storm held in check.
Xiao Lian instinctively reached for his sword. "Who are you?"
The man's gaze settled on him. "I am Tian Shu, last guardian of this hall. And you, Xiao Lian, are the one fated to reclaim what was lost."
Xiao Lian narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"
Tian Shu gestured toward the hall. "The Windblade has awakened, but you have not yet heard its true voice. If you wish to wield the power of the storm, you must step inside."
A deep silence followed.
Yun Mei shot Xiao Lian a wary look. "I don't trust this."
Xiao Lian didn't either. But something pulled at him—a whisper in the wind, a call that could not be ignored.
Finally, he stepped forward.
The gates groaned open.
Beyond them, darkness awaited.
But Xiao Lian did not hesitate.
With Yun Mei at his side, he crossed the threshold—into the heart of the forgotten wind.
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