The afternoon sun bathed the peaks of Jade Qing Mountain in golden light.Clouds drifted lazily across the sky, like delicate veils draping the world below.
At the heart of the mountain range stood a great cliff—a place spoken of only in hushed reverence.There, for a thousand years, something had stood unmoving.
— A gate of azure stone.
No carvings.No sigil of any sect.Not even a name.
And yet, for countless generations, it had been known simply as—
"The Gate of Worthiness."
A boy stood before it.
A worn cloak draped over his shoulders.The sunlight shimmered off his dark black hair.In his eyes—an unshakable resolve… and a quiet stillness that defied words.
Not far behind stood Bai Wen, who had brought him here.He watched in silence, not saying a single word.
Xiao Tian drew a deep breath.But just as he stepped forward—
His eyes widened.
— A vision flashed through his mind.
He saw…
A sea of stars.Golden light swirling in the center of the universe.And a silhouette—standing before a gate just like this one…
But that gate floated in space.
"Was that… me?"
The image vanished in an instant,but Xiao Tian's heart raced without reason.Something within him stirred—as if it had been waiting for this moment for a very long time.
"Are you ready?" Bai Wen asked softly.
Xiao Tian turned and gave a small smile—then nodded slowly.
"I don't know what lies inside,""But I know… I must walk through it."
He stepped forward, right foot landing on the stone before the gate.
A soft rumble echoed.Pale blue light streamed along hidden lines—patterns no one had ever seen before.
The gate opened… slowly.
And in the next moment—Xiao Tian's body was swallowed by the light.
No one knew what he saw.No one knew how time would flow within.And no one… could ever guess what he was about to face.
But whatever it was—
it would change him forever.