Chapter Three: Kites Filling the Sky, Falling in Love

The chubby boy, unwilling to endure the beatings from his playmates who camped beneath the peaks, escaped to his grandfather’s treasured grove of purple bamboo. He hastily chopped a few stalks and rushed back to his room, working through the night to craft a kite large enough to bear his own weight.

With the first rays of the sun and the eastern mist rising, he inhaled a breath of spiritual energy, hoisted the giant kite—taller than himself—and leapt from the summit of the Fifth Peak, soaring with the wind toward the Alchemy Pavilion on the Main Peak...

“Boo... you bully... I’m telling my master...” Mu Wan’er, eyes brimming with tears, ran crying toward her master’s alchemy chamber.

Gu Changqing, the chubby boy, wore a look of deep frustration. His takeoff had been stylish, his flight elegant, yet the landing had ruined everything! Not only did he crash through the roof, he landed squarely on Mu Wan’er’s delicate bed...

A little vain, Gu Changqing wiped his face and forced a bitter smile, “It seems fate has destined this encounter.”

With a thunderous crash, Master Mu, furious from a ruined furnace, dragged the chubby boy off to the alchemy chamber.

The early-rising brothers and sisters, out for morning practice, witnessed a scene once dreamed of but never dared imagine: a chubby boy riding a giant kite, flying from the Fifth Peak straight toward the Main Peak... The true marvel was that Gu Changqing, still in the early stages of Qi Refinement, managed to cross peaks by flight—a feat reserved for elders who had reached the Golden Core and beyond!

From that day, the disciples of Misty Sect followed in the chubby boy’s footsteps. The sound of bamboo being cut echoed without end, kites larger than men danced across the sect, buildings and glazed rooftops suffered continuous damage... The craze only began to subside when even the Sect Master was truly annoyed by the endless parade of kites overhead.

After being hauled into the alchemy chamber, Gu Changqing was tied to a pillar not far from the furnace. As Master Mu explained, he never hit children, but he would certainly roast this one until his fat melted away.

Mu Wan’er, meanwhile, was in high spirits, exultant in her successful revenge, frequently casting triumphant glances at Gu Changqing, her charming little face full of mischief.

At first, Gu Changqing simply found Mu Wan’er adorable. But now, he felt as if he had discovered a new world, one not even his previous life had revealed.

“I’m falling in love!”

When Master Mu was away, Gu Changqing confessed directly to Wan’er. Her face reddened, speechless, but under his relentless persuasion she finally nodded...

After being untied, Gu Changqing quickly kissed Wan’er’s cheek, left a word, and dashed off again...

Currently at the third layer of Qi Refinement, still in the lower stage—a realm achieved by the original Gu Changqing before transmigrating—he had made no progress since crossing over. Now, thoroughly indoctrinated by his grandfather, Gu Changqing felt the world was too dangerous. Having found love, he needed strength to protect it!

“I must strive for greatness!”

Without consulting his grandfather, he plunged into the Scripture Hall. The second floor and above were out of reach for now, but even the first floor’s collection was enough to keep him desperately absorbed.

Techniques, martial arts, encyclopedias, biographies—everything was there. Gu Changqing, as if discovering a new land, immersed himself, neglecting sleep and food for the first time.

The Scripture Hall of Misty Sect connects directly to adjacent cultivation chambers, allowing immediate practice of any technique that catches the eye.

Gu Zaizuo, who rarely appeared but always watched over Gu Changqing, found his eyes growing moist. “The child is finally growing up,” he thought.

Master Mu, who pretended not to notice while secretly freeing Gu Changqing, smiled slightly. “If you want to pursue my disciple, the road is long, boy.”

Mu Wan’er, still surprised and quietly satisfied, resolved, “I’ll work hard at cultivation too.”

The little companions who kept vigil in tents beneath the Fifth Peak continued to eat dirt...

“This beast-form martial art is fascinating. No name, but it lists attack and defense moves for nearly a hundred mystic beasts of the Wind God Continent. Practicing it, though, many moves look rather awkward and inelegant... Reminds me of the five-animal forms from movies in my previous life. Never mind, I’ll practice it anyway.”

“This Qi Derivation Technique is great—it accelerates the generation of true energy... I’ll practice this too!”

...

A month later, Gu Changqing broke through to the fourth layer of Qi Refinement, reaching the middle stage. His internal true energy doubled in thickness, and the cycle time of his energy halved, greatly increasing his strength.

Yet he felt dissatisfied, thinking his progress too slow. If his fellow disciples knew, they would cough blood in envy. Still, it proved the hardships of his predecessor weren’t wasted.

Returning to his room on the Fifth Peak, Gu Changqing fell asleep fully clothed.

“Old Five, what’s the good news? You look positively radiant.”

“Is this your second spring? Hah!”

“Nonsense, it must be another breakthrough, right? Quick, put away your artifact for concealing cultivation, let everyone admire you.”

...

Seeing Gu Zaizuo enter the Main Peak’s council hall with hands clasped behind his back, the other peak masters who had arrived early teased him.

Gu Zaizuo looked at their aging faces, then suddenly burst into hearty laughter, feeling years younger than his old friends.

“He’s being mysterious again.”

“Second Brother, Third Brother, look—doesn’t Old Five’s gaze seem to mock us?”

“Ha! Did you see him just now? He actually winked at us.”

“Everyone, get him! Let’s teach this old rascal a lesson...”

The council hall erupted in chaos as the elders brawled. If disciples saw, their jaws would drop—not that they owned glasses, but the peak masters’ dignified image would surely be shattered.

The Sect Master, Nangong Kang, entered with a stern face. Seeing his old brothers wrestling, his frown eased. The peak masters stopped their antics at his entrance, sensing the gravity in his expression. Before he could speak, the elders took their seats.

“Sect Master, has something happened?”

“Big Brother, you didn’t look well before entering.”

“Head Brother, weren’t you meeting the three Grand Elders? Why did it take so long this time?”

...

Nangong Kang surveyed the elders and recounted his discussion with the Grand Elders and their conclusions.

Silence filled the hall.

“The Earth Stele appears, chaos for a thousand years; the Heavenly Palace emerges, choosing a master to open the new era. You all remember these words, don’t you?”

“The Sage of the Tianji Pavilion, after calculating these fourteen characters, passed away soon after. On his deathbed, he told the sect leaders: when dark clouds loom, the stone steles appearing across Wind God Continent are both opportunity and warning!”

“Each stele, seemingly ordinary, actually records an ancient martial art within its surface. This is a gift from Heaven, or perhaps from the Wind God himself, left for future generations to face the endless catastrophe. They will appear only when the time is right.”

“What catastrophe? What is this thousand-year chaos the Sage spoke of?” a peak master asked instinctively.

“The Sage died while calculating this. According to him, within a thousand years at most, catastrophe will descend upon Wind God Continent, and it will come from beyond our world. Nothing further could be divined, as he suffered backlash.”

“Beyond Wind God Continent? Is there something else? Other continents or civilizations?”

“We are surrounded by boundless sea. Even the Dominator of the Supreme Hall, at the late stage of Great Perfection, cannot reach the end. None know what lies beyond.”

“Perhaps only the Wind God himself knew, but even upon ascension, he left not a single word about it.”