When the Heavens Shattered

The world was ending, and no one seemed to care.

Li Wei stood at the edge of the Azure Star Sect's training grounds, his calloused hands gripping the wooden practice sword so tightly his knuckles turned white. The sun hung low in the sky, casting long shadows over the cracked stone courtyard. Around him, disciples sparred, their laughter and shouts echoing through the air. None of them noticed the faint tremor beneath their feet, the subtle shift in the wind that carried the scent of ash and decay.

But Li Wei noticed. He always noticed.

"Wei! Stop daydreaming and get back to work!" The sharp voice of Elder Zhang cut through the noise, snapping Li Wei out of his thoughts. The elder stood at the edge of the courtyard, his arms crossed and his expression stern. "You'll never awaken your Qi Seedling if you keep staring at the sky like a fool."

Li Wei bit back a retort and nodded, raising his practice sword again. He didn't bother explaining that he wasn't daydreaming—he was listening. Listening to the whispers in the wind, the faint hum of energy that seemed to pulse through the earth itself. It was a skill he'd honed over years of being the weakest disciple in the sect, the one who had to rely on his wits rather than his strength.

As he swung the sword, his movements precise and deliberate, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The tremor beneath his feet grew stronger, and the air felt heavier, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

Li Wei was no stranger to being overlooked. At sixteen, he was the oldest disciple in the Azure Star Sect who hadn't yet awakened his Qi Seedling. While others his age were already forming their Golden Cores, Li Wei was still stuck at the most basic stage of cultivation. It wasn't for lack of trying—he trained harder than anyone, pushing his body to its limits day after day. But no matter how much he practiced, the spark of Qi eluded him.

The other disciples mocked him, calling him "Wei the Weak" and "The Eternal Mortal." Even the elders had given up on him, relegating him to menial tasks like sweeping the courtyard or tending to the herb garden. But Li Wei refused to give up. He had a fire in his heart, a determination that burned brighter with every insult, every failure.

And then there was the pendant.

It had belonged to his mother, or so the old man who raised him had said. Li Wei had never known his parents—they had disappeared when he was just a baby, leaving him with nothing but the pendant and a name. The pendant was simple, made of a strange, iridescent metal that seemed to shimmer in the light. It was warm to the touch, as if it carried a piece of the sun within it.

Li Wei had always felt a connection to the pendant, as if it held some secret power. But no matter how much he studied it, he couldn't figure out what it was for. Until tonight.

The moon hung high in the sky, its silver light bathing the sect grounds in an eerie glow. Li Wei moved silently, his footsteps barely making a sound as he made his way to the Forbidden Archives, a crumbling tower at the edge of the sect. The archives were off-limits to disciples, but Li Wei had always been curious. And tonight, curiosity outweighed fear.

The door creaked open, revealing a room filled with dusty scrolls and ancient tomes. Li Wei's heart raced as he stepped inside, his eyes scanning the shelves. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he trusted his instincts.

And then he saw it.

A small, unassuming pendant lay on a pedestal in the center of the room. It was identical to the one he wore around his neck, except this one was cracked, as if it had been shattered and pieced back together. As Li Wei reached for it, a voice echoed in his mind, deep and resonant.

"You are not ready."

He froze, his hand hovering inches from the pendant. The voice wasn't coming from the room—it was inside his head, a presence that felt both ancient and powerful.

"Who are you?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

"I am the remnant of a forgotten age," the voice replied. "And you, Li Wei, are the key to unlocking a power that could save—or destroy—this world."

Before Li Wei could respond, the ground beneath him shook violently. The walls of the archives groaned, and dust rained from the ceiling. He grabbed the pendant and stumbled back, his heart pounding.

The tremors grew stronger, shaking the entire sect. Disciples poured out of the dormitories, their faces pale with fear. The alarm bells began to ring, their shrill tones cutting through the night.

"What's happening?" someone shouted.

Li Wei didn't answer. He clutched the pendant tightly, his mind racing. The voice had said he wasn't ready, but he didn't have a choice. Something was coming—something big.

And he was the only one who could stop it.

The next morning, the sect was in chaos. The tremors had stopped, but the damage was clear—cracks ran through the courtyard, and several buildings had collapsed. The elders gathered the disciples in the main hall, their faces grim.

"Last night," Elder Zhang began, his voice heavy with emotion, "we received word from the Celestial Observatory. A star has fallen in the Ethereal Abyss, and the balance of the universe has been disrupted. The observatory has called for volunteers to investigate."

Li Wei's heart skipped a beat. The Ethereal Abyss was one of the most dangerous mystic realms in existence, a place where even seasoned cultivators feared to tread. But it was also the key to unlocking the secrets of the pendant—and the voice in his head.

He stepped forward before he could second-guess himself. "I'll go."

The room fell silent as all eyes turned to him. Elder Zhang frowned. "You? A disciple who hasn't even awakened his Qi Seedling? This is no place for a child."

Li Wei met the elder's gaze, his jaw set. "I may not be strong, but I'm not afraid. And I'll do whatever it takes to protect this world."

For a moment, no one spoke. Then, to everyone's surprise, Elder Zhang nodded. "Very well. But know this, Li Wei—the Ethereal Abyss will test you in ways you cannot imagine. And if you fail, you will not return."

As Li Wei prepared for the journey, he couldn't shake the feeling that his life was about to change forever. The pendant hung heavy around his neck, a constant reminder of the voice in his head and the power it promised.

But power came at a price, and Li Wei was about to learn just how high that price could be.

As Li Wei packed his belongings, the pendant around his neck began to glow faintly. The voice in his head returned, quieter this time, but no less urgent.

"Beware, Li Wei. The Ethereal Abyss is not what it seems. And neither am I."

Li Wei froze, his heart pounding. What did the voice mean? And what secrets was the Ethereal Abyss hiding?

He didn't have time to think. The journey was about to begin, and there was no turning back.