The morning sun filtered through the ancient pines as Lin Tianming stepped down from the altar mound. A solemn calm surrounded the grove, as if the land itself acknowledged the change within him.
Behind him, the trio of women followed silently—Qingmei with awe in her eyes, Yuelan with quiet suspicion, and Zhao Yueyin with something unspoken, perhaps respect, perhaps something deeper.
None of them needed to ask what he'd experienced inside the trial sphere. The power that now radiated from Tianming was no longer just that of a promising cultivator—it bore the silent weight of someone who had glimpsed eternity and dared to return.
Yuelan broke the silence first. "The Sect Master must be told."
"No," Tianming said, voice calm but resolute. "We gather them. All of them. The Hidden Star Sect must rise, not stumble. We're no longer waiting for destiny to bless us."
Zhao Yueyin's lips twitched. "Spoken like a leader."
"I'm no leader," Tianming replied. "Not yet. But I will lead what must be led."
---
By midday, the inner sanctum of the Hidden Star Sect buzzed with activity. Elders and disciples, summoned by strange pulses of qi felt throughout the mountain, filled the jade courtyard that circled the Temple of the First Star.
Sect Master Lan Ruohan, an aged cultivator with hair like silver threads and an expression carved from patience, emerged from the main hall. His eyes scanned the gathering until they locked onto Tianming.
He stepped forward slowly, supported by a cane forged from starlight wood.
"So, you are the boy who stirred the ancient sphere," he said.
Tianming bowed deeply. "Lin Tianming. Inner disciple… until today."
Lan Ruohan raised a bushy brow. "That confident?"
"No," Tianming said. "That certain."
A murmur passed through the crowd.
"You tread close to arrogance, boy."
"Then allow me to prove myself."
Tianming turned and gestured.
The air behind him shimmered, and from his palm rose a glowing lotus-shaped brand—the Celestial Seed.
The Sect Master's cane struck the stone floor, cracking it.
"A seed?" he gasped. "From the trial sphere? That has not awakened for two centuries."
The elders began to murmur louder.
"He truly inherited the legacy?"
"But he's only twenty!"
"He wasn't even in the top twenty core disciples last month!"
Zhao Yueyin stepped forward. "I bear witness. As does Elder Yuelan. We watched him survive all three phases."
Yuelan nodded, crossing her arms. "It's true. And what emerged from that sphere… isn't what entered it."
Lan Ruohan studied Tianming carefully.
"Fine," he said. "You've earned attention. But if you wish to shake this sect's future, you must pass one final test."
Tianming stood tall. "Name it."
The Sect Master pointed to the Grand Stone Ring—a massive arena that floated over a spirit pond. "Face the three strongest core disciples. Alone."
Gasps echoed.
Even Zhao Yueyin blinked. "All three?"
Tianming smiled faintly. "Good. I was wondering how I'd make an entrance."
---
By evening, the sky turned crimson with sunset as the disciples gathered around the Grand Stone Ring.
The three core champions stood across from Tianming:
Li Changfeng – A spear cultivator known for speed and footwork. Mu Yanzhi – A frost wielder with overwhelming spiritual control. Jiang Baoyu – A sword saint in training, considered a prodigy since birth.
"Are you sure?" Changfeng asked. "One-on-three? You could fight us separately."
"I'm not here to climb. I'm here to awaken."
Jiang Baoyu unsheathed her violet blade. "Then show us your spark."
---
Duel Commences
Mu Yanzhi struck first—sending shards of ice hurtling like arrows. Tianming moved not with haste but with flow, stepping between the shards as if dancing with the wind.
Changfeng charged from behind, spear arcing with crimson flame. Tianming pivoted, let the blow graze past, and delivered a palm strike that sent the spear vibrating.
Jiang Baoyu appeared above him, blade descending in a perfect crescent arc.
This, he didn't dodge.
He raised one hand—and caught the blade between two fingers.
The crowd gasped.
He looked up at her. "Your form is flawless. Your heart, not yet."
He pushed.
She flipped back, landing with poise but wide eyes.
"You…" she began, stunned.
Tianming tapped the Celestial Seed.
Golden runes flared across his skin.
And the arena changed.
The Grand Stone Ring responded to the seed's energy. Starfire erupted around the ring's border. The floating stone lifted higher, glowing.
Tianming stepped forward.
His cultivation surged—nine stages in a blink.
He invoked his system mentally:
> Activate Inner Fusion: Dragon-Lotus Form
Black and gold energy coiled around him, forming the visage of a divine beast wrapped in sacred petals.
His palm lashed out.
Changfeng flew out of the ring, crashing into the pond with a hiss.
Mu Yanzhi tried to freeze the ground—but Tianming's steps shattered the ice before it formed.
He flicked a finger.
Her frost shattered.
With a gentle but firm push of qi, he forced her backward, gently settling her down just outside the ring.
Only Jiang Baoyu remained.
Her blade trembled in her hands.
"I never thought… I'd see someone who made me feel like a beginner again."
Tianming stepped within her guard.
He whispered, "Then stand up again. Stronger."
She smiled and dropped her sword, stepping back.
"I yield."
---
The Sect Master stood from his seat.
The entire mountain watched in silence.
"I, Lan Ruohan, hereby name Lin Tianming—Heaven-Chosen of the Hidden Star Sect."
The jade bell rang three times.
The girls rushed to his side as petals fell from the sky.
Qingmei hugged him tightly. "You… you really did it!"
Yuelan raised an eyebrow. "Not bad for a mere inner disciple."
Zhao Yueyin looked away. "Annoying. Now I have to report to the Grand Council."
Tianming chuckled. "Tell them the stars are waking up again."
---
That night, Tianming stood alone atop the Starwatch Cliff, watching the sky.
From this point onward, he was no longer a rising cultivator.
He was a storm—a flame—a name whispered across empires.
But he knew… he had merely taken the first step.
The real war—the one written in the stars—had yet to begin.
[End of Chapter 31: Awakening the Hidden Star Sect]