CHAPTER 29: SECT MASTER II

The weight in Tian Lei’s voice was soft—but the pain beneath it echoed like a forgotten wound reopened.

Mu Qinxue’s teasing smile faltered, replaced by something unreadable. Her eyes lingered on him for a moment longer than they should have.

Then Tian Lei spoke again, calm but firm:

"Unless you’re willing to take an oath—to never treat me as a prisoner, and only harm me if I betray you—I won’t be your disciple."

For a heartbeat, the Celestial Apex Hall was silent.

Even Elder Haiyun’s breath hitched slightly.

Mu Qinxue studied Tian Lei, her gaze intense, golden irises faintly glowing. A thousand thoughts flickered behind her eyes—but all she said was:

"...Alright."

Her voice was soft, devoid of mockery or sarcasm. She raised her hand, weaving an arcane sigil into the air with slender fingers, a ripple of soul-light resonating through the hall.

"I, Mu Qinxue, Sect Master of the Azure Feather Sect, swear upon my soul—I shall not harm Tian Lei unless he betrays my sect or me directly."

The sigil sank into her chest like a whisper. A breeze passed. The Soul Oath was sealed.

Even the Grand Elder blinked. "That was... fast."

Since when was she so agreeable?

Qinxue glanced at him with a ghost of a smirk. "You’re surprised. Why?"

Haiyun cleared his throat. "Just wondering... what made him so cautious to demand such a thing?"

Her eyes drifted back to Tian Lei, then narrowed thoughtfully. "He’s been broken. That much is clear."

She studied his expressionless face, the light hidden in his tired eyes.

"And yet..." she murmured, mostly to herself, "he still walks forward."

Tian Lei said nothing.

"but why did you also take an Oath?" She asked looking at him.

Elder Haiyun finally stepped forward, his tone casual. "To be fair, the kid didn’t give me much of a choice either."

Mu Qinxue tilted her head. "Oh?"

Haiyun chuckled awkwardly. "He’s got the True Inheritance of the Great Void Art. I need the rest of the technique. I had to agree."

Her expression shifted subtly. Surprise—then comprehension—then a slow, knowing smile.

"The Great Void Art..." she whispered. "No wonder."

That technique had once belonged to a being whose footsteps cracked space and whose breath silenced stars. Many had sought it. Most died trying.

And here it was.

Bound to a boy immune to her charm.

A boy who dared make the Sect Master take a soul oath.

Mu Qinxue’s gaze lingered on him. Then, in a tone as calm as drifting snow, she said:

"Very well. From this moment onward, you are my direct disciple... and I, your Master."

She extended her hand toward him—not to be held, but to finalize the bond. Spirit threads unfurled between her fingers like silver ribbons, sealing the formal connection.

Tian Lei nodded, then respectfully bowed.

"I greet my Master."

It was short, sincere, and devoid of embellishment—but not lacking in weight. For someone like him, who had trusted no one for so long... this was monumental.

Mu Qinxue’s lips curled into a small smile. "You’re rather stiff for someone who just became my only disciple."

She turned slightly, her long sleeves flowing like moonlight over water, and gestured to the side. A shimmer in the air rippled open, revealing a spiritual storage array.

"Take these." With a flick of her fingers, several elegant items floated out and hovered before Tian Lei.

—A jet-black robe embroidered with goglen lines and silver phoenix feathers, lined with hidden runes.

—A crystal identity token carved in the shape of an inverted lotus.

—And a jade ring sealed with her personal spiritual signature.

"Your personal disciple robe, the Azure Feather Sect token, and a storage ring. Just a small gift," she said, almost casually. "For calling me Master... and for having the spine to bind me with a soul oath."

Tian Lei took the gifts in silence, the air around him still as a solemn vow. The robe, the token, the ring—each one felt heavier than it should have, not because of weight, but because of meaning.

A name. A master. A home.

He bowed his head slightly.

"Thank you... Master."

Mu Qinxue nodded, her expression unreadable, but a faint gleam danced in her eyes—as if something long lost had just been recovered.

Then, without another word, she turned gracefully, her long sleeves drifting like clouds behind her.

"Come. I’ll show you to your Immortal Cave."

Grand Elder Haiyun, who had been silently observing from the side, gave a slow nod. His eyes flicked toward Tian Lei’s back as the young man walked away beside the Sect Master.

’Good. Now that he’s settled... I will find him later to obtain the rest of Great Void Art.’

With that, the old man turned and vanished in a swirl of wind, leaving behind only a faint ripple in the spirit-rich air.

Meanwhile, Tian Lei and Mu Qinxue walked side by side across a skybridge woven from crystal qi threads. Beneath them, clouds rolled lazily between floating mountain peaks. The further they walked, the denser the energy became.

Ahead, nestled within a suspended valley of starlit stone and spirit bamboo, was a mountainside sealed by a circular gate—etched with her personal sigil.

"This," she said, "is your Immortal Cave. I had it constructed with my own spiritual array—it adjusts to your cultivation level."

Tian Lei blinked, slightly surprised.

She placed a hand on the seal, and the cave slowly opened with a harmonious hum.

"Rest. Explore. This is your new foundation. You may not yet be strong—but remember, you’re mine now. And anything that belongs to me... is not to be touched."

Her eyes gleamed faintly as she said the last part, not to Tian Lei, but as if declaring it to the world.

Tian Lei stepped inside. The moment the spirit-sealed door closed behind him, a faint resonance swept through the air—like the sigh of a sleeping dragon. The walls glowed with soft spirit light, casting gentle reflections off crystal-veined stone and natural spirit jade embedded into the foundation.

A wide meditation chamber stretched out before him, lined with spiritual inscriptions carved directly into the floor. A cultivation platform stood in the center—half-altar, half-throne—with soul-soothing energy gently pulsing from it. A warm current of qi drifted through the air, fragrant with spiritual herbs and the faint whisper of enlightenment.