Yin Shuang sat on the cold stone bench inside her chamber, the soft glow of lanterns casting flickering shadows across the walls. Despite her recent promotion within the Heavenly Radiance Sect, she felt an emptiness that gnawed at her soul. Respect came with status, but never companionship.
She clenched her fists.
"Why does it feel lonelier the higher I climb?"
There was no one to confide in, no one she could trust—not the elders, not her so-called comrades. The only place where she could truly be herself was deep within the sect's dungeons, a forgotten, isolated area where an old prisoner remained locked away.
Uncle Wood.
That was what she called him. A silent man, imprisoned long before she had even entered the sect. His presence was still as stone, his body unmoving like a tree that had taken root in the depths of the earth.
When she was younger, she had stumbled upon his cell and, in her loneliness, had begun speaking to him. She never knew if he truly listened, but it didn't matter. He never judged, never responded, he merely existed.
And somehow, that was enough.
The dim torchlight flickered as Yin made her way down into the dungeon, her boots barely making a sound against the rough stone. The air was damp, filled with the musty scent of age-old confinement.
"At least Uncle Wood is always here," she thought bitterly.
She stopped in front of his cell, as she always did.
"I'm back, Uncle Wood," she whispered, leaning against the cold iron bars. "I had another rough day."
As always, he did not reply. His head remained bowed, his hands resting on his knees.
She exhaled deeply and was about to continue when—
A sudden pinpoint force of Qi pressed against her back!
Before she could react, her body was immobilized, her limbs unresponsive, her Qi completely locked down. It was as if invisible chains had wrapped around her.
"What—who—?!"
A shadowed figure moved past her with calm, deliberate steps.
A young man.
His eyes, a deep steel-gray, hold an unwavering focus, always scanning his surroundings, always watching. His presence was composed yet powerful, his aura completely restrained yet carrying an underlying storm-like intensity. He wears simple, practical clothing, a dark tunic and loose-fitting pants, bound at the waist with a plain sash. His boots are well-worn, the leather scarred by the miles he has walked. There are no unnecessary embellishments, no flashy insignias—only function over form.
Around his neck hangs a pendant, a piece of dark metal etched with ancient markings, its surface smooth.
He walked toward Uncle Wood's cell and, without hesitation, struck the rusted lock with a single precise motion.
CRACK.
The iron lock snapped, the cell door creaking open.
The man took a step inside.
"My name is Han Long," he said in an unwavering tone. "I have come to challenge you for the ring."
Yin Shuang's eyes widened. Challenge?
She had never heard anyone address Uncle Wood before. To everyone else, he was just a forgotten prisoner, an old relic that had long lost meaning.
But this stranger… he wanted something from Uncle Wood.
For the first time in all the years Yin had visited him, Uncle Wood moved.
Slowly, deliberately, his fingers twitched. His head lifted ever so slightly, and his dull, lifeless eyes focused for the first time in what seemed like eternity.
And then he spoke.
"So… someone has finally come for this ring."
Yin gasped.
"He can talk?"
Her mind reeled. She had spent years talking to him, pouring her heart out, and not once had he ever spoken a word.
Yet now, he was looking at this Han Long—this intruder—with a gaze that was neither kind nor cruel. It was… knowing.
He lifted his right hand, and for the first time, Yin saw it clearly.
A ring.
Simple in design, but upon closer inspection, the silver band was embedded with tiny wooden engravings—delicate carvings of ancient symbols.
As Uncle Wood spoke, the ring began to glow faintly, pulsing with an earthy, Qi-infused light.
"I have stayed here for many years to ensure that this ring never falls into the wrong hands."
A brief silence.
Then his voice dropped into a threatening growl.
"If you want it…"
His fingers clenched into a fist. The air within the dungeon trembled.
"You will have to pry it from my dead body!"
Uncle Wood lunged forward with a speed Yin never thought possible.
"What—?!"
The old man, who had spent decades sitting still, moved like a blur, his hand striking toward Han Long's chest with unimaginable force.
BOOM!
The very air cracked, the dungeon walls shaking from the impact. Yin barely managed to roll away before being caught in the shockwave.
Han Long's feet skidded back, but he didn't waver. His stance remained steady, his expression calm.
With a flick of his wrist, a golden aura surged from his ring—an energy unlike anything Yin had ever sensed before.
"Show me what you are capable of!" Uncle Wood bellowed.
The battle had begun.
As the two warriors clashed, Yin could only watch in shock.
This entire time, she thought Uncle Wood was just a forgotten old man. Someone left to rot in the depths of the dungeon.
But in reality—
He was a guardian of some sort, a protector of something far more important than she had ever imagined.
And now, Han Long wanted that ring.
"What exactly is that ring? Why does he want it?"
She gritted her teeth. She had been ignorant this whole time. Talking to a prisoner like he was just some broken soul…
But now—
She needed to know the truth.
As the battle raged on and it terrified her.