The morning breeze swept over the stone steps before Azure Peak's main hall, stirring up a few dead leaves. Bai Zhi stood at the edge of the platform, her fingers lightly tracing the crack in her sword hilt as her gaze rested on the winding path leading to the distant mountain gate. Chen Wuya approached from behind her, his footsteps light but steady.
"That crack is the mark of how you broke the deadlock," he said casually, his voice low. "Not a flaw—a medal of honor."
She did not turn around. Her fingertips merely paused over that nearly imperceptible chip before slowly releasing it. A moment later, she turned and ascended the platform, the azure-jade command token in her hand gleaming with a cool sheen beneath the sun. The disciples stood in ordered ranks below, while the elders lined both sides. The atmosphere was solemn.
"Today, I take command of Azure Peak." Her voice was crisp and clear, neither hurried nor slow. "I will guard the mountain gate, protect my fellow disciples, and face all threats from without. I will not fail the trust of my sect, nor the hopes of the martial world."
The moment her words fell, silence reigned across the grounds. Several older disciples exchanged glances, their lips twitching as if to speak, yet in the end, they remained silent. A gray-robed elder stepped forward, leaning on his cane. He raised his sword before his chest and performed the sect master's salute. The others followed one after another, their movements shifting from hesitation into perfect order. At last, even the steward who had opposed her most fiercely at the start lowered his head, pressed one hand to his sword, and bowed.
Once the ceremony ended, the crowd slowly dispersed. Chen Wuya remained standing off to one side