Night descended upon the Heaven Defying Academy, but the stars above the academy shone brighter than in any other part of the world. The skies here were different. The constellations shifted unnaturally, forming symbols of ancient daos and mythical beasts. It was said that the heavens above the academy mirrored not the mortal skies, but the truths of the universe.
In their private quarters, each student had been handed a scroll glowing faintly with celestial energy.
Ashwin, still clutching an apple core from earlier, stared at his scroll.
He opened it.
"To awaken your Qi Root, you must enter the Dream Domain, a realm where your soul will be tested, your truths revealed, and your path determined."
A thin thread of silver energy emerged from the scroll, piercing Ashwin's forehead. He didn't even flinch. His body dropped softly to the bed; his consciousness pulled into the unknown.
The same thing happened simultaneously to Rika, Yuvan, and Bala.
All four found themselves floating in a starless void.
Then, the void shattered.
Each of them was thrown into a different illusion.
Ashwin's Trial:
Ashwin found himself back in the slums of his childhood, barefoot, hungry, and alone. The smell of rotting food and stagnant water filled the air. He saw himself as a child, scavenging through trash.
A voice echoed:
"You were born to suffer. You are nothing. What can someone like you defy?"
Ashwin clenched his fists.
"I may have been born with nothing... but now I have a place. An academy. A second chance. And I won't lose it."
A blazing light erupted around him, and a translucent lotus formed within his chest.
Qi Root: Eternal Determination Lotus – Awakened.
Rika's Trial:
She stood on a battlefield, surrounded by corpses. Her brothers, sisters, and even her father lay dead. Flames engulfed the world.
"Why do you still fight?" the illusion asked. "Everything you love dies. Isn't peace better than struggle?"
She grabbed a blade from the ground.
"No. I fight because I must. If I don't fight, others will suffer. I am the flame that protects. I am not meant for peace."
A burst of crimson light surrounded her. A phoenix screeched above.
Qi Root: Phoenix Heart of War – Awakened.
Yuvan's Trial:
Yuvan stood in a vast library with no end. Each book floated around him, whispering truths, lies, and forgotten daos.
"You crave knowledge," a calm voice echoed. "But what if the truth breaks you?"
"I still want to know," he said. "Even if it breaks me… I want to understand everything."
The books burst into light and converged into a sigil on his forehead.
Qi Root: Eye of Absolute Comprehension – Awakened.
Bala's Trial:
He was locked in a cage of thunder and fire, while voices shouted, "You're a freak! A monster! A danger!"
Chains wrapped around his body.
He growled.
"I was born with chaos inside me. So what? That just means… I'll tear the heavens apart with it!"
He roared, and the chains shattered. His body exploded with multi-colored lightning.
Qi Root: Chaotic Heaven Devourer – Awakened.
Back in the real world, Elder Han sat cross-legged atop the highest tower of the academy, watching the stars move.
As the four awakened one by one in their chambers, a silver mist escaped their bodies and gathered toward the central sky tower.
A voice—one that had not been heard in ten thousand years—echoed in Elder Han's mind.
"Interesting…"
"The academy has finally found its first chosen…"
Elder Han opened his eyes slowly.
"Lord Dao Ancestor… is watching again."