The morning air in the Celestial Pavilion was unusually still, as though the heavens themselves held their breath in anticipation. Tianming stood on the Pavilion's white jade balcony, gazing toward the rising sun, its light filtered through the Sacred Bamboo Grove that bordered the arena. A quiet resolve settled in his chest. He could feel the warmth of Yuelan's presence nearby, her qi signature now so intertwined with his that her emotional state registered like a second heartbeat.
Below them, the Celestial Selection grounds shimmered, energy veins running beneath the marble like glowing ley lines. Dozens of other cultivators had gathered, their expressions tense and wary. The announcement of the next trial had already shifted the atmosphere — "Trial of Fracture" was more than a name. It was a warning.
Zhao Yueyin, still ranked first, paced at the edge of the platform, her robes trailing smoke and mirage-light. She had become the eye of a storm. No one dared approach her.
Tianming glanced at Yuelan. "Whatever they throw at us, we're ready."
She met his gaze, her voice even. "This trial will aim to split us apart. It'll prey on our flaws, our weaknesses, our doubts."
"I've faced demons, gods, and abyssal beasts. Doubt's just another ghost to slay."
The sky above rippled.
A celestial gong boomed three times. The Trialmaster, clad in robes that reflected constellations, floated above them all. "The Trial of Fracture begins. You will be separated, each cast into a mirror realm. In these illusions, trust will be broken, loyalty tested, and pain unmasked. Your goal: escape before the Hourglass of Souls runs dry."
A shimmering hourglass appeared above them, its sands already beginning to fall.
"Begin."
A blast of force sent each cultivator flying into portals of starlight.
Tianming was engulfed in violet flame, his vision consumed by spirals. When he landed, he found himself in a barren wasteland. Ash fell like snow. The sky was an eternal eclipse. Shadows danced across the blackened ruins.
> [System Alert: Mirror Realm Initiated — Fracture Simulation Constructed. Parameters: Maximum Emotional Distortion. Escape Mechanism: Resolve Personal Fracture.]
A figure approached. It was Yuelan. Or so it seemed.
"Why did you leave me behind in the Labyrinth?" she whispered, voice filled with betrayal.
"What are you talking about? I didn't—"
"I bled for you. Fought for you. And you used me as a stepping stone."
Tianming staggered back. He could feel his heart racing — the system enhanced emotional fidelity in the illusion. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.
He summoned his sabers, the Heavenpiercers, and pointed them at the illusion. "You're not her. You're not real."
"But isn't that what part of you believes?" the false Yuelan said. "That she'll eventually grow tired of chasing your shadow? That she deserves someone stronger, purer, less obsessed with power?"
He lowered his weapon. The words cut deeper than a blade. Part of him had thought that.
He closed his eyes. Focused inward.
"No," he said softly. "She's not chasing me. We walk together. We lift each other. She's my equal."
The illusion cracked. Lightning tore through the sky. The false Yuelan screamed, melting into a pool of black ink.
> [Personal Fracture Confronted. Pathway Unlocked. Remaining Time: 38 Minutes.]
A beam of light descended. Tianming ascended it without hesitation.
Meanwhile, Yuelan stood in a white garden where time stood still. She heard laughter — cruel, echoing.
From the pond emerged a version of Tianming — smiling, but his eyes glinted with manipulation.
"I used you," he said. "You were convenient. Talented. But just a side character."
Yuelan didn't flinch.
"I know Tianming better than that," she replied.
"But do you? Don't you question why he never tells you everything? Why the system always prioritizes him?"
She stepped forward. "He has his flaws. So do I. That's what makes us strong. We grow together."
The false Tianming lunged — but her blade was faster. A single note played from her Snowstring Blade, slicing through the illusion.
> [Personal Fracture Confronted. Pathway Unlocked. Remaining Time: 42 Minutes.]
Light swallowed her form.
When they emerged into the central chamber of the mirror realm, they were not alone. Dozens of others lay collapsed or screaming in torment, trapped by their own fractures.
Zhao Yueyin stood before them, arms crossed. She had not aged, not bruised — her illusion trial had left her untouched.
"Impressive," she said, eyes locked on Tianming. "But not enough."
Tianming drew his sabers. "You want to test us?"
"I want to break you."
The hourglass hovered above, sands almost gone. Only a few remained.
Yuelan stepped beside him. "You'll fail."
Zhao Yueyin smiled. "We'll see."
With a flick of her hand, she summoned spectral constructs — not illusions, but memories pulled from their pasts. Tianming's childhood fear of abandonment. Yuelan's guilt over her mother's death. Weaponized against them.
For a moment, both staggered.
But then — they reached out.
Fingers interlocked. Soulbond shimmered.
> [Soulbound Trait Activated: Mirror Rejection Shield — All simulated fractures nullified for bonded pair.]
A dome of light exploded outward. The constructs shattered.
Zhao Yueyin took a step back.
"Not bad," she said, voice strained. "You might actually make it to the end."
The hourglass emptied. The trial chamber dissolved.
Back in the real world, Tianming and Yuelan stood once more in the Pavilion.
> [Trial of Fracture: Completed. Rankings Updated. Tianming and Yuelan remain Rank 2. Zhao Yueyin: Rank 1.]
> [System Alert: Final Trial Unlocked — Trial of Ascension. Time Until Commencement: 48 Celestial Hours. Prepare Accordingly.]
As others reeled from trauma or whispered among themselves, Tianming and Yuelan stood alone beneath the sky, hands still clasped, stronger for what they'd endured.
They didn't speak.
They didn't need to.
The silence said everything.
Together, they would rise.
---
[End of Chapter 20: Trial of Fracture]