Scene 1 — The Gathering at Dawn
Two days after his breakthrough.
The Cloudveil Sect's Outer Disciples gathered before the towering Nine-Step Ascension Staircase, carved into the face of Heaven-Listening Peak. Each year, a trial was held. Only the top five disciples would be allowed to enter the Inner Sect, where true cultivation resources—and status—awaited.
Lin Xun stood among the crowd, his plain grey robes flapping in the wind. Many of the others were already in Foundation Establishment or had formed Qi Pillars. He was... nothing.
A low buzz of whispers moved through the disciples.
"Why is he here?"
"He just broke through Qi Condensation. Barely."
"Maybe he came to be a stepping stone."
Lin Xun ignored them. His fingers brushed the jade pendant under his robes, now warm against his chest. Since the night of the comet, he had begun meditating nightly. The spirit energy no longer resisted him — it obeyed him. Flowed into him.
Something had changed.
Scene 2 — The Threefold Trial
Sect Elder Hai Chen stepped forward, robes glowing with spirit runes.
"The trial has three stages," he declared. "Each one will test a different aspect of your Dao: body, spirit, and soul."
He gestured, and a silver talisman floated above the stairway. A rumble shook the ground.
"Begin!"
The first trial began.
STAGE ONE — The Trial of Stone: Body and Endurance
Each disciple had to climb the Nine-Step Staircase, where each step increased gravity by a full fold. Most disciples could handle up to step six. A few strong ones reached seven.
Lin Xun placed his foot on the first step — and nearly collapsed.
Tenfold gravity.
His bones cracked. Blood rushed from his nose.
Behind him, others laughed.
But he clenched his jaw, stabilized his breath — and pushed forward.
Second step. His knees buckled.
Third. A rib cracked.
Fourth. His vision blurred.
Then, the jade pendant glowed faintly beneath his robes.
Fifth step. His bones knit themselves slowly.
Sixth. A golden light pulsed faintly through his veins.
By the seventh step, the crowd had gone silent.
Lin Xun's breathing became controlled. His body no longer felt heavy—it felt alive, forged in pain.
Eighth.
Even Shen Jinghai's smug grin faded.
"Impossible..."
Ninth.
A thunderclap echoed through the mountain.
Lin Xun stood, bruised and bloody, but upright at the peak.
STAGE TWO — The Trial of Flame: Spirit and Will
An ancient altar pulsed with heat. A spiritual flame burned on its surface.
"Place your hand on the flame," said Elder Hai Chen. "It will burn away your delusions. Show you who you truly are."
Lin Xun stepped forward. His hand touched the flame.
And the world vanished.
Scene 3 — Within the Spirit Fire
He stood in darkness. Before him, three figures appeared:
A child — innocent, hopeful, afraid.
A soldier — Xu Tianheng, armored, eyes full of wrath.
A corpse — himself, lying face-down in blood.
"What do you seek?" the flame whispered.
The child pointed to the stars.
The soldier pointed to the throne of Heaven.
The corpse said nothing.
"I seek to live without chains," Lin Xun said. "Even if I must burn everything."
The fire erupted, engulfing him. Pain surged.
But he did not scream. He welcomed it.
[Breakthrough Event]
Outside, the spiritual fire turned gold.
Elder Hai Chen's eyes widened.
"He's… forging his Will Core inside the trial?"
From within the flames, Lin Xun's aura surged.
[Cultivation Breakthrough: Mid-stage Qi Condensation]
He stepped from the altar, steam rising from his skin. His eyes were calm.
"Next trial."
STAGE THREE — The Trial of Soul: Illusion and Origin
This final test was private — each disciple entered a Mirror Realm, a space shaped by their soul.
When Lin Xun stepped through, he found himself in a field of swords — thousands buried blade-first in black soil.
Ahead stood a boy, sobbing, holding a bloodied sword.
"Why did they kill them, Xun-ge…?"
It was his younger self. His real self.
"Mother said the stars would protect us."
The illusion shattered, replaced by fire and screams — his village, burning.
Then came the Celestial Envoys — robes of gold, raining light spears onto civilians. His parents shielding him. Dying. The jade pendant glowing one last time.
"Why?" the boy asked.
"Because Heaven lies."
Lin Xun clenched his fists. His past-life memories surged, fragments of Xu Tianheng's war flashing across his soul.
He knelt and pulled a buried sword from the field.
"No more kneeling."
The trial collapsed.
Scene 4 — Emergence
Back in the real world, Lin Xun stumbled from the mirror.
His cultivation surged.
[Late-Stage Qi Condensation – Peak]
The crowd gasped. Some inner sect disciples stepped forward, furious.
"He cheated."
"That's impossible."
Elder Hai Chen raised a hand.
"Silence. The mirror accepts no lies. This child…" he turned to Lin Xun, his voice low, "has a soul forged in battle, and a Dao not yet seen in this sect."
He walked to Lin Xun.
"You are now an Inner Disciple."
Even Shen Jinghai had nothing to say.
Final Scene — That Night
Alone on Silent Peak, Lin Xun sat beneath the stars.
The jade pendant shimmered.
He could feel it — the door was nearly open. More memories stirred. More power. More truth.
But for now, he breathed deeply. The path ahead was endless.
And for the first time, he wasn't afraid.