Night blanketed the arena grounds in soft moonlight.
Li Wei sat alone on a balcony overlooking the dark forests beyond Bone Cliff. The sky stretched endlessly above, and yet... his thoughts felt small.
The battle was over.
They'd won.
But what came next?
"Your aura's too loud," Yue Xiaolan said, stepping out beside him, arms folded. "You think too much."
Li chuckled. "I thought swordmasters were all about inner stillness."
Yue raised an eyebrow. "You're not exactly inner or still."
They stood quietly.
Then Yue said, without looking at him, "You did well today. I'm... impressed."
"That almost sounded like a compliment."
"It was," she said. "Don't get used to it."
Behind them, Lana Qi peeked through the door.
"I knew it," she whispered. "Sword Girl's finally warming up."
"I am not," Yue snapped.
"Sure," Lana teased, stepping onto the balcony and flopping between them. "Don't mind me. I'm just here to breathe the same air as our newly upgraded martial idiot."
Li rolled his eyes.
"You were incredible today, Lana."
She blinked, caught off-guard.
"…Oh. Thanks. You too."
Then Shen Ruo appeared behind him, holding a tray with tea.
"Figured someone would need this."
They all sat on the floor, backs to the railing, the stars high above.
No words.
Just peace.
For now.
System Alert
Congratulations! You have cleared Round 1 of the Heaven's Chosen Trials.
✅ Bonus Quest Complete: Survive with all Fate-Bound Companions
✅ Secondary Quest Complete: Resolve Interpersonal Conflict
🌟 REWARDS:
+6 Levels (Total Level: 26)New Passive: Unified Flow – Gain 5% stat bonus per bonded ally nearby+10 Handsome Points+1 "Fate Seed" (used to unlock new romance paths)
New Questline Unlocked: The Crimson Moon Challenger
Li raised an eyebrow. "'Fate Seed'? What am I, a dating sim?"
System: "Welcome to the reality of protagonists, Host."
The Kiss
After the others went to bed, Shen Ruo lingered behind with Li under the stars.
"You okay?" he asked.
"I should be asking you that," she said. "You fought my brother. Protected me. And you still treat me like… me."
He smiled. "Because you're not just his sister. You're Shen Ruo."
She stared at him.
Then leaned forward slightly.
He froze.
"Ruo—"
"Shh."
Her lips met his.
Soft.
Warm.
Fleeting—but real.
She pulled back, eyes glowing faintly.
"I don't expect you to choose now," she said. "But... I wanted you to know."
And she walked inside.
Affection Maxed: Shen Ruo – 100/100New Status: Bound by Heart
First Kiss Achieved
Future romance scenes unlocked
Ruo will protect you even at risk of herself
Li sat there, stunned.
"…I've been kissed. I've officially been kissed."
System: "Achievement unlocked: Emotional Density Reduced."
The Crimson Arrival
The next morning, the arena echoed with murmurs.
A new contestant had arrived late.
A girl in crimson robes, carrying a coffin on her back, stood at the center of the field.
Her eyes were pure black, and she didn't blink once.
The announcer hesitated.
"Um… contestant...?"
"Scarlet Fang," she said. Her voice was low, smooth, and eerily calm. "My sect sent me as a late wild card."
Whispers filled the crowd.
"The Crimson Grave Sect... wasn't that disbanded?"
"She's carrying a coffin! Is that even allowed?"
Lana leaned toward Li. "Okay, she's got major 'yandere danger waifu' energy."
Yue narrowed her eyes. "I don't like her. Something's wrong."
Shen Ruo's hand trembled slightly. "She's cursed."
Trial Round 2 Announcement
Overseer Hu Lin appeared once again, hovering above the platform.
"Well done, cultivators. Round Two will test your spirit, willpower, and bonds."
🔮 Round 2: Dream Labyrinth of Mirrors
You will enter a spiritual dreamscape.
Each cultivator faces trials based on their fears and desires.
Only true will and emotional resolve will guide you out.
Allies may appear... or turn against you.
Fail, and you lose yourself in the maze forever.
Survivors: Top 8 Only.
The cultivators went pale.
Li swallowed.
"So... psychological horror round?"
System: "Yes. And yours will likely be... colorful."
Night Before the Dream
As they returned to their dorm, Li found Lana Qi sitting outside, knees pulled to her chest.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked.
She shrugged. "I don't like dreams. They always end bad."
He sat beside her.
"Want to talk about it?"
She hesitated.
Then whispered, "I see my dad. Yelling. Breaking stuff. Telling me I'll never amount to anything."
Li felt a cold knot in his chest.
"…You're way more than he ever saw."
She smiled. Small, sad.
"I know. But the mirror version of me... sometimes I believe her."
He reached out and took her hand.
"Then I'll fight your mirror. You can fight mine."
She laughed. "Dork."
Then kissed his cheek.
"Now go sleep before I fall harder."
Lana Qi Affection: 73 → 80Bond Scene Achieved: "Broken Circuit Heart"
The Dream Begins
At dawn, each contestant stepped into the center of the arena, where a floating crystal pulsed with shifting colors.
One by one, they vanished into mist.
When Li Wei touched it, the world fell away.
Darkness.
Then—
Screaming.
Mirror Labyrinth – Li's Trial
He stood in a ruined dojo.
Alone.
Bleeding.
A broken mirror reflected a version of him with empty eyes and cracked fists.
"You'll never be enough," the reflection hissed.
"You're just a loser with a cheat code."
Li squared his shoulders.
"No. I'm a loser who kept going."
He attacked the mirror.
It fought back—brutally, mimicking every move he'd ever made.
But Li had something the reflection didn't:
Faith in his girls.
And one powerful trump card.
"System," he whispered. "Unlock my heart anchor."
Unlocking Anchor: Shen Ruo's KissBuff: +30% WillpowerTechnique: Emotional Pulse Strike – Shatters fear-based illusions
He struck.
The mirror shattered.
Light poured through.
He awoke gasping—back in the arena.
All around, cultivators were waking one by one.
Yue.
Lana.
Shen Ruo.
And…
Scarlet Fang.
She looked straight at him.
Her coffin trembled slightly.
"You," she said, smiling faintly. "You didn't break."
System Update: Round 2 Passed
Top 8 ReachedNew Character Unlocked: Scarlet Fang – Potential Harem Candidate (???)
Warning: Unknown spiritual curse detected.Interference with emotional pathways may occur.
Li staggered to his feet, wiping sweat from his brow.
Three girls ran to him.
"You okay?""You passed?""I was worried."
He nodded.
Then looked toward Scarlet Fang.
She was walking away, humming softly.
The coffin on her back… whispered his name.