That night was sleepless for Li Shen.
The whispers of mockery still clung to his mind, but the sharpest among them was the voice of Zhao Wei.
Zhao Wei was no ordinary disciple. As the son of a branch elder of the Rising Cloud Sect, he was praised as a young genius from the moment he stepped into the sect. With influential background, undeniable talent, and a group of followers eager to bask in his shadow, Zhao Wei stood tall above the rest.
The moment he laid eyes on Li Shen, hatred blossomed. To Zhao Wei, a boy with forbidden Qi was nothing more than a stain upon the sect's honor. But beneath his disgust, there was fear—fear that this boy, with no name, no family, and no protection, might actually survive and grow stronger.
From that day on, Zhao Wei made Li Shen his target—mocking him during training, humiliating him in the dining hall, and now, with the Trial Ground approaching, planning to destroy him before everyone's eyes.
---
At dawn, a heavy white mist covered the forest where the trial would take place. Ancient trees towered above like silent sentinels, their branches twisted like claws reaching for prey.
Li Shen walked at the back of the group. His head was lowered—not from weakness, but because he could feel the burning stares of his fellow disciples stabbing into his back.
"Traitor's child…"
"Forbidden Qi…"
"He'll die here…"
The whispers echoed, each word a dagger. Some laughed openly, enjoying the thought of his downfall.
But not all eyes were cruel. Mei Lin, walking a short distance away, glanced at him with quiet concern. Her eyes seemed to say, You are not alone.
Li Shen returned the look with the faintest nod.
Then the ground trembled. The mist swirled violently, accompanied by a roar that shook the air itself. From within the darkness emerged a massive figure: a Mist Wolf Spirit.
Its body was woven from thick black smoke, eyes glowing crimson, breath so venomous that the leaves around it withered at its touch.
"The Guardian Spirit…" one disciple whispered, trembling.
"It's… targeting someone," another muttered.
And indeed, its blazing gaze fixed on Li Shen.
---
Li Shen's body tensed. The Qi inside him churned violently.
Light tried to soothe, darkness begged to be unleashed.
"Release me! I will slaughter everything!" the voice of darkness hissed inside his mind.
"Do not listen! Hold firm, or you will destroy yourself!" the voice of light urged, calm but pressing.
His head throbbed, his heart raced, and for a moment it felt as if he would be torn apart.
Zhao Wei stepped forward, his smirk sharp as a blade. "Hahaha! Even the Guardian knows who deserves death. You're nothing but a walking curse."
Some disciples chuckled, while others stayed silent, too afraid to oppose him.
---
The Mist Wolf roared and lunged. Its claws of smoke slashed the air, sharp enough to tear an ancient tree in half.
Li Shen leapt back, his hands glowing—his right engulfed in shadow, his left blazing with pure white light. The two forces collided within his body, shaking the ground beneath him.
He was thrown to the earth, blood trickling from his lips.
Zhao Wei laughed. "See? He destroys himself! How could a curse like him survive?"
He raised a dark-red talisman. Without hesitation, Zhao Wei hurled it at the spirit. The talisman exploded with sinister energy, wrapping the wolf in violent black currents.
The spirit howled, growing more savage. Its crimson eyes blazed brighter, its aura doubled in ferocity.
"Zhao Wei, you're insane!" one disciple shouted.
But Zhao Wei only sneered. "If he dies here, then that is fate."
---
The wolf lunged again, its claws descending toward Li Shen's chest.
But a golden shield flared to life, halting the strike midair.
"Enough!"
Mei Lin stood at Li Shen's side, her hand raised, her face pale yet her eyes resolute. Light radiated from her, so pure that several disciples froze in awe.
Li Shen turned to her, shocked. "Mei Lin… why are you—"
"Silence," she snapped, her teeth clenched. "I won't let you die here. No matter what they say."
Strangely, the Mist Wolf faltered. For a brief moment, its red gaze softened, almost as if it recognized her.
---
Li Shen, breathing hard, asked under his breath, "Why… why does it respond to you? Who are you really?"
Mei Lin bit her lip. After a pause, she whispered,
"Because of my blood. I descend from a side branch of the Light Sect. That's my family's secret. And this spirit… it must sense it."
Li Shen's eyes widened. So… she too carries the blood of Light?
But before the thought could settle, the wolf roared again—driven madder still by Zhao Wei's talisman.
---
Mei Lin quickly pulled a small vial from her sleeve, tossing a gleaming pill into Li Shen's hand.
"Take it! It will stabilize your Qi!"
He swallowed it. A soothing warmth surged through him, calming the collision of light and darkness within. For the first time, he felt a sliver of harmony.
His hands rose again—his right wrapped in shadow, his left in pure light. This time, they did not clash; they moved together.
The Mist Wolf charged, claws reaching to tear him apart.
Li Shen met its gaze, his voice steady. "I will not run anymore!"
Both forces erupted at once. Light and darkness collided, then fused, exploding in a thunderous wave. The mist swirled, the earth shook, and the Guardian Spirit's body shattered into fragments of smoke with a final, echoing howl.
Silence fell over the forest.
The disciples stared, their faces pale with shock.
"He… controlled both…" one whispered.
Zhao Wei's fists clenched, his face twisted with fury. Mei Lin only allowed a faint smile, though worry lingered in her eyes.
Li Shen stood, chest heaving, his body trembling. Yet within his heart, a spark of certainty was born: he could—perhaps truly could—unite light and darkness.
And deep inside, another question arose:
If Mei Lin and I both carry the blood of Light… what is our true connection?