A peal of thunder crashed directly above the mountain, shaking the sky and the spires of Frostveil Peak.
The snowfall thickened, but no one paid attention to the falling flakes. Everyone's eyes were on the azure lightning bolt that had just struck the stone platform—where a lone boy stood in silence.
Not burning.
Not injured.
Not even blinking.
Tiān Lán slowly opened his eyes. They shimmered, faintly glowing with frost-tinged blue. He looked… calm. As if lightning were an old friend.
"D-Did he just absorb a lightning bolt?" a young disciple stammered nearby.
"No way. That was real lightning. From the heavens!" another gasped.
The elders on the judging platform stood abruptly, their expressions shifting from boredom to sharp curiosity.
"Unusual... That lightning wasn't normal," one muttered, stroking his beard. "It had a sliver of divine will."
The head examiner, an icy-eyed woman named Elder Mù Qingxue, narrowed her eyes. "Azure lightning during snowfall… and it chose that boy."
She opened her palm, drawing a floating jade tablet. It showed Tiān Lán's basic profile:
> Name: Tiān Lán
Origin: Frostglow City — Lóng Family
Cultivation: None detected.
Status: Candidate #172
"'None detected'?" she murmured. "Then why do I feel… something ancient watching us?"
Down below, Tiān Lán took a breath. A cool stream of frost qi swirled beneath his skin. The lightning hadn't harmed him. It had fed him. The Skyfrost Vein Severing Art etched into his soul was now circulating quietly, purifying his meridians with every breath.
He looked up at the distant peaks, ignoring the fearful stares around him.
He had no interest in showing off.
Let them mock. Let them whisper.
He was not here to prove anything.
He was here… to rise.
🏔️ The Frostveil Entrance Trials Begin
A booming voice echoed across the snowy courtyard.
> "All candidates, step forward!"
The cloud-wreathed plaza came to life. Dozens of disciples hurried toward the first test platform. Tiān Lán walked slowly, his steps quiet on the ice. Some candidates moved away from him instinctively, as if he were cursed. Others whispered.
"He's the one who got struck by lightning, right?"
"Looks like a pretty boy. Probably just lucky."
"Let's see if he even has any spiritual roots."
🌱 Trial One: Spirit Vein Revelation
Elder Mù Qingxue stood atop the icy jade platform. Beside her floated a great glowing stone with intricate runes—the Spirit Mirror Obelisk.
"Step forward," she commanded.
One by one, the disciples placed their hands on the stone. Brilliant lights would flare, revealing their spiritual attributes.
> "Water root, average grade."
"Fire root, medium grade."
"Wood and earth dual root, decent harmony."
Cheers followed those with stronger results. A girl with a rare Ice Root received applause.
Then—
> "Candidate #172. Tiān Lán."
He walked up the steps under silence. Not a single cheer. Not even a murmur of hope.
They'd already decided what he was: a nobody.
Tiān Lán placed his palm on the stone.
At first—nothing.
Then the air cracked.
WHOOM.
A vortex of qi howled around the platform. The snow twisted upward into a spiral. The Spirit Mirror flashed from pale blue to dazzling azure to deep silver.
The elders stood up.
Mù Qingxue's eyes widened. "This…"
> The stone flared:
> ❄️ Ice Root — Supreme Grade.
⚡ Lightning Affinity — Hidden Lineage Awakened.
A hush fell across the mountain.
No one had ever seen a dual revelation like that—especially not one hidden beneath a body said to have no cultivation.
"Impossible!" shouted a boy nearby. "He must be using some trick!"
Tiān Lán stepped back, silent as ever.
⚔️ Trial Two: Willpower Challenge — The Ice Mirror Realm
The next trial was harsher: a mental illusion constructed by the sect's ancient artifact, the Ice Mirror Crystal.
One by one, disciples were sent into a sealed chamber. Inside, they would face illusions drawn from their deepest fears and regrets. Many failed after a few minutes.
A tall girl emerged from the crystal weeping.
A boy ran out screaming about his dead brother.
"Candidate #172."
Tiān Lán entered without a word.
Inside, the cold was absolute. He stood alone in a mirrored realm, the sky above black and thunderous.
Then—they appeared.
His past life's betrayers. Old friends turned assassins. The ones who had stabbed him beneath the Moonlight Pagoda. Their faces twisted in mockery.
> "You were always the strongest, Tiānshuāng. That's why we had to break you."
> "Do you remember your final scream?"
The illusion tried to press down on him.
But Tiān Lán didn't flinch.
He looked straight at them. His voice was low.
> "You died in my memory long ago."
> "And this time… I won't spare any of you."
The mirror cracked. The illusions shattered like glass under frost.
Outside the chamber, elders gasped. "He broke the illusion matrix in under five breaths!"
"Not just broke—he dominated it," said one.
🧊 A Brief Interlude — A Familiar Gaze
As Tiān Lán stepped down from the crystal chamber, quiet applause followed.
From the shadows under the pavilion, a pair of soft eyes watched him.
The girl in blue.
Her hair shimmered under the snowlight. She still carried the same parasol, now flecked with frost. A faint smile touched her lips.
"He hasn't changed," she murmured. "Even death couldn't freeze that soul."
Behind her, a silver bird perched quietly on a branch.
She turned and disappeared again.
🌙 Nightfall Over Frostveil
The first day of trials ended. Most candidates were escorted to the outer disciple dorms.
But Tiān Lán stood alone at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the frozen lake below.
The moonlight reflected across the ice like a silver path leading upward.
Inside his dantian, the Skyfrost Vein Severing Art continued its silent work, refining his meridians. The lightning had left a trace behind—a hidden core of energy waiting to awaken.
> Soon, he thought. I'll be ready to cultivate for real.
A quiet voice interrupted him.
"Tiān Lán."
He turned.
It was a girl. Not the one in blue—but someone from the candidates. Dark green robes. Her name was Lu Qingmei, known for her sword talent.
"You… were amazing today."
He said nothing.
"Tomorrow's the combat trial," she added. "They'll target you. Be careful."
He nodded slightly. "Thank you."
She hesitated, then left.
As the wind picked up, Tiān Lán looked up at the stars.
Tomorrow—he would show the world that even without a sect, status, or family behind him...
He was still unstoppable.