The sun dipped low, painting the horizon with streaks of gold and crimson. The first trial had ended, leaving behind the sting of exhaustion and the weight of unspoken rivalries. Though no fatalities had occurred, the courtyard outside the tournament grounds carried the heavy silence of students who had glimpsed both their own limits and the strength of their peers.
Li Wei followed the attendants of the Tianlong Sect through the bustling streets of the capital. Around him, his fellow competitors limped, leaned on friends, or walked with stiff pride. Everyone had been tested, and though victories were claimed, none had emerged unscathed.
At last, they arrived at a sprawling compound, one of several prepared for the visiting academies. The sect had provided it as temporary lodging, its high walls shielding the students from the chaos of the capital outside. The moment they stepped through the gates, the tension in the air eased. Courtyards with gnarled pine trees and gently trickling fountains greeted them, the quiet hum of spiritual energy woven into the very stones.
"This place…" Mei whispered beside Li Wei, her eyes wide. "Even resting here could help one's cultivation."
Li Wei nodded absently. His limbs ached, his chest still burned from the force of the duel earlier, but something deeper nagged at his attention. He excused himself quickly, retreating to the room assigned to him.
The chamber was modest yet refined, its walls lined with faintly glowing runes to stabilize qi. Li Wei sat cross-legged on the floor, shutting his eyes. Slowly, he guided his breath, calling the remnants of his scattered energy back into order.
But as the streams of qi circled through his meridians, he froze.
Something was… different.
The energy that flowed within him was not the same as before. It was heavier, denser, and yet smoother, as though every wisp carried twice the weight of what it had only a day ago. His dantian pulsed with unfamiliar strength, a subtle pressure building at its core.
Li Wei's eyes opened, sharp and unblinking. This feeling… could it be…?
A tremor of realization surged through him. His heart pounded in his chest, the thought forming, undeniable—
The door slid open.
"Li Wei!" Mei burst into the room, carrying a tray with steaming bowls. "You didn't even eat after the trial! I knew it. You're terrible at looking after yourself."
The qi within him scattered, the moment breaking like water dashed against stone. Li Wei exhaled, forcing his features into calm. "You didn't need to—"
"Of course I did," Mei cut him off, setting the tray down with a clatter. She studied him, eyes narrowing. "You push yourself too hard. If you burn out before the next trial, what use will all your training be?"
Li Wei chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You sound like an elder."
"Maybe I should be," she huffed, though her eyes softened. "Just… don't scare me like that again. When I saw you take that hit earlier, I—" She stopped herself, biting her lip.
The words hung unsaid between them. Li Wei met her gaze, and for a moment, the noise of the world fell away. "I'll be fine," he said quietly. "I have to be."
Mei looked at him for a long time, then sighed and sat down across from him. "Eat. I'll keep watch."
Later, long after Mei had drifted into sleep, Li Wei slipped out the window of his room.
The capital after nightfall was another world. Lanterns floated overhead like drifting fireflies, while alleys bent and twisted away from the main roads into shadowed corners. He passed disciples from rival academies clustered together, voices sharp with rivalry even when muffled by distance. Somewhere in the air, faint as a whisper, was the promise of danger.
Pausing near a narrow street, Li Wei caught sight of two cloaked men speaking in low voices. Their words carried only in fragments:
"…sect's envoy…""…eliminate… before the second trial…"
His pulse quickened. He leaned closer, but a loose tile betrayed him with a sharp scrape.
Both men went rigid. Their eyes swept the shadows, and for a heartbeat Li Wei thought they had spotted him. Then, with practiced precision, they vanished into the night.
He exhaled slowly, tension tight in his chest. Who were they speaking of? And what did it mean for the tournament?
Li Wei stood alone once more, but the weight of the encounter pressed heavily on him.
Unseen by anyone, a figure stood atop the roof of a compound, robes embroidered with the golden dragon insignia of the Tianlong Sect. His face was obscured by shadow, but his eyes glowed faintly as they followed Li Wei's movements.
"This one… interesting," the elder murmured, his voice lost to the wind. Then, as silently as he had appeared, he was gone.
Later still, Li Wei sat beneath an ancient pine at the edge of the courtyard. The night air was cool, the breeze carrying the faint scent of blossoms. He closed his eyes, letting the stillness seep into him.
His thoughts drifted, unbidden, to his past.
The smell of smoke. The crackle of fire. The screams that still echoed in his memory.
His village had been small, unimportant. His parents had not been cultivators of great renown. Yet they had been kind, hard-working, and fiercely protective. That night, when strangers in black descended with blades drawn, everything was ripped away. His parents had shielded him until the end, their blood soaking the ground. He had survived by chance alone.
To this day, he didn't know why the attackers had come. Were his parents caught in something larger? Had they stumbled into a secret that should have remained hidden? The answers were buried with them, leaving only a hollow ache in his chest.
Li Wei opened his eyes, the stars above blurring. He clenched his fists. I swore that day I would never again be powerless. Whatever fate took them from me, I will rise above it. I will carve a path where no one can trample me again.
The moon shone bright overhead, its cold light washing over him. For the first time that day, Li Wei allowed himself a small, steady smile.
---
Dawn came swiftly. When the students gathered once more in the plaza, the air was heavier than before. The failures of the first trial still clung to many faces, but sharper still was the tension of the unknown.
The lone Tianlong elder appeared again, descending with a calm that pressed on every chest. His hands folded behind his back, his gaze swept across the assembly.
"In the first trial," he said, his voice quiet yet carrying to every corner of the courtyard, "you revealed your strength in combat. But the way of the cultivator is not won through fighting alone. Today, you will be tested in the strength of your hearts."
He lifted a hand. Behind him, the sect attendants stepped forward, carrying jade staffs inscribed with faint, glowing runes.
The elder gave a single nod. "Begin."