The Assembly floor had been transformed. Banner drums beat a low, steady rhythm. Layered bells rang from the high arches. The air was thick with ceremonial incense. The main board glowed, revealing the Core Trials:
1. Live Compliance Sprint
2. Meridian Sustain (Dynamic)
3. Combat Calibration (Non-lethal)
The stakes were public, weighted for Inner Gate exam slots. Squads had dissolved; competitors now entered solo, though ad-hoc pairing was permitted by the rules. On a high balcony, He Rulong stood, his gaze a still, silent weight.
---
Qin Ye approached the Core Gate, his hand brushing a stone pylon.
[Daily Sign-In available.]
[Location: Core Gate Pylon.]
[Sign-In? Yes / No]
Yes.
[Ding! Sign-In successful!]
[Reward: Exam Thread (Lv.1, 25 breaths — compress recall of public clauses + stabilize breath under crowd pressure) + Queue Lock Token (1 use — freeze your lane order at a node; auto-log parity).]
---
Brief Friction.
A He-line aide stepped into his path, gesturing to a slower lane. "For safety precedence, use this lane."
"Route parity clause 2.1," Qin Ye stated, his voice flat. He didn't activate the token, but the threat of it was implicit.
The lane marshal stamped the log. "Lane order holds."
---
Trial 1: Live Compliance Sprint.
A proctor outlined the rules: a timed route with flag nodes. Tap each flag and cite the relevant clause. No halts. Device Witness active.
[Ding! Optional Objective unlocked: "Clear Sprint with zero citations overturned." — Reward: Technique Cache (procedural, locked).]
At the start node, Qin Ye's Micro-Perception registered a mis-inked boundary line.
"Clause 4.2. Request public flag refresh for parity," he said.
A stamp landed. The flag was replaced before the clock started.
---
The Sprint.
Beat A: He reached the first node. His fingers tapped the flag. "Clause 3.7. Public route integrity." The Exam Thread sharpened the words, delivering them with perfect timing.
[Ding! Micro-Goal: "Clause on Contact."]
[Reward: +150,000 Spirit Stones; Procedural Presence +1 (situational).]
Beat B: A vent gust roared, pushing a rolling bin into the Device Witness's line-of-sight. A Silent Step and a non-contact Blade Nudge with his baton adjusted his angle, preserving the uninterrupted feed. No reset was called.
Beat C: A mid-route clerk raised a hand. "Format mismatch on the clause citation."
"Clause 5.4. Format is valid if audible and logged," Qin Ye fired back, not breaking stride.
A stamp dropped. "Citation valid."
Beat D: The final node. A two-step cadence trap, an echo of the Echo Step duo's tricks, tried to bait a misstep. Qin Ye ignored the auditory illusion, planting his foot on his internal breath count. He tapped the flag. "Clause 6.9. Public echo precedent binds all subsequent apparatus." He had tied the Null Crest's public status directly into the sprint's logic.
---
Sprint Result.
The final stamp landed. His time was clean.
[Ding! Optional Objective completed: Clear Sprint with zero citations overturned.]
[Reward: Technique Cache (procedural, unlocked).]
---
Transition: Meridian Sustain (Dynamic).
The hall lights cooled to a soft blue. Crystals mounted on rolling frames advanced. Competitors had to walk a slow, measured circle while the frames created a moving qi draw.
Qin Ye's eyes caught a micro-variance in a crystal coil's oscillation.
"Request public calibration of coil seven. Clause 3.1."
A stamp. The calibration was performed.
---
Sustain Under Motion.
Beat A: He activated the Exam Thread. His breathing locked into the 4-4-2 cadence. The moving draw intensified. A Quiet Pivot in his stride smoothed the qi resonance, keeping the flow even.
Beat B: A neighboring candidate stumbled, sending a legal gray ripple of discordant resonance through the field. Qin Ye shifted his rhythm by a half-beat, avoiding the spike.
[Ding! Micro-Goal: "Hold Moving Curve."]
[Reward: +150,000 Spirit Stones; Examiner Impression +1 (situational).]
Beat C: A red flicker warned of an unstable reading on his frame. "Device Witness echo of coil readings," he requested mid-stride.
The live echo played on an overhead screen, stabilizing the adjudication. The timer completed without further issue.
---
Combat Calibration (Non-lethal) Hook.
The rings were marked by humming ropes. The rules were simple: non-lethal taps, resets only for boundary breaches.
His opponent was a He-line disciple, movements crisp and procedural, specializing in timing feints. No dirty tricks, just razor-sharp compliance.
First exchange: The opponent feinted high, then low, a mirror of the Echo Step's cadence games. Qin Ye refused the entrainment, his Quiet Pivot negating the angle.
Second exchange: Qin Ye saw a micro-opening. A Blade Nudge with his baton redirected the opponent's guard, creating space for a clean, non-damaging tap to the shoulder. Silent River remained sheathed.
[Ding! Micro-Goal: "Angle Without Draw."]
[Reward: +150,000 Spirit Stones; Counter-Angle +3% (situational).]
The judge raised a hand, signaling the start of the official, scored sequence.
---
Thread the Masked Node.
At the edge of the hall, the registry holoplate flickered. The masked node "—" resolved for a split second into "Proc-Hub Δ" before re-masking. The hash tag beside it was identical to the one from the failed reveal in the Integration Trial.
---
Ending Hook.
[Ding! Core Trials — Day 1 mid-session.]
The bell was poised to ring. The rope sang its taut note. Qin Ye's toe settled on the stone, guided by his breath, not the sound.