Chapter 4 – The First Test: Wudong Mountain Range
The day of the Azure Sky Academy examination dawned beneath a pale, silver sky.
After months of tireless training, Yin-jin turned fifteen—the same day his destiny would be tested.
Hundreds of youths gathered before the academy gates, their excitement humming through the air like the charge before a storm. Among them stood Baifang, the lightning-wielding spear user who never seemed to stop talking.
"Five days in the mountains, huh?" Baifang grinned, twirling his spear. "Plenty of time for me to show off."
Yin-jin merely adjusted his sword belt. "If you can last five days, I'll be impressed."
A moment later, the proctor's voice boomed across the plaza:
> "First trial—Wudong Mountain Range! Survive for five days and bring back the crystal cores of any beasts you slay. Those who return empty-handed will be eliminated!"
Badges bearing the Azure Sky sigil shimmered to life on each participant's chest, marking them as contenders. Then the gates opened, and the crowd surged toward the wild peaks.
Most candidates formed quick alliances for safety, but Yin-jin and Baifang hung back, watching the others disappear into the forested slopes.
"Why follow the herd?" Baifang said, crackling sparks leaping from his fingertips.
Yin-jin nodded once. "We'll find our own path."
They slipped through the trees, the mountain wind sharp against their faces. Hours passed as they navigated rocky ridges and winding streams. The silence broke only when the ground began to tremble.
From a mire ahead, several Mud Lizards burst free—sleek, brown-scaled beasts the size of wolves, their jaws dripping sludge. Their dull eyes glowed with primal hunger.
"Mid-low grade," Baifang said, excitement flashing in his grin. "Perfect warm-up."
Lightning gathered along his spear as he charged. The first lizard lunged, but his weapon struck like thunder, impaling it through the throat. Yin-jin moved beside him, blade glinting with the faint black aura of the Dark Dawn Fire. He sidestepped another beast's bite and cleaved through its skull in a single motion.
Mud splattered. The air hissed with the stench of burning flesh. Within moments, the creatures lay still.
Baifang wiped his forehead. "Ha! Not bad for the quiet type."
But the victory chill turned to dread when the swamp behind them began to boil. Bubbles rose, bursting with sulfurous steam. Then a massive shadow erupted from the mud—
the Mud Lizard Leader. Twice their height, plated in stone-hard scales, eyes burning amber.
"Guess we found the boss," Baifang muttered, spinning his spear. Arcs of lightning licked along the shaft.
Yin-jin tightened his grip, feeling the dark flame pulse within his core.
"Then we finish this together."
The creature roared, shaking the trees. Mud rained down as it lunged, claws carving deep furrows into the ground. Lightning met darkness—Baifang's spear flashed, Yin-jin's sword blazed black. Their powers collided with the beast's fury, light and shadow swirling in chaos.
The mountains echoed with thunder and flame.
And as the battle raged, the tr
ial had truly begun.