Chapter 6 – Shadows in the Range
The air was thick with tension. Mist coiled between the trees like smoke from an unseen fire, and the ground beneath their boots was slick with dew and old blood.
Five figures emerged from the haze — older students, their Azure Sky badges gleaming faintly in the gloom. They wore confident smirks, the kind that came from surviving too many fights and winning most of them.
The leader, a tall youth with crimson hair and a curved blade strapped across his back, studied Yin Jin and Baifang with a lazy grin.
"Well, well. So the rumors are true. Two lone participants taking down a mid-grade beast? Didn't think you'd actually live to brag about it."
Baifang spun his spear, lightning crackling along the shaft. "Bragging's not our thing," he said, smirking. "But if you're asking for a demonstration, I can arrange that."
The crimson-haired youth chuckled, unsheathing his weapon with a metallic hiss. "Cute. But here's the thing — this mountain range isn't big enough for all of us. So, why don't you hand over your beast cores and leave?"
Yin Jin stepped forward, calm but firm. His aura flared faintly, the crimson flame within him pulsing like a heartbeat.
"We earned those cores. You'll have to take them yourself."
The leader's smirk widened. "Gladly."
He moved in a blur, his curved blade slicing toward Yin Jin's neck — but Baifang intercepted, sparks exploding as lightning clashed against steel. "Oh, no you don't!"
The clearing erupted into chaos. Three of the older students lunged at Baifang, weapons flashing; two others surrounded Yin Jin. Lightning and fire tore through the fog, illuminating the mountain in flashes of red and blue.
Baifang laughed between strikes, wild and fearless. "You guys hit like kittens!"
But as the fight raged, the ground suddenly shook beneath them — a deep rumble that silenced all. The rival students froze, eyes darting to the forest edge.
The trees swayed — then snapped as a hulking shadow lumbered into view.
From the darkness came a beast unlike any they'd seen before — a Rockhide Serpent, easily twenty meters long, its scales glimmering like granite, its fanged maw dripping venom. Its tail dragged trenches through the earth as it hissed, eyes glowing molten gold.
Baifang's grin vanished. "That's... mid–high grade!"
The crimson-haired leader cursed, spinning his blade. "Scatter!"
Too late. The serpent lunged, its jaws devouring one of the older students whole. The survivors screamed, weapons flashing uselessly against its stone hide.
Yin Jin's eyes flared red, fire surging up his arm. "Baifang — left flank!"
"On it!" Lightning roared around Baifang's spear as he sprinted forward, his movements blurring like thunder. Yin Jin followed, his crimson flame blazing brighter than before.
Baifang struck first — "Heaven's Pulse — Thunder Spiral!" — his lightning spear tore into the serpent's neck, shattering a few scales. The creature shrieked, thrashing violently.
Yin Jin leapt high, fire condensing into his palms. "Crimson Flame Art — Burning Nova!"
The explosion lit the forest in a sunburst of scarlet, forcing even the rival students to shield their eyes. When the light faded, half the serpent's body smoldered — but it still moved.
Baifang's lightning flickered, his qi draining. "Tch—still not enough!"
Yin Jin landed beside him, his voice low but steady. "Then we finish it together."
Baifang grinned despite the exhaustion. "You read my mind."
They surged forward as one — lightning and flame entwined, a storm of power and will. The serpent lunged again, but this time, they didn't retreat.
"Dual Art — Stormfire Break!"
Flame and thunder collided, the impact echoing across the mountains like divine wrath. The serpent's head exploded in a blaze of red and white light, and when the smoke cleared, only ashes and sparks remained.
Silence.
Baifang dropped to one knee, gasping for air. "You know... you could warn me before you mix fire with lightning next time."
Yin Jin smirked faintly, his crimson eyes softening. "Would you have held back?"
Baifang chuckled weakly. "Not a chance."
Behind them, the surviving rival students stared in disbelief — their arrogance burned away. The crimson-haired leader lowered his blade, eyes wide. "Who... are you two?"
Yin Jin turned slightly, the fading sunlight painting his silhouette in gold and red.
"We're just cultivators on our first test," he said quietly. "Remember that."
As the wind swept through the scorched clearing, the others slowly backed away.
The trial wasn't over — but from that moment on, the names Yin Jin and Baifang began to spread across the Wudong Mountain Range.
---
Would you like me to continue Chapter 6 to the aftermath — when the academy observers take notice of their power (maybe through scryi
ng crystals or spiritual mirrors) — or end it here on this legendary first victory?