The Ninefold Mountain Sect loomed above the mist-shrouded peaks of the Central Jade Continent, its nine spires piercing the clouds like jade swords. Each spire, carved from spirit stone, pulsed with ancient qi, a testament to the sect's legacy as a crucible for cultivators. Wei Chen stood at the base of the mountain path, his grey tunic dusted with travel, the jade tablet a warm weight against his chest. The tournament in Jade Crest City had earned him a chance to join the sect, but the whispers of "useless heir" still clung to him, sharp as thorns.
Beside him, Lin Xiyue adjusted her sword, her crimson ribbon fluttering in the wind. "Ready to embarrass yourself again, scholar?" she teased, her grin sharp but playful. "The Ninefold Trials aren't a game. Even prodigies fall here." Her eyes sparkled, but there was a flicker of concern she didn't bother to hide.
Wei Chen smirked, brushing hair from his eyes. "Worried about me, sword maiden? I'm touched. But I've survived you, so how hard can this be?" His tone was light, but his pulse quickened. The tablet had burned hotter since Su Meilin's warning last night, its celestial qi stirring memories of betrayal and a jade palace in the clouds. He needed the sect's resources—techniques, elixirs, knowledge—to unlock its secrets and his own.
Su Meilin stood a few paces away, her white robes pristine despite the dusty path. Her moonstone eyes scanned the spires, but they lingered on Wei Chen, as if reading the tablet's hidden glow. "The trials test more than strength," she said softly. "They reveal the heart. Be cautious, Wei Chen." Her voice carried a weight that made the tablet pulse, and he wondered again what she knew—and what she hid.
"Heart, huh?" Wei Chen said, scratching his neck. "Mine's mostly sarcasm and bad decisions, but I'll manage." Lin Xiyue snorted, and even Su Meilin's lips twitched, a rare crack in her serenity.
A gong echoed, deep and resonant, signaling the start of the trials. A crowd of initiates—young cultivators from across the continent—gathered at the path's entrance, their qi ranging from Early to Late Qi Condensation. Wei Chen, barely at Middle Qi Condensation, felt their stares, some curious, others dismissive. His tournament performance had spread, but so had his reputation as the Wei Clan's failure.
An elder stepped forward, his robes black as night, his beard streaked with silver. Elder Mo Tian, a Nascent Soul cultivator, radiated a pressure that silenced the crowd. "The Ninefold Trials will forge you or break you," he said, his voice like grinding stone. "Ascend the nine spires, each a test of body, mind, and spirit. Only the worthy join our sect. Begin!"
The initiates surged up the path, qi flaring as they leaped over boulders and scaled cliffs. Wei Chen followed, his frail body straining but guided by the Jade Sovereign's instincts. Lin Xiyue bounded ahead, her Flame Blossom Step leaving trails of fiery qi, while Su Meilin moved with graceful precision, her celestial qi a soft glow. Wei Chen gritted his teeth, channeling the Jade Soul Scripture to keep pace, his qi forming a faint green aura.
The first spire was a labyrinth of stone, its walls etched with shifting runes. The initiates navigated traps—spiked pits, qi-draining arrays—but Wei Chen's past-life memories guided him, recognizing patterns from ancient celestial designs. He dodged a falling boulder, then pulled Lin Xiyue from a collapsing floor, earning a startled glance.
"Trying to play hero again?" she said, brushing off her sleeve, but her grin was softer now, almost warm.
"Someone has to keep you alive," Wei Chen shot back, dodging another trap. "You're welcome."
Su Meilin, ahead, turned back, her fan flicking open to deflect a dart. "Focus, both of you," she said, but her tone held a hint of amusement, like a teacher scolding playful children.
The second spire tested combat. Spirit beasts—jade-scaled serpents—lunged from hidden alcoves, their qi at Late Qi Condensation. Wei Chen's dagger, etched with jade runes, glowed as he fought, his Jade Sovereign's Step letting him blur around strikes. He felled a serpent, its blood staining the stone, but his qi faltered, his body trembling from the strain.
Lin Xiyue's sword danced, carving through beasts with fiery arcs. "Not bad, scholar," she called, slicing a serpent in half. "But you're still too slow!"
Su Meilin's fan spun, sending waves of celestial qi that stunned the beasts. She glanced at Wei Chen, her eyes sharp. "Your technique… it's celestial. Where did you learn it?" Her question hung, unanswered, as another serpent charged.
The trial's climax came at the third spire, a platform where initiates faced a qi array—a swirling vortex that tested spiritual resilience. Many collapsed, their meridians overwhelmed, but Wei Chen stood firm, the tablet's warmth stabilizing his qi. A vision flashed: the Jade Sovereign, standing against a celestial storm, unyielding. He channeled the Jade Soul Scripture, his aura flaring green, and the array parted, letting him pass.
Lin Xiyue and Su Meilin followed, their own qi—fiery and celestial—conquering the vortex. The three stood atop the spire, panting, as Elder Mo Tian watched from above, his eyes lingering on Wei Chen. "Interesting," he muttered, stroking his beard.
As the initiates rested, a shadow moved in the mist below—a cloaked figure, their qi demonic and sharp. Wei Chen's tablet burned, and he tensed, sensing danger. Before he could warn the others, a dagger flew, aimed at Su Meilin. Lin Xiyue reacted first, her sword deflecting it with a fiery clang.
"Another assassin!" she snapped, scanning the mist. The figure vanished, but the demonic qi lingered, a chilling echo of last night's attack.
Su Meilin's face was pale, her fan trembling. "They're after the tablet," she whispered, meeting Wei Chen's eyes. "We can't stay exposed."
Lin Xiyue sheathed her sword, glaring. "Care to share what's so special about this tablet, celestial girl? Or do we keep dodging daggers in the dark?"
Wei Chen sighed, rubbing his temples. "Can we not fight while someone's trying to kill us? Just a thought." His sarcasm hid his unease. The tablet, the assassins, the memories—they were pieces of a puzzle, and he was running out of time to solve it.
Elder Mo Tian's voice cut through. "Enough. You three, to my pavilion. The trials continue tomorrow." His tone was stern, but his gaze held a spark of curiosity—and suspicion.
As they followed him, Wei Chen felt the tablet's pulse, a silent promise of power and peril. Lin Xiyue's teasing grin and Su Meilin's quiet intensity flanked him, allies he wasn't sure he could trust. The Ninefold Mountain Sect was his path to strength, but it was also a battlefield, and he was only beginning to understand the stakes.