Two weeks had passed since Yi Yang discovered the seal. Two weeks of secret training, nighttime meetings with Mira on the roof, and modest attempts to understand this new world.
On the morning of the fifteenth day, the summons came.
A palace servant dressed in formal attire stood at the door of Yi Yang's room. "Young Master Lian, the Clan Master requests your presence in the examination hall."
Yi Yang's heart raced. "Exam? I haven't heard about any exam."
"All clan children at age sixteen must undergo the level exam," the servant said in a tone that knew no mercy. "You were delayed due to your illness. But now that you've recovered, there's no escaping it."
---
The Examination Hall:
It was a massive stone hall with a high ceiling bearing carvings of mythical beasts. In the center, a circle of black and white marble, resembling the seal itself.
About twenty young men and women stood in rows. Some looked confident, leaning on swords or clenching their fists. Others, like him, looked frightened.
Kai stood in the front row, back straight, a challenging look in his eyes. When he saw Yi Yang, he pointed his thumb toward the circle, as if saying, "That's your spot."
"Examinees!" shouted the exam chief, an old man with eyes as sharp as a hawk's. "Today you determine your official level. Level 1 is the minimum for combatants of Clan Yi. Those who fail..."
He paused, looking at everyone. "Those who fail are expelled from the combat branch to the service branch."
Trembling whispers spread among the candidates.
"The exam is simple," the old man continued. "In the circle, you will face a Level 1 training dummy. You must withstand its attacks for five minutes. Or... defeat it."
Muffled laughs. One handsome candidate said, "Which of us at Level 1 can defeat a dummy of the same level? That's impossible."
"Not impossible," the old man said. "Three fighters in the clan's history have done it."
He looked directly at Kai. "One of them was your father, the Clan Master."
Kai smiled with pride.
"Lian!" called the old man.
His turn was first. Of course.
Yi Yang walked toward the circle. His legs felt heavy. The seal in his palm seemed to burn.
"Examination field detected. Recommendation: Use balance. The dummy is designed for strong attacks. Its weakness: joints."
Useful information. But his heart was pounding like a drum.
He entered the circle.
From an opening in the floor, the dummy rose. It was six feet tall, made of shiny bronze metal, its eyes glowing red. In its hands were two short swords.
"Time begins now!" shouted the old man.
The dummy moved.
Its speed was astonishing. The old Lian wouldn't have even seen the movement.
But the new Yi Yang... saw.
He saw the incoming sword as a golden line in the air. And his body moved automatically, bending to the side.
The first rows of the audience whispered. The dodge was elegant.
But the second attack came faster. Yi Yang tried to evade again, but the tip of the sword grazed his arm.
Sharp pain. Blood.
"Minor injury. Golden energy directed for healing."
He felt warmth in his arm. The bleeding stopped. The wound didn't fully heal, but the pain lessened.
The dummy didn't stop. Third, fourth, fifth attacks.
Yi Yang was spinning, dodging, retreating. But the circle was limited. The space was shrinking.
After two minutes, he was breathing heavily. His weak body wasn't used to this effort.
"Energy depleting. Recommendation: Attack."
"I can't!" he whispered between breaths.
"Requirement: Use Yang and Yin together. This is an opportunity."
He looked at the dummy. It was preparing for a new attack, its swords gleaming under the hall lights.
And suddenly, he saw it. Between the dummy's chest and arm, there was a small gap. A joint connection point.
He knew what he had to do.
The dummy attacked.
This time, Yi Yang didn't dodge.
Instead, he advanced.
Screams from the audience. Even Kai opened his eyes wide.
At the last moment, Yi Yang bent, sliding under the two swords. His hands rose.
Right hand: a golden fist, striking the dummy's left joint.
Left hand: a silver push, striking the right joint.
The sound of cracking metal.
The dummy suddenly stopped. Its swords fell to the ground. Then it trembled all over and exploded into small pieces.
Silence.
Then... uproar.
"Impossible!" shouted one of the young men.
"He defeated the dummy!"
"In two and a half minutes!"
The old exam chief walked slowly toward the circle. His eyes examined Yi Yang as if seeing him for the first time.
"How... did you do that?" he asked.
"The joints," Yi Yang answered honestly. "That was its weakness."
The old man looked at him for a long moment, then announced: "Lian... passes the exam. With an... exceptional rating."
The word "exceptional" hung in the air. In the clan's history, there had been "acceptable," "good," and "excellent." But "exceptional"...
Kai stepped out of the row. "That's unfair! How can a weakling like him..."
"Silence!" said the old man in an icy voice. "The result is clear. Lian, you may leave."
But Yi Yang didn't leave. Because he saw something. Among the dummy's wreckage, something gleamed. He bent down and picked it up.
It was a small crystal, the size of a pea, half gold and half silver.
"Discovery: Balance crystal. Can be absorbed to increase level."
He quickly hid it in his fist.
But the old man saw. And his eyes narrowed.
---
After the Exam:
In his room, Yi Yang was examining the crystal when he heard a knock on the door.
He opened it. Mira stood there, but this time she wasn't wearing maid's clothing. Instead, she wore simple but elegant clothes, and her hair was tied differently.
"I see you passed," she said, entering without invitation.
"You were there?"
"Of course. The entire palace was there." She sat on the only chair in the room. "And now, everyone is talking about you."
"That's not good, is it?"
"No," she said frankly. "Because Kai won't be happy. And his father... the Clan Master, will be curious."
"What does he want from me?"
"To know the source of your power." She looked at his closed hand. "And what you hid from the dummy's wreckage."
Yi Yang opened his hand. The crystal gleamed in the lamplight.
Mira gasped softly. "A balance crystal. Very rare."
"What does it do?"
"Increases your power. But..." She took it gently. "But it must be used wisely. If you absorb it completely, your energy might become imbalanced."
"So what should I do?"
"Divide it," she said. "Use half now. And the other half... when you're on the verge of advancing to Level 2."
She stood up, walking toward the window. "Today, you attracted attention. And tomorrow... the challenges will come."
"Like what?"
Like another knock on the door, but this time stronger, more urgent.
A servant's voice: "Young Master Lian, the Clan Master requests a meeting. Now."
Yi Yang looked at Mira. Her eyes said: "I told you."
---
Meeting with the Clan Master:
The throne hall was larger and more magnificent than the exam hall. Marble pillars supported a ceiling painted with scenes of legendary battles.
On the throne at the end sat a man in his fifties but appearing younger. Black hair tied back, deep brown eyes, and an athletic build under his luxurious robes. This was Yi Feng, Master of Clan Yi, and Yi Yang's father in this world.
To his right stood Kai, a triumphant look on his face.
"Lian," said Yi Feng in a deep voice that filled the hall. "Come closer."
Yi Yang walked until he stood ten feet from the throne.
"Tell me," said the father. "How did you defeat the dummy?"
"The joints, sir."
"The joints," Yi Feng repeated. "Yes, that's what we all saw. But what we didn't see... is how you knew to strike the right place, with the right energy."
He paused. "You, who never received formal training. Who could barely hold a sword. How did you do that?"
All eyes were on Yi Yang. Kai smiled maliciously.
"Analysis: Master Yi Feng is at Level 5. Can detect energy. Recommendation: Partial honesty."
Yi Yang took a deep breath. "When I fell on the amulet... something happened."
"The amulet?" said Yi Feng quietly, dangerously.
"Yes. The stone amulet in my room. I injured myself on it, and..."
"And something entered your body," Yi Feng completed. "A seal. The Yin-Yang seal."
Heavy silence.
"Do you know what that means, my son?" asked Yi Feng, his tone changed.
"No, sir."
"It means you are now a target." He stood from his throne, walking toward Yi Yang. "Tian Wu's seal... many want it. Inside the clan and outside."
He stood before him. "Are you afraid?"
"Yes," Yi Yang answered honestly.
"Good," said Yi Feng. "Fear keeps you alive."
Then he turned his back. "Starting tomorrow, you will join the regular beginner training. Kai will be responsible for you."
Kai was shocked. "Father! I..."
"Silence!" said Yi Feng without turning. "This is decided. You may leave now."
Yi Yang and Kai left together. In the corridor outside the hall, Kai grabbed Yi Yang's arm.
"Don't think this means we're friends," he whispered angrily. "Father is testing me. And testing you."
"I know," said Yi Yang.
"Tomorrow at dawn, in the training yard," said Kai as he walked away. "And don't be late."
---
A Night of Intense Training:
On the roof again, but this time, Mira brought a small bag with her.
"Basic tools," she opened it. Small crystals, dried herbs, and a thin book.
"What's this?"
"What you'll need to stay alive," she said seriously. "Kai will be harsh. And the others... will be worse."
She opened the book. "This explains the basics of the nine-level system. Listen well."
She read: "Level 1: Living Iron. Transforming the body from clay to iron.
Level 2: Shining Bronze. Strengthening the bones.
Level 3: Flowing Silver. Purifying the blood.
Level 4: Immortal Gold. Forming the energy core.
Level 5: Glowing Ruby. Opening the spiritual channels.
Level 6: Eternal Crystal. Merging soul and body.
Level 7: Divine Light. Touch of divine power.
Level 8: Dual Existence. Existing on two planes.
Level 9: Combat God. Perfection."
She paused. "Most people don't exceed Level 3. Level 4 is considered a master. And Level 5... divine."
"And Master Yi Feng?" asked Yi Yang.
"Level 5," she answered. "One of the ten strongest people in the region."
"And you?"
She smiled. "That's a secret."
She gave him the balance crystal divided into halves. "Take this now. And the other half... when you feel you're on the edge."
He took the half and placed it in his mouth as she instructed. The crystal melted like snow, and tremendous energy flowed into his body.
"Balance crystal absorbed. Progress +50. Yang +2. Yin +2."
Current Level: 1
Progress: 80/100
Yang: 7.5 points
Yin: 7.5 points
Balance: Stable
He felt power filling every cell. His body, which had been weak, was now... solid.
"Now you're ready," Mira said. "Ready for tomorrow."
"Mira..." he began.
"No," she said, her eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "Don't thank me yet. Wait until you survive a week with Kai."
She jumped from the roof. But before disappearing, she turned. "And with that crystal... you're now truly at Level 1. But remember, Kai is at Level 2. And there's a big difference between levels."
In his room, Yi Yang practiced the basic movements Mira had taught him. Each movement radiated energy. Each strike was stronger than the last.
He looked at the seal in his palm.
Level 1: 80/100
Next Goal: Level 2
The road was long. And the challenges were many.
But for the first time, he felt that... he might succeed.
And in another palace, in a room filled with old maps and books, Yi Feng stood before a window, looking at the moon.
"Master," said a servant from the shadows. "The amulet... has disappeared."
"I know," said Yi Feng quietly.
"Shall we act?"
"Not yet," he turned. "Let's watch. And see... what this son I've long forgotten will do."
"And if he really is the seal-bearer?"
"If he really is..." Yi Feng paused. "If he really is, then war will begin. War within the clan. And war with the world."
The servant left. And Yi Feng remained alone, looking at a portrait of a beautiful woman on the wall.
"My wife..." he whispered. "Your son... might be the hope. Or might be the destruction."
Outside the window, a cloud covered the moon.
And darkness spread.