Today was the day—Heavens Gauntlet—the most anticipated event in history. People from all seven continents come to Beijing to participate; Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.
Each one from different cultures, different lifestyles, and different beliefs altogether.
Lin Feng was already up, standing in the middle of her room and doing stretches in her Martial Arts outfit.
Wearing a yellow sleeveless shirt, black sweatpants with a white karate belt, black shoes, a red headband, and red wristbands. She was armed and dangerous.
Nothing could keep her down on this special day.
"Lin Feng, are you almost ready?" Knocking on her door was her mother, Lin Yuhua, interrupting her stretches.
"Give me a few minutes!"
Li Feng—despite her crowded room—filled with various Karate posters, dressers, and Kung Fu training dummies, was doing complex stretches.
She hit multiple Cossack Squats and deep lunges, loosening up her muscles and taking deep breaths to ease her mind.
"Alright, I'll warm up the car. But it's cold outside, dear, you're gonna need a jacket."
"A jacket?" Yelled Feng, stopping her stretching and catching her breath. "Mom, I'm fine! Who needs a jacket when I'm entering the Citadel of God?"
Yuhua became silent until she raised her voice, just a little over the top.
"You're not gonna risk getting a cold and making your life harder! Now find you a jacket to wear, this instant. And that's final."
Her voice made the young martial artist tense up before nodding her head.
"O-Okay, I'll get one... jeez!"
She said that last word in a low whisper as she rubbed the back of her head with a low groan.
"Aw man, it's gonna ruin the look I was going for." She muttered under her breath as she headed to her closet, picking out a thick black jacket, clearly two sizes too big.
She stared at it for a long minute, crossing her arms.
"...I don't like this thing, but I guess it's better than freezing to death."
She proceeded slip it on as the sleeves swallowed her hands whole, and the hem nearly brushed her knees.
She looked like a child wearing borrowed armor. Lin Feng flexed her arms as she pouted like a child.
"Ah. I look like a sack of laundry!" She grumbled before straightening up and grinning at her reflection anyway. "A dangerous sack of laundry! Hehehe."
She tightened her red headband and proceeded to slap her cheeks twice, and exhaled.
"Alright. Showtime Lin Feng!"
Eventually, the youth left her room and headed downstairs, rushing toward the door.
"Bye, Mom! Love you!" She waved at her mom who was standing in the living room, nervous as ever in her expression.
"Feng!" She called out, stopping her daughter in her tracks.
"Y-Yes mam?" She asked, jogging up and down as she stood in place.
"Be careful out there… please." Said Yuhua, holding her chest. "If things get too hard, it's not wrong to give up. Everyone gives up once in a while. Do you understand?"
Her mom's worried expression, yet gentle smile, made Lin Feng halt her giddy momentum as she nodded her head slowly.
"I understand, Mom." She became stern in her visage, further expressing her determination. "But even if things do get too rough, it's not like me to give up. I'm gonna push past my limits, and become a Martialist in order to chase my dreams!"
Yuhua said nothing and simply nodded her head with a big smile.
"Good luck, sweetheart."
Lin Feng winked at her, giving a thumbs up as she bolted out the door and into the cold.
Her breath fogged the air as frost clung to the pavement, feeling the early morning sky still painted in deep shades of blue.
The neighborhood was unusually quiet, almost reverent, as if the world itself knew what day it was. And to be truthful, they did.
The car idled at the curb as its engine could be heard humming, meanwhile, her father, Lin Haoran, leaned against it with his arms crossed, already dressed and alert.
When he saw her, he raised an eyebrow.
"…That jacket's ridiculous on you, Feng."
"HEY!" Lin Feng protested immediately. "Mom made me wear it!"
Haoran snorted out loud as he pushed himself off the car.
"That figures. Only your mother could make a future Martial Artist look like a walking blanket."
"It's not like I wanted to wear it!" Lin Feng shot back, puffing out her chest.
Haoran laughed, cutting through the quiet street as he opened the passenger door and gestured for her to get in.
"Get in, Sack of Laundry. We don't wanna be late."
She stuck her tongue out at him before hopping into the car as the oversized jacket felt awkward around her body.
+
Soon, they started driving out of their neighborhood as Lin Feng stared out the window, watching the familiar streets pass by.
Shops were closed and schools were empty. Even the usual morning joggers were nowhere to be seen.
Her leg was bouncing restlessly.
"So!" She said, breaking the silence. "You nervous, pa?"
Haoran kept his eyes on the road.
"Terrified."
Lin Feng blinked multiple times, tilting her head to the side.
"Huh?"
He glanced at her briefly before smirking.
"What? You think I wouldn't be? I'm sending my kid into the most dangerous event on the planet for God's sake."
She scratched her cheek, suddenly unsure what to say.
"But… I also know how hard you've worked. I've seen the blood, bruises, and the times you got knocked down and stood right back up when we trained." He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "If anyone from the Lin Clan deserves to be there… It's you, Feng."
Lin Feng's grin returned, brighter than before.
"Heh. Damn right!"
"Hey, language."
Eventually, in a 20-minute car ride, the Citadel came into view. Even from miles away, it dominated everything in Beijing.
It was a massive structure of stone and steel that rose from the earth like a god's fortress
Its walls were etched with ancient symbols as its towers pierced the sky, disappearing into the clouds.
Lin Feng's mouth slowly fell open as she stared out the window and into the sky.
"…I keep forgetting how big the Citadel of God is!"
"That's only natural." Said Haoran. "We never come this way in Beijing. It's where the rich people live."
The roads around the Citadel were packed.
There were fighters from every corner of the world who stood in clusters. Some were stretching, some meditating, some laughing far too loudly to hide their nerves.
A few radiated such an intense presence that even Lin Feng could feel it from a distance.
Her heart was pounding, and her blood was pumping.
This was real—she was actually here—invited to become a Martial Artist.
As they parked at the designated drop-off zone, Lin Feng wasted no time stepping out.
She could feel such an intense aura all around her. It was like stepping into the territory of something far greater than herself.
Haoran opened the trunk and handed her a neatly packed bag.
"Here's everything you need." He said, tossing it to her. "Don't lose it. Me and your mom packed it for you."
She slung it over her shoulder with a big grin.
"Got it."
They stood there for a while, neither quite ready to say the obvious, but then, Haoran placed a firm hand on her head and ruffled her hair.
"Come back alive. That's the only thing that matters."
Lin Feng looked up at him as her eyes burned with excitement and resolve.
"I will." She grinned. "And when I do, I'll be way stronger than you!"
He laughed out loud, playfully punching her forehead.
"You already talk bigger than me."
Lin Feng turned to face the other way—staring at the clusters of people—visibly excited to walk forward.
Lin Feng turned to face the other way—staring at the clusters of people—visibly excited to walk forward.
Fighters filled the facade of the Citadel gates like a living sea. She could hear different languages overlapping each other with different accents, and laughter.
She saw contestants wear traditional robes, others in American clothing, and a few looked like they had walked straight out of legends with tattooed skin.
Lin Feng's fingers twitched.
"So this is everyone I'll be competing against…"
She cracked her neck once, then twice, and stepped forward.
"Hey!" Haoran called out behind her as she paused and glanced back.
"Don't forget who you are." He proclaimed. "No matter how crazy things get in there!"
Lin Feng flashed him a confident grin.
"How could I? I'm Lin Feng! Daughter of the best Master, Lin Haoran!" She said, pointing at herself with her thumb.
"Hmph." Haoran lowered his head in a grin as he nodded his head, crossing his arms.
And with that, she turned away and merged into the crowd of people.
So much was happening all around her at once. She felt overwhelmed by all of it, but she took deep breaths and calmed herself.
Lin Feng didn't see anyone around her age, they all looked like grown-ups.
At this point, she was surprised that she even got into such an important event at her age. But that wouldn't stop her from being sociable.
"Excuse me!" The short girl walked up to a tall, overweight man who appeared to be a sumo wrestler.
"Huh?" He looked around him, seeing no one, but hearing a voice directed at him.
"Excuse me!" Lin Feng shouted louder as he kept turning around, confused.
"Down here!" She said, finally catching his attention.
The sumo wrestler's eyes widened as they settled on the tiny, bundled figure in the oversized jacket, red headband, and wristbands.
He blinked multiple times, clearly unsure if he'd heard correctly.
"…You… are talking to me?" He finally asked in a low voice.
Lin Feng nodded eagerly, bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"Yeah! I'm Lin Feng! And you are?"
He moved awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.
"Uh… I'm Hidetoshi… Hidetoshi Yamamoto. From Japan."
"Cool! Hidetoshi-san!" Lin Feng said with a bright smile. "Are you here for the Gauntlet too?"
Hidetoshi furrowed his brow.
"Of course… who else would be here? This is the Citadel of God. The Heavens Gauntlet isn't exactly a sightseeing tour."
Lin Feng tilted her head, blinking innocently.
"I guess so. Say, mister, do you train? Or… do you fight for fun?"
Hidetoshi stared at her, utterly baffled.
"Fight… for fun? This is serious. People die here, the Gauntlet isn't a game."
Lin Feng shrugged as her grin never left her face.
"I know that. That's why I'm here! But… It's more fun if you meet people along the way, right?"
Hidetoshi twitched his jaw as he clearly wasn't used to this kind of energy.
"You… are very… cheerful for someone who's about to step into life-or-death trials."
Lin Feng bounced slightly on her heels.
"Of course! That's the only way to survive, right? Scared people get eaten first!"
Hidetoshi didn't know what to say.
He might have wanted to sigh, but instead, he simply muttered.
"Hmph… I guess you have a point."
Before Lin Feng could say anything else, a loud chime echoed across the facade as a deep, resounding voice caught everyone's attention.
"Chosen ones. Heed my words!!"
The crowd froze, and even Hidetoshi straightened up as his face became serious now.
Standing in front of the gates was none other than Mr. Qin, and beside him, Secretary Li Wenjin.
"Mr. Qin is the Head of the Exam Commission this year?" Muttered one of the fighters, crossing his arm.
"Guess this year's trials are gonna be serious if he's here." Said another.
"You have been summoned to the Citadel of God! Your first trial will begin once you enter. Remember, the rules are simple. Survive… or perish!!"
It took no time at all for tension to run through the crowd.
Fighters adjusted their stances and others closed their eyes to focus.
But even with the serious atmosphere, Lin Feng's grin didn't falter.
She clenched her fists, feeling a surge of adrenaline. "Bring it on!" She shouted as her voice carried across the plaza.
Hidetoshi looked at her like she was crazy.
"Y-You really are fearless, aren't you?"
Lin Feng bounced up and down.
"Nothing can scare me! I like excitement! And I like winning. So I will win this Gauntlet!"
"Uhhh…" Hidetoshi was baffled once more.
Up above, the massive gates of the Citadel began to shift as everyone could hear stone grinding against stone, eventually leading to the enormous doors slowly opening; revealing a swirling vortex of golden light.
Beyond it, the first trial awaited.
Lin Feng took a deep breath, straightening out her shoulders.
She glanced at Hidetoshi, who was still hesitating before yelling at him over the rising roar of anticipation.
"Come on! Don't just stand there! Let's get a move on, Hidetoshi!"
Hidetoshi hesitated, then nodded once, stepping forward with her.
"Lin Fengggg!" Calling out behind her was her father, waving at the very end of the crowd. He jumped up and down so he could see her.
"Dad?"
"Good luck!"
Lin Feng waved back without hesitation as her same old grin remained permanent.
"Thanks, Dad! I'll make you proud!"
"Now then!" Yelled Mr. Qin, causing anxiety to spread like wildfire. "Let this year Heavens Gauntlet, begin!!!"