The trial began with a single command.
"Enter."
Dozens of cultivators surged forward, crossing the massive spirit gate one group at a time. The portal shimmered like liquid silver, swallowing them into the mists of the outer ridge. Each disciple carried a satchel of minimal rations, a basic talisman for emergency recall, and a single spirit token that marked their progress.
This was no simple survival test.
They had three days.
Three days to gather spirit herbs, subdue marked beasts, and prove their worth not just in strength—but in endurance, instinct, and judgment.
Dawn walked through the portal without hesitation.
The world beyond it smelled of pine sap and damp stone. Towering trees rose into fog-shrouded skies, their roots gnarled and pulsing faintly with spiritual energy. The air here felt thicker, older—almost like the mountain itself was watching.
He stood alone on a slope for only a few moments before others began arriving.
Mei Lin appeared next, stumbling slightly before regaining her balance.
Mei Lin (Qi Refining – Stage 2)
Her posture was shaky but her eyes were alert. "Looks like we got placed in the same sector," she said, brushing off her robes. "Lucky me?"
Dawn didn't answer—but didn't walk away, either.
Then came Zhao Ren, adjusting the strap of his heavy spear across his back.
Zhao Ren (Qi Refining – Stage 3)
Broad-shouldered, with calloused hands and a quiet glare. "Good. I'd rather fight beasts beside quiet people than those who scream at shadows."
The last two in their assigned group arrived moments later.
Yue Shanshan (Qi Refining – Stage 4)
A tall girl with cold eyes and a curved saber. She nodded once and said nothing.
Li Heng (Qi Refining – Stage 2)
A pale boy with ink-black hair and a flute tucked in his sash. He gave a faint smile. "I play music for dying things."
No one responded.
They began to move.
The terrain was uneven—slopes tangled with thorn-brush, narrow cliffs, and winding forest paths that vanished into sudden gulches. Spirit beasts emerged in short bursts: horned rabbits, clawed badgers, and once, a swarm of venom-wing locusts that forced the group into a tight formation.
Dawn didn't lead, but the group instinctively moved around him—like water flowing around stone.
Zhao Ren took the front, steady and loud. Mei Lin watched the flanks. Yue Shanshan cut vines in silence. Li Heng hummed under his breath.
They reached a glade by midday.
A grove of sunleaf trees shimmered with faint gold. At the center grew a rare blue-flecked orchid—a known spirit herb used for cleansing inner meridians.
Mei Lin gasped. "That's worth three outer sect points alone."
Zhao stepped forward. "Alright, watch my—"
A roar split the air.
The ground shook as a massive, antlered creature charged from the treeline. Its hide was covered in bark-like scales, and its eyes burned with a sickly red light.
A corrupted stag-beast. First rank… maybe bordering second.
Dawn stepped forward.
"Fall back," he said quietly.
Zhao frowned. "It's one beast—"
The beast lunged.
Zhao swung. The beast crashed into his spear, throwing him back into a tree with a grunt.
Mei Lin grabbed his arm, pulling him out of range. "His Qi's too wild!"
Yue Shanshan moved to flank, but the beast's tail lashed out, smashing a boulder into dust.
Only Dawn remained unmoved.
The stag-beast snorted, lowered its head—and charged again.
But this time, its pace slowed.
Its breath hitched.
It stared at Dawn—not in fury, but in… hesitation.
Its eyes shimmered. The corruption faltered for a moment, as if something beneath the beast's madness recognized him.
Dawn raised a hand.
The beast stopped.
Every eye in the glade widened. Even Li Heng's humming paused.
Then—something else stirred. From deeper in the woods, a pulse of spiritual energy surged outward, crashing against them like a wave of invisible pressure.
The stag-beast shrieked and fled.
Not from fear of them—but of that.
"What was that?" Mei Lin whispered.
No one answered.
Dawn looked toward the distant treeline.
Something was calling.
Not with words, but with presence. Ancient. Familiar.
Far away, in the hidden observation chamber above the ridge, Elder Lanyue leaned forward.
"Did you see that?" she asked.
The spirit projection flickered where the beast had stopped.
Another elder nodded grimly. "He didn't just tame it. It… recognized something."
Lanyue whispered, "That's not Qi. That's memory."
As night fell, the group found shelter in the hollow of an old tree.
Zhao Ren was bruised, but fine.
Yue Shanshan stood watch.
Li Heng played a soft melody, too quiet to echo.
And Mei Lin sat beside Dawn, staring into the fire.
"You didn't fight," she said. "You didn't have to."
Dawn said nothing.
She tilted her head. "What are you?"
He didn't reply.
But far beneath the roots of the mountain, something ancient stirred again.
This time, it answered.
End of Chapter Eight