The light around Li Ming faded, and when his eyes opened, he was standing in a massive stone arena — only, this one wasn't normal.

The ground shimmered like water. The air buzzed with energy.

He blinked. "Uh… why does the floor look like it wants to eat me?"

Bai Guo appeared beside him in human form, arms crossed. "Because it probably does. This is no ordinary stage, descendant. It's alive."

Before Li Ming could even respond, the ground rippled — literally rippled — and the stone tiles started sliding apart. Massive platforms rose from below, forming layers at different heights.

Disciples all around him gasped as the arena twisted into a maze of floating rocks, spinning bridges, and narrow ledges.

Lan Yue's voice echoed from above, calm but serious. "Disciples of Azure Sky Sect, the Shifting Arena has been awakened. The test is simple — survive and prove your adaptability!"

Li Ming looked around, horrified. "S-simple?!"

Before he could finish, the platform beneath his feet jerked sideways like a wild horse. He yelped, windmilling his arms to keep balance.

Bai Guo laughed. "Don't fall, or you'll fail before it even begins!"

"Helpful as always!" Li Ming shouted, leaping to another platform as his previous one shot upward like a catapult.

Around him, other disciples were already activating techniques — bursts of flame, wind steps, glowing swords. The air crackled with energy.

A tall disciple from the Earth Peak sneered at Li Ming from a higher ledge. "You again? The cabbage boy? Time to teach you real cultivation!"

Li Ming groaned. "Can't we just skip to the part where I accidentally win?"

The Earth Peak disciple stomped his foot — the platform beneath Li Ming shattered into chunks.

Li Ming jumped, landing on a moving slab of stone mid-air. His Qi flared, and he used Lightfoot Cloud Step to bounce to another platform.

"Okay," he muttered, eyes darting around, "don't panic, just—"

The platform tilted.

"—PANIC!"

He flung himself sideways, landing in a crouch as an energy bolt zipped past where his head had been.

"Focus, descendant!" Bai Guo called out, flapping above him in chicken form now. "The arena shifts with your energy output. Too much force, and it reacts!"

"So if I attack, it attacks back?!" Li Ming shouted.

"Exactly!"

"That's not fair!!"

But even as he complained, Li Ming's instincts kicked in. A fireball came from his right — he ducked under it, spun, and sent a small burst of Qi along the ground. The energy curved like a wave, deflecting the attack into the air.

The explosion knocked both him and his opponent off balance.

Li Ming fell — but halfway down, he gritted his teeth, gathered his Qi, and thrust a palm toward the air. A glowing step of light appeared under his foot, slowing his fall.

He landed safely on another platform — this one moving diagonally like an elevator on the run.

Bai Guo flapped beside him. "Not bad, descendant. You're finally using your brain instead of your face!"

"Thanks?"

Before he could say more, three disciples leapt at him at once.

Li Ming's eyes narrowed. "Alright. Let's dance."

He drew in his Qi, channels glowing faintly as spiritual energy surged. His aura flared golden, and a faint pulse of wind surrounded him.

The first disciple came swinging down. Li Ming ducked, used the platform's sudden tilt to slide underneath, and struck upward with his palm. The rebound sent the attacker flying.

The second used a spear, thrusting fast. Li Ming grabbed the shaft, twisted, and flipped him clean off the platform — right into the air gap.

"Two down!" Bai Guo called cheerfully.

The third disciple attacked with lightning — and that's when the arena itself responded.

The ground beneath Li Ming shimmered blue. Electric arcs spread out, connecting platforms like web strands. The air buzzed violently.

Li Ming's hair stood on end. "Oh no."

BOOM!

A surge of lightning struck down from the ceiling, hitting the arena's core. The whole battlefield shifted again, this time spinning.

Platforms rotated, rose, and fell, turning the sky itself into a dizzying puzzle.

Li Ming barely held onto the edge of one. His knuckles went white. "Lan Yue! You said this was training, not a blender!"

Lan Yue's calm voice echoed from the sky. "A cultivator must master both energy and environment. Consider this… extra motivation."

Bai Guo laughed so hard he almost fell off his perch. "She's enjoying this way too much!"

Li Ming gritted his teeth, pulling himself up. The moment he did, another disciple lunged from above. Their blades clashed midair, sparks flying.

He twisted, kicked off a rock, and used the momentum to send the other flying into a rotating platform.

The arena shifted again. This time, massive pillars of wind shot up, carrying the floating stones higher.

Li Ming's eyes widened. "You've got to be kidding me!"

He was now hundreds of feet up, the entire arena rotating slowly beneath him.

Bai Guo squawked beside him. "If you fall now, descendant, even your cultivation won't save your bones!"

"Then I guess falling isn't an option!" Li Ming shouted back, his Qi flaring brighter.

As he steadied himself, a glow appeared in the distance — the center of the arena. Floating above it was a large crystal, pulsing with light.

Lan Yue's voice rang out: "All remaining disciples — reach the core crystal and stabilize your energy to pass this stage!"

Li Ming groaned. "Why does it always involve climbing something deadly?!"

He crouched, gathered energy in his legs, and launched himself toward the next floating slab. Wind roared around him as he leapt from one unstable rock to another, each move powered by Qi and sheer panic.

"Almost there," he muttered. "Just—one—more—jump!"

The crystal's glow reflected in his eyes. Victory was close.

And then — the crystal pulsed, brighter than before. The entire arena froze mid-motion.

Bai Guo stopped mid-flap. "Uh oh."

Li Ming looked up slowly. "Uh oh what?"

The crystal cracked down the middle.

"Oh no."

---

CRACK!

The crystal split completely, releasing a deafening hum. A shockwave burst outward, sending every platform spinning like wild tops.

Li Ming threw his arms over his face as wind and dust exploded around him. "What—what did I touch this time?!"

Bai Guo squawked, feathers flying. "Descendant! You broke the stabilizer crystal!"

"I didn't even touch it!"

"You looked at it with intent!"

"I was just trying to pass the exam!"

Their argument was cut off as the floating rocks began to collapse toward the center. Disciples screamed, leaping to safer ground—or trying to. Energy bursts filled the air, but the arena wasn't listening to anyone now. It was going wild.

Lan Yue's voice echoed through the chaos. "All disciples! Retreat to the outer edge! The formation is collapsing!"

Li Ming's eyes widened. "Oh great. The arena's trying to eat us!"

He channeled his Qi into his legs and sprinted across a chain of falling stones, each crumbling under his feet the second he pushed off. Wind roared in his ears.

A chunk of debris shot toward him. He twisted mid-air and kicked it aside, propelling himself toward a stable platform.

But the air wasn't stable anymore—energy currents swirled like whirlpools. Li Ming was caught mid-jump, tossed sideways.

He gritted his teeth. "Oh no you don't!"

Drawing a deep breath, he thrust both palms forward. "Flowing Qi—Sky Step!"

A thin burst of golden energy appeared beneath his feet. He stepped once, twice—each move letting him run through the air like climbing invisible stairs.

Bai Guo soared beside him in his human form now, hair whipping in the wind. "Keep moving! The core's energy is unstable!"

"Yeah, no kidding!"

Li Ming leapt to the next platform—but the moment he landed, it exploded upward. The blast sent him tumbling through the air.

Lan Yue's voice cut through the wind, calm yet firm. "Li Ming, focus your energy downward! Redirect the backlash!"

He twisted, pointing his palms toward the ground. "Redirect?! I barely even—AHHH!"

A shock of energy surged through his arms. The ground beneath him rippled like water, then hardened again. His descent slowed.

For a moment, he was suspended mid-air, surrounded by glowing fragments of the shattered crystal.

Everything glowed—gold, blue, and silver streaks darting like fireflies.

Li Ming exhaled shakily. "Okay… okay. Crisis… maybe handled?"

Bai Guo landed on his shoulder, feathers ruffled. "Handled? Look down, descendant."

Li Ming did—and froze.

The center of the arena was now a spinning vortex of light, swallowing the fallen rocks and glowing brighter each second.

"Oh, come on! Why does it always turn into a vortex?!"

The wind sucked him downward. He tried to resist, but the pull was strong. His Qi surged instinctively, fighting back against the current.

Lan Yue's figure flashed into view high above, her robes snapping in the wind. "Li Ming! Absorb the energy—don't fight it!"

"What?!"

"It's reacting to your cultivation base! Control it, or it'll overload!"

Li Ming's mind raced. His body trembled as the suction increased. He sat mid-air, crossed his legs, and forced himself to focus.

"Alright, seal or no seal… I can do this!"

He closed his eyes. Qi spiraled through his meridians, golden light wrapping around him like a shield. The wind roared louder, but his energy held firm.

Bai Guo floated nearby, watching with rare seriousness. "That's it, descendant… steady. Don't panic. You've done worse."

"I've done dumber!" Li Ming yelled back through gritted teeth. "There's a difference!"

The vortex screamed, pulling harder. The other disciples clung to whatever floating debris they could find, eyes wide in disbelief.

Li Ming's energy pulse grew brighter—gold waves rippling through the air. Slowly, the vortex began to shrink.

Lan Yue landed on a nearby platform, blade drawn. Her expression softened slightly. "He's… stabilizing it."

For a brief second, the wind stopped. Everything froze.

Li Ming opened one eye. "Did I… do it?"

Bai Guo nodded cautiously. "Maybe?"

BOOM!

The vortex exploded.

A wave of light engulfed the entire arena, sending every disciple flying outward.

Li Ming hit the ground hard, rolling until he smacked into a pile of shattered stone. Groaning, he sat up, hair sticking out in every direction.

Smoke drifted everywhere. Dust filled the air.

Lan Yue appeared, brushing off debris. "Well… at least you didn't destroy the mountain."

Bai Guo wheezed. "Yet."

Li Ming coughed. "So… did I pass?"

Lan Yue looked around at the smoldering crater where the arena had been. "Technically, yes."

He blinked. "Technically?"

"You stabilized the formation."

"And un-stabilized the mountain," Bai Guo added.

Li Ming sighed, flopping onto his back. "I'm starting to think cultivation is just fancy survival."

Lan Yue smiled faintly. "You're not wrong."

The disciples began emerging from the smoke, coughing but alive. Some looked at Li Ming with awe, others with horror.

One muttered, "He passed… by blowing it up."

Another replied, "That's just Li Ming."

Li Ming groaned. "I can hear you, you know."

Bai Guo chuckled. "You should get used to it, descendant. You've just made history again."

"Yeah?" Li Ming muttered. "Can I get a nap as a reward this time?"

Lan Yue's lips curved into a small smile. "No nap. You're advancing to the next stage of cultivation."

He blinked. "Wait… what?"

A glow flared around his body—his Qi surging wildly, spinning faster, condensing into a new, powerful rhythm.

Bai Guo's eyes widened. "Descendant… you're breaking through again!"

The ground trembled beneath him. Energy spiraled upward, forming a golden pillar of light that pierced the clouds.

Lan Yue stepped back, shielding her eyes. "He's entering the sixth level of Foundation Building…"

Li Ming's energy erupted, wild and untamed—but balanced. Controlled. Strong.

He stood slowly, the dust settling around him, power humming through his veins.

He exhaled, a grin forming. "Finally."

Then, as if on cue, the remaining arena floor gave one last creak—

—and collapsed completely.

Li Ming's smile froze. "You've got to be kidding—"

CRASH!

To be continued...

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