Mu Jian raised a hand. "Enough. Lift your head, boy."

Tian Lei obeyed, his movements measured, neither too hurried nor too slow. His gaze rose steadily until it met the Sect Master's eyes.

Mu Jian studied him for a long moment, the silence pressing heavier than any aura. Finally, the Sect Master leaned back slightly in his seat, lips curving in a faint smile.

"You carry yourself well. That is good. Too many young cultivators confuse arrogance with strength."

One of the elders seated nearby chuckled dryly. "But his cultivation is still low, Sect Master. To stand here may not mean much—he is only leaning on Elder Haiyun's shadow."

The remark drew a few murmurs, some agreeing, others withholding judgment.

Haiyun, without opening his eyes, let out a slow breath through his nose, his staff tapping once against the floor. The sound was soft, but the elder who had spoken immediately fell silent, shoulders stiffening.

Mu Jian, however, only laughed again. "Elder Haiyun's shadow, hm? Then let us see if the boy hides there, or if he has a flame of his own."

He turned his gaze back to Tian Lei. "Disciple of my daughter, Tian Lei—tell me. What do you seek in cultivation? Power? Fame? Immortality? Or something else?"

The hall quieted. All eyes fixed on him. Even Li Jinling, standing by the doorway, leaned forward slightly, curious.

Tian Lei drew a slow breath. His voice, though calm, carried clearly across the vast chamber.

"…I seek to be strong enough that I will never have to bow to fate."

A hush fell.

Some elders exchanged looks; others frowned. One raised a brow with faint amusement.

Haiyun's eyes cracked open, a flicker of something sharp and approving flashing within them.

And Mu Jian—he threw his head back and laughed, deep and resonant. "Good! Very good! A bold answer. You are indeed her disciple."

The Sect Master's gaze sharpened. "But words are wind. Here, strength is the only true voice. You will prove yourself."

He gestured with his hand, and one of the elders stepped forward, his robes stirring with restrained qi. "Tomorrow at dawn, you will face a trial. If you pass, you will gain my approval. If you fail—then even Elder Haiyun's shadow cannot shield you."

Mu Jian's eyes locked with his one final time. "Do you dare?"

Tian Lei met the Sect Master's gaze without wavering. His lips curved just slightly, not quite a smile, but a quiet show of resolve.

"I dare," he said simply.

The words struck the chamber like a bell—sharp, unshaken, leaving no space for doubt.

Some of the elders murmured again, though this time with different tones: surprise, interest, even approval. A few, however, narrowed their eyes, already imagining how tomorrow's trial might crush him.

Mu Jian leaned back on his seat, his golden robes flowing like water under sunlight. "Then it is settled. At dawn, in the Mirror Jade Arena. All will watch. Let your strength decide your place."

"Understood," Tian Lei said, bowing once more.

"Good." Mu Jian's voice lowered, no longer for the hall but for Tian Lei alone. "Do not mistake this as punishment, boy. The Divine Land Sect accepts only those who carve their worth with their own hands. Even my daughter's word is not enough here. You will either stand as one of us… or you will not stand at all."

The weight of those words lingered like a blade against his back.

Haiyun chuckled from his corner, stroking his beard lazily. "Hnh. He'll stand."

Mu Jian's eyes flickered to Haiyun, then back to Tian Lei, the faintest of smirks tugging at his mouth. "We shall see."

With that, the Sect Master dismissed him with a wave of his hand. The golden light across the hall dimmed slightly, as though the matter had already moved past in the great river of sect affairs.

Li Jinling quickly stepped forward, motioning for Tian Lei to follow her back out. As the doors closed behind them, muffling the weight of the elders' gazes, she glanced sideways at him.

"You really answered like that?" she asked in a low voice, half amused, half incredulous.

Tian Lei exhaled slowly, his expression calm. "I only said what was in my heart."

Her lips curved into a small smile. "Then tomorrow will be interesting. The Mirror Jade Arena isn't a place where mercy is common."

Tian Lei's steps didn't falter. "I didn't come here looking for mercy."

The petals outside were still drifting, the mist curling along the bridges like silent spectators. Tomorrow, they would all see whether Tian Lei's flame was enough to pierce through that mist.

The night before dawn stretched long.

The sect grew quiet as the last echoes of evening bells faded. In his assigned quarters, Tian Lei sat cross-legged, his breathing slow, his mind clear. Moonlight poured through the latticed window, silvering his figure, making his shadow stretch tall across the floorboards.

The words of Mu Jian lingered in his ears. "You will either stand as one of us… or you will not stand at all."

Tian Lei let the thought settle, then released it with his exhale. No weight could be heavier than the fate he already carried within. The trial was not something to fear—it was simply the next stone on the path.

Across the courtyard, Li Jinling lingered in the shadows of a balcony. She leaned against the railing, chin resting on her hand, watching his window glow faintly in the dark. A small laugh slipped past her lips. "Not looking for mercy, huh? Foolish… but maybe that's what makes you dangerous."

Far above, in the Sect Master's secluded hall, Mu Jian stood before an ancient mirror—a flawless disc of jade suspended in the air. Its surface rippled, faint images of the Mirror Jade Arena flickering within. His expression was unreadable, though a gleam of interest touched his eyes.

"Your disciple," he murmured softly, as though Haiyun were still present, "might just stir the still pond."

And Haiyun, in his meditation chamber, opened his eyes at that same moment, as if hearing it across the sect. His lips curled into a knowing smile.

"Stir the pond?" he whispered to the empty air. "No… this boy will shatter it."

The moon passed, and before the first rays of dawn broke the mist, disciples began to gather at the Mirror Jade Arena. The vast circular platform gleamed like a lake of polished crystal, its surface reflecting the heavens above. Elders filed in, their robes brushing against the stone, while younger disciples whispered of the trial to come.

At the very center, Tian Lei walked forward, his back straight, his pace unhurried. Every step echoed in the crystalline stillness, carrying him toward the moment that would decide whether he belonged—or was cast out.

The sect was watching. Fate was watching.

And Tian Lei was ready.

The crystalline silence did not last long.

A booming voice rolled across the arena as an elder floated down onto the edge of the platform, his sleeves trailing like banners. "The Sect Master has decreed this trial. Before all eyes, Tian Lei shall prove his worth. Let none say the Divine Land Sect favors shadows over merit."

The words carried, sinking into the crowd like a gong strike.

"Who will test him?" someone whispered.

A hush fell. Then, from the opposite side of the arena, a figure stepped onto the gleaming floor. He was tall, broad-shouldered, his black hair tied back in a warrior's knot. The crystalline light reflected coldly off the polished blade strapped across his back.

Whispers rose sharply.

"Lu Cheng… it's Senior Brother Lu Cheng!"

"He's at the peak of Spirit Grandmaster already!"

"To pit him against a newcomer… isn't this too cruel?"

"Cruel? Or necessary?"

"Tian lei is at the Spirit Master at 3rd stage, its an gap of over 17 minor ramks!!"

Tian Lei stopped at the arena's heart, his gaze calm as he measured the man walking toward him. Lu Cheng's eyes were sharp, proud, but not arrogant—like a hawk that had long ruled the skies and saw no need to prove it.

He stopped a few paces away, unsheathing his blade with a single, fluid motion. Its edge gleamed like liquid ice under the morning light.

"You've stirred no small storm, boy," Lu Cheng said, his voice carrying across the mirror-like platform. "Many think you are here only because Elder Haiyun shields you. I'll test whether they are right."

Tian Lei met his eyes without blinking. "Then test me."

Gasps rippled through the disciples, their blood stirred by the audacity of those three words.

On the dais above, Mu Jian reclined, golden sleeves spilling down his throne-like chair. His gaze sharpened, but his lips curved faintly. Good. No fear, no retreat.

Haiyun sat in his own quiet corner, arms folded, his expression lazy—yet his eyes never left Tian Lei.

The elder presiding lifted his sleeve. "The trial begins!"

The jade floor flared with rippling light, and the Mirror Jade Arena awakened—its surface no longer still but shifting, as though reflecting not only the sky but also the intent of those who fought upon it.

Lu Cheng's blade flashed, his qi roaring like a storm.Tian Lei lowered his stance, eyes narrowing, his soul sense unfurling like a net.

Steel and will were about to collide.

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