The morning mist clung to the ridges of the Blackpine Range. In the distance, birdsong echoed—but it felt more like a warning than a welcome.
Li Yi had traveled for two days since awakening his Foundation Core. Though his power had grown, he realized he could no longer cultivate in isolation. His instincts—and the pendant—guided him east, toward an ancient ruin whispered of in the memories inherited through his bloodline.
He stood now before an unmarked stone gate overgrown with vines. Moss covered the symbols etched into it, but his divine senses peeled the veil aside.
> Azure Root Sect – Forbidden Trial Grounds
Li Yi narrowed his eyes. The Azure Root Sect had long since vanished from the Xuan Realm's history, believed destroyed during one of the Great Cleansings of the Upper Clans. But here stood their trial gate—sealed by ancient runes only those of divine resonance could break.
He reached out, pressing his palm to the stone. The pendant on his neck pulsed.
Crack!
The seal shattered like glass.
The gate opened, revealing stairs spiraling downward into darkness.
---
The Trial Grounds were alive.
Not in the physical sense—but spiritually. Li Yi felt the pressure as soon as he entered. An ancient formation sealed the area, suppressing anyone above the Foundation stage. He couldn't rely on brute force here. This was a test of spirit, will, and bloodline.
Inside the stone labyrinth, flickering lights danced through the walls like will-o'-the-wisps. Strange glyphs shifted around him, constantly rearranging the maze. The deeper he walked, the more the pressure built—like invisible chains testing his resolve.
In the third chamber, he met his first challenge: a towering puppet knight forged of obsidian and silver.
> "Trial Initiate: State your origin."
Li Yi's eyes narrowed. "Li Yi, of the Li Family... descendant of the Upper Realm."
The puppet hesitated.
> "Bloodline detected. Incomplete but divine. Commencing Trial of Roots."
With a boom, it moved. Blades whirled. The puppet struck with crushing might.
Li Yi dashed forward, palm glowing with compressed qi. His Foundation Core flared as he moved with unnatural agility, weaving under the puppet's strikes. He wasn't just faster—he was calculating every motion.
> Flicker Palm. Thunder-Step.
He struck the puppet's core with a precise blow, sending it staggering.
But the puppet didn't fall—it laughed. An echo of a past will.
> "You may carry divine blood, child… but do you carry divine will?"
The trial wasn't about defeating the puppet—it was about enduring.
For hours, the battle raged. Li Yi was slashed, thrown, burned. He bled. But he never yielded.
As his body neared collapse, the golden light in his blood ignited once more.
A second Foundation Core formed.
> Twin Core Constitution – Awakened.
The puppet froze, bowing low. "Trial passed. Bloodline acknowledged. Welcome, Child of the Sky."
The chamber shifted, revealing a hidden chamber bathed in blue light. Floating above a pedestal was a scroll and a crystal orb.
Li Yi approached slowly. The scroll unraveled, revealing the words:
> "Azure World Scripture – Root of Heaven Cultivation Manual."
And the orb?
The memories of a long-lost divine cultivator.
---
As he stepped out of the ruins, the skies cracked in the distant heavens. Somewhere in the God Realm, a divine elder jolted awake.
> "He has inherited the Azure Scripture. The Li Bloodline has begun to stir again."
And far in the darkness beyond the sealed gate to the lower realms, a demon's eye opened.
> "Found you..."