The icy morning air stung Xu Wang's face as he and Li Wang stepped into the training grounds. Stone pillars loomed like ancient giants, their jagged shadows stretching across the courtyard. Disciples gathered in silence, faces emotionless, eyes vacant. It was as if they were hollow shells, puppets bound by invisible strings.
Xu suppressed a shiver. The stranger's warning echoed in his mind. You're being judged. And those who fail… disappear.
Instructor Yan Mei stood at the far end, her stance rigid, gaze cold and calculating. Her crimson robes flowed around her like liquid fire, and her eyes burned with a cruel intensity. Xu's muscles tensed instinctively. She was no ordinary instructor—her aura was suffocating, pressing down like an iron weight.
The gong sounded, its deep, resonant tone vibrating through the stone floor. Xu felt the impact in his bones, a reminder of his mortality. A reminder that failure meant more than just defeat.
"You are summoned to the Trial of Shadows," Yan Mei's voice cut through the silence, sharp and commanding. "Those who prove themselves worthy will advance. Those who falter… will be judged." Her gaze flicked over the disciples, lingering on Xu and Li. A faint, predatory smile touched her lips.
Li's posture shifted beside him, her body coiled like a spring. Xu could feel the tension radiating off her, a mirror of his own. They were walking into a trap—an invisible snare designed to weed out the weak.
But they had no choice.
The disciples moved in unison, flowing like a river toward a towering stone archway etched with glowing runes. Xu's eyes narrowed as he examined the symbols. They pulsed with an unnatural energy, twisting and writhing like serpents. He could feel their power, cold and ancient, brushing against his skin like ghostly fingers.
"Stay close," he whispered to Li. "We don't know what's waiting on the other side."
Li's jaw tightened, her eyes steely. "We'll face it. Together."
As they passed under the archway, the world shifted. The courtyard vanished, replaced by darkness so complete that Xu couldn't see his own hands. A suffocating cold enveloped him, heavy and oppressive. He felt disoriented, his sense of direction slipping away.
A flicker of light appeared ahead, a dim glow that grew brighter, revealing a labyrinth of narrow stone corridors. The air was damp and stale, laced with the scent of decay. The walls were carved with faces, twisted in agony, their eyes hollow and accusing.
Xu shivered, the hairs on his neck standing on end. The faces seemed to watch him, their empty eyes following his every move.
Li's voice was low, wary. "This place… it feels wrong."
Xu swallowed, his mouth dry. "It's a test. The Trial of Shadows… they're testing our fear."
A whisper echoed through the corridor, faint and fleeting. Xu spun around, his heart racing, but there was no one there. Just shadows dancing along the walls, shifting and contorting.
"They're alive," Li whispered, her voice trembling. "The shadows are alive."
Xu's blood ran cold as he watched the darkness ripple, flowing across the walls like ink in water. Shapes emerged—figures twisted and malformed, eyes glowing with malevolent hunger. They moved toward them, silent and predatory.
"Run!" Xu grabbed Li's hand, pulling her down the corridor. Their footsteps echoed off the stone walls, the shadows flowing after them like a tide. The faces on the walls screamed silently, mouths wide in silent agony.
The corridor twisted and turned, branching off into countless passages. Xu's lungs burned as they ran, the air growing colder with each step. He felt the shadows closing in, their icy breath prickling his skin.
A dead end. They skidded to a halt, backs against the cold stone. The shadows surged forward, coiling around them, hungry and relentless. Xu's heart pounded in his chest, his mind racing. Think, think!
The Ajna Qi Path pulsed within him, the lines of energy swirling through his body. He felt the knowledge from the Qi Resonance Crystal stirring, fragments of techniques and principles flickering in his mind. The shadows… they're made of qi.
His fingers traced the air, drawing the lines of a barrier technique. The energy responded, flowing through him, forming a shimmering dome of light around them. The shadows recoiled, hissing, their forms distorting.
Li's eyes widened. "How did you…?"
"No time!" Xu gritted his teeth, maintaining the barrier as the shadows clawed at it, their whispers growing frantic. "We have to find a way out. This maze is designed to trap us."
Li's eyes darted around, calculating. "There must be a path. They wouldn't test us without giving us a chance."
Xu's barrier flickered, cracks forming as the shadows pressed harder. His arms trembled, the strain of maintaining the technique wearing him down. He could feel his qi draining, his energy slipping away.
Li's gaze snapped to the carvings on the walls, her eyes narrowing. "The faces… they're pointing. Look!"
Xu followed her gaze. The twisted faces were all angled toward a narrow gap in the stone, almost hidden by the shadows. His heart leaped. A way out.
He released the barrier, the light shattering like glass. The shadows lunged, their forms warping into monstrous shapes. Xu's body moved instinctively, the Ajna Qi Path guiding him. He twisted, ducked, and struck, his limbs moving in a fluid dance of light and shadow.
Li was beside him, her movements impossibly graceful, her body flowing like water. She weaved through the shadows, her strikes precise and lethal. Xu felt a surge of awe—she moved like no one he had ever seen, her aura shifting like the ocean's tides.
Together, they fought their way to the gap, slipping through just as the shadows slammed against the stone, their furious howls echoing through the maze.
They stumbled into a vast chamber, the air heavy and cold. At the center stood a pedestal, a sphere of light hovering above it. Runes circled the sphere, glowing with an ancient power.
Xu's heart raced. He could feel the energy radiating from the sphere—pure, untainted qi. It pulsed in rhythm with his own, calling to him.
Li's voice was wary. "Another test?"
"Only one way to find out." Xu stepped forward, his hand reaching for the sphere. The light flared, enveloping him in warmth, the energy rushing through his body like lightning.
Visions exploded behind his eyes—images of warriors, battles, realms beyond imagination. He saw shadows and light, yin and yang intertwined in an eternal dance. He saw the Sun Clan, their faces masked, their eyes cold and unfeeling. He saw… ascension.
The light vanished, leaving Xu gasping for breath, his body trembling. His vision cleared, and he found Li's worried face inches from his own.
"What did you see?" she asked.
Xu's mouth was dry. "The truth. This isn't just training. It's preparation… for something bigger. The ascension… it's not a reward. It's a sacrifice."
Li's face went pale. "Then we have to get out. We have to survive."
Xu nodded, his resolve hardening. "We're not just fighting to live. We're fighting to escape the Sun Clan's fate."
They turned toward the exit, the air growing colder, the shadows gathering once more. Xu felt the weight of invisible eyes on him, watching, waiting.
The Trial of Shadows wasn't over. It had only just begun.
To be continued...