The sun rose over Holy Saint Sect, casting golden rays across the trial field at the outer disciples' valley. Hundreds of new disciples stood shoulder to shoulder, all gathered for the same purpose:
To prove their worth.
Ash stood among them, hands behind his back, robes still tattered from his last cultivation session. Around him, others whispered excitedly—some boasting of their bloodlines, others flashing jade tokens that marked them as descendants of nobles or inner clan members.
Ash had none of that.
Only his Root Forging realm cultivation. And something no one else could see—a throne of bone, pulsing faintly within his soul.
"Listen well!" an elder's voice thundered.
Atop a stone platform stood Elder Duan, one of the six overseeing masters of outer sect disciples. His robe bore a silver insignia—three interlocking rings, symbolizing his Core Formation rank.
"Today you will enter the Whispering Flame Forest. Within, you must obtain one of three trial tokens and return within two hours. Success proves your capability. Failure…" He let the word hang like a blade.
Behind Elder Duan stood other elders and guest examiners. Among them, Elder Huo, who had brought Ash from the orphanage, stood with arms crossed. He said nothing. But his eyes paused on Ash for a moment longer than the others.
The forest loomed ahead—dense, red-leafed, and shrouded in spirit mist.
"Begin!"
The crowd surged forward.
Ash moved with them, silent and steady.
Within Whispering Flame Forest
As the trial began, many disciples split into groups, hoping to rely on numbers. Ash walked alone.
He wasn't just seeking a token.
He was listening.
The forest was rich with death aura. Spirits clung to the trees, fragments of beasts slain during older trials, bound to the soil.
"They've used this place for decades," Ash muttered under his breath.
"Good," said Shen Mu's voice from within. "A graveyard always sings louder in silence. Do not reveal your gift. But if you must fight—let the dead fight for you."
An hour passed.
Ash encountered his first opponent: a Three-Eyed Flame Wolf, its body half-charred, spirit fire still flickering in its fur.
A noble disciple was already there, badly wounded.
"Stay back!" the noble coughed. "It's mine!"
Ash didn't respond.
As the beast lunged at him, he twisted aside—and subtly whispered an incantation under breath. His left hand grazed the wolf's side.
Black threads slipped into the beast's flesh.
Its movement froze.
Its spirit core pulsed—and suddenly, it obeyed.
"You are mine now."
The beast turned and attacked the noble instead—just enough to knock him unconscious.
Ash retrieved the bronze trial token from the beast's neck and vanished before the others arrived.
By the end of two hours, less than a quarter of the disciples returned with tokens.
Ash stood silently at the rear of the crowd, his robe now torn, a faint burn across his cheek to make it seem he had barely survived.
Elder Duan raised his brows at the sight.
"Name?"
"Ash."
"Realm?"
"Root Forging."
"Hm…"
Duan turned to the other elders.
"He passed alone. Not bad. No signs of borrowed help. This one has a calm temperament and sharp instincts."
Before he could speak further, Elder Huo stepped forward.
"I'll take him."
The crowd stirred.
An outer disciple taken in by a core elder? It was rare.
Elder Duan chuckled. "Didn't think he was your type."
Elder Huo's eyes remained calm. "He's not. That's why I'll shape him."
He turned to Ash.
"From today, you are my direct disciple. Speak no lies. Train hard. Break, and I'll discard you."
Ash bowed low. "Yes, Elder."
As the crowd began to disperse, Ash heard whispers:
"How did someone like him get chosen?"
"He's an orphan… no clan, no bloodline…"
"Probably just lucky."
Ash said nothing.
But deep within his spiritual sea, his bone throne pulsed once, stronger than before.
And Shen Mu whispered:
"Step by step, you climb."
"Until they see the crown they mocked sitting on a throne built from their bones."