Chapter 8: The Judgment of the Sect
The morning of the Outer Disciple Advancement Assessment dawned crisp and clear, but for Kaelen, the air was thick with tension. Hundreds of outer disciples gathered in the Grand Assessment Arena, a vast, open-air complex of polished stone platforms and observation stands. Higher up, several Inner Elders, including a stern-faced figure at the center, sat with impassive expressions, their gazes sweeping over the nervous youths. Instructor Ren, overseeing one of the testing platforms, looked particularly grim. Lian Jin and his usual companions stood nearby, their sneers aimed directly at Kaelen.
Kaelen stood amongst the crowd, his long, dark hair secured back with a simple band, but a few rebellious strands still framed his face. He felt the nervous energy radiating from his peers, but within himself, there was only a quiet, fierce resolve. He had pushed himself beyond every limit. The results were now in the hands of fate, and the Sect.
The assessment began with the Spiritual Foundation Test. Disciples stepped onto designated platforms, closing their eyes to attempt Qi Condensation. Success was measured by a glowing crystal that would illuminate based on the density of spiritual energy drawn and refined into their Dantian.
Kaelen watched as disciple after disciple stepped forward. Many showed faint glows, some bright, a few even managing to cause the crystal to pulse with a steady light – signs of successful Qi Condensation. Some even manifested subtle beast traits as their Qi flowed, a shimmer of scales on an arm, or a faint, guttural rumble from a throat.
Then, Kaelen's name was called. He walked to the platform, the murmurs of the crowd growing louder. "The commoner," "The one with no spiritual roots." He ignored them, stepping onto the cold stone.
He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He reached out, not trying to pull Qi in, but simply to sense it, to acknowledge the omnipresent spiritual energy around him, just as Elder Valerius had instructed. The familiar hum within his core, the subtle thrumming of his Apex Genesis Bloodline, responded. He felt the incredible pressure of the spiritual energy, the dense cascade that had hammered him for months. He held it, endured it, letting it wash over him, tempering his body from within.
The crystal remained dark. Utterly, completely dark. Not a flicker.
Instructor Ren sighed, shaking his head. Lian Jin let out a soft, triumphant snicker. The Inner Elders remained impassive, but Kaelen could feel their silent judgment. He had failed the first test, exactly as predicted.
Next was the Bloodline Affinity Test. Disciples were required to consciously manifest a partial beast form – their "First Unleashing." They would channel their newly condensed Qi, drawing upon their ancestral blood, to cause claws to emerge, eyes to glow, or a patch of fur or scales to appear on their skin.
A girl with bright fox-like eyes managed to grow a short, bushy tail that flicked nervously. A burly youth briefly manifested hardened, gorilla-like knuckles, cracking the testing table slightly. Each success earned nods of approval from the Elders.
Kaelen's name was called again. He stepped forward, his heart heavy. How could he manifest something that his own pendant was designed to suppress, something that was still so wild and untamed within him? He closed his eyes, reaching for that raw, primal feeling he'd experienced under the waterfall, the one that had let him hit the Growler. He tried to force the power to the surface, to show something.
Nothing.
His hands remained human. His eyes, though determined, showed no glow. No scales, no fur, no fangs. The pendant felt hot, suppressing the wild tremor beneath his skin. His bloodline, vast and complex, refused to be summoned in such a simplistic, conventional manner.
"Failed," Instructor Ren announced, his voice devoid of surprise, almost pitying. "No discernable bloodline manifestation."
Lian Jin laughed outright this time, a harsh, mocking sound that cut through the arena. "Two failures! What a joke! Send the rustic back to his village!"
Kaelen's jaw tightened. Two strikes. Expulsion was all but certain. His mind flashed to Lyra's face, to her sparrow. Had he come all this way, endured all this pain, only to fail?
Then came the final test: the Martial Prowess Test. This involved demonstrating mastery of the sect's basic martial forms and a sparring match against a designated opponent, often another outer disciple, to assess practical combat application.
Kaelen walked to the sparring platform, his long hair swaying. He was paired against a stocky, confident disciple named Borin, who had successfully condensed Qi and manifested thick, bull-like hide on his forearms for the bloodline test. Borin sneered, flexing his hardened arms. "Time for the physical dummy to finally break."
The Inner Elder overseeing this platform gave the signal. "Begin!"
Borin charged, bellowing, channeling his Qi and activating his bull bloodline, his hardened forearms a formidable shield. His attacks were powerful, direct, aimed to overwhelm.
Kaelen moved. Not with spiritual grace, but with a raw, brutal efficiency. His initial defensive blocks against Borin's spiritually enhanced strikes felt like stone. The force of impact, which should have driven him back, was absorbed, dissipated by his impossibly tempered body. He didn't just block; he redirected, his movements economical, fluid, honed by countless hours beneath the spiritual cascade.
Borin threw a powerful punch, fueled by Qi. Kaelen met it with his forearm, his own skin feeling unnaturally dense. The shockwave visibly rippled through Borin, making him grunt in pain. Kaelen followed up, not with a fancy technique, but a simple, explosive straight punch to Borin's chest. It was pure, unadulterated physical might, without any visible Qi infusion.
The punch landed with a sickening thud. Borin, whose bull hide should have absorbed the impact, gasped, his eyes widening in shock. He staggered back, coughing, a deep internal tremor shaking him. He fell to one knee, clutching his chest.
The crowd went silent. Instructor Ren's jaw dropped. The Inner Elders, previously impassive, leaned forward, their expressions shifting from boredom to utter bewilderment. Kaelen hadn't even used a formal sect technique for that blow. It was just… raw, devastating power.
Kaelen pressed his advantage. He moved like a whirlwind, a blur of motion. He didn't activate Qi, didn't manifest any beast traits, but his every punch, every kick, every block carried the immense, unyielding strength of a true beast. Borin, despite his Qi and bloodline, was overwhelmed. Kaelen ended the match with a swift, powerful kick that sent Borin sprawling off the platform, defeated.
A stunned silence filled the arena, then erupted into confused murmurs.
"He has no Qi, no bloodline trait, but his physical power… it's impossible!"
"Did you see that punch? It was like hitting stone!"
"He moved like a phantom!"
Instructor Ren, still wide-eyed, approached Kaelen. "Thorne… what in the blazes was that? That wasn't just physical strength. It was… it was something else."
Kaelen simply stood tall, his chest heaving slightly, his long hair falling over his shoulders. He felt exhausted, but the thrill of battle, the release of his honed strength, was exhilarating. He had demonstrated his progress, even if it wasn't the kind they expected.
The Inner Elders convened, their voices low and urgent. This was unprecedented. A disciple who failed the spiritual and bloodline tests entirely, yet displayed physical prowess that rivaled low-level inner disciples.
Finally, the lead Inner Elder, a stern woman with a sharp gaze, addressed Kaelen. "Kaelen Thorne. You have failed the Spiritual Foundation Test and the Bloodline Affinity Test. By the sect's rules, this would lead to immediate expulsion."
Kaelen's heart sank.
"However," she continued, her voice gaining a hint of curiosity, "your performance in the Martial Prowess Test was… exceptional. Unprecedented for one without any discernable Qi or bloodline manifestation. We have never encountered such a paradox."
Suddenly, Elder Valerius's voice resonated from the observation stand, calm and clear. "This disciple was taken in under my personal assessment. His constitution is unique, his bloodline dormant in a way few understand. His path is not that of conventional Qi Condensation, but of deep, internal tempering. He is not failing to cultivate; he is cultivating in a manner beyond your immediate understanding. Give him time. Give him the resources to unlock his true potential."
The Inner Elders exchanged glances. Elder Valerius's word carried immense weight.
The lead Elder nodded slowly. "Very well. Kaelen Thorne, due to Elder Valerius's direct intervention and your… unconventional physical prowess, you will not be expelled. However, you will remain an outer disciple. Your spiritual progress remains a significant concern. You are granted an additional six months to show advancement in Qi Condensation or a stable manifestation of your bloodline. If you fail then, the sect will have no choice but to dismiss you."
Relief washed over Kaelen, quickly followed by the daunting weight of the new deadline. Six months. It was a reprieve, a chance. He had barely scraped by, but he was still in the sect.
Lian Jin glared, his face contorted in disbelief and fury. Xiao Mei offered Kaelen a small, triumphant smile from the crowd.
Kaelen bowed deeply to the Elders. He had survived the first judgment. But the true test, the unveiling of his Apex Genesis Bloodline, was still to come. And he now had only six months to force it into the light.