The wind bit hard, tearing at Ren's thin robes as he stood on Mount Daichi. The Azure Cloud Sect, his supposed path to glory, now felt like a trap. Sixteen years he'd trained, sixteen years he'd failed. Today, the Rite of Ascension would decide everything.
The world below was a mix of snowy peaks and icy valleys. Above, the sky was dark and stormy, matching the worry in his heart. Around him stood the other disciples, their faces showing pity, scorn, or excitement for his failure.
Elder Jian, his face always angry, stepped up. His voice, boosted by his qi, echoed across the area. "Disciples, today is the Rite of Ascension. Those who prove themselves will join the inner sect, learning true power. Those who fail will be thrown out, their dreams gone."
Ren's stomach twisted. He knew the Rite: climb to the top of Mount Daichi and get a Skybloom Lotus before sunset. Easy for those with talent. But Ren? He was empty, unable to even feel qi in his body.
"The path is dangerous," Elder Jian said, his eyes landing on Ren with clear dislike. "The mountain is cruel. Only the strong will succeed."
The Rite began with a wave of his hand. The disciples rushed forward, full of energy. Ren stayed put, his heart heavy. He was a lost cause. Every step would just show how weak he was.
But he couldn't give up completely. A small spark of hope remained. He would try. He would climb. He would fail, for sure, but he would fail trying.
Ren stepped onto the path. The mountain tested him right away. The wind grew stronger, cutting through his clothes. The path became a narrow, icy trail. The other disciples quickly passed him, climbing with ease.
Ren stumbled, his legs burning. He felt the elders watching him, judging him. He wanted to stop, to lie down in the snow. But then, a strange feeling came over him. A warmth, small but there, started in his chest.
He tried to ignore it, thinking it was his imagination. But the warmth grew, spreading through his body, fighting off the cold. It felt… different. Not like qi. This was something… old.
As he climbed, the warmth became stronger, like a burning pressure under his skin. He gasped, grabbing his chest, and felt something shift inside. A symbol, bright and complex, appeared on his chest, glowing with a light that seemed to connect to the mountain.
The world around him blurred, the air buzzing with energy. He could feel the mountain, its rocks and hidden paths, as if it were part of him. He saw the path ahead, not just as a trail, but as a flow of energy, showing him where to step and where to avoid.
He moved with new skill, his steps steady. The wind seemed to help him, not hurt him. The mountain, once an enemy, now felt like a friend. He was no longer Ren, the failure. He was something more… connected.
But his change didn't go unnoticed. High above, on a rocky ledge, a figure in shadows watched him with burning eyes. The figure raised a hand, and dark energy formed into a blade.
"The Unspoken Legacy awakens," the figure whispered, its voice carried by the wind. "It must be stopped before it grows."
Below, Ren continued to climb, unaware of the danger that stalked him from above. The Skybloom Lotus, and his destiny, awaited him at the summit. But the path ahead was filled with shadows, and the echoes of a forgotten past were about to shake the world.