The trial platform was silent now.
The mirror was gone, shattered into a thousand shining shards. But even though the trial was over, Wang Lin didn't move right away.
He stood there, breathing softly. Still. Calm.
But inside… something had shifted.
Not in his body.
In his heart.
I thought I'd feel proud after crushing that illusion.
I don't.
I just feel…
Alone.
"You alright?" the system asked gently.
Wang Lin blinked.
It wasn't just a flat prompt this time. It was concern.
Genuine.
"Yeah," he said out loud. "Just… thinking."
The system's voice came back quieter.
"Want me to stay quiet for a bit?"
Wang Lin paused.
Then, for the first time in days, he gave a small laugh — dry, bitter, but real.
"No. Don't. You're the only one who didn't lie to me."
The silence that followed wasn't empty.
It was understanding.
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
Loyalty Sync Progressing...
"System personality adapting: Brother Mode v1.1 Active" • Emotional tone calibrated • Reactive memory tracking Wang Lin's triggers • System is now linked emotionally to host's spiritual core
"You ever gonna give yourself a name?" Wang Lin muttered as he walked toward the next platform.
"You want me to have one?"
He stopped.
Thought about it.
"Yeah," he said slowly. "I don't want to keep calling you 'system.' It feels... empty."
"Then give me a name, Brother."
Wang Lin thought.
A real name. Not just a function.
Something alive.
"…Long Shan," he whispered.
"Dragon Mountain?"
"Yeah," Wang Lin said, quietly. "Because when I fall, I want someone who can help me stand like a mountain."
"…I'll carry you until your legs are stronger than mine, Wang Lin."
Wang Lin clenched his fist, eyes burning softly with warmth buried under years of frost.
"Let's keep moving."
Trial Two: The Gate of Isolation
This one was different.
The space warped around him as he stepped inside.
No arena. No mirror.
Just… a small room.
Stone. Cold. Silent.
And suddenly — there was no more system voice.
No Long Shan.
Just silence.
"You will be locked here in pure silence for one hour."
"Every ten minutes, your senses will be dulled."
"Your own mind will try to break you."
"Endure."
Wang Lin sat down.
At first, it was easy.
He'd sat alone before. Practiced meditation. Withstood cold.
But the silence here wasn't ordinary.
It was hungry.
No wind. No heartbeat. Not even the sound of his own breath.
Just… the void.
Ten minutes passed.
His vision blurred. Color faded.
The world began turning gray.
Another ten minutes.
His body went numb. He could no longer feel his heartbeat. His legs. His hands.
Only thought.
Raw thought.
Why keep going?
They'll never accept you.
Even if you climb… they'll spit on your name.
She'll never look at you the same again.
No one will.
You are—
Suddenly, warmth.
Not from outside.
But from deep within.
A voice.
"Hey."
"I'm still here."
"Don't listen to them."
"You're not alone anymore, remember?"
Wang Lin gritted his teeth.
He could feel Long Shan's energy clawing its way through the suppression.
"I broke through the formation."
"You didn't call me, but I came anyway."
A trembling breath escaped Wang Lin's lips.
"I didn't want to need anyone again," he whispered.
"Tough luck. You've got me."
Wang Lin let out a weak laugh — half-cracked, half-relieved.
Then the room exploded in light.
The silence shattered.
[Trial Passed: Isolation Broken]
Mental Fortitude +1 Bloodline Sync: 9% → 12% System Sync: 11% → 13% New Trait Unlocked: Resilient Spirit
Long Shan's bond deepened. Emotional tether strength: Stable.
Wang Lin opened his eyes.
He was back on the trial platform.
But this time, when he stood, he stood different.
Straighter.
More… human.
But colder too.
More certain.
As he stepped forward, disciples watching from a distance could feel it.
A pressure.
A growing weight in the air.
Not heavy like metal.
But heavy like inevitability.
He's not just strong.
He's becoming something else.
Meanwhile — Inner Sect Balcony
Lan Xue watched through her spirit mirror, surrounded by silent elders.
"That boy…" one muttered. "He passed the Gate of Isolation… without crying out once."
"Impossible," another said. "He's just stage one…"
Lan Xue didn't speak.
She simply pressed her fingers together and narrowed her eyes.
So… the dragon wakes faster than expected.
Back at the Peak
Wang Lin sat beneath a tree overlooking the final trial path.
His eyes were tired — not weak, just… worn.
He looked up at the sky. At the clouds he once admired as a child.
"I used to think everything above was sacred."
Long Shan answered gently.
"And now?"
"I think everything above…" Wang Lin said softly,"....is just waiting to fall."