The Moonflow Temple was not quiet tonight.
Lanterns floated above the courtyard, casting pale light across the polished stone. Disciples moved in hushed urgency, summoned by the temple's elders for an emergency council. Rumors had spread like wildfire: a rogue spirit beast had breached the inner garden, and a mysterious cultivator had passed the Trial of Moonlight — one whose aura defied classification.
Zhen Ruhan stood alone beneath the twin moons, his robes still damp from the trial pool. He watched the temple stir around him, feeling the weight of eyes he couldn't see.
> _System Notification:_
> — _Status: Observed_
> — _SP Consumption: Aura Masking – Active_
He wasn't the only one being watched.
Across the temple, in a secluded chamber lined with moonstone, Lan Xiyue stood before the elders. Her celestial seal pulsed faintly, reacting to the memory of Ruhan's presence.
> "His aura is… wrong," Elder Qian said, voice low. "It doesn't belong to this realm."
> "It doesn't belong to any realm," Lan Xiyue replied. "But the Moon Serpent accepted him."
That silenced the room.
The Moon Serpent had never bonded with anyone. Not in centuries.
> "We must be cautious," another elder said. "If he is tied to the Time Cultivators…"
> "They're extinct," Qian snapped. "And for good reason."
Lan Xiyue said nothing. But her thoughts drifted — to the way Ruhan had moved, the way time had bent around him, the way her seal had flared.
She didn't believe in coincidence.
---
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Territories…
A Sword Cultivator named Shen Kai stood atop a cliff, his blade humming with intent. He had heard whispers of a new disciple at Moonflow Temple — one who had passed the Trial of Moonlight without a known sect or lineage.
> "Timewalker," he murmured. "Let's see what you're hiding."
He turned, his cloak billowing, and vanished into the night.
---
Back at Moonflow Temple, Ruhan was summoned.
He entered the council chamber, eyes steady, heart calm. The elders studied him — some curious, some wary.
> "You passed the trial," Elder Qian said. "But you remain unaligned. What sect do you claim?"
> "None," Ruhan replied. "I walk alone."
> "Then you walk dangerously."
Lan Xiyue stepped forward.
> "Let him speak."
Ruhan met her gaze. The seal on her forehead pulsed again.
> "I seek knowledge," he said. "And truth. Nothing more."
The elders conferred in silence.
Then, Qian spoke.
> "You may remain. For now. But you will be tested."
> _System Notification:_
> — _New Objective: Survive Sect Integration Trial_
> — _Reward: Access to Moonflow Archives_
> — _Risk: Exposure_
Ruhan bowed.
> "I accept."
Outside, the wind shifted.
And far away, in a realm untouched by time, the Spirit King opened his eyes.
The trial grounds of Moonflow Temple were carved into the mountainside — a vast arena surrounded by floating platforms, glowing runes, and cascading waterfalls that shimmered with spiritual energy. Disciples gathered in rows, their robes fluttering in the wind, eyes fixed on the center stage where the elders stood.
Zhen Ruhan stood among them, his aura masked, his expression calm.
> _System Notification:_
> — _Trial Detected: Sect Integration Trial_
>Objective:_ Pass without revealing time-based cultivation
> — _SP Consumption: Aura Masking – Active (5/hour)_
> — _Warning:_ Multiple high-level cultivators present
Lan Xiyue stood on the elder platform, her gaze unreadable. She hadn't spoken to Ruhan since the council meeting, but her seal had flared again when he entered the arena. She felt it — the pull, the resonance, the echo.
Elder Qian raised his hand.
> "Today, we welcome new disciples and test their worth. You will face three phases: spiritual resonance, combat demonstration, and elemental attunement. Those who pass will be granted access to the Moonflow Archives and assigned a cultivation mentor."
Ruhan's heart beat steadily. He had no mentor. No lineage. No sect. Only secrets.
The first phase began.
Disciples stepped forward, one by one, placing their hands on the _Mirror of Spirit_. The mirror glowed, revealing their cultivation type and elemental affinity.
A girl stepped forward — her aura flared with water qi. The mirror shimmered blue.
A boy followed — sword intent pulsed around him. The mirror flashed silver.
Then Ruhan's turn came.
He stepped forward, placing his hand on the mirror.
It flickered.
Then dimmed.
No color. No glow. No reaction.
Whispers spread through the crowd.
> "Is he unawakened?"
> "No… the mirror's broken."
> "Or he's hiding something."
Elder Qian narrowed his eyes.
> "Step back."
Ruhan did so, silently.
> _System Notification:_
> — _Mirror Scan Failed_
> — _Reason: Temporal Aura Incompatible_
> — _Status: Suspicion Level Increased_
The second phase began.
Combat demonstration.
Disciples paired off, showcasing their techniques. Sword cultivators clashed in bursts of light. Qi cultivators summoned elemental waves. Body cultivators struck with thunderous force.
Ruhan was paired with a beast tamer — a boy named Wei Lian, who summoned a spirit hawk with fire affinity.
> "Don't hold back," Wei Lian said, smirking. "I want to see what you're hiding."
Ruhan nodded.
The hawk dove.
Ruhan sidestepped, activating _Moment Step_ — a short-range teleport masked as a footwork technique.
He struck with a palm infused with neutral qi, avoiding time-based effects.
The hawk staggered. Wei Lian frowned.
> "Fast… but not fast enough."
He summoned a second beast — a flame serpent.
Ruhan activated _Temporal Clone_, disguising it as a shadow technique.
The clone distracted the serpent while Ruhan struck the hawk's core, dispersing it.
The crowd murmured.
> "His techniques are strange…"
> "Not qi… not body… something else."
Lan Xiyue watched closely. Her seal pulsed again.
> _System Notification:_
> — _Combat Phase Complete_
SP Awarded: +40_
Suspicion Level: Moderate_
The third phase began.
Elemental attunement.
Disciples meditated before elemental stones fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, ice. Each stone responded to affinity.
Ruhan sat before the stones.
None reacted.
But the air around him shimmered.
Time slowed just slightly. A leaf paused mid-fall. A ripple spread across the stones, then vanished.
Lan Xiyue's eyes widened.
Elder Qian stepped forward.
"Enough."
He turned to the crowd.
"This one is not aligned. He walks without element, without sect, without truth."
Ruhan stood.
"I walk with purpose."
"Then walk out."
Before anyone could respond, a voice echoed from the entrance.
"He walks with power."
Shen Kai stepped into the arena, his sword glowing with intent.
"And I intend to test it."