CHAPTER 11 — THE TRIAL OF MOTION: THE GREAT ASCENT
Dawn broke like a blade across the mountains.
Cold wind screamed through the valley as the disciples of the Four Sects gathered before a sheer stone wall that rose into the clouds. The mountain face was jagged, uneven, and alive—ancient runes faintly glowing across its surface like veins beneath skin.
This was no ordinary climb.
This was The Great Ascent.
Master Dugu Shen stood at the forefront, arms crossed, voice echoing like iron striking stone.
"The Third Trial tests motion, instinct, adaptability, and survival," he declared.
"There is no fixed path. No safety net. The mountain itself will resist you."
Master Ru Ning added calmly,
"The first to reach the summit earns distinction. Those who fall… are eliminated."
A ripple of unease ran through the disciples.
Some stared upward in disbelief.
Others swallowed fear and tightened their fists.
Kael stood silently, eyes tracing the runes along the cliff face. His Astral Core stirred faintly—uneasy.
This mountain is alive.
Behind him, Taron Blaze exhaled slowly.
His newly awakened bloodline lay dormant… but restless.
Like embers buried beneath ash.
So this is where we clash.
Master Shen Rokan's gaze moved between the two boys, heavy with concern.
"Begin."
The mountain roared.
---
The Ascent Begins
The moment the trial started, the cliff face shifted.
Stone plates slid.
Handholds crumbled.
Runes flared to life.
Disciples surged forward, leaping, climbing, sprinting up impossible angles.
Some used footwork techniques.
Others relied on raw strength.
Screams echoed as several lost their grip and vanished into the mist below.
Kael moved carefully.
He didn't rush.
Each step was deliberate, his Astral Fist Phase subtly reinforcing his muscles, stabilizing his movements. The Astral Core pulsed softly, mapping the flow of danger ahead.
Don't force it, he reminded himself.
Then—
A blur of motion blasted past him.
Taron.
His feet struck the stone like thunder. Each leap carried explosive force, his body propelled by raw, aggressive energy. Where Kael flowed, Taron burned his way upward.
Disciples gasped.
"That speed—!"
"Azure Sky has two monsters?!"
"No—one of them is unstable!"
Taron didn't look back.
He felt Kael behind him.
And he hated that he cared.
---
Sabotage in the Shadows
Halfway up the ascent, the mountain reacted violently.
Stone spears erupted from the wall.
Runes flashed crimson.
The Iron Vein Sect disciples moved together—too coordinated.
One of them slammed his palm into a rune node.
The cliff shuddered.
A massive slab broke loose—directly above Kael.
Rokan's eyes widened.
"KAEL—!"
The slab fell like a collapsing sky.
Kael reacted instantly, crossing his arms—
—but exhaustion slowed him.
Too slow.
Then—
A burst of silver fire tore upward.
Taron.
He struck the falling stone with a flaming fist.
BOOM!
The slab exploded into fragments.
Taron landed hard, breathing heavy.
Their eyes met.
For half a heartbeat, there was no rivalry.
Only shock.
Then Taron scoffed.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not saving you. I just won't let you fall before I beat you."
Kael stared at him—then nodded.
"Fair."
And they climbed again.
Near the upper third of the ascent, the pressure changed.
Gravity intensified.
Wind howled like a beast.
Illusions flickered at the edge of perception.
Kael's vision blurred.
The Astral Realm tugged at him again.
Not pulling him in—
—but watching.
Not now, Kael thought desperately.
A misstep.
His grip slipped.
For a terrifying moment, nothing held him.
Then—
A surge.
The Astral Core flared—not violently, but resolutely.
His fist glowed.
Not bright.
Not explosive.
Controlled.
Kael slammed it into the cliff.
The mountain answered.
A star-shaped imprint formed beneath his hand, anchoring him in place.
The sect masters froze.
Master Lian Hu whispered,
"He's shaping the mountain… not breaking it."
Ru Ning's expression darkened.
"This is no mere bloodline."
Above him, Taron watched.
His chest burned.
He's adapting faster than me.
The Ember-Devourer Bloodline stirred, responding to that thought—not with calm, but hunger.
Taron roared and surged upward, flames erupting along his limbs.
Stone melted under his grip.
The mountain screamed.
---
At the Summit
Only two figures reached the final ledge.
Kael.
Taron.
They stood opposite each other, chests heaving, sweat freezing in the thin air.
Below them lay the clouds.
Above them—open sky.
The jade bell rang once.
Then twice.
Then—
THRICE.
Master Dugu Shen's voice thundered from below:
"THE THIRD TRIAL IS COMPLETE!"
Silence followed.
Kael and Taron stared at one another.
No words.
No insults.
Only the understanding that had finally settled between them.
They were no longer rivals fighting for pride.
They were inevitable enemies, walking parallel paths that could never truly align.
Taron turned first.
"This doesn't end here," he said quietly.
Kael nodded.
"I know."
As they descended, unseen by all—
Two presences stirred far beyond the mountain.
One ancient and celestial.
The other feral and devouring.
Both had chosen their champions.
And the world had begun to tilt.