The island lay in eerie silence.
As Zhang Xin's fingers brushed the shimmering map piece beneath the black tree, a wave of visions engulfed him. He staggered backward, clutching his head, eyes wide. The world around him twisted—real and unreal merging into a single breathless moment.
He saw a massive battle in the sky, flames dancing against ice. A phoenix cried from within a frozen prison. A woman screamed his name—his mother? A door opened in darkness, and a pulse of ancient energy surged through him.
"Zhang Xin!" Lian Hua called, steadying him.
He gasped. The vision shattered. But the strange energy remained.
Then the ground trembled. The tree's bark split with a groan like ancient bones breaking. Black roots erupted from the earth, forming a colossal beast of shadow and wood, its eyes glowing with cursed light.
"It's the guardian," Chen Bo muttered, unsheathing his sword. Lightning flickered across the blade.
"Stay sharp!" Zhang Xin commanded, rising to his feet, the light within him stabilizing. "This trial isn't over."
The team fanned out.
The guardian roared, its body stretching like liquid bark. Roots snapped forward, aiming straight for Mei Lan, but a fiery explosion intercepted them.
"I'm not letting some overgrown stick touch her," Xiaobo grinned, fire dancing on his fists.
Yuxin rolled her eyes. "Focus, flame-head."
She struck, sending a blast of freezing air that encased the roots in ice, slowing their movement. Wei Luo smashed through them with a boulder-sized punch of earth energy.
"Now this is a proper fight!" he bellowed.
The guardian shrieked, releasing a cloud of black spores.
"Don't breathe it in!" Lian Hua warned, covering her mouth with her sleeve. She whirled into action, her Petal Sword glowing. Razor-sharp petals swirled around her, slicing through the spores and forming a barrier.
Zhang Xin closed his eyes briefly, centering his breath. The visions had tried to trap him in false hope. The woman wasn't his mother—just a cruel illusion, baiting his deepest pain.
His sword ignited, radiant with divine brilliance. With a cry, he leapt high, slashing down with a beam of light that pierced the beast's chest. The guardian staggered.
"Chen Bo!"
"Right behind you."
Chen Bo blurred forward, sword crackling with thunder. He struck with blinding speed, leaving a trail of electricity across the beast's limbs.
The guardian split into three smaller forms, each targeting a different teammate.
Mei Lan stepped forward, her Aqua Dance technique flowing gracefully. A wave of healing water washed over Lian Hua and Yuxin, refreshing their energy.
"Thank you," Lian Hua whispered, eyes narrowing. Her petals formed a deadly spiral, cutting down one of the split forms.
Wei Luo slammed both fists into the ground. Earth cracked upward in sharp spikes, impaling another form.
Only one remained.
It lunged toward Zhang Xin with dark energy pulsing. He stood still, waiting.
The moment it reached him, his body shimmered with light. He dodged effortlessly, his sword moving in a single fluid motion. The guardian collapsed in a burst of black mist.
Silence fell again.
The tree, now quiet, and lowered the map.
Zhang Xin stepped forward, this time with calm clarity. Pick the piece of map.
"It's done," he whispered.
The salty sea breeze whispered through the shattered island, thick with the scent of scorched earth, crushed petals, and lingering elemental energy. Cracks spread across the charred battlefield, still pulsing faintly from the aftermath of the intense battle. The once-vibrant island, once teeming with dangerous spirit beasts and deceptive terrain, now lay silent. Defeated.
Zhang Xin sheathed his sword in one graceful motion, the blade humming with residual light energy. A faint golden glow still danced around his form, the aftereffects of his Light Level 6, Peak Stage technique having stunned even his own team during the final strike.
Xiaobo, panting and ash-smudged, slapped Wei Luo on the back with a grin. "Oi! You said you wanted a hard fight, didn't you? This one nearly cooked my eyebrows off."
Wei Luo smirked, wiping blood from his lip. "And it was worth every bruise."
Yuxin snorted, helping Mei Lan to her feet. "Stop acting like children," she muttered. "We didn't survive just to laugh like fools."
Lian Hua stood alone, her back to the group, gazing over the sea. Her petal sword retracted, the last of her blossoms dissolving into the wind like secrets never spoken. Chen Bo quietly walked to Zhang Xin's side and simply nodded.
Mei Lan raised a hand, and water danced over their injuries, a gentle healing tide flowing from her palm.
Zhang Xin looked once more at the battlefield. "We've passed the trial. Let's go."
At the Ascension Hall
The hall buzzed with murmurs. Cultivators in white robes stood watching as the team stepped out, wounded but triumphant. The Elder Host of the Ascension Hall, a tall man robed in layers of light silk with stars embroidered into the hem, stood waiting on the ceremonial platform.
Behind him hovered a glowing tablet—one that held the names of all the registered teams.
The elder's voice rang out, smooth and dignified: "Zhang Xin and team. You have successfully cleared the Island Battlefield Challenge… and survived."
A ripple of laughter and applause echoed from the watching cultivators.
"You now ascend from Copper Slip Rank to Silver Slip Rank."
The glowing tablet pulsed, and the copper plates bearing their names glimmered and transformed. Silver light engulfed them, burning new inscriptions into the plate edges. Their names—etched in sharper strokes—now glowed like moonlight.
"From this moment onward," the elder declared, "you have earned the right to enter the Ascension Hall's Main Battlefield, where Silver and Gold teams fight for prestige, opportunity, and access to sacred trials. You stand on the path of ascension. Few dare. Fewer survive."
Zhang Xin bowed. "We will honor the hall's trust."
"You'd better," Xiaobo muttered, just loud enough to be heard by Yuxin, who elbowed him hard.
The elder offered a small smile, then waved his sleeve. "You may return to your sect. Prepare well. The Main Battlefield is not a place for hesitation."
—
Back at Zi Xuan Sect
The Zi Xuan Sect welcomed its heroes with silence and pride. The quiet was more intense than a celebration—it was respect. In this sect, reputation was earned through endurance, not applause.
Not long after returning, a disciple in green robes bowed before Zhang Xin and spoke softly. "Your presence is requested at the Main Hall. Master Tang Caijin and the elders await you."
Zhang Xin's brow furrowed. "Understood."
—
Inside the Zi Xuan Sect Main Hall
The hall was vast and still, its marble floors reflecting the flickering lanterns. The scent of old scrolls, incense, and sharpened weapons hung in the air. Upon the elevated platform, seated in half-circle formation, were the elders of Zi Xuan Sect—figures of immense power and history.
At the center sat Tang Caijin, Zhang Xin's master, with her hair bound in silver thread and eyes that saw through flesh and soul.
Zhang Xin knelt and bowed deeply.
Tang Caijin spoke, her voice like thunder in a cave. "You have returned victorious. And not just victorious—but ascended."
Another elder, dressed in obsidian robes, leaned forward. "Silver Slip... A rare feat at your age."
Another elder—a woman whose robes shimmered like firelight—added, "Now your true test begins."
Zhang Xin lifted his head. "I am ready, Master."
Tang Caijin's eyes narrowed. "Zhang Xin, the road you tread leads to power, yes… but also exposure. The demons who seek your map will no longer whisper—they will hunt openly. You must prepare not only for combat, but for survival."
The elder in obsidian robes stood. "And to prepare… you must go to the Zi Xuan Academy."
A sharp intake of breath from the younger disciples in the corners of the hall.
Tang Caijin nodded. "The Academy is where Silver Slip cultivators refine their techniques to the next stage. There, you'll encounter other powerful teams, deep teachings, and the danger you must face to reclaim the light of humans and to end fight of the human and demons. You must become stronger to face fan hua the demon leader.
Zhang Xin's fists clenched at the name.
Another elder chuckled dryly. "You'll find no safe shelter there. Every alliance is temporary. Every friendship has a cost. Even your own teammates will grow at different paces."
Tang Caijin rose to her feet and descended the stairs toward Zhang Xin.
"But I chose you, Zhang Xin, not because you are the strongest," she said, "but because you carry burden and light in equal weight. Lead wisely. Listen. Trust. But never forget your path."
Zhang Xin bowed again. "Yes, Master."
The hall echoed with approval. The path ahead had changed. They were no longer disciples of promise—they were cultivators of destiny.
Outside, the team waited.
"What did they say?" Mei Lan asked.
"We're leaving," Zhang Xin said simply. "To the Zi Xuan Academy."
Xiaobo raised a brow. "Sounds fancy."
Yuxin crossed her arms. "Sounds dangerous."
Wei Luo cracked his knuckles. "Sounds fun."
Lian Hua said nothing, her eyes distant. But something flickered in her expression—curiosity, perhaps… or a warning she would not yet share.
Chen Bo just nodded. "We follow."
As they turned to walk back to their quarters, the moon shone high above the Zi Xuan Sect. Tomorrow, they would begin their journey again—not as rookies—but as a Silver Slip Team standing at the edge of legend.
But even they didn't know what the Mirror Lake and the Zi Xuan Academy truly held… and how soon their fate would change once again.