Six Months Later
The wind howled over the mountain arena as snow drifted in lazy spirals from the pale morning sky. Disciples of the Verdant Storm Sect stood in orderly formation, eighty-four of them, each wrapped in storm-grey robes. Today was the long-awaited Sect Trial of the Outer Vein.
The stone arena carved into the mountain's face held a ring in its centre. Around it sat the elders, instructors, and representatives of higher halls. On this day, outer disciples would test their growth, earn their ranks, and catch the attention of those who could elevate them.
Names would be engraved into jade. Lives would be changed.
Among them stood Avishek, quieter than most. Six months had hardened him — not through glory, but silence. Where others glowed with progress, he simply endured. He had reached Qi Realm, Stage Two, but the sect still whispered: the boy with no Foldvein. The one who broke the mirror.
Kael, as always, said nothing. But he watched.
🔹 Notable Contestants
Out of the 84 outer disciples, the top 10 were known well before the matches began. Each had reached at least Qi Realm Stage 6 — an impressive feat in just half a year.
Bran – Law Foldvein, Qi Stage 9. Commanded gravity and force. Mira – Divine Foldvein, Qi Stage 9. Calm and unreachable. Rael – Ascendence Foldvein, Qi Stage 8. Quiet but overwhelming. Tharan – Soul Foldvein, Qi Stage 8. Ruthless and fierce. Selis – Soul Foldvein, Qi Stage 7. Twin soul beasts. Naeva – Divine Foldvein, Qi Stage 8. Graceful, strange. Yui – Wraith Foldvein, Qi Stage 7. Ghostlike illusionist. Korrin – Flesh Foldvein, Qi Stage 7. Physical monster. Leko – Wind Foldvein, Qi Stage 6. Speed demon. Vessya – Wraith Foldvein, Qi Stage 6. Poison user.
And...
Avishek – Unknown Foldvein, Qi Stage 2.
His inclusion was not for victory. It was because the elders couldn't ignore him anymore.
🔹 Match Highlights
Bran vs. Korrin — Gravity crushed strength. A palm strike ended it.
Mira vs. Vessya — Light dissolved poison. Mira didn't even blink.
Naeva vs. Leko — Speed met stillness. Naeva's pale light trapped him mid-air.
Avishek vs. Tharan —
The wind slowed as Avishek stepped into the stone ring.Opposite him, Tharan cracked his neck with a smirk, soul energy already pulsing in coils of dark light. His Foldvein of Soul shone fiercely — a vicious black aura dripping from his palms.
"You should've stayed in the back," Tharan sneered. "We both know you don't belong here."
Avishek didn't answer.
He simply bowed.
The judge gave the signal.
The duel began.
Tharan wasted no time. With a sharp breath, his soul beast — a massive shadowy hound — burst from his side, snarling. Its fangs dripped spectral venom as it lunged.
Avishek moved, but not frantically. He stepped sideways, letting the beast scrape past. Its claws missed his shoulder by an inch.
Another lunge. He bent low and spun, brushing the ground with his fingertips, barely escaping the soul-forged strike.
He didn't attack. He didn't summon anything.
He just watched.
Tharan grew irritated.
"You're just dodging!"
He snapped his fingers, and the hound split into two.
Now, they struck in tandem. One from the left, one from behind.
Avishek pivoted, placing his body between the strikes. He raised his arm — not to block, but to redirect. The claws passed just over his skin. The movement wasn't martial arts. It was instinct, like water bending around a blade.
Tharan's eyes narrowed. He rushed forward himself now, fists glowing with soul-charged Qi. The crowd leaned forward — the beast and the master striking as one.
Then—
It happened.
Avishek's soul pulsed.
The mist in the arena quivered.
Like some deeper wind rippled through it.
One of the shadow beasts froze mid-lunge. Its body trembled. The other turned to smoke before touching him, dissipating with a faint hiss.
Even Tharan faltered, suddenly clutching his temple.
"What... did you do?" he growled, staggering back.
Avishek stood still, eyes dim, breathing slow. His hands had not moved. His Qi hadn't surged. But something responded from within.
The arena fell silent.
But Tharan gritted his teeth. He wasn't done.
He forced his soul beast to re-form, just once more, and launched a final reckless blast of pure soul flame, aimed directly at Avishek's chest.
Avishek couldn't dodge it in time.
The force struck him squarely, knocking him backward across the ring.
He landed hard, coughing.
The judge raised a hand.
"Match over! Winner: Tharan!"
Kael narrowed his eyes. He lasted longer than he should have.
🔹 Final Rankings
The jade pillar lit with glowing names:
MiraBranTharanRaelSelisNaevaYuiKorrinLekoVessyaAvishek
Whispers spread quickly.
"He nearly beat Tharan…"
"But he's only Stage Two?"
"His soul type isn't even listed…"
Kael said nothing. But inside, he wondered: How much longer can we contain him?
🔹 Soul Prism Chamber
That night, Avishek was summoned.
Kael led him to the Mirror Vault. At its centre stood the Soul Vein Prism — a test for rare cases.
"Touch it."
Avishek did.
CRACK.
The crystal split with a sigh. No light. No reading. Just failure.
Kael turned away.
"Your soul has no Foldvein. You don't belong."
Outside, snow fell.
Avishek stood under the lantern. Naeva appeared beside him quietly.
"Congratulations," she said.
He looked at her. "You saw what happened."
"Yes," she said softly. "And I also saw you didn't break."
She smiled faintly. "You walk a path without shape. That doesn't mean you are lost."
Then she turned and vanished into the falling snow.
Avishek pressed a hand to his chest.
The presence inside pulsed.
Waiting.
Watching.