Chapter 8: Trial of the Broken Heaven Stone
The Mortal Realm trembled under the invisible pressure of unfolding fate.
From Fallen Cloud's dirt-laced streets to the immortal towers of the Mountain Sect, all eyes turned toward one place:
The Broken Heaven Stone Trial.
A test once held once every hundred years...
Now awakened early—for one reason.
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Location: Trial Plateau, Inner Circle of the Mountain Sect
A floating stone island surrounded by skyfire, thunder mist, and suspended elemental barriers.
The platform bore a cracked monument—the Broken Heaven Stone—an ancient relic said to test the limits of law resistance in one's soul root and will.
Only those who passed the stone's judgment could qualify for Origin Manifestation in the future.
Lin Sheng stood at the entrance.
His new white robe fluttered in the high wind. Fire lines pulsed across his chest. At his side, Mu Yanyu remained quiet, calm, her moonlight aura softly intertwining with his.
Dozens of disciples, elders, and visitors from allied sects formed a vast semi-circle around the trial ground. Some came to cheer. Many came to watch him fall.
Among them stood several key figures:
Qin Liansheng – direct nephew of Qin Zhenxu, planted within the sect to monitor Lin Sheng's progress.
Dao Fengmu – disciple of the Soul-Splitting Peak, known for mastering dual-essence techniques and seeking recognition through battle.
Lady Shuihan of the Frostwell Pavilion – an observer from the Upper Realm, hiding her true rank.
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The Challenge Begins
An ancient voice echoed from the stone.
> "To defy fate, you must first survive it.
Let your soul touch the heaven shard...
And we shall see if law bends or breaks."
One by one, other cultivators stepped forward.
Dao Fengmu approached first. His aura surged—Soul Root peak, twin essences spiraling around him.
He placed his hand on the stone.
A roar of thunder.
A streak of red light.
> [Trial Grade: Heaven-Touched, 7 Rings of Law Resonance.]
Gasps of approval.
He bowed and stepped back, glancing at Lin Sheng with mild disdain.
---
Lin Sheng stepped forward.
His footsteps echoed like time itself.
He placed one hand on the Broken Heaven Stone.
Nothing happened.
For a heartbeat, the world went silent.
Then—
CRACK!
The stone itself… split deeper.
A black flame exploded upward—then turned gold. Time slowed. Lightning reversed.
Symbols of fate, death, time, creation, and restart swirled in chaotic harmony.
The Broken Heaven Stone lifted into the air.
And for the first time in history, it spoke in an ancient dialect none understood except the High Elders:
> "The Flame Returns…
Law Must Kneel…
Restart Has Begun."
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Trial Result: Incomprehensible
The elders stood frozen. The jade tablets meant to record Lin Sheng's results… shattered.
Lady Shuihan narrowed her gaze.
> "So… the Heavenly Internal Body wasn't a myth. He carries the true inheritance of the Gaternal Flame."
Qin Liansheng gritted his teeth.
> "He's no mere cultivator. He's a declaration of war against our clan."
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Aftermath
That night, Lin Sheng meditated beneath the ancient Sky Banyan tree at the edge of the sect.
Mu Yanyu sat beside him, weaving threads of lunar energy around his arm. He'd injured it absorbing the Broken Heaven Stone's essence.
She didn't speak for a long time.
Then softly:
> "Do you realize what you did today?"
He opened one eye.
> "I didn't do anything. The flame… decided."
> "No. You chose not to break."
A pause.
> "And that makes you dangerous."
---
In the Celestial Qin Clan
In a red chamber filled with floating star scrolls, Qin Zhenxu crushed a report in silence.
> "Prepare the Shadow Heaven Coffin."
"Summon the Nine Demon Rings."
"Let the Beast Cult Alliance know… the price of inaction will be death."
The hunt would no longer be quiet.