The bronze bell's toll rolled across the sect like thunder, drawing every Outer Sect disciple into the great square. Hundreds gathered in neat rows beneath the morning sun, robes rustling in the mountain wind. Excitement and dread hummed in the air like taut bowstrings.
Wu Ming clutched the timid girl's sleeve nervously. "Why are there so many people smiling? Don't they realize this is basically volunteering to be beast food?"
The lanky boy muttered, "Because some see beasts as chances for glory."
Lin Xuan stood silent, spear in hand, eyes steady as he scanned the dais where the elders were assembling.
At the center, Elder Ji appeared like an immovable mountain, his gaze deep. To his right, the hawk-eyed elder's presence crackled like drawn steel. To his left, the silver-haired elder tapped her staff lightly, her expression calm but unreadable.
When Elder Ji raised his hand, silence swept the square like a tide.
"The Azure Spirit Sect does not nurture flowers in shadow," Elder Ji's voice rumbled, carrying over the crowd. "Disciples must face storms. Only through trials do roots grow deep."
A murmur rippled through the ranks.
"The Borderlands stir," Elder Ji continued. "Beast tides threaten the villages under our protection. Our sect shall answer. The mission is thus: retrieve rare beast cores from the contested territory. Bring them back as proof of your strength and loyalty."
The hawk-eyed elder's voice cut sharp. "Failure is not permitted. Those who cannot return with results… will have no place here."
Wu Ming groaned under his breath, "No pressure. Only life and death, nothing serious."
The silver-haired elder's voice, by contrast, was like cool rain. "Disciples, remember: you are not only tested for strength, but for unity. The sect watches not just what you achieve, but how you achieve it."
Lin Xuan's eyes flicked briefly toward her. Unity. A curious word for a sect riddled with factions.
Stewards stepped forward, reading names from scrolls. Groups were assigned by lot, but to those with eyes it was clear the lots had been salted with politics. Stronger disciples gathered in safe teams, while weaker ones were thrown together.
When Lin Xuan's name was called, whispers rippled through the crowd.
"Lin Xuan?""They send him?""Watch, this will be where he falls."
He stepped forward calmly. The steward continued: "Lin Xuan, Wu Ming, Li Mei, Chen Yu…"
His small circle. All of them. Relief flickered in their eyes — they would not be separated.
But then came the last addition: "And… Zhou Ren."
The crowd stirred at once.
"Zhou Ren? With Lin Xuan?""Didn't they nearly clash in the arena?""This is deliberate…"
Wu Ming nearly fainted. "Zhou Ren?! That's like tying meat to the wolf and calling it a partnership!"
Zhou Ren himself stepped forward with a grin sharp as fangs. "Well, well. Seems fate binds us, Lin Xuan."
Lin Xuan met his gaze without blinking. "Fate is rarely kind."
From the pavilion above, Meng Zhao leaned lazily against the railing, watching the assignment unfold. His lips curved into a thin smile.
"Perfect," he murmured. "Let Zhou Ren gnaw at him. Let beasts tear at his circle. And if he survives both… then the elders will tighten the leash themselves."
His followers laughed quietly, though unease lingered in their eyes.
Back in the crowd, Wu Ming wailed softly. "Senior Brother, what do we do? Zhou Ren alone could smash us! And then there are beasts! And poison! And—"
Lin Xuan's hand fell lightly on his shoulder. "Then we endure. And we return."
The timid girl straightened her back. "Yes."The lanky boy's jaw tightened. "Yes."
Zhou Ren, a few paces away, sneered openly at their little huddle.
That night, as disciples prepared for departure, Lin Xuan sat in quiet meditation. His spear traced slow arcs in the courtyard, qi flowing steady.
The familiar forms brushed against one another again — Stone Palm into Gale Slash, Crane Step into Spear Flow.
[System Notice: Fusion potential: 7%. Threshold rising.][Hidden Quest Progression: Survive Borderlands Mission.]
Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed faintly. So even the System waits for this storm. Then let the storm come.
At dawn, the sect square filled again. Dozens of groups gathered at the gates, weapons gleaming, nerves taut. Elders watched from the high walls as the mission began.
Wu Ming muttered, pale-faced, "Last chance to run away?"
Lin Xuan walked forward, spear steady at his back, voice calm. "No. First chance to begin."
The gates opened. The Borderlands awaited.