A cold wind swept over the Eternal Heaven Palace, carrying with it the scent of ancient power and unseen danger. The five disciples stood gathered on the jade platform, eyes wide with a mixture of fear and determination.
Before them, the void stirred, and the shape of their first trial emerged.
Shadowy beasts, born from the very fabric of chaos that lingered beyond creation, flickered and shifted like living smoke. Their forms were unstable, shifting between horrifying shapes—claws, teeth, and writhing tendrils. They were tests, born not just to challenge strength but to expose willpower and adaptability.
Xianzhe Tianya observed coldly from the towering gate of the sect, his presence like a mountain watching over struggling insects.
"Your first test," he announced. "To survive here is the first step to rising beyond your limits. Fight, or be driven into oblivion. There is no mercy. There is only the path forward."
The young man took a shaky step forward, his hands trembling but forming fists as his newfound power coursed through him. The scarred woman tightened her grip on a broken blade that had appeared in her hand—summoned by the faint attraction of the sect's energy. The child clutched the worn doll tightly, eyes flickering with a strange light. The scholar adjusted his stance, calculating and calm, while the woman in white robes remained silent, her aura pulsing beneath the surface.
As the beasts advanced, snarling and lunging, panic flashed through the group. The young man swung wildly, barely grazing one of the creatures before stumbling backward. The scarred woman leapt forward, slicing through a shadow with raw ferocity, but fatigue showed in every movement.
The child held frozen, seemingly overwhelmed by the chaos, but a small, unexpected glow erupted from the doll—a hidden power shielding the fragile figure. The scholar's eyes gleamed as he chanted an ancient incantation, drawing ethereal lines in the air which struck the beasts with bursts of energy.
And the woman in white robes? Suddenly, her sealed aura burst like a dam breaking. A wave of blinding light exploded outward, scattering shadows and silencing their howls.
The disciples fought with desperate courage, slowly driving back the shadows. Though battered, each realized the harsh truth of Xianzhe's words—strength alone would not guarantee survival. They needed unity, strategy, and growth.
When the last beast dissolved into nothingness, the system's voice echoed again:
[Outer Sect Trial Phase 1 Complete.]
[Performance Review: Moderate success. Further growth required.]
[Reward: Basic Sect Resources unlocked.]
Xianzhe's eyes gleamed faintly as he descended to the platform. "This trial is just the beginning of your journey. You will face enemies greater than these shadows—competition within the sect and dangers from without."
He paused, gaze piercing the young man who had barely held his ground. "Harness your fear. Let it teach you. Strength does not come from power alone, but from the will to never fall."
The disciples nodded, their resolve hardening like forged steel. They had survived today, but the road ahead was long, perilous, and filled with unknown trials.
The Eternal Heaven Palace, born in the void, was awakening—and so were the first sparks of a legend yet to be written.