The great hall of the Outer Sect Pavilion was vast, its pillars carved from black stone veined with silver, etched with the runes of a thousand blades. Here, disciples were judged, rewarded, or punished, their fates decided beneath the unblinking gaze of sword effigies that lined the walls.
Xu Tian stood in its center, his robe white as snow, his expression calm. The air pressed heavy against him — not from stone or runes, but from the weight of gazes. Elders sat above upon carved thrones, their robes fluttering like storm clouds, their eyes sharp as blades. Rows of disciples filled the hall, eager to watch.
At the highest seat, the Supreme Elder leaned upon his armrest, his hawk-like eyes fixed upon Tian. His voice carried, smooth and cold:
"Xu Tian, disciple of the Outer Sect. You have risen swiftly — too swiftly. Yet with your rise comes whispers. That your Dao twists fate, that your blade is cursed. For the sake of clarity, we summon you here today."
Murmurs rippled through the disciples. Bai Heng smirked among them, his gaze venomous with satisfaction.
The Supreme Elder lifted his hand. "You will undergo the Trial of the Sword Stone. Before the sect, you will bare your Dao. If it is pure, you shall be honored. If it is tainted… the Sword Stone will not lie."
At his gesture, disciples dragged forth a massive monolith of jade and steel. It pulsed faintly, exuding ancient sharpness, its surface covered in runes that shimmered like starlight.
Whispers rose at once.
"The Sword Stone…""It reveals the true heart of a cultivator's Dao.""If he is cursed, it will shatter him."
Elder Ming rose, his stern face unreadable. "Supreme Elder, the Sword Stone is not used lightly. Few disciples are tested thus — even core heirs."
The Supreme Elder's voice cut like a blade. "Then Xu Tian shall be the exception. Unless, of course, he wishes to refuse?"
His gaze swept across the hall, pressing like iron. Refusal meant admission of guilt.
Xu Tian bowed slightly, his expression calm. "This disciple will accept."
Gasps erupted. Bai Heng laughed quietly, his glee thinly masked.
Xu Tian stepped toward the Sword Stone. The monolith loomed high, its surface dark yet gleaming faintly in rhythm with his heartbeat. His hand extended, palm pressing against the cold surface.
At once, the hall fell silent.
The Sword Stone pulsed. Light flared, sharp as drawn steel. Runes crawled across its surface, weaving patterns of ancient blades. Xu Tian's breath slowed, his blood resonating with the monolith.
Show me… a whisper echoed, not in his ears but in his soul. Show me your Dao.
He felt the pull of threads, unseen lines binding the world, weaving around him. Destiny's web. Fate's chains.
He had hidden it until now, sheathing his edge. But the Sword Stone cut through concealment, demanding truth.
Xu Tian's eyes darkened. If he held back, the Stone would brand him false. If he revealed all, he risked Heaven's wrath.
His hand pressed deeper. His qi surged.
The runes upon the stone blazed, forming a sword of light that pierced the hall. Disciples shielded their eyes, gasping.
And then — threads appeared. Not to them, but to him. Webs of unseen destiny stretched across the hall, binding every disciple, every elder. The Stone had revealed his Dao, and it could not be hidden.
Xu Tian exhaled slowly. His sword intent surged.
He raised his other hand, forming a blade with his fingers, and cut.
Invisible threads snapped. The sword of light shuddered, then split in two. The hall trembled, lanterns shattering, banners whipping in phantom wind.
Cries erupted.
"He severed it—!""Impossible! No disciple's Dao can touch fate!""This is heresy!"
The Sword Stone cracked. A deep fissure split its surface, runes flickering wildly. Never before had it broken beneath a disciple's touch.
Xu Tian stepped back calmly, lowering his hand. His eyes gleamed faintly with defiance.
"The sharpest sword does not cut what is seen," he said softly, his voice carrying in the stunned silence, "but what is unseen."
Chaos erupted. Elders rose from their seats, some in awe, others in fury.
"Unnatural!" one shouted."A calamity to the sect!" another hissed."Or perhaps…" an older voice whispered, trembling, "the path of Heaven's chosen?"
The Supreme Elder raised his hand, silencing them all. His eyes were narrow slits, his voice a blade honed to killing sharpness.
"Xu Tian," he said coldly, "your Dao is revealed. You sever fate itself. Such a path… has no place within Heaven-Splitting Sword Sect."
Gasps swept the hall.
Elder Ming stepped forward quickly, his voice thunderous. "Supreme Elder! The boy is still young. His path may yet be guided, restrained. To cast him aside now is to lose a blade sharper than any in generations!"
But the Supreme Elder's voice cut him off. "A blade too sharp cuts its own master. Xu Tian's Dao invites Heaven's wrath. If he remains, he endangers us all."
Bai Heng's laughter broke the silence. "You see! Even the Sword Stone fears him. He is cursed!"
Xu Tian turned his gaze upon him. Calm. Unhurried.
"Bai Heng," he said softly, "a dog barking at thunder does not change the storm."
Bai Heng froze, rage choking him, while disciples stifled gasps.
The Supreme Elder rose. "Enough. Xu Tian will be confined for investigation. Until then, he is stripped of privileges, barred from missions, and placed under watch. If Heaven strikes him with tribulation, the sect will not shield him."
Xu Tian bowed slightly, his expression unchanged. "As the sect decrees."
He turned, walking from the hall, his robe whispering across the stone. Disciples shrank back as he passed, as though fearing his shadow. Only Zhou Wei hurried after him, trembling but loyal.
"Tian-ge!" Wei whispered urgently. "They will not stop. This was a trap from the start!"
Xu Tian's eyes gleamed faintly beneath the fractured light streaming through the high windows.
"Yes. A trap to reveal my Dao. And now they know."
His hand brushed the hilt of his sword. Calm, resolute.
"Let them know. One day, it is not I who will stand trial… but Heaven itself."