Several days had passed, and she was still drowning in a sorrow that wouldn't let her sleep. The nights had stretched endlessly, each shadow crawling across her room like a living thing, wrapping around her chest with icy fingers. Her mind replayed every fragment of loss and betrayal, looping them like a haunting melody that refused to fade.
The Elder of the Heavenly Furnace stood at her door, speaking softly as if his words were meant to stitch up her cracked soul. His voice carried warmth and patience, like sunlight filtering through winter clouds, yet beneath it lingered the weight of years, the gravity of someone who had seen too much yet still chose to protect.
He urged her to let go—To bury the past before it devoured what was left of her.
And so, she chose surrender.Not because she was healed… but because his words felt like a permission to breathe again. Each syllable had been a lifeline, pulling her from the precipice of despair.
She began preparing herself to return to who she used to be—Honest. Pure. Unafraid.Or at least, that's what she tried to believe. She dusted the remnants of sorrow from her shoulders like ash, forcing herself to stand tall, even if the trembling in her heart betrayed her.
She was the first to arrive, so she settled in the front seat, quietly waiting for the others to come—especially her friend Suo, who had grieved for her sorrow and vanished with her absence. Every tick of the clock echoed in her ears, a metronome counting her fears and her fragile hope.
One by one, the disciples filed in, casting lingering looks at the girl who had allegedly broken after receiving a pathetic punishment. Their whispers were faint, like wind rustling through dried leaves, each one carrying the weight of judgment.
That wasn't the truth.But Mei Ling had already spread the rumor, delighted by Huo Feng's disappearance… whose reason only she truly knew. A cruel smile hovered on her lips as she imagined the effect of her lies, like venom seeping into the air around her.
When Master Li entered alongside Master Wu Xin, they found her sitting there like a statue. Her posture was rigid, perfect in its stillness, yet inside, her heart thudded like a war drum. She didn't lift her gaze. She had decided to resist—To resist the poison of those memories.But her heart… betrayed her in the simplest moment.
With a daring, sharp motion, she lifted her eyes—And stabbed Wu Xin with a cold, killing glare. Her gaze was like frost and fire intertwined, ice slicing through warmth, and fire scorching through the chill.
He didn't understand why, but her stare made his breath hitch, pulling at something deep within him that had long been buried beneath discipline and duty.
Slowly… her breathing became uneven. Each second she held her eyes on him, something inside her started to unravel, like a silk thread caught in a storm, fraying and twisting beyond repair.
Unable to endure it any longer, Huo Feng stood abruptly, ready to leave. The sound of her movement echoed like a warning bell across the silent hall.
Master Li noticed the shift in her aura and spoke jokingly:
"No need to stand just to greet me, lazy girl.Or… are you here to apologize for escaping punishment, little slacker?"
She glanced at him—cold as winter frost—Then turned her back and walked away, as if his words were nothing but noise, a breeze against the walls of her solitude.
At that moment, the rest of the disciples stood as well, following her movement instinctively to greet their teachers. Their obedience was automatic, almost mechanical, yet beneath it, curiosity and concern flickered in their eyes.
She blinked in confusion, thinking with surprising innocence:
"...Are they all trying to leave too?"
Before she could step further, Suo appeared at the doorway. He moved with swift certainty, like a current rushing to save a ship from crashing rocks. He rushed toward her, grabbed her hand, and with his free hand pushed her head down in a bow along with his own as he said:
"We truly wish to apologize for our behavior last time. Please… forgive us."
He wasn't apologizing to the teachers—He was trying to save her from the shame of walking out in front of everyone. His concern wrapped around her like a protective cloak, a silent vow that she was not alone.
Inside, his thoughts were clear:Forgive… and stand straight again. You can't afford to fall today. Not today… not before the trial begins.
She stared at him, puzzled. Her chest heaved with the effort to understand, the confusion of her fragile heart mirrored in her wide eyes.
"Why did you make me bow with you? Why should I obey?"
He smiled faintly, a gentle curve that carried both patience and resolve.
"Because I'm older than you… and I'm trying to protect you."
Her brows furrowed, a flicker of defiance and vulnerability clashing within her.
"And since when does protection mean crushing my hand? Let go. And spare my head."
He released her quickly—Not because of her glare…But because of the sharp look Master Li was giving him, a silent reprimand woven with authority.
Master Li straightened his posture, his tone turning firm as his gaze swept over them all. The room seemed to grow still, the weight of his presence pressing gently yet inexorably on every student.
"Today marks your first true trial, elite disciples."
He gestured with his hand, and his assistants stepped forward, distributing crystal orbs to each student—each one shimmering brilliantly… as though a miniature sun had been sealed within. The orbs pulsed with quiet light, humming with latent power, a promise of challenge and transformation.
Huo Feng's eyes widened with a small spark of awe. Noticing that spark—Master Li smiled, a rare warmth softening the lines of his face.
"In your hands lies daylight. Extinguish its light… And you shall pass."
Yes—Mastery over Night and Day. That was their first trial. Their first step toward either ascension… or elimination.
Everyone began chanting their personalized incantations, eager to succeed on the first attempt. The air vibrated with a thousand tiny pulses of magic, like waves converging upon a single shore.
As expected, Mei Ling completed it before anyone else. Naturally—She had been Wu Xin's prized disciple since childhood. And just as naturally—She was as diligent in her training as she was skilled in provoking Huo Feng, her every motion precise, her every glance a challenge.
With her orb darkened, Mei Ling turned, lips curling with mockery as she watched Huo Feng struggle, her movements shaky and unsure, the faintest tremor betraying her internal battle.
One by one, almost all the disciples managed to pass.
All… except for our girl—Huo Feng.
She placed both her palms firmly against the orb, whispering to it like a desperate plea. Her small voice trembled, carried on the wind as if the orb could hear her heart more than her words:
"Please… just this once… be on my side."
And slowly—The light began to fade. Like dawn creeping over a darkened valley, hope flaring weakly in the vast shadow of fear.
Her chest lifted with hope.
But that hope was short-lived.
Because right then—She saw something inside the orb.
A figure. A figure she knew all too well—one whose departure had shattered her world.
Her blood froze. Her fingers trembled against the orb, the faint warmth of magic contrasting the ice settling in her heart.
Inside that tiny false sun, she watched a masked man approach her father… lean close to his ear… whisper something—And then extinguish his soul.
In that moment, she heard it—That choked sob. That broken cry from Jin Hai…
Calling her name—Over and over—
A cry no one else heard.
No one… except her.
Her heart ruptured.
And she screamed.
A scream that shattered day itself.
The sun within every orb died. The entire realm was swallowed by night. Shadows swept like waves across the hall, and every whisper, every flicker of light, vanished beneath a tide of darkness.
Many disciples stumbled in shock. They didn't understand what had happened—Not until Wu Xin's voice echoed, trembling as it tore through the darkness—
"Huuuuo… Feng!"
Light returned, scattering the shadows in a cascade of brilliance.
But the darkness inside her did not.
It clung to her… drowning her once more in poisoned memories—reopening wounds that had never truly healed. Each heartbeat felt like shards of ice and fire intertwined, each breath a reminder of everything she had lost… and everything she feared to lose again.