Between the Four Realms, there flows a river unlike any other—a river without water, where only lost souls drift endlessly,wandering through fractured times and forgotten worlds.
It is the River of Oblivion,a place where exiled spirits from the Heavens, the Shadow Realms, the Beast Lands,and even our own world roam in sorrow.
Some are forgotten—without graves, without names.Some remember nothing—not even the place where they died.And others… broken, wrathful,refuse to accept their fate,refuse to rest.
All of them hover in the space between life and death,neither crossing nor fading—perhaps because they cannot…or perhaps because they will not.
These spirits are no mere phantoms.They are predators—feral, hungry,ripping through flesh and soul alike,devouring any who dare draw near.They sense impurity.They crave corruption.
And so, the people of the Heavenly Kingdom declared:to cross the River of Oblivion is the most sacred trial of all.
Only the pure-hearted—those whose virtue burns brighter than darkness—can walk upon it like a passing breeze.But those tainted by greed or deceit…the river will claim them,dragging them into its eternal depths.
It is a simple test—yet impossibly cruel.A single step decides whether your heart is truth… or illusion.
In the great hall, Master Li addressed his students,his voice heavy with caution… and perhaps fear.
"The trial is simple," he said."It requires no courage, no strength—only a heart unburdened by lies.The pure shall pass,the false shall fall and perish.We accept no hypocrites in this Academy—no darkness hidden beneath the mask of virtue."
His words lingered in the air, sharp as blades,and though he smiled, the shadows behind his eyes betrayed him.
When he finally rose, the students followed in disciplined silence.
As Huo Feng left the hall last,Mei and her close friend were waiting for her outside.The friend blocked her path with a cruel grin.
"Did you even understand the test, little fool?" she sneered."Or should I explain it to you slowly?"
Huo Feng tilted her head, innocent but sharp as lightning.
"I understood it perfectly," she said sweetly."It means you'll never make it across."Then she paused, feigning regret."Ah, forgive me. Of course you can cross—if you smile at them the way you just smiled at me.They'll flee in terror…and the river will be empty—just like your head, darling."
The girl's face twisted in rage.Her hand flew before thought—a slap cracked through the air.
But Huo Feng did not flinch.She did not cry.She simply raised her hands,and the air shimmered red—her palms glowing like molten iron—before she struck back, twice,leaving the bully sprawled unconscious on the floor.
Mei did not move to help her.She only smiled—a soft, poisonous smile—and brushed Huo Feng's cheek with mock tenderness.
"She started it," Mei whispered. "I'll testify for you.Don't worry, I'm on your side.But now, come—let's not be late for the trial."
She took Huo Feng's hand,leading her away from the fallen girl…and toward something far darker.
At the edge of the River of Oblivion,the students lined up in silence.Ghostly wails echoed beneath the current,a sound that chilled even the bravest among them.
Master Li stood beside them,his composure fragile—his old wound aching in secret.He knew he couldn't save anyone who fell.He'd tried once before… and failed.
Inwardly, he whispered:
"Where are you, Wu Xin…? You're late."
Finally, after a long pause, he raised his hand.
"Begin."
Suo was the first to take flight,crossing the river in a blaze of calm confidence.Yue followed, graceful as moonlight.
Then came Mei Ling.She stepped forward slowly,then glanced sideways—at Huo Feng.
Leaning close, she whispered:
"Follow me.I'll make him fall into the river.If you want to save him… you'll have to catch me."
Huo Feng froze.Her fingers brushed her ear—the diamond earring, her "follower"… was gone.
Her heart seized in panic.Without thinking, she launched herself into the air.
She caught Mei's wrist mid-flight.Mei gasped, feigning surprise.
"Huo Feng!" she cried loudly. "It's a trial! What are you doing?!Don't worry—I won't tell anyone you attacked my friend!Please, let go! Don't threaten me!"
Her voice carried perfectly for all to hear.
But Huo Feng wasn't listening.Something else had awakened inside her—a whisper… a shadowed echo from the day she touchedthe Punishment Platform.
Punish her… Execute justice… Kill her.
Justice… or vengeance?Which one had she inherited that day?
Her right hand ignited in white lightning—her father's blade taking form once more.Her eyes gleamed with anguish, fury… betrayal.She raised the sword.
One heartbeat more… and it would have ended.
Then—his voice thundered across the heavens:
"Huo Feng!"
It was him .His voice .His whip...that betrayed her with a sudden, cruel strike blow.
No one could breathe at that moment!
All eyes were fixed on the sky... on Mei, on Huo Fung, and invisible sparks flew through space from the force of the blow.
Sparks that blew away her trust in him for the hundredth time...
and cut into the palm of her hand.
The blow struck again from afar—a searing line of light that tore through the sky, breaking her focus… and her heart.
Sparks burst across the river,and for a moment, time itself froze.
When Huo Fung loosened her grip in pain, Mei nearly fell—but not because of the strike.
The river had already claimed her.
Black tendrils of spirit smoke had coiled around her ankles, pulling her down into the dark abyss, just like her soul...
The truth was clear now—she'd never intended to pass the trial. She'd only wanted to fall…and take Huo Feng down with her.
That deceiver knew from the start that she wouldn't succeed... So she chose to pretend to fall to hide her failure...
Behind a calculated drama...
Behind Huo Fung...the naive one!
But Huo Feng saw something glimmering in the depths—her lost earring, her "follower",caught among the swirling ghosts,fighting to escape.
Without hesitation, she dove.
The river swallowed them both.
Two bodies vanished beneath the surface, leaving behind stunned silence—and Wu Xin,faced with one choice.
He flew—faster than thought—and seized Mei from the river's jaws ,carrying her back to shore.
But when he turned…Huo Feng was gone.
No trace.No sound.Only the echo of her eyes—the eyes that had met his one last time,filled with pain deeper than any wound his whip could ever inflict.
A look sharper than death itself.
And then…she was gone.