The bells of the Skyrect Sect tolled at dawn, their deep chime resounding across the peaks like the chant of an ancient god. Lin Xun stood upon the Cliff of Whispers, cold wind caressing his face as his thoughts drifted to the altar, the flames, and the words etched into his soul by the Infernal Rebirth Sutra.
His blood burned, his frost sang, and somewhere deep inside, the seal on his destiny had begun to unravel.
Below him, disciples trained in formation. Above him, clouds churned, as if sensing what he had become.
He turned silently and descended the cliff, cloak flapping like the wings of a dark phoenix.
---
The sect was no longer quiet.
Whispers of Lin Xun had spread like wildfire:
> "Did you hear? He mastered the Thousand Trials Labyrinth in a single night."
> "He defeated He Yuntai with one move."
> "Some say he's cultivating both fire and frost…"
But admiration was a double-edged sword.
In the inner sanctum of the Blazecloud Pavilion, three figures sat in a circle. Each bore the insignia of the Blazing Lotus Sect, the Skyrect Sect's internal faction devoted to flame cultivation.
"Lin Xun," spat one, a red-haired youth named Mo Yang, "is a threat. His frost pollutes the sacred fireways."
Another nodded grimly. "He's gained the favor of Elder Qingxue. That alone makes him dangerous."
The third, silent for a moment, finally opened his eyes. They burned with golden fire. "We clip his wings before he flies."
And just like that, a silent war was declared.
---
That afternoon, Lin Xun arrived at the Frostleaf Courtyard—an area few dared enter. This was where Yan Qingxue cultivated. Unlike the blazing courtyards of other inner disciples, hers shimmered with drifting snow and serene silence.
She awaited him in meditation, seated atop a floating lotus of frozen qi.
"You came," she said without opening her eyes.
"I used the scroll," Lin Xun replied. "My frost has started harmonizing with my flame."
She opened her eyes and looked at him carefully.
"Your soul has changed. You unlocked something in the Labyrinth."
Lin Xun nodded. "I found… something. A fragment of truth."
Yan Qingxue rose. Her robes fluttered, crystalline with layered frost petals. "Then you're ready."
"For what?"
She reached into her ring and drew out a jade talisman marked with a crescent moon and a single lotus petal.
"The Blazing Lotus Sect within Skyrect doesn't tolerate those who disrupt their fire dominance. They'll come for you soon. But you're not alone."
Lin Xun frowned. "Are you…?"
"I'm not part of them," she said calmly. "I was born from the Northern Chill Domain. My blood runs with ancient frost. But the path I walk is mine."
She handed him the talisman. "This is an invitation. The Moonshadow Trial begins in three days. Only those with special recognition may enter. The top three receive cultivation resources… and the right to ascend to core disciple."
He clenched the talisman. "Then I'll earn it."
---
That night, Lin Xun sat in deep meditation. The Infernal Rebirth Sutra surged with power, its mantras echoing within him like divine thunder.
At the same time, the Ninefold Lotus Bloom technique calmed his turbulent meridians, each frost petal purifying the flames within.
The balance had begun.
In his core, flame and frost no longer fought—they danced, spiraling like twin dragons coiled around a black sun.
Suddenly, his surroundings shifted.
He opened his eyes and found himself standing in a vast illusionary realm. Black chains hung from the heavens, each humming with the voice of the heavens.
> "This is your soul space," the voice of the ring echoed. "Here lies the origin of your curse."
Lin Xun stepped forward.
The chains shook.
Each was etched with sigils of fire and frost, tangled and broken, as if someone once tried to seal something... divine.
He touched one.
Pain exploded.
Visions filled his mind: his mother weeping as she sealed his power. A golden-eyed man battling celestial beasts across the stars. A crown forged from eternal flame.
> "You are their heir," the voice boomed. "But chains bind you still."
One of the chains snapped.
His soul flared.
And when he awoke—his cultivation surged again.
Foundation Realm, Fifth Stage.
---
Daylight returned with a fury.
The Moonshadow Trial had begun.
Thousands of disciples gathered at the central arena. A grand portal had been opened—a shimmering gateway made from moonsteel and shadowcrystal.
It led into the Trial World: an artificial dimension crafted by the founding elders, where spirit beasts, traps, and treasures lay hidden.
Only the bold entered.
Only the strong survived.
Lin Xun arrived silently, talisman in hand.
Other disciples parted for him now—some out of respect, others out of fear.
Mo Yang and his companions from the Blazing Lotus Sect sneered as he passed.
"Enjoy your trial, frost boy," one muttered. "You won't walk out."
Lin Xun ignored them.
He entered the gate.
---
The Trial World was vast—a forest of silver leaves and black soil, rivers that flowed with glowing qi, and ancient ruins buried in starlight.
The trial had three goals:
1. Survive for seven days.
2. Gather spirit crystals hidden in marked zones.
3. Defeat or defend against other disciples.
Every night, a location was marked with a moonlight beam. The first to reach it would gain a "Moon Core," a powerful item that increased cultivation speed and offered enlightenment.
Lin Xun ran through the forest like wind.
His senses had sharpened beyond mortal means.
His flame detected hidden traps.
His frost pierced illusion.
He snatched two spirit crystals before dusk.
But as night fell, the beam of moonlight shot into the sky—far east.
Lin Xun raced.
At the same time, others rushed from all directions—Mo Yang among them, his crimson flame splitting trees.
The ruins ahead glowed.
At the center, a pedestal with the Moon Core hovered within a frozen lotus dome.
Lin Xun arrived first.
But so did Mo Yang.
"You've done well," the red-haired youth said. "But your journey ends here."
He unleashed Crimson Heaven Burst, a technique that burned the earth and tore through the dome.
Lin Xun met it with Frost Lotus Bloom—nine petals of ice shielding him in layers.
Flame met frost. The explosion lit the sky like dawn.
When the dust cleared, Mo Yang stood—burned, gasping—but standing.
"You… bastard…"
Lin Xun didn't speak.
He dashed forward.
His hand burned.
Then froze.
He struck with Twin Flow Surge—a move of his own making.
Both elements fused. Fire for destruction, frost for stillness.
The force sent Mo Yang flying into the ruins, crashing through a wall of jade.
Silence.
Lin Xun stood alone.
He stepped forward and claimed the Moon Core.
---
Far away, Elder Qingxue opened her eyes and smiled faintly.
"He's learn
ing," she whispered.
And in the deepest chamber of the Skyrect Sect, the sealed stone coffin pulsed once.
A name had been reawakened.
> Lin Xun. Emberblood of the Forgotten Flame.
And the stars began to shift once more.