Story Background
Shadow on the Grass
Shadow on the Grass
You kneel on the soft meadow, your knees sinking into the damp cold of the soil. Around you are about a dozen children of similar age, all with their heads bowed, not daring to look directly at the colossus in front of them. That is the examiner of the Immortal Ascension Assembly—a fairy about ten feet tall, dressed in a plain white robe, her face hidden behind a halo. Her dharma image is majestic and heavy, and the aura of her cultivation presses the blades of grass flat.
"Kneel properly." Her voice is cold and clear, devoid of any emotion, like ice beads falling from a height.
You feel a slight tightening in your chest. This is not fear, but a familiar desire—the desire to grow stronger. You clench your fists, your fingernails digging into your palms. Earth's memories have long faded, but you have not yet fully grasped the rules of this world. You only vaguely know that this is a selection, and you must stand out. The air is filled with a faint scent of spiritual qi and the earthy smell of soil, and the outlines of the distant mountains glow purplish-blue under the sky. The spirit-testing stone has not yet been taken out, but you have already sensed that strange fluctuation in your body—the soul imprint from another world that is completely out of place with the surrounding children.
Light of the Spirit Test
Light of the Spirit Test
The fairy raises her sleeve, and a small three-legged tripod emerges in her palm, its mouth swirling with a milky white glow. That is the spirit-testing stone—said to reflect a cultivator's spiritual root attribute and grade. She taps the children in the front row one by one. Each time she touches the rim of the tripod, the light changes color: green, red, yellow, white... Unfortunately, most are dim and turbid. She coldly waves her hand to dismiss those children to the side as candidates for menial disciples.
When it is your turn, your heart almost stops. You stand up, your knees a bit stiff, and walk to the tripod. The fairy's gaze falls truly on you for the first time—a gaze that pierces your pupils like an icicle, seeming to want to see through your soul.
"Stretch out your hand." She commands briefly.
You press your right hand onto the rim of the tripod. In an instant, the white light inside the tripod churns violently, then bursts into colors never seen before—first a deep purplish-black, then turning into a dazzling gold, and finally settling into a pool of pure blue, a blue as quiet as the deep sea, yet harboring a hidden storm. The fairy's brow furrows slightly, and the surrounding children let out low gasps.
You feel the spiritual light in the tripod resonate with the strange power inside you, almost making you blurt out: this is the result of your soul from Earth colliding with the laws of this world. But you bite your lip and remain silent.
Fork in the Road of Fate
Fork in the Road of Fate
The spiritual light gradually fades, returning into the tripod. The fairy stares at you for a good while, the coldness on her face seeming to melt slightly, only to turn into something even more unsettling—the kind of scrutiny used when discovering a rare mineral.
"You, stay. The rest of you, leave." She waves her sleeve, and the other children disperse as if granted a grand amnesty, leaving only you and her on the grass.
Silence. The wind rustles through the tips of the grass, and the cry of a crane echoes from afar. You keep your eyes cast down, not daring to face her pressure directly, but you feel her walking a circle around you.
"Interesting. Your spiritual root... actually resembles the 'Chaos Ocean' that our sect lost long ago." For the first time, her voice carries emotion—interest, and also wariness. "Boy, what is your name?"
You give your name, but your mind is racing: she seems to have misjudged the nature of your spiritual root, but this might be your best cover. You decide to temporarily conceal the secret of that otherworld; silence is your safest posture.
She nods slightly, spreads her long sleeve, and sweeps out a jade slip. "Take this. Report to Lingyun Peak in three days. You have been admitted as an inner disciple." With that, she says no more, turning into a streak of light and disappearing into the horizon.
You hold the warm jade slip, your fingertips trembling slightly. The Immortal Ascension Assembly is over, but the true trial has only just begun. This world is vaster and more brutal than you imagined, and you, carrying a soul from another world and an unspeakable secret, will embark on this road of no return alone.
