When Shadow stepped beyond the Wall of Thunder, his body still crackling with remnants of the ancient formation, he didn't expect to emerge onto a shared platform. He expected isolation. Another solitary trial. Another test tailored to tear at his will.
But instead, he stepped into a storm-lit arena, floating above a swirling maelstrom of clouds. Five other figures had already arrived, each standing at the edge of their own paths, bathed in the unique glow of their chosen gates.
Zhen Yue stood tall with her arms crossed, eyes closed in meditation, unmoved by the chaos around them.
Wei Lin leaned against his spear, body tensed, his brow furrowed in quiet calculation.
Yu Bailing sat on one knee, his folding fan opened and fluttering with an unnatural wind, his eyes fixed on nothing and everything at once.
Feng Ao had not moved since stepping through his gate. His muscles bulged with faint pulses of crimson flame, his entire being radiating a heavy aura of suppressed violence.
And Jian Mu stood at the center.
The storm above churned.
Then it spoke.
> *"Six entered the Trial of Sovereignty. Six walked paths of my soul. Six passed through echoes of my legacy."*
> *"But only one has earned the right to bear the weight of my name."*
The sky cracked open. From within, the colossal figure of the Thunder Lord descended once more. He no longer shimmered as a fragment, but now as a full remnant—glowing with impossible power, his form defined by divine geometry and boundless authority.
> *"Each of you touched a part of my past. My failures. My sacrifices. My rage. My resolve."*
He raised his hand.
An orb of pure lightning, brighter than the sun, formed above his palm. It pulsed once—and split into six fragments. Each fragment spun rapidly before slowing, one by one, aligning with each cultivator.
> *"Zhen Yue, your mind was clear, but your heart was veiled. You walked my path as a tactician. But never as a sovereign."*
> *"Wei Lin, your movements were flawless. But you feared failure more than you desired triumph. The storm saw your hesitation."*
> *"Yu Bailing, your elegance is a mask. Beneath it is ambition untempered by humility. The storm does not bow to pride."*
> *"Feng Ao, you charged through my pain with power, but no understanding. You passed. But you did not grow."*
The orbs above their heads flickered.
Then the Thunder Lord turned toward Jian Mu.
His tone changed.
> *"Jian Mu... You were the first to finish. The first to resonate. Your soul was not the strongest. But it was the most sincere. You did not overpower the trial. You listened to it. You understood it. And it changed you."*
> *"You have inherited not my strength, but my heart. And that... is enough."*
The lightning orb above Jian Mu blazed with radiant power, then slowly descended into his chest.
His eyes widened. His body glowed. Stormlight danced across his skin like divine ink etching itself into his bones. His aura grew deeper—not fiercer—but more profound.
> *"You are the chosen bearer of my legacy. The successor of the Thunder Crown. The last disciple of the Sovereign Storm."*
Jian Mu fell to his knees. Not out of pain—but reverence.
"I will carry it well," he whispered.
> *"I know."*
Then the Thunder Lord turned to the remaining five.
> *"You are not discarded. The path of the sovereign requires a final seal. Five who reached the end, but did not claim the throne—must now prove their worth... in war."*
The air dropped ten degrees.
The stone beneath their feet shimmered.
> *"You will not leave empty-handed. One reward remains. Not a legacy... but a crown of mortal thunder. A treasure forged from the remnant sparks of my youth. It is powerful. It is dangerous. And only one may take it."*
A platform rose at the center of the arena. Upon it stood a silver crown laced with thirteen tiny thunderstones—each glowing faintly.
Shadow's breath caught.
> *"You will fight. Now. No hesitation. No mercy. The one who stands shall claim it."*
The Thunder Lord's form began to fade.
> *"My time is done. My will has been passed. My storm has chosen."*
His final whisper echoed through their souls.
> *"Prove you deserve what remains."*
Then he was gone.
The storm above fell still.
No wind. No rain. No lightning.
Only silence.
And five cultivators.
Each one tensing.
Each one ready.
Shadow's eyes locked with Zhen Yue. Then Wei Lin. Then Yu Bailing. Then finally, Feng Ao.
They had survived trials.
Now they would face each other.
Not for the throne.
But for the last gift of a god.
Shadow's grip tightened around his blade.
"Let's finish this."
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