The night deepened, but Skyreach Plateau refused to sleep.
Stars burned brighter than usual, and ancient constellations that hadn't appeared in millennia shimmered across the firmament. Cultivators from all sects whispered of omens, but none could interpret their true meaning.
Except one.
---
Celestial Observatory – Skyreach Plateau
High atop a floating spire made of starlight-forged stone, the celestial observers of the Void Spirit Temple gathered.
Elder Wuyin stood still before a vast cosmic mirror, its surface rippling like liquid glass. His voice was hushed.
"The Seal's resonance has intensified."
A younger monk bowed behind him. "Shall we inform the Sects?"
"No," Wuyin replied. "They are pieces on the board… but not the players. Not yet."
He traced a glowing line across the sky with one finger.
"Something ancient has awakened beyond the veil. A being of stilled time… and broken fate."
---
Heavenfire Sect Tent
The next morning arrived not with sunlight, but with falling petals of black snow.
Ruyue stepped outside, catching one on her palm.
"This isn't natural."
Jing Hao peeked out, visibly groggy. "What… is that even snow?"
"It's ash," Xuantian said as he emerged, fully dressed and ready. "From something that never should've burned."
A trumpet blast echoed across the sky. The second round was about to begin.
---
Second Round – Pillars of Unity
Unlike the first round, the second was not held in isolation.
Cultivators were randomly grouped into alliances of five—regardless of sect. They were tasked with a simple directive: ascend the Pillars of Unity.
Towering columns of floating stone hovered in a vertical spiral across a bottomless void. But the true challenge was not climbing—it was trust.
Each cultivator held a fragment of a formation key. Only by merging all five could they reach the summit.
Xuantian found himself grouped with a rogue sword cultivator from the Crimson Thunder Sect, a silent monk from Void Spirit Temple, a girl in silver robes from Jade Blossom Pavilion, and… a smiling teenager with mismatched eyes, representing no known sect.
The teen gave a cheerful wave. "Call me Luo."
The Void monk bowed in silence. The girl merely frowned.
As they leapt toward the first pillar, a blast of wind nearly knocked them back. Defensive arrays flared to life. Illusions of betrayal and fear whispered into their ears.
By the third pillar, the monk was nearly tossed into the void by a hallucination.
Xuantian grabbed his arm and pulled him back.
"We either stand together," he said, eyes cold, "or we all fall."
The monk nodded.
Luo just laughed. "Aren't you the serious type?"
But his gaze briefly flicked to Xuantian's chest—where the Celestial Seal slept.
---
Elsewhere – Forbidden Grounds Below the Plateau
Far beneath the arena, in a sealed crypt buried by time, the ground pulsed with golden light.
Chains carved with ancient runes strained.
A voice echoed in the darkness, soft but commanding.
"He is here."
The air shivered.
Another voice replied, twisted and inhuman.
"Then begin the Rite. Let the cursed petals fall. The blood moon rises soon."
And high above, another petal of black ash descended.
---
On the Final Pillar
Xuantian's group stood on the summit, each holding a fragment of the formation key.
They placed them together.
A flash of light engulfed the platform.
When it cleared, five tokens floated in the air. Only one had a crimson glow—the sign of the victor.
Without a word, the girl from Jade Blossom Pavilion withdrew. The monk simply smiled and walked away.
Xuantian turned to Luo.
"You knew I'd get the red token."
Luo shrugged. "Of course. You're the center of the storm. I'm just here to watch the lightning."
Before he left, he leaned in and whispered.
"They're coming for you, you know. The old gods. The ones sealed beyond fate. Even your Seal won't be enough."
Then he vanished, his form dissolving into motes of stardust.
---
Observation Tower – Later
The judges convened, murmuring over crystal orbs and jade scrolls.
"He passed again."
"And now only twenty remain."
"But look at the list of eliminations," one elder pointed. "Three prodigies from Frost Warden… eliminated. Two elders injured."
"Someone is altering the trials."
A silence fell.
One word trembled in the air.
"Sabotage."
---
That Night – A Message in the Wind
Ruyue found Xuantian alone, meditating beneath a tree that hadn't bloomed in centuries—but now bore silver petals.
"Tomorrow is the third round," she said quietly.
He didn't move. "I know."
"There are rumors… that the final trial won't be within this realm."
His eyes opened.
"Good," he said. "It's time to see what lies beyond."
As she turned to leave, he added, "Prepare your sword. We won't all return from what's coming."
Far above them, a rift flickered in the sky—like a wound trying to stay shut.
And somewhere within that breach, something watched.
Waiting.