By dark-kingxu
The aroma of roasted meat and steaming rice lingered in the air as Xu Ming and his new companion, Lin Feng, sat comfortably in the corner of the bustling inn. The tavern was alive with chatter, the clang of cutlery, and the echo of boisterous laughter. Lin Feng, ever the talkative one, was already halfway through his second bowl of pork noodles.
"I still can't believe you got that sword from the Royal Spirit Pavilion," Lin Feng mumbled between bites. "Old man Bai usually knows every treasure in that dusty place. You got lucky."
Xu Ming nodded lightly, his fingers tracing the pommel of his newly acquired blade. Its handle was cool, aged, and engraved with faint runes that pulsed subtly in his grip. Something about it stirred his blood.
"I've decided to name it," he said calmly.
"Oh?" Lin Feng raised a brow.
"Voidcleaver."
The name seemed to hum through the air, and for a brief moment, even the background noise of the inn seemed to soften. Lin Feng blinked, then grinned.
"Dramatic. I like it."
After paying for their meal, Lin Feng motioned Xu Ming to follow. "Come. If you're serious about that sword and you really want to know what level you're at compared to the other monsters in town, I'll take you to Sky Piercing Hall."
Sky Piercing Hall was no ordinary training ground. It was built into the belly of Moonlight Town's central hill, surrounded by towering stone walls inscribed with ancient formation scripts. The air crackled with residual energy, and even standing at its gates filled Xu Ming with a faint pressure.
"The Hall was built during the early years of the Moonlight Sect—back when the town earned its name," Lin Feng explained as they entered. "They say the founder split a falling moon with his blade right here during an ascension trial. That's why the town was named Moonlight."
Inside the hall, Xu Ming could feel the intensity of dozens of powerful cultivators training. Some sparred with illusory enemies conjured by formations, others meditated under pressure arrays that enhanced comprehension or forced bodily adaptation.
Near the northern wing stood a massive jade tablet — the Heavenly Record Monument — glowing with rows of golden script. Names flickered in and out, denoting achievements. Lin Feng pointed at the top.
"See that? Those are the top five records in five trials: Strength, Speed, Sword Qi Control, Essence Comprehension, and Mind Will."
Xu Ming's eyes narrowed. The records weren't just held by anyone. These were names of legends.
"Only a few ever reach the top five. And there's one trial that hasn't been cleared in nearly a century."
Xu Ming's gaze locked on the dim line of text at the bottom of the 'Mind Will' section. It was nearly faded.
Trial of the Abyssal Path – Unclaimed for 97 years
He turned to Lin Feng. "I want to try that one."
Lin Feng paled. "That? Are you mad? That trial twists your mind. It almost drove a genius from the Silver Blood Sect insane. Even Liang Fei only lasted four breaths!"
But Xu Ming had already stepped forward.
The moment he entered the ancient formation, the world changed. Darkness stretched endlessly, and ghostly whispers clawed at his soul.
You are nothing... Why fight? Why breathe? You'll never surpass them...
Each voice came with memories of pain, loneliness, despair. Faces from his past—his dying mother, the mocking laughter of bullies, the bloodied figure of his father—floated around him.
Yet in the abyss, Xu Ming stood tall.
"I've walked through pain. I've bled for every step. And I will shatter every limit placed on me."
His hand gripped Voidcleaver.
And in that moment, light exploded from him.
The formation trembled violently.
Outside, the monument flared. Cultivators paused mid-practice.
The faded line on the monument glowed.
Trial of the Abyssal Path – Cleared: Xu Ming
Silence fell over Sky Piercing Hall.
Then chaos erupted.
"Who the hell is Xu Ming?!"
"That trial's been dormant for nearly a century!"
Lin Feng gaped. "He... he really did it..."
The attention Xu Ming drew was immediate and venomous. Liang Fei's eyes narrowed from across the hall. Rong Yixuan spared him a single cold glance. Qin Mo chuckled darkly, already calculating how to deal with this rising star.
But amidst the rising envy and hatred, Lin Feng clapped Xu Ming on the back.
"Well, congratulations," he grinned. "You've just made yourself a few... hundred enemies."
Xu Ming smirked slightly. "Let them come."
Above them, on a balcony hidden in shadow, a robed elder watched with a faint nod.
"The Eye has awakened," he murmured. "It begins again."