Suddenly, the world of darkness gave way to blinding light, and for a moment, Zhang Tian braced himself for the expected pain of an impact that never came. Instead, a soft, almost ethereal sensation surrounded him. He was floating. A cloud—light and fluffy—had caught his fall, and he felt it gently settle him down.

  Before he could fully comprehend what had happened, a soft, melodic ughter rang out, the sound echoing in the still air.

  “It seems you barely made it.”

  Zhang Tian looked up in surprise. Standing before him, a woman in a flowing purple cloud robe regarded him with a casual yet knowing smile. Her eyes were sharp, observant, as if she had expected this moment to unfold.

  She closed a compass simir to his own, the dial clicking quietly as it shifted from 1 to 0. With a snap of her fingers, something inexplicable happened. The dial that had once been in Zhang Tian’s possession—his proof of entry—appeared in her hand, as though snatched from thin air by some unseen force.

  “It seems the Ming family is vouching for you,” she remarked, her voice casual as if she were discussing the weather.

  Zhang Tian’s mind raced, the pieces beginning to fall into pce. The Ming family? Vouching for him? The same family that had a hand in his survival? Before he could ask more, the woman turned her gaze over her shoulder.

  A group of children stood behind her, clustered in various poses of impatience and curiosity. There were eight boys and nine girls, ranging in age from fifteen to eighteen, their faces a mix of determination and youthful arrogance. They all seemed to be in some sort of informal formation, as if waiting for something. Perhaps, their trial?

  The woman’s eyes lingered on the group for a moment, and then—almost imperceptibly—she gnced back at one of the girls, a young woman who stood slightly apart from the others. The girl had long hair, dark eyes, and a quiet confidence that immediately reminded Zhang Tian of someone he knew.

  "Ah," the woman said, as if connecting the dots. "I see. You're one of them, aren't you?"

  The girl gave a subtle nod, her gaze meeting Zhang Tian’s for the first time. There was recognition in her eyes, and something more—an unspoken understanding.

  Zhang Tian’s heart skipped. It was her. The girl who had shoved him into the river and leapt in after him, disappearing into the current. She was here, being of the Ming family.

  Next to the woman, the same tiger that had chased Zhang Tian into the ravine sat with its massive paws curled beneath it. Its dark purple fur shimmered in the sunlight, and it let out a low, rumbling growl—almost as if it were sizing Zhang Tian up.

  The woman raised a hand and knocked the tiger’s head lightly, a gesture of mild annoyance.

  “Quiet,” she scolded it lightly, as one would a misbehaving pet. “You’re being too attention-seeking.”

  Zhang Tian blinked in surprise. The mighty beast that had nearly killed him was now reduced to little more than a pyful companion.

  The woman turned back to him, her expression unreadable. "You’re lucky to be alive," she said with a hint of amusement. "But this is just the beginning."

  The cloud gently floated toward the group, dropping Zhang Tian onto solid ground. As his feet touched the earth, he found himself surrounded by the children, all sizing him up with curious eyes. Some seemed skeptical, others inquisitive, as they wondered how they might fare against him in the coming challenges.

  Ming Li stood among them, her expression neutral, her gaze steady as she observed the group. Unlike the others, she did not seem particurly intrigued by Zhang Tian, but there was something about her that made her stand out—perhaps the quiet strength in her eyes or the way she seemed to distance herself from the others.

  Zhang Tian gnced in her direction, remembering how she had helped him earlier. When he had been struggling to survive, it wasn’t a well-thought-out pn that had driven her actions, but rather a moment of pity. Seeing him on the brink of failure, Ming Li had handed him the pocketwatch-like device—something from the Ming family, but not because of any familial connection or obligation. It had simply been an impulse, driven by a feeling she couldn’t quite expin. Perhaps she had seen something of herself in him, or perhaps she had just felt sympathy for someone who seemed as lost as he had been.

  Ming Li had said little to him since then, and she hadn’t expected anything in return. It was as if, in that moment of desperation, she had acted out of pure empathy, without any deeper motive. Zhang Tian couldn’t shake the feeling that she wasn’t as detached as she appeared, but he also understood that in a pce like this, even the smallest kindness could come from a pce of vulnerability.

  Their brief moment of exchange was cut short by a sharp cp, loud and commanding. The sound reverberated through the air, catching the attention of everyone in the group.

  The woman in the purple cloud robe, who had appeared aloof and mysterious, now stood at the center of the group. Her eyes scanned them, and with a calm yet authoritative voice, she spoke.

  “Hello, juniors,” she began, her tone firm but not unkind. “My name is Xiao Fang, and I will be your examiner for the duration of your trials.” She gave them a faint smile, but her eyes held the weight of someone accustomed to control and discipline.

  “Of the one hundred who entered the forest, only you made it out alive. Congratutions.”

  A quiet murmur ran through the group, a mix of awe and disbelief. Zhang Tian felt a knot form in his stomach. One hundred? Only a handful had made it through, and now, standing among them, he could feel the weight of that reality. His gaze flickered across the others—some with pride, others with uncertainty—but all of them shared the same glint of determination.

  Xiao Fang’s expression softened, and her voice grew more thoughtful.

  “This was also your first test, a test of survival, determination, and fortune,” she expined. “Fortune, or better known as luck, is a very important element on your path to immortality. Many of you will come to understand just how much it matters.”

  Zhang Tian shifted uneasily. Fortune? It hadn’t felt like luck that had gotten him this far—it had been grit and willpower. But maybe there was truth to her words. Perhaps luck had pyed a bigger role than he had realized.

  Xiao Fang paused briefly, letting her words settle in before continuing.

  “This,” she said, gesturing to the forest and the perilous trial they had just endured, “was the most dangerous part. You will not have to risk your lives like this again. The tests to come will be challenging, but not as reckless. This was your crucible.”

  Zhang Tian’s heart raced. The most dangerous part? If this had been the worst of it, what could possibly lie ahead? What other trials awaited him and the others?

  The group stood silent, waiting for more instructions. Xiao Fang’s presence filled the space, calm but authoritative, as if she were both their guide and their judge.

  "Any questions?" Xiao Fang's voice echoed through the group, calm and commanding, as she surveyed the remaining participants. Her eyes briefly flickered over them, ensuring that no one felt left out.

  A girl with ponytails, her face flushed with curiosity and perhaps a hint of nervousness, raised her hand. Xiao Fang nodded in her direction, granting permission to speak.

  The girl hesitated for a moment before asking, "What happens to those who did not make it in time?"

  Xiao Fang's lips curled into a mysterious smile, her eyes gleaming with something far older than the children before her could understand. Without a word, she pointed toward the sky, and, as if responding to her gesture, a translucent screen materialized overhead, separating the group from the dark expanse of the forest that loomed above.

  The screen shimmered as a figure slowly came into view. It was a disheveled girl, her clothes torn, her hair wild, and her movements frantic. She stumbled forward, her hands cwing at the transparent film above them, as if trying desperately to break through. Her face was filled with desperation, her nails scraping uselessly against the barrier.

  "Let me through!" the girl screamed, her voice cracking with panic. "Please, I beg of you—let me through!"

  She continued to cw at the air, but no matter how hard she tried, the film remained unyielding. Behind her, the unmistakable sound of a rge, approaching beast reverberated through the air—its heavy footsteps growing closer, each one a reminder of the dangers that awaited those who failed to survive the trials.

  The girl’s fingers, bloodied from her frantic efforts, began to tear open as she scratched the barrier, leaving streaks of red behind. Her expression twisted in agony as the inevitable reality dawned on her. She stopped for a moment, her eyes wide with the understanding that escape was impossible. Then, almost as if to mock her fate, a dark, hollow ugh escaped her lips, one that echoed in the stillness of the air.

  “It's over,” she muttered to herself, her ugh growing more and more manic.

  And then, just as suddenly as the moment of defiance had arrived, her head vanished in an instant. The screen flickered, and her body crumpled lifelessly to the ground below, as though the world had decided she was no longer worth the effort of preserving. Her dismembered form hit the earth with a dull thud, falling in a heap with no strength to support it, the finality of death hanging heavy in the air.

  The group stood in stunned silence, watching the scene unfold before them. The girl’s fate had been sealed the moment she had failed to reach the gathering site in time. The sight was stark, brutal, and served as an unspoken reminder of the unforgiving nature of the trials they had chosen to take part in.

  Xiao Fang let the moment linger for a few seconds before speaking again, her voice cold and detached.

  “Such is the fate of those who fail,” she said softly, as though it were an inevitability. “The trials are not just about skill or will—they test your very survival. In this world, those who cannot endure are discarded.”