The sun lowered in the sky, streaks of gold lighting across the city square. As the elders again took to the central stage, the tension was thickening once again after easing a bit after the first round. Their robes swirled ever so slightly in the breeze, and their expressions betrayed nothing.

  "The first round is concluded," he cried into the plaza, stepping forward, his silver eyes flashing across the contestants. "We now begin the second round."

  Murmurs rose among the gathered cultivators. Some were still recovering from the first-round tests, while others squared their shoulders for whatever challenges lay ahead.

  Draped in black with a silver sash, the Third Elder raised her hand for silence. "From today onwards, you will be divided into groups of ten, and each group will move on to one of the side stages."

  Mask-wearing disciples moved through the crowd in haste, directing contestants toward their designated spots while steering clear of anyone who posed a problem. Aaryan found himself in a distinctly mixed grouping—some of them appeared confident, whereas others looked disconcerted.

  Each of the contestants sat cross-legged in a circle on the ground, with the Astral Seed sitting in front of them, no larger than a baby's fist.

  The Fourth Elder, an old woman with dark tattoos snaking up her arms, advanced; her voice brought with it a strange and chilling calm. "Before you lies an Astral Seed-a magical artifact-laden with more chants and mystical spells than you could count."

  Aaryan's gaze darted back toward the object. The Astral Seed was quite different; it pulsed faintly as though some sleeping energy lay dormant within. Intricate patterns that almost seemed alive covered it and poured forth an unplaceable pressure: neither threatening nor welcoming, yet merely... waiting.

  The Second Elder, the one in silver mist-embroidered robes, continued. "Each of you will drop a single drop of blood onto the Astral Seed. The moment your blood touches it, the second round will begin."

  A cold gust of wind swept through the square, though the sky remained clear.

  The contestants exchanged glances. Some reached for their daggers immediately, pricking their fingers without hesitation, while others hesitated, wary of what lay ahead.

  Aaryan took a steady breath. His fingers hovered over his dagger. He hesitated—not out of fear, but out of thought.

  The first round had rejected him. The stone had shown nothing. But this time, there was no stone to judge him. No silent crowd waiting to mock his failure.

  This was different.

  This was a challenge that required only his will.

  'It doesn't matter what happened before. I will not fail again.'

  He drew his dagger in a swift, controlled motion. The sharp edge pressed against his fingertip, a thin bead of blood welling up.

  His gaze hardened.

  A part of him wanted to yell at them, to scream that it wasn’t his fault. That the stupid stone was wrong. That he wasn’t weak.

  But he wouldn’t.

  He never cried, not when he was kicked in the dirt, not when they took food from his hands, not even when he was left to fend for himself. But this... this was worse.

  Being laughed at in front of so many people, being told he was nothing.

  His small fingers tightened around the hilt of the dagger.

  His throat felt tight, but he swallowed it down.

  "Fine."

  If they wanted him to fail, to give up, then he would do the opposite.

  He lifted the dagger and touched the tip to his fingertip. The minute sting barely registered. A tear of blood formed.

  'I'll show them. They may laugh because they think I'm weak, but they won't be laughing for long.'

  With that last thought, he let the drop of blood fall onto the Astral Seed.

  As the blood touched the seed, the markings carved into it ignited, glowing with an unearthly brilliance.

  And just like that--

  The world shifted around them.

  Aaryan blinked.

  One moment he had been sitting on the cold stone stage with the bright Astral Seed under his fingertips; the next--everything had changed.

  He was now lost in the core of a thick, ancient jungle. The air tasted rather stale with the scent of wet earth and something sharp: metallic. The trees stretched mad to their ceiling; each gnarled trunk glowed slightly with sweaty veins like the sleepiest of hearts. Mist floated along the forest floor, curling around his ankles like spectral fingers.

  He breathed hard. "Where am I?"

  His little hands balled into fists as his eyes roamed about, taking in every pore in this land that was beyond recognition. The last thing he remembered was the soft glow of the Astral Seed--but this? This can't be real! Is it a dream? Or an hallucination?

  Others were experiencing something similar. Some confused, others contestants eyeing their surroundings. Some were mumbling to themselves, while others took cautious stances like they were on the verge of taking defensive action.

  Aaryan took a slow breath to steady himself.

  This place felt... wrong.

  The density in the air and the slow motion of the wind... These things weren't normal. It felt familiar. Something he'd experienced before.

  Then it clicked.

  His heart raced as the realization dawned.

  The valley.

  The night the scorpion-tailed wolves had lurked in the shadows, unseen but watching.

  That same malevolent feeling: the prey within a predator's sights.

  He stiffened, goosebumps creeping across his body.

  Something was here.

  His ears strained, instincts whirling in his head: move! He is not alone.

  The whisper of leaves shifting. A breath of air, different from the wind. The faint scrape of claws against bark.

  Then—

  A blur of movement.

  A beast lunged forward from the undergrowth.

  Aaryan barely made a conscious movement before his body sprung into action. He rolled sharply to the side across the earth-he could almost feel the fangs closing mere inches behind him.

  Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

  Smaller than the wolves but quick enough for its size.

  It was muscled, gangly, and fully covered with shining black bristles. Its yellow eyes glowed with predatory hunger. Extended, jagged, bone-like excrescences protruded from the shoulders, its long curved claws digging into the ground below it. It was already oozing into a new position, preparing for another strike.

  Aaryan catapulted to his feet, adrenaline pulsing through him.

  The beast snarled, yellow eyes gleaming through the mist. The bone-like protrusions twitched as it circled Aaryan, low to the ground, muscles coiled like a spring ready to snap.

  Aaryan’s breathing was steady, but his body was tense. This wasn’t like the scorpion-tailed wolves. The creature was smaller, its movements erratic, but—it was weaker.

  Or so he thought.

  It lunged.

  Aaryan moved too slow.

  Claws raked across his left arm, tearing through fabric and biting into skin. Pain flared. He sucked in a sharp breath, stumbling back. Blood dripped from the wound, warm against his skin.

  The beast snarled, already preparing for its next attack. He couldn’t afford to hesitate again.

  He sprinted toward a tree, ignoring the sting in his arm. His fingers broke off a thick branch. Without a second thought, he grabbed a sharp stone from the ground, using it to carve the tip into a crude spear as fast as his trembling hands allowed.

  A sharp rustle came from behind.

  The beast attacked again.

  Aaryan twisted—but not fast enough.

  The creature’s weight slammed into him, knocking the air from his lungs. His back hit the ground hard, and he barely turned in time to avoid its snapping jaws. It was on top of him now.

  His heartbeat pounded in his ears.

  With a desperate growl, he thrust the wooden spear upward, straight into the beast’s throat.

  It let out a gurgling hiss, thrashing violently before collapsing. Its glowing eyes dimmed as it disintegrated into mist.

  Aaryan gasped for breath, pushing himself up. His whole body ached. His left arm throbbed where the beast had clawed him, warm blood trickling down his skin. He clenched his teeth.

  And then—a sound.

  He turned.

  Two more creatures emerged from the mist, faster than the first. Their claws scraped against the forest floor as they rushed at him without hesitation.

  Aaryan forced himself to his feet, pushing the pain aside.

  'Too fast. I can’t keep dodging.'

  The first beast lunged. He moved, but his injured arm slowed him down. Its claws grazed his side, tearing into his ribs. He stifled a pained grunt.

  There was no time to check the wound—the second beast was already in the air.

  Aaryan threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding it. His grip tightened around his wooden spear.

  “If one hit could kill them... then I just need to strike first.”

  The first creature lunged again. Aaryan ducked low, driving the spear into its underbelly. The beast screeched as it dissolved into mist.

  The second snarled, leaping at his exposed back.

  At the last second, Aaryan twisted, grabbing a thick branch and smashing it across its skull. The creature staggered, and he wasted no time plunging his spear into its chest. The mist swallowed it.

  Silence returned.

  Aaryan straightened, gasping for breath. Three down. Blood dripped from his arm and side, pain pulsing beneath his skin. His vision swam for a moment, but he shook it off.

  Then the mist thickened.

  He felt them before he saw them—four more creatures emerging, watching him.

  Aaryan’s fingers clenched around his weapon.

  'What kind of stupid test is this? Do they want us all dead?'

  Or... maybe, this test isn’t about killing them.

  His mind raced. His eyes flicked around the forest.

  'The real trial isn’t about how many I can kill…' He dodged to the right, narrowly avoiding a claw. 'It’s about surviving. Or finding a way out.'

  Aaryan took a deep breath, forcing his aching body to stay steady. His wounds throbbed, but he had no time to rest.

  He scanned the trees. The creatures came in pairs, doubling each time. That meant...

  Aaryan turned sharply, noticing the mist. It had grown thicker, swirling unnaturally around him. It wasn’t just hiding the creatures—it was controlling the trial.

  He took a step back. The beasts didn’t move. They just stared. As if waiting for him to play into the cycle.

  'So this is a game…” He clenched his jaw. “What happens if I don’t play my part?'

  Without hesitation, Aaryan turned and ran—not forward, but sideways. He veered off into the thickest part of the trees, cutting through the tangled underbrush.

  The creatures howled, but they didn’t follow.

  Aaryan pressed on, dodging trunks and shoving through the mist that fought to pull him back. If this test was about survival, escaping the cycle was the answer.

  After what felt like an eternity, Aaryan slowed. The mist around him had changed—thicker, heavier. The air felt wrong, tainted with something unseen.

  He had ventured deeper into the forest, and something about this place didn’t want him here.

  At first, the silence was comforting. But it quickly became oppressive.

  With each step, a creeping unease settled in his mind.

  'What if I wasn’t meant to escape?'

  The thought hit him so naturally, he barely noticed it.

  But then another followed.

  'What if I wasn’t meant to be here at all?'

  His footsteps faltered.

  'What if they were right?'

  The stone had given him nothing—no glow, no reaction, no affinity. He wasn’t strong. He wasn’t gifted. Maybe...

  'Maybe I really don’t belong here.'

  Aaryan exhaled shakily. His fingers clenched and unclenched. His wounds burned, a constant reminder of his weakness.

  His legs grew heavy. The trees ahead blurred, their shapes twisting as if rejecting him.

  'I wasn’t meant for this world.'

  His stomach churned.

  Aaryan stopped.

  His breath hitched. Something was wrong.

  The doubts had always been there, lurking, but now they overwhelmed him—too sudden, too crushing. It wasn’t just fear. It was as though something was pressing down on his very soul, drowning him in despair.

  Aaryan clenched his fists.

  'No… I belong where I want. These thoughts… they’re not mine.'

  The realization hit him like ice water.

  The forest wasn’t just trapping his body—it was attacking his mind.

  His breath came in ragged gasps as he snapped out of his thoughts. His fists trembled, and his wounds flared, but he hadn’t moved an inch.

  The trees were still the same. The mist still thick. And worst of all...

  The four beasts stood before him, exactly where they had been before he tried to escape.

  His heart pounded. 'I never left.'

  A cold chill settled in his chest. The trial wasn’t testing his strength, nor his ability to escape. Every time he tried to move forward, he had only been running in circles.

  Which meant...

  'If running isn’t the answer, and fighting isn’t either... what do they want from me?'

  Aaryan exhaled shakily, forcing his mind to work. 'What is this trial really asking?'

  If survival was the goal, he would have passed already. If it was about combat, he would have had to kill more beasts. But the moment one fell, another appeared.

  The trial wasn’t about fighting or running. Then what?

  Aaryan’s gaze flickered back to the creatures. They weren’t attacking. They were waiting. For what?

  His grip tightened around his spear as a dangerous thought took root.

  'What if it’s not what it looks like? I’ve been treating this like something I need to beat, but... What if I don’t have to fight at all? What if the answer... is to surrender?'

  'But if I’m wrong, I’ll die.'

  Aaryan’s jaw clenched. Then he took a step forward.

  The beasts reacted instantly. Their yellow eyes flashed, and they snarled, lowering into attack positions.

  Aaryan’s hands trembled, but he didn’t raise his weapon.

  He took another step. Then another.

  The beasts lunged.

  Claws tore through the air. Aaryan shut his eyes.

  Pain never came.

  ?? — ? — ??

  A sudden pull, as if his entire being was being yanked from existence—

  A rush of cold wind slammed into him—

  Then—

  Aaryan gasped. His vision blurred. He was back.

  His breath came in uneven gasps. His body ached, but there were no wounds.

  The cold stage beneath his feet. The murmurs of the crowd. The ever-watchful eyes of the elders—all real. No more mist. No more beasts.

  Had he passed? Had he failed?

  Aaryan didn’t know.

  But as he looked down at his trembling hands, something caught his eye. All around him, the astral seeds placed before the contestants were dim, their glow long since faded. But his...

  His seed still shone.

  A faint, pulsing light flickered at its core—the only one not gone dark.

  Aaryan’s fingers twitched. His mind raced. What did this mean?

  Before he could make sense of it, a voice rich with amusement echoed across the stage.

  "Well, well..."

  One of the elders, the old woman with dark tattoos, stepped forward. Her lips curved into a smirk as her gaze swept across the stunned crowd.

  "It seems that only one person has truly passed this test."

  A stunned silence followed.

  Aaryan’s eyes widened. What?

  Gasps swept through the crowd. The contestants snapped around to look at him. Their faces were bizarre, for some were astounded, others saw it in disbelief besides no doubt some also with quirks of brains from frustration.

  "What?!"

  "Only one?"

  "That's impossible!"

  The murmurs rose into a crescendo of protest.

  The elder raised a hand to silence them all with one motion.

  "For the rest of you," she said, "it will be for how long you managed to last and how many beasts you kill for your results. But for just one man here, well--"

  With eyes full of surprise, she turned to Aaryan.

  "You qualify for the Final Round."

  An eerie silence fell over the place.

  For the longest time, no one spoke. No one stirred.

  Then--

  "WHAT?!"

  That was when the silence was split by an anguished scream.

  The contestants erupted. Some stared at Aaryan with bewildered looks, others were quite outraged. The noble-born lads who had laughed at him were struck dumb as though slapped.

  "Didn't he get 0 in the previous round?"

  Even the elders were more than mere surprised.

  Yet, amidst the chaos, the First Elder was quiet.

  His silver eyes brutal on Aaryan. Expressionless as his mask of a face was, a thought stirred within him.

  "Quite interesting."

  It follows the same path. And yet the end is quite different.

  The whole point of the trial was resolve, survival, instinct. Not to be completed. And yet this child did it.

  The First Elder's fingers curled slightly against the robe.

  "No affinity... yet this result? Either a mistake... or something way more dangerous."

  His gaze lingered for a moment before his eyes closed for what felt like eternity.

  "So, let's see what the fate brings your ways, boy."

  https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/108046/destiny-reckoninga-xianxia-cultivation-progression