One by one, the kids scrambled out of the wagon. Xuan followed, his eyes adjusting to the light as he stepped onto the hard ground. Before him stood a massive, foreboding fortress, built from dark stone. The walls were high, jagged, and covered in creeping vines.
In front of the children stood a massive stone gateway, with an emblem of a spider etched into it—the same symbol embroidered on the robes of the traders—no, the cultivators—who had brought them here.
Soon the group of children was herded inside, their shoes scraping against the stone floors. They walked in silence, heads low, exchanging nervous glances. Some were trembling, their fear palpable, but others, like the pudgy boy from the wagon, seemed strangely composed.
As they entered a wide chamber, dimly lit by flickering torches, a tall, skeletal man stepped forward, his face obscured by shadows. His eyes gleamed as he scanned the group of new recruits.
"I am Master Shen," the man introduced himself in a low, gravelly voice. "I will be overseeing your trials."
His gaze swept over the group, pausing for a moment on each child, as if measuring their worth. When his eyes fell on Xuan, they narrowed slightly. Xuan could feel the man's disdain like a physical weight pressing down on him.
Shen's lips curled into a sneer. "Before we begin, let me make one thing clear. Most of you will fail. Some of you will die. And those who survive? Only a few of you will earn the right to call yourselves disciples of the Venomthread Sect."
A murmur ran through the group, fear rippling through the ranks. The mention of death had shaken many of the children. But Xuan remained silent, his focus sharpening. He couldn't afford to be scared now.
Master Shen let the silence hang over the group for a moment longer, letting the weight of his words sink in. Then, he raised a hand, and with a voice as cold as the grave, he said, "Now, if anyone feels they are not up to the challenge—if the thought of death is too much for your fragile hearts—you may back out. Step forward now, and I'll allow you to leave."
The children exchanged nervous glances, the offer hanging in the air like a lifeline for those whose fear was beginning to overwhelm them. A few looked tempted, their eyes darting between each other and the figure of Master Shen.
Finally, a boy near the back of the group stepped forward, his legs trembling. "I... I don't want to die," he muttered, his voice barely more than a whisper.
Another girl, her face pale and hands trembling, followed after him. Xuan recognized her—the same girl from the wagon who had whispered to him about Jin's daughter. "Me too... I can't... I can't do this."
One by one, others began to step forward, retreating from the line like scared rabbits. Xuan watched them with mixed feelings. Part of him wanted to run as well—he hadn't asked for this. But then, the pudgy boy's words, who had later introduced himself as Bo Cai, echoed in his mind. The Venomthread Sect had power, ressources and most importantly maps bigger than the city's. Xuan's family was still out there, and this sect might be his only chance to get the knowledge and strength he needed. His fingers unconsciously brushed over Mei's necklace, feeling the twine beneath his fingertips.
No. He couldn't back out now.
Soon the last of the hesitant children had moved forward. Master Shen's lips curled into a thin, cruel smile. He motioned to a group of robed disciples standing near the entrance. "Escort them out."
The disciples moved quickly, guiding the small group toward the doors at the far end of the chamber. It wasn't the same the children had come from.
The children shuffled out, their faces pale but relieved, thinking they had just spared themselves from the horrors awaiting inside.
But no sooner had the doors shut behind them than the first scream pierced the air.
Xuan's heart leapt into his throat. A bloodcurdling, soul-rattling scream, followed by another, and then another. The room grew deathly still as the remaining children froze in horror, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"What... what's happening?" one of the kids whispered, his voice cracking with fear.
Master Shen's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with sadistic amusement. "Weaklings," he said coldly, "have no place in the Venomthread Sect. Those who lack the guts to face death are useless to us. There is no room for cowards here. And now that they know where we are, well... their usefulness has come to an end."
More screams echoed from beyond the door, and some of the remaining children began to cry. A boy fell to his knees, his legs giving out beneath him as terror overtook him.
A girl nearby collapsed in a heap, her sobs choking her as her strength left her body. "I can't... no..," she whimpered.
Master Shen's eyes flickered with contempt as he signaled to the disciples once again. "Take them," he ordered.
The disciples moved swiftly, dragging the collapsed children toward the door. Their weak protests fell on deaf ears, and soon, more cries joined the chorus of agonizing screams from outside.
The rest of the group stood paralyzed, too terrified to move or even breathe too loudly. Xuan's own legs felt like lead, but he forced himself to stand tall. His heart pounded in his chest, but his resolve was hardening. He would not back down now—not when he had already come this far.
"This is your one chance to prove your worth," Master Shen said, his voice filled with icy authority. "You've seen what happens to those who falter. Remember this well, because if you fail, you will meet the same fate. There is no mercy for the weak."
Master Shen's cold gaze swept over the remaining children, his expression unreadable. But then, his eyes fell on Xuan again, narrowing in disgust. With a wave of his hand, he gestured toward a group of disciples standing near the entrance. "Take him," Shen ordered, his voice cutting through the tense silence. "A cripple like him is useless."
Quickyl the nearby disciples moved toward Xuan, their faces hard and emotionless, ready to carry out the order. Xuan's heart raced as he felt the weight of their eyes on him. His stomach twisted with the realization that he might be dragged out to meet the same fate as those who had already been taken. Inwardly, he braced himself, his pulse quickening as he prepared to tap into his bloodline ability—that powerful speed that had let him save Mei before. If it came to it, he would try to escape, even if he had a feeling that nothing he could do would save him.
But before the disciples could reach Xuan, Bo Cai subtly stepped forward, his rotound figure shifting in front of Xuan. He didn't say anything, just shot a quick glance at Master Shen—a deliberate, knowing look that carried the weight of authority. Shen hesitated, his sharp eyes flicking between Bo Cai and Xuan, clearly considering the implications of the pudgy boy's silent intervention.
It was a small gesture on Bo Cai's part—one that cost him nothing. He didn't expect anything in return. But there was a flicker of curiosity in his eyes. He wondered how far this one-armed boy with an unlikely resolve could go, even though he knew all too well that Xuan's condition almost certainly doomed him to fail the trials ahead.
Master Shen's eyes narrowed further as he observed the situation. His mind raced. Bo Cai's presence was enough to make him reconsider, but he wasn't required to listen to the boy's unspoken appeal. With a flick of his wrist, he was about to dismiss Bo Cai's interference and continue with his order to remove Xuan. But then something caught his eye.
Xuan's hand.
Shen's gaze lingered on the intricate spider tattoo etched into Xuan's skin, and a flicker of recognition passed over his face. The symbol was strikingly similar to something he had seen before, something buried deep in the ancient texts about the Venomthread Sect. His mind raced, recalling an obscure reference to a symbol like this. He wasn't entirely sure anymore what it meant, but the sight of it—coupled with Bo Cai's appeal—was enough to stay his hand, for now.
His lips curled into a sneer. "You're lucky," Shen said, his voice low and menacing. "I've changed my mind. I'll give you one chance. You'd better not waste it." He gestured to the disciples to back off, and they reluctantly stepped away from Xuan.
"Consider yourself fortunate," one of the disciples added before stepping away.
A breath escaped Xuan, one he hadn't realized he'd been holding. His pulse still thundered in his ears as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Why had Master Shen recalled his orders?
Master Shen, however, didn't give any hints. He turned his attention back to the entire group, his expression as cold and ruthless as before. "You have all passed the first test," he declared. "This was the easy part. At the very least, you can consider yourselves qualified to join the sect. Next, we will see how you will join—whether as disciples or as slaves."
With a sharp gesture, Master Shen signaled for them to follow, leading the group out of the hall and into a shadowed corridor. The sound of their footsteps echoed ominously through the dark, narrow passageway. Glancing around, Xuan realized that only about half of the children remained from when they had first arrived—around thirteen, including him and Bo Cai."
The ones left walked with haunted expressions. Some of the children seemed terrified, their eyes darting nervously as they pressed forward. Yet, others appeared almost relieved, as if simply surviving this first ordeal had given them a brief reprieve, a fragile hope that their lives might not be in immediate danger anymore.
For Xuan, however, there was no feeling of relief. After what he'd been through, he knew better than to let his guard down.
Soon the children were led into another hall, where rows of mats were laid out across the cold stone floor. Xuan counted around twenty mats in total, each with a scroll neatly placed at its front. Master Shen walked to the front of the hall, his eyes surveying the group as they shuffled in.
"Sit down," he commanded.
Quickly Xuan and Bo Cai settled onto mats next to each other. The remaining children followed suit, their gazes flicking between the scrolls and Master Shen, who stood tall at the front of the hall.
"As you may have guessed, this is where your real test begins," Shen started, his voice low but clear, carrying a weight of authority that silenced any whispers among the group. "The scroll before you contains the very foundation of your journey as a cultivator – a cultivation method. For the next year, you will remain here on the fortress premises, using this scroll to guide you as you attempt to sense qi, unlock your nodes, and ultimately break open your dantian."
A ripple of unease ran through the children, but Xuan remained still, his focus unshakable. He had to understand this. His life, and the chance to find his family, depended on it.
"Cultivation is split into multiple realms," Shen declared, his voice commanding the attention of the group. "Each realm represents a stage in your journey toward power and mastery. The first realm is called Qi Sensing, and it is the most basic of all. After that comes Node Awakening, where you will unlock the nodes within your body to control and channel qi more effectively."
Shen's gaze swept over the children, lingering on a few, before he continued. "These are just two of the beginner realms—you are not even qualified to be called cultivators until you can complete them. And even then you would barely qualify for the title. Later, in more advanced stages, you will learn that each realm has early, middle, late, and even peak stages, but for now, that doesn't concern you. Your focus is on the fundamentals."
"Your first job is to learn to sense qi," Shen continued. "To become a cultivator, you must first be able to sense the flow of qi around you. Qi is the life force of this world. It flows through everything—through the air, through the ground, and, if you are lucky, through your bodies. If you can sense it, you will have taken the first step toward cultivation."
Shen paused, his gaze sweeping over the children to ensure they were paying attention. "The second step is to unlock the energy nodes within your body. There are multiple nodes, but the six primary ones are key—two in your hands, two in your feet, one in your head, and one in your heart. These nodes act as gateways, allowing qi to enter your body and to ultimately control it."
As Shen's words sank in, Xuan's thoughts instinctively turned to the cultivation method his parents had given him. He had unlocked his Heart Node already, but the other nodes—the ones in his hands, feet, and head—were still unfamiliar territory to him.
Quickly, he mentally retraced the teachings ingrained in his memory, comparing Master Shen's words to it. There—it was almost all there. But one crucial difference stood out. His parents' teachings had never mentioned this so called Qi Sensing stage. Their method started directly with Node Unlocking, bypassing the initial sensing stage entirely.
Still, the rest of it aligned. Two hand nodes, two foot nodes, the head node, and of course, the Heart Node. The similarity between Shen's instructions and his parents' teachings was undeniable, save for the lack of the Qi Sensing stage.
Inwardly, he frowned, wondering what that could mean. But there was no time to dwell on it now. Afterall he could already sense qi anyways. It didn't matter.
"When all of your nodes are unlocked," Shen continued, "you will have created a force of attraction strong enough to gather and channel sufficient qi to break open your dantian. The dantian is the core of your cultivation—it is where qi is stored and refined, allowing you to advance in strength. If you fail to unlock your nodes, your dantian will remain sealed, and your cultivation journey will end, before it even began."
Shen's gaze darkened as he delivered the next words. "Without a dantian, you will never become a cultivator."
Xuan's chest tightened at the thought. A sense of unease crept over him. Something about Shen's explanation unsettled him—though he couldn't quite place why. It was as if a shadow was looming over him, a bad premonition he couldn't shake.
Shen let the gravity of his words sink in before continuing. "As stated before, this test will last for one year. During that time, you will receive basic necessities—food, water, shelter and the cultivation technique in front of you. You can find everything I've talked about and more in that too. If you wish to obtain anything beyond that, you will have to earn it yourself. Leaving this fortress is not an option. If anyone attempts to escape, they will die."
He let that hang in the air for a moment, the weight of it palpable.
"And for those who do not manage to unlock their dantian by the end of the year..." Shen's lips curled into a cruel smile. "You will become slaves of the Venomthread Sect for the next five years."
A few of the children gasped softly, their faces growing paler, but Xuan remained quiet, trying to keep a small smile on his face. He had no choice but to succeed.
Shen raised a finger, his smile widening into something far more sinister. "But I did lie to you earlier," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "Not all of you will survive long enough to become slaves." His eyes gleamed with cruel amusement as he let the words sink in. "After one month, there will be a test. If you cannot sense qi by then, you will be... 'kindly escorted out' of this hall."
His grin stretched unnaturally wide, so much so that it felt as if the corners of his mouth might reach his ears, as he prounounced the words „kindly escorted out". The children shifted uneasily, dread coiling in their chests.
The meaning was clear: failure wasn't an option.
"In a moment, you will have one hour to study the scrolls in front of you," Shen continued, his voice sounded like frost cutting through the air. "As mentioned before, these scrolls contain an excerpt from the basic cultivation method of our sect. It will guide you on how to sense qi and unlock your nodes. Afterward, I will answer any questions you might have. But let me make one thing clear—this is a gift for today only. Typically, I will hold a question-and-answer session once a month, and that will be your only direct chance to seek my guidance."
The children exchanged nervous glances, tension thickening the air, but Shen continued mercilessly. "You may take these scrolls to your quarters when we are done here. However, do not expect to find the path easy. Not everyone has the talent for cultivation."
Shen paused, giving them a moment to let his words sink in, his gaze sweeping over the group like a predator savoring its prey. Then, his eyes landed on Xuan once more. His lips curled into that same cruel smile as he cut through the silence. "But before you begin your study, let's see if you've been paying attention..."
His gaze flicked over the children, lingering just a moment too long on each of them before speaking again. "Tell me, why is our little cripple here a hopeless case?"
Xuan's chest tightened, a cold wave of panic washing over him. His heart thudded in his chest, and he felt the weight of every gaze in the room shift to him. Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire, some of the children too hesitant to speak, others too afraid.
The air felt thick with tension, and Xuan's thoughts spiraled. For some reason Bo Cai's earlier words echoed ominously in his mind: "They're sending you to die." The memory stung now more than ever. And that casual remark about his missing arm after—did this have anything to do with the situation?
But his thoughts were quickly interrupted as one boy broke the agonizing silence in the room, his voice trembling but loud enough to be heard. "Because... because he only has one hand node. Without both, he can't generate enough qi to break open his dantian."
Shen's smirk deepened, his eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction. He turned back to Xuan. "Exactly. A cripple like him stands no chance of becoming a true cultivator. He cannot gather enough qi to unlock his dantian. With one arm missing, he will only ever be able to unlock five nodes instead of six—and that, as we know, will never be enough to break the seal on his dantian. He's doomed before he's even begun."
Xuan's heart plummeted. The bad premonition he hadn't been able to shake earlier crashed down on him like a wave of ice. Without the second hand node, his path to cultivation was sealed off.
Is this the end?