Li sat alone in the dimly lit room, the sounds of the sect settling into the quiet hum of daily life outside. The warmth from the meal Elder Han had provided lingered within him, and his body felt significantly lighter than the day before. Despite the soothing relief of rest, his mind was in turmoil. The elder's words echoed in his head—words that had no clear meaning, yet carried an undeniable weight.
"Potential."
It was a word that felt foreign to him. He had always been weak, always been an orphan, always been the one overlooked and ignored. Even when he had pushed himself to survive, it had never been with any great purpose, never with any great destiny in mind. Yet, now, the elder spoke of something within him—something powerful, something dormant.
Li let out a long sigh. He didn't know what was going on or what would happen next, but he was sure of one thing, the Xiang Sect had offered him a chance, and he couldn't afford to waste it. But first, he needed to understand what this "potential" meant.
The door to the room opened with a soft creak, and Elder Han entered, his expression as composed and fatherly as ever with the ever-present scent of herbs clinging to his body. He carried a small bundle of robes in his hands, and his eyes held a glimmer of purpose.
"Li," Elder Han said, his voice calm but firm. "It's time. Come. Follow me."
Without hesitation, Li slid from the bed, his legs steady beneath him. The room felt suffocating with its silence, he was eager to go out into the sunlight. He nodded and followed Elder Han, his thoughts racing ahead.
They moved down the long corridors of the Medicine Pavillion main building, past several disciples clad in green robes who greeted the elder with respectful bows. Li, though still an outsider in this place, felt the weight of their eyes on him. Some were curious, others indifferent, but none seemed hostile. It seemed as if the sect had accepted him.
After a short walk, they arrived at a training hall. It was a spacious room, large enough to accommodate hundred's of people, with wooden training dummies positioned against the walls and wooden weapons of various kinds scattered about. Li glanced a door by the side leading to another hall with a large glass side housing several real weapons. The air here was different from the rest of the sect—it was thick with the scent of discipline and hard work.
In the center of the hall stood a large stone circle, etched with ancient symbols. Elder Han motioned for Li to stand at the edge of the circle.
"This," the elder began, "is the Test of Potential. Every disciple who comes to the Xiang Sect undergoes it, to gauge their abilities and determine their path. You will stand within the circle, and I will activate the test. Do not worry; it is not a test of strength, but of will and spirit."
Li's heart skipped a beat. His will? His spirit? What could a test of that nature mean for someone like him?
"Do not think too much," Elder Han continued, as though reading Li's thoughts. "Just focus. Clear your mind, and allow the test to begin."
With that, the elder stepped back, his hands raised in a series of intricate gestures. Li watched with wide eyes as Elder Han's hands glowed briefly with a soft blue light. He could feel the air in the room shift, as if the very atmosphere was being pulled in to center around him. A low hum filled his ears, vibrating with power.
Li took a deep breath and stepped into the centre of the circle.
As soon as his feet touched the stone, a surge of energy coursed through him. His breath hitched in his chest, and the world around him seemed to fade, leaving only a faint outline of Elder Han standing outside the circle.
His heart raced, and Li struggled to focus. It was as though the air itself was pressing against him, and the force of it was attempting to smother him. For a moment, doubt crept into his mind. What if he failed? What if he wasn't strong enough for whatever was coming next?
But no. He had no choice but to endure. His life had been a series of struggles, and this was no different. He had to rise to the challenge, whatever it may be.
The energy intensified, and suddenly, he felt it—a pull deep within his chest. It was as if something inside of him had awoken, a dormant force that now surged to life. He gasped, eyes widening in shock, as power flooded his veins. It was a strange sensation, unlike anything he had ever felt before.
His body trembled slightly, but he stood firm. The power within him was growing, coiling like a living thing, and the force of it made his muscles ache. Yet, somehow, it didn't feel threatening. It felt... natural.
The air around him shimmered, and he instinctively raised his hand. The energy seemed to respond to him, swirling around his arm as if it recognized him. He felt the warmth, the power, and for the first time in his life, he understood what Elder Han had meant by "potential." It wasn't about physical strength—it was about something deeper, something within him.
Elder Han's voice reached him from outside the circle, calm and reassuring. "You are doing well, Li. Allow the test to proceed."
Li didn't answer. His focus was completely absorbed by the energy running through him. He closed his eyes for a moment, allowing the flow of power to guide him, to teach him. The sensations were overwhelming, but they weren't terrifying. They were familiar, as if this power had always been a part of him, buried beneath layers of fear and uncertainty.
Suddenly, the energy pulsed, and Li was thrown back by the force. He landed on the cold stone floor with a grunt, but he quickly pushed himself up, his hands shaking.
"That's enough," Elder Han's voice came again. "The test has concluded."
Li's heart pounded in his chest as he rose to his feet, his legs slightly unsteady. He wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at the elder, waiting for some indication of what had happened.
Elder Han's expression was unreadable. He studied Li for a long moment before speaking again. "You have passed the test," he said slowly. "But I sense that you are still struggling with something. You have great potential, but it is still untapped. It will take time for you to truly harness it."
Li's chest tightened. He had passed, but it was clear that passing the test didn't mean he had everything figured out. He had only just begun to understand the power within him.
"What happens now?" Li asked, his voice hoarse.
Elder Han regarded him carefully, his gaze piercing. "Now, we begin your training. You will not be treated as a normal disciple, for your path will be different. But you will not be alone. You must learn to control your power, to guide it. Only then will you be able to fulfill your potential."
Li nodded slowly, his heart still racing from the intensity of the test. "How… how do I learn to control it?"
Elder Han's lips curved slightly, and he motioned for Li to follow him. "Come. I will show you."
The elder led him to a far corner of the hall, where an ornate stone basin stood. It was filled with a shimmering blue liquid that seemed to glow from within. Elder Han motioned for Li to kneel before it.
"This is the first step," the elder said. "The basin contains a liquid that will help you refine your energy, to make it more manageable. Drink from it, and you will begin to understand how to channel your power."
Li stared at the basin, feeling both awe and hesitation. "Will it hurt?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
The elder shook his head. "It may feel uncomfortable at first, but it will not harm you. You must simply allow yourself to accept it."
With a deep breath, Li leaned forward and cupped his hands, scooping up a small portion of the liquid. He brought it to his lips, hesitating for only a moment before drinking it.
The moment the liquid touched his tongue, he felt a rush of cold and warmth simultaneously, and a searing energy exploded inside of him. His entire body trembled as the liquid seemed to spread through his veins, magnifying the power he had felt during the test.
He gasped, his vision blurring, but the sensation was not painful—it was overwhelming in its intensity, but there was a strange, almost comforting rhythm to it. The power inside him seemed to settle into something more focused, something more controlled.
"This is only the beginning, Li," Elder Han's voice came again, soft yet firm. "Control will take time, but you have already made a significant step forward. Tomorrow, we begin your true training. But at the sect leader's quarters."
He then gave him the set of robes he was holding, and a wooden tablet containing a number. 'That is your sect robe and sect token. The number on it is your sect identity. Don't lose the token as that is what you will use to collect sect materials from now on. Now find your way to the disciple hall and register, also collect your materials. Then report back to my quarters' Elder Han said and walked away.
Li nodded, though wary from hearing that the sect leader would be his direct master. He had passed the test and was now a full member of the sect. This alone made him happy because he was no longer alone, he now had brothers and sisters to call his family.