Heaven's Blade: Chronicle of the Silent Spirit

After returning to his assigned quarters within Tiān Lóng Wǔ Yuàn Academy, Long Wei welcomed the quiet. Elder Shen had advised him to rest before the entrance examination scheduled for that evening.

As Long Wei lay down, a faint, almost imperceptible shimmer pulsed at his neck—where once his pendant had hung. Though invisible to the eye, its presence lingered. Sleep pulled him under quickly.

But while his mind drifted, something extraordinary began to unfold.

From deep within his body, golden energy flickered to life. It flowed from the hidden pendant embedded within him now, its form no longer external, but merged with his very being. A quiet pulse. Then a storm.

The energy lifted him gently from the bed. Threads of golden light wrapped around his form, swirling in patterns like ancient calligraphy. Slowly, silently, the light merged with his blood, coursing through his veins. Each cell awakened. His body drank in Qi from the surrounding space, weaving it into his muscles, bones, and marrow.

A faint glow escaped from beneath his door, unnoticed by all.

And then, as quickly as it had begun, the light subsided. Long Wei was lowered gently back onto the bed, the golden energy now fully integrated within him.

—

A knock on the door stirred him from slumber.

Long Wei opened his eyes, feeling... lighter. Stronger. He couldn't quite explain it.

Rising, he dressed quickly and slid open the door. Elder Shen stood there, his sharp eyes glinting as if he already knew what had transpired.

"Good evening, Elder Shen," Long Wei greeted, his voice carrying a subtle resonance he hadn't noticed before.

The elder nodded, motioning for him to follow. Together, they walked toward the examination grounds.

As they moved through the academy's winding pathways, Long Wei felt an undeniable strangeness in his body. A quiet hum beneath his skin. His senses were sharper. His awareness stretched farther than before. Yet he dismissed it, assuming it was simply lingering exhaustion—or nerves.

When they arrived at the examination grounds, Long Wei couldn't help but feel a wave of apprehension. The arena was massive, with rows upon rows of other participants already gathered. Dozens—no, hundreds—of young cultivators stood beneath towering banners, each one bearing the academy's golden dragon sigil.

Long Wei inhaled slowly, suppressing his tension. Weakness had no place here.

Elder Shen, observing him quietly, pointed toward a designated area. "Go to that spot," he instructed. "I must take my place as one of the chief examiners."

Long Wei gave a short nod and walked to where he was assigned.

He found his position marked: contestant number ten, second row from the left. To his left sat a young man with sharp features and a blade resting across his lap. To his right, a girl with calm, thoughtful eyes.

The boy to his left glanced over. "Hey. I'm Jian Zhenyao. Jian clan." His voice was confident, edged with pride.

Long Wei returned the greeting quietly. "Pleasure to meet you."

His tone was brief but polite.

The girl beside him chuckled softly at his short reply. Jian Zhenyao shot her an irritated look, but before he could say anything, she spoke as well.

"I'm Xin Lianhua. Xin clan," she introduced herself with a light smile.

Again, Long Wei replied the same way. "Pleasure to meet you."

Xin Lianhua raised a brow in mild amusement, while Jian Zhenyao seemed to smirk despite himself.

"You know," Jian Zhenyao said after a moment, "we've both introduced ourselves. But you haven't told us much. Where are you from?"

Long Wei hesitated, then answered plainly. "I'm Long Wei. From Qinglan Village."

At that, both Jian Zhenyao and Xin Lianhua shared a glance, eyes widening slightly.

"So it's you!" Xin Lianhua leaned in, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "You're the one from Qinglan Village."

Long Wei frowned. "What do you mean?"

Jian Zhenyao folded his arms. "Haven't you heard? Everyone's talking about you. Even if Qinglan Village isn't famous, the academy's been buzzing about the participant from there."

Long Wei blinked, confused. "Why would they be talking about me?"

Jian Zhenyao gave him a surprised look. "You really don't know? Yesterday, in Tian Dou Ling City—you rescued a little girl from a thief. Everyone saw it."

Long Wei's brows furrowed. "I don't remember any of that. I just recall feeling a sudden pain… then blacking out. I woke up later near a pile of straw."

Xin Lianhua tilted her head. "Interesting... You don't remember saving her?"

"No." Long Wei's expression darkened slightly, searching for any hidden memory. But nothing surfaced beyond fragments of golden light and the moment before unconsciousness.

"Well, never mind that now," Xin Lianhua said gently. "The important thing is here and now."

Despite the awkwardness, the tension between the three eased. An odd sense of camaraderie began to form, unspoken but present.

Just then, a loud voice boomed across the arena.

"Silence!"

A wave of stillness fell.

A tall man with graying hair stepped forward onto the central platform. His presence was commanding. His voice carried weight.

"I am Elder Wu Zhen, chief examiner," he announced. "You are all gathered here today as potential disciples of Tiān Lóng Wǔ Yuàn Academy."

The air thickened with quiet tension.

"This year's entrance examination will consist of three phases," Elder Wu Zhen declared. "Each phase is designed not merely to measure strength, but to uncover true potential."

His voice echoed across the arena.

"The first phase is the Written Examination—testing your knowledge of martial theory, spiritual arts, cultivation history, and strategy. Strength without understanding is meaningless."

A few murmurs rippled through the gathered students, but no one dared speak openly.

"The second phase is the Practical Examination—where you will demonstrate your combat skills. You will face off in duels against fellow candidates under controlled conditions."

That announcement set the air humming with quiet anticipation. Long Wei could already feel a low pulse in his veins.

"The third and final phase," Elder Wu Zhen continued, "is the Spiritual Examination. Through a series of guided meditations and mental trials, we will assess your spirit—your core. Martial power without balance leads only to ruin."

The gathered students stood in respectful silence as the weight of those words settled.

Elder Wu Zhen's gaze swept over all of them. "Prepare yourselves. And above all—remember that only the worthy will remain."

Long Wei, standing amidst hundreds, felt his heart steady.

This was his first real test. His first true step forward—not just as Long Wei, the boy from Qinglan Village.

But as the heir of something far greater.

And he was ready.