Journey of the Scholar

As they progressed deeper into the trial, the atmosphere thickened. Suddenly, the path split into multiple directions. Each path was marked by intricate carvings and symbols, ancient and unfamiliar.

"What now?" one of Li Xiang's followers asked nervously.

Li Xiang's eyes gleamed as he examined the symbols. "These are riddles meant to test us," he said confidently, already beginning to decipher them in his mind. He pointed to one path. "This way."

His followers hesitated for a moment before reluctantly following.

Back with the family cultivators, the youngest was practically trembling as they came across an ancient statue, its eyes glowing ominously. As they passed, the statue's hand began to move.

"Move!" the eldest shouted, but it was too late. The statue activated, summoning spectral warriors from the walls. Swords clashed in the narrow hallway, and the family cultivators had no choice but to fight for their lives.

Meanwhile, the Northern Sky Barbarian Tribe encountered a shifting floor that threatened to collapse beneath them. Their leader laughed loudly, running across it with wild abandon, but the younger woman stopped, fear etched on her face.

"Come on!" the leader shouted from the other side, already across. "What are you, afraid of a little drop?"

The younger woman shook her head, gathering her courage, and sprinted across the shifting floor just as it began to crack beneath her.

As the trials continued, the groups converged toward a central chamber. Blood and sweat stained their clothes, and the strain of the journey was evident on their faces. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, and every step was now taken with utmost caution. The traps had become more unpredictable, the guardians fiercer.

Li Xiang arrived first, his sharp mind having guided him through the maze of dangers. The others followed shortly after, each group battered but alive.

In the center of the chamber was a massive stone altar. Atop it lay a single page, glowing with a strange, ethereal light. Everyone's eyes locked onto it.

"What... is that?" the Lounge Cultivator asked, his casual demeanor now tinged with curiosity.

"It's... it has to be something valuable," the Burly Man from the Northern Sky Barbarian Tribe said, his hand flexing in anticipation.

The eldest of the family cultivators took a step forward, his eyes narrowing. "This is no ordinary paper. Be careful."

Li Xiang remained silent, his mind racing. His gaze never left the glowing page. Whatever was written on that page held unimaginable power – he could feel it.

As each group cautiously approached the altar, the tension in the air was palpable. They had all made it through the trials, through blood, sweat, and near-death experiences, only to face this final enigma.

Finally, with all eyes on the altar, the eldest family cultivator reached out, slowly grasping the page. The moment his fingers touched it, the glow intensified, and strange, ancient symbols began to form across its surface.

Everyone stared in awe, captivated by the mysterious writing.

"What... what does it say?" the youngest family member asked, his voice trembling.

The eldest shook his head. "I don't know. But this... this is just the beginning."

As they all stood there, gazing at the page, they knew that whatever lay ahead would be far more dangerous than what they had just faced.

The secret realm still had its mysteries, and they had only uncovered the first of many.

_______

After the brutal and exhausting battle with the Steel Guardian, Ruchir and the True Sun Sect disciples — Huojin, Mei, Li, and Zhen — collapsed to the ground, their breaths heavy and bodies drenched in sweat. The Steel Guardian had been formidable, with its spinning blades and elemental bursts, but through a mix of determination, strategy, and luck, they had managed to defeat it. As its metallic body crumbled, revealing molten steel beneath, a faint golden glow began to emanate from the debris.

"What's that?" Mei asked, pointing at the faint glow.

Ruchir, still catching his breath, looked up and squinted. "It seems like… a paper?"

Huojin, the leader of the group, stood up, shaking off the exhaustion. "A paper with a golden glow? Must be something important."

The group cautiously approached the shimmering object. As they neared it, the golden light grew brighter, illuminating the chamber with a warm, otherworldly glow. The paper floated just above the remains of the Steel Guardian, rotating slowly in mid-air.

Zhen, ever the cautious one, hesitated. "Should we even touch it? After all the traps and battles, this could be another trick."

Huojin laughed. "Come on, Zhen. Where's your sense of adventure? What's life without a little risk?"

Li smirked, nodding in agreement. "Besides, we've already been through worse. If this is a trap, we'll just punch our way out like always."

Mei's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "I want to see what's on it. Maybe it holds the secret to the realm." Without waiting for approval, she reached out and grabbed the glowing paper from mid-air.

The moment her fingers touched it, the golden glow vanished. The brilliance, the aura, the shine—all gone in an instant. The paper, now lifeless, fell into her hands, revealing itself to be nothing more than a plain white sheet.

Silence followed. The group stared, dumbfounded.

"Wait…" Mei blinked, flipping the paper back and forth. "It's… blank?"

Huojin's laughter broke the silence. He crossed his arms and shook his head in mock disapproval. "Oh, well done, Mei! You've broken it. You've taken the one thing in this cursed realm that actually seemed valuable, and now it's just a regular piece of paper."

Mei's face flushed red. "I didn't break anything! How was I supposed to know it would do this?"

Huojin wasn't done teasing. "Now, when we go back to the sect, I'll have to tell the elders how Mei of the True Sun Sect ruined our one chance at glory. 'Oh, yes, Elder, we had a magical paper. But no, we didn't bring it back — Mei touched it, and poof! Gone!'"

Mei scowled. "I'd like to see you do better, Huojin!"

Li chimed in with a grin. "Maybe next time, just leave the shiny things alone, Mei. We'll do the handling."

Zhen, quiet up until now, muttered, "It's probably cursed. We're all doomed."

Ruchir, meanwhile, stood to the side, listening to the banter but deep in thought. His eyes were locked on the blank sheet of paper, and the mystery of it tugged at his mind.

It had transformed from something mystical into something completely ordinary, but the sudden change didn't sit well with him.

Ignoring the ongoing teasing, he stepped forward and gently took the paper from Mei's hands. "Let me see."

Mei handed it over, pouting. "Good luck finding anything on it. It's just blank now."

Huojin clapped Ruchir on the shoulder. "Go on, genius. Maybe your famous calligraphy techniques can summon some words on that thing."

Ruchir barely acknowledged him, his focus entirely on the paper. Holding it between his fingers, he studied its texture, weight, and even the faint scent it carried.

There was nothing remarkable about it anymore, yet something nagged at him. This realm had been filled with puzzles and hidden dangers — a blank piece of paper wouldn't be left behind for no reason.

"Why did the glow disappear when Mei touched it?" Ruchir wondered aloud.

"Because she broke it!" Huojin quipped again, laughing. "Honestly, do we need another explanation?"

"Enough!" Mei snapped back, her patience thin. "If I hear one more joke about that, I'm setting something on fire."

Zhen winced. "Please don't."

Ruchir tuned out the bickering and instead focused inward. He ran his thumb over the paper's surface again and again, concentrating on the faint energy he had felt earlier. There had to be something more here.

A quiet whisper formed in the back of his mind — a hunch. Holding the paper up to the dim light, he tilted it at different angles, hoping to catch something that wasn't immediately visible.

And then… there it was. Barely perceptible, but there — the faintest shimmer of runes etched into the paper, only visible when held at the right angle. Ruchir's eyes widened.

"There's something here," he said softly.

Huojin, still smirking, leaned in. "What? I don't see anything."

"Of course you don't," Ruchir replied, his voice calm but sure. "It's hidden. There are runes. Ancient ones, barely visible."

The teasing stopped immediately. The others crowded around Ruchir, squinting at the paper.

"Where?" Mei asked, peering closely. "I can't see anything."

"Only visible in the right light," Ruchir explained, turning the paper slightly. "This isn't a blank page. It's a key to something — a message. We just have to figure out how to read it."

Huojin's smirk vanished. "I guess that means… I owe you an apology, Mei."

She crossed her arms, a smug smile on her face. "Told you I didn't break it."

Ruchir, still contemplating the hidden message, wasn't listening to the banter anymore. His mind was already racing, piecing together the puzzle. What secrets did the paper hold? What had the Steel Guardian been protecting?

And most importantly, why had it been left for them?