"Disciples, attention!" Elder Iron Sword's voice boomed across the courtyard, silencing the nervous chatter of gathered students. The tall, stern-faced elder stood on a raised platform, his legendary sword sheathed at his side.
Lin Feng took a deep breath, steadying himself among the crowd of fellow disciples. Today was the quarterly assessment—a crucial evaluation that would determine each disciple's progress and future opportunities within the Cloud Peak Sect.
"Remember," Yue Lian's voice whispered in his mind through their spiritual contract, "today is not about raw power, but about understanding and utilizing the spiritual energy around you."
Lin Feng nodded imperceptibly. In the past month since meeting Yue Lian, his cultivation had taken a completely different path from his peers. While they focused on accumulating and forcefully controlling spiritual energy, he had learned to sense its natural flow and work with it rather than against it.
"Disciples, attention!" Elder Iron Sword's voice boomed across the courtyard. The tall, stern-faced elder stood on a raised platform, his legendary sword sheathed at his side. "Today's assessment will test not only your cultivation level but also your ability to adapt and overcome challenges."
His sharp eyes scanned the crowd, lingering momentarily on Lin Feng. Since the incident with the third-grade spine-backed boar, Elder Iron Sword had been watching him more closely.
"You will be divided into groups and assigned to different trial zones. Each zone presents unique challenges. Your performance will be evaluated based on how well you complete the assigned tasks and overcome obstacles."
Assistant instructors began calling names and assigning disciples to their groups. Lin Feng waited patiently until he heard his name.
"Lin Feng, Group Seven, Northern Mountain Zone."
A murmur spread through the crowd. The Northern Mountain Zone was known to be the most difficult trial area, usually reserved for advanced disciples.
"That's unusual," a nearby disciple whispered. "Why would they send someone like him to the Northern Zone?"
Lin Feng maintained his composure, though internally he shared their confusion.
"It seems Elder Iron Sword wants to test you," Yue Lian observed. "This could be dangerous... or an opportunity."
As the groups dispersed toward their assigned zones, Lin Feng felt a light tap on his shoulder. He turned to find Su Yuqing, her elegant features framed by her long black hair tied in a simple cultivation sect style.
"Northern Zone, huh?" she said with a slight smile. "That's where I'm headed too. Looks like we'll be facing challenges together again."
Lin Feng nodded, somewhat relieved. "I'm glad to have a capable ally."
"After yesterday's hunt, I convinced Master Qingfeng to place me in your group," she admitted. "I'm curious to see more of your... unique approach to spiritual energy."
As they walked toward the Northern Zone, Yue Lian's voice cautioned in Lin Feng's mind: "Be careful how much you reveal. Her interest in you grows stronger."
The Northern Mountain Zone lived up to its reputation. As soon as the assessment began, the disciples faced a steep climb through terrain filled with spirit-disrupting formations. Several disciples immediately struggled as their carefully accumulated spiritual energy became erratic and difficult to control.
Lin Feng, however, felt the disruptions as mere ripples in a stream. Following Yue Lian's teachings, he didn't fight against the disruptions but observed their patterns and adapted his energy flow accordingly.
"The first task," announced the supervising elder, "is to reach the mountain shrine and retrieve a spirit token. You have until sundown."
The disciples scattered, each choosing their own path up the treacherous slopes. Su Yuqing stayed close to Lin Feng, observing his movements with keen interest.
"You're not struggling with the formations," she noted as they navigated a particularly disruptive area. "Most disciples at our level would be completely disoriented here."
Lin Feng chose his words carefully. "I've been practicing sensing energy patterns rather than just accumulating power."
"An unusual approach for someone from our sect," she replied. "Almost like techniques from the ancient Southern schools."
Before Lin Feng could respond, a rumbling sound echoed through the mountains. The ground beneath them trembled, and rocks began tumbling down the slope.
"Spirit beast stampede!" shouted a distant disciple.
A herd of second-grade crystal horned deer was charging down the mountain, their eyes wild with fear. Behind them, the cause of their terror became apparent: a massive third-grade thunder wolf, its fur crackling with electrical energy.
"This isn't part of the trial," Su Yuqing said, drawing her sword. "That thunder wolf must have broken through the sect's outer barriers."
The other disciples scattered, some trying to evade both the stampeding deer and the predator, others attempting to form defensive formations.
"Lin Feng," Yue Lian's voice was urgent in his mind. "The environment here is rich with lightning essence. Feel it in the stones, in the air."
Lin Feng closed his eyes for a brief moment, extending his senses as Yue Lian had taught him. She was right—the mountain itself seemed to pulse with lightning energy, accumulated over centuries of storms.
"Su Yuqing," he said quickly, "can you help me reach that outcropping?" He pointed to a jagged rock formation jutting from the mountainside.
She nodded without hesitation. Together they moved in perfect coordination, as if they had trained together for years rather than having met just yesterday. Su Yuqing's water-influenced sword techniques created momentary barriers that diverted the stampeding deer around them.
Reaching the outcropping, Lin Feng placed his hands on the stone and felt the dormant lightning energy within. Following Yue Lian's mental guidance, he didn't try to absorb or control this energy—instead, he simply provided a pathway, connecting the energy in the stone to the air around the thunder wolf.
The effect was immediate and spectacular. A brilliant arc of lightning leapt from the mountainside, not striking the wolf directly but creating a dazzling barrier of electrical energy that caused the beast to halt its charge, confused and wary.
"Now!" Lin Feng called to the other disciples. "Circle formation!"
To his surprise, they responded to his command without question. Perhaps it was the authority in his voice, or simply the effectiveness of his unexpected tactic, but the remaining disciples of Group Seven quickly formed a standard Cloud Peak Sect defensive circle around the thunder wolf.
With the beast contained, Su Yuqing stepped forward, her sword glowing with a blue-white light. "Together," she said to Lin Feng.
Understanding her intent, he nodded and moved to the opposite side of the circle. As Su Yuqing's sword techniques channeled water essence to restrict the wolf's movements, Lin Feng continued to guide the mountain's natural lightning, not as a weapon but as a calming influence that gradually neutralized the thunder wolf's agitated energy.
Within minutes, the beast's aggressive posture relaxed. It regarded the disciples with intelligent eyes before turning and loping away, choosing a different path down the mountain.
A slow clapping sound broke the tense silence that followed. Elder Iron Sword stepped out from behind a large boulder, his expression unreadable.
"Interesting approach, Disciple Lin Feng," he said. "Most would have attempted to subdue the beast with brute force."
Lin Feng bowed respectfully. "The mountain provided what we needed, Elder."
"Indeed." The elder's penetrating gaze seemed to look through him. "Continue with your trial. I believe you'll find the shrine... enlightening."
As Elder Iron Sword departed, the other disciples looked at Lin Feng with new eyes—some with respect, others with suspicion, and a few with clear envy.
"That was remarkable," Su Yuqing said quietly as they resumed their climb. "You didn't control the lightning—you guided it. As if you were having a conversation with the mountain itself."
"It's just a different perspective on cultivation," Lin Feng replied, conscious of Yue Lian's warning about revealing too much.
"One I'd very much like to learn more about," Su Yuqing said with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Perhaps during our training session tomorrow?"
The remainder of the trial proceeded without further incident. Lin Feng was the first to reach the mountain shrine and retrieve his spirit token, with Su Yuqing close behind. The token, a small jade disc inscribed with ancient characters, seemed to warm in his hand.
"This token is special," Yue Lian observed through their connection. "It bears fox clan markings... a coincidence that feels intentional."
As the disciples regrouped at the base of the mountain at sundown, Elder Iron Sword announced the results. To no one's surprise, Lin Feng and Su Yuqing received the highest evaluations, with special mention of their innovative approach to the unexpected thunder wolf incident.
"The sect values adaptability and wisdom above raw power," the elder concluded. "Remember that as you continue your cultivation journey."
Later that evening, as Lin Feng sat in meditation in his small quarters, Yue Lian materialized in her diminutive fox form, her single tail swishing thoughtfully.
"You drew attention today," she said, her voice a mixture of pride and concern. "Elder Iron Sword is watching you closely, and that girl, Su Yuqing... her interest is not merely academic."
"Do you think she suspects your existence?" Lin Feng asked.
Yue Lian tilted her head. "Perhaps not specifically, but she knows you harbor a secret. And secrets in cultivation sects rarely remain hidden for long."
"What should I do about tomorrow's training session with her?"
"Go," Yue Lian said after a moment's consideration. "But share only what you must. Show her the basic principles of energy sensing, nothing more. We need allies, Lin Feng, but we must choose them carefully."
Lin Feng nodded, his fingers absently tracing the strange markings on the spirit token he'd retrieved.
"And this?" he asked, holding up the jade disc. "You said it bears fox clan markings."
Yue Lian's eyes gleamed in the dim light. "Yes. An ancient protection sigil. Someone in your sect knows more about the fox clan than they should... and they've taken an interest in you."
"Elder Iron Sword?"
"Perhaps," she replied. "Or perhaps someone even higher in the sect hierarchy. Either way, our path forward requires caution... and preparation."
Lin Feng placed the token beside his meditation mat and closed his eyes, focusing on the techniques Yue Lian had taught him. As his awareness expanded, he could feel the subtle currents of spiritual energy flowing through the sect grounds—and, more disturbingly, the faint traces of unfamiliar energy signatures moving stealthily beyond the outer barriers.
"The Crimson Fang Sect scouts are growing bolder," Yue Lian whispered, sensing his discovery. "They know I'm here somewhere. It's only a matter of time before they make their move."
Lin Feng opened his eyes, determination hardening his features. "Then we'll be ready when they do."
Outside his window, the moon rose over Cloud Peak Mountain, its light casting long shadows across the sect grounds. In the distance, a figure stood watching Lin Feng's quarters, their face hidden in darkness. After a long moment, they turned and disappeared into the night, leaving only the faintest trace of powerful spiritual energy in their wake.
The quarterly assessment had ended, but Lin Feng's true trial was just beginning.