**Cloud Vein Sect — Outer Arena, Night Before Final Rounds**
The moon hung low and red, casting a strange hue over the outer disciple quarters.
Zeravon sat alone beneath a twisted willow tree near the edge of the competition grounds. The hum of Qi was ever-present now — faint, like a distant stream. His injuries had healed slightly, thanks to the medicinal pellet Yueyin had left behind.
He hadn't seen her again.
But he remembered her words clearly:
> *"That was only the first attempt. They'll come for you again."*
> *"And next time, you may not get back up."*
He looked down at the ring she had slipped into his hand when no one was watching. It was faintly cold, a dull silver band with an engraving only visible when light hit it just right — a mountain upside-down.
> *"This ring… it's more than just protection."*
Something inside it pulsed with a rhythm not his own.
---
**Elsewhere — Blackroot Sect's Temporary Pavilion**
A group of robed disciples sat in a tight circle, whispering furiously.
> "That Yueyin girl… she interfered again."
> "We can't touch her directly. She's too important."
> "Then we shift our focus. That weakling, Zeravon — kill him during the final round. Make it look like a duel gone wrong."
> "And if he survives again?"
Silence.
Then, the eldest among them smirked.
> "Then we unleash the Jade Platform."
Gasps.
> "You mean that relic from the Lower Abyss?"
> "Yes. We've kept it sealed for generations. But with the right blood spilled… it will open."
---
**Next Morning — Central Arena**
The final group of selected outer disciples stood ready. Zeravon among them.
His wounds were healing slowly. He still felt weak. The strength in his limbs wasn't cultivation-born, but carved from endurance.
He looked around.
Twenty contestants remained.
Six would move on to the next phase.
Instructor Wei stood tall on the judging platform, his expression unreadable.
> "Today is not about combat alone. It is about *heart*, *focus*, and *balance*. You will not be dueling today."
Murmurs spread like wildfire.
> "What then?"
> "A treasure trial," Elder Ming said, stepping forward. "The ancient Cloud Vein Jade Platform has been reawakened."
Zeravon's eyes narrowed.
> *Jade Platform…? Yueyin mentioned something about that name...*
---
**Moments Later — Beneath the Arena**
The group was led down stone stairs into a sealed cavern lined with roots, glowing moss, and a massive circular platform carved with arcane runes.
The moment the disciples stepped on it, a pale jade light rippled outward.
Elder Ming turned to them.
> "This is not a battle of fists. It is a battle of will. The Platform will create illusions… summon truths from within your soul."
> "Face them… or be consumed by them."
Disciples hesitated. But not Zeravon.
> *Illusions… I've lived inside something worse than that.*
He stepped forward — and vanished in a blink as the platform activated.
One by one, the rest followed.
---
**Zeravon's Illusion Realm**
He stood inside a field of stars.
Alone.
No sky. No ground.
Just **infinite reflection**.
Then — one step forward, and the stars *shattered*.
Voices rose like smoke from the pieces.
> *"You were never meant to live."*
> *"You are not one of them."*
> *"You are the mistake the heavens buried."*
But Zeravon didn't flinch.
Instead, he looked at his own reflection in the shards.
> *"Maybe you're right."*
> *"But I'm here now."*
The platform trembled. Something cracked beneath the illusion. A rune glowed on his palm — faint, but genuine.
And the illusion collapsed.
---
**Real World — Outer Observers' Pavilion**
Elder Lin and Instructor Wei watched as Zeravon's name flashed gold on the jade monument, indicating he had cleared the trial.
> "He was the first…" Wei murmured.
Elder Lin narrowed his gaze.
> "And the platform didn't reject him this time. That's even more dangerous than failure."
---
**Back in the Platform Realm**
One by one, the others emerged — some shaken, others victorious.
Two didn't return.
One collapsed unconscious.
But Zeravon stood, eyes distant. The silver ring Yueyin gave him was now glowing faintly. It had protected him… or amplified something deep within.
He clenched his fist.
> *"Still weak…"*
> *"But I'm starting to see the path."*
---
**Far Beyond — A Watching Realm of Threads**
A cloaked figure stitched lines of fate into a grand tapestry of time.
Suddenly, a new thread appeared — one not spun by him.
He paused.
> "What is this…?"
He leaned closer.
> "A thread not of Heaven. Not of Hell. Not even of Time…"
> "Who dares rewrite the weave?"
---
**Back in the Mortal Realm**
Zeravon looked up at the slowly setting sun.
The next phase of the competition was about to begin.
But in his mind… one thing echoed louder than any sword:
> *"The Jade Platform didn't test my strength…"*
> *"It tested my truth."*
---