Chapter 6: Secret Trials, Strange Scrolls, and Suspicious Statues

  The duel was over.

  Lin Xian sat cross-legged under a plum tree, munching on his well-earned dumplings. A small pile of empty ptes surrounded him like fallen soldiers.

  The Void Tiger Cub napped on his head.

  A few Cloudpetal disciples stood nearby, watching in quiet awe.

  “He’s just… eating.”

  “Yeah, but somehow, it feels powerful.”

  Elder Hao Arrives (Again)

  The old man waddled over, sipping wine from a gourd far too fancy for his tattered robes.

  “Lin Xian!” he called. “Stop stuffing your face. Come. It’s time.”

  Lin Xian looked up with a mouth full of dumpling.

  “Fmmmf whaff for?”

  Elder Hao squinted. “Secret trial.”

  Lin Xian swallowed. “You mean the kind where people die dramatically?”

  “No, no. This one is perfectly safe,” Elder Hao said.

  Then he mumbled under his breath, “…probably.”

  Journey to the Hidden Trial Grounds

  Elder Hao led Lin Xian down a forgotten mountain path overgrown with weeds and exactly one very confused chicken.

  After a long hike (in which Lin Xian pretended to be exhausted just to annoy Elder Hao), they arrived at a stone gate covered in moss.

  Above it, ancient characters glowed faintly:

  “Cloudpetal Sect’s Hidden Trial — Only For Those Who Are Bored or Brilliant.”

  “…That’s not very reassuring,” Lin Xian muttered.

  Elder Hao grinned and handed him a jade token.

  “This was meant for our best disciple… but since she’s unconscious, you’ll do.”

  Lin Xian raised an eyebrow. “Thanks, I think?”

  Inside the Hidden Trial

  The stone gate creaked open.

  Fog poured out.

  The air buzzed with spiritual energy — and also the faint smell of old soup.

  Inside was a huge stone chamber, carved with murals of ancient cultivators doing very dramatic poses.

  A deep voice echoed through the air:

  “Welcome, challenger. Solve the trials or be trapped forever.”

  Lin Xian stepped in casually.

  “Hey, if I get stuck here, do I still get dumplings delivered?”

  Silence.

  Even the voice was confused.

  Trial One: The Puzzle of the Ancient Seals

  A circur ptform appeared, inscribed with glowing characters.

  The rules floated in the air:

  “Rearrange the seals to form the true name of the Cloudpetal Sect’s founder.”

  Ten tiles hovered mid-air, glowing with confusing calligraphy.

  Lin Xian stared for two seconds.

  Then he just smacked them all randomly like he was pying whack-a-mole.

  The ptform trembled—

  DING!

  CORRECT!

  The door opened.

  “…Wait, what?”

  Secret Expnation

  The Void Tiger Cub, now awake, was licking its paw with a bored look.

  Lin Xian stared at it suspiciously.

  “You helped me, didn’t you?”

  The tiger cub yawned innocently.

  Lin Xian squinted. “You’re not just zy… You’re plotting something, aren’t you?”

  The cub sneezed.

  Somewhere in the heavens, a divine beast ancestor coughed blood.

  Trial Two: The Statues of Supreme Sages

  Lin Xian entered the next chamber.

  There were five massive statues, each in a different pose.

  One pointed at the sky.

  One touched its toes.

  One did a dab.

  One was just napping.

  And one looked suspiciously like it was floss-dancing.

  A pque read:

  “Only one statue leads forward. Choose the true Sage of Wisdom.”

  Lin Xian raised an eyebrow.

  Then he casually walked to the napping statue and spped its head.

  CLICK.

  A hidden stairway opened.

  Lin Xian nodded smugly.

  “I knew it. True wisdom is sleep.”

  Trial Three: The Hall of Illusions

  Lin Xian stepped into the final chamber.

  Fog swirled. Mirrors floated in the air. Reflections of Lin Xian stretched in all directions.

  A voice whispered:

  “Face your truest fear…”

  Suddenly—

  All the mirrors fshed, and dozens of images appeared.

  Every single one…

  …was Lin Xian being forced to take responsibility.

  — Cleaning his room.

  — Paying sect fees.

  — Attending boring meetings.

  — Becoming Sect Leader.

  Lin Xian screamed.

  “NOOOO! I’M TOO YOUNG FOR RESPONSIBILITY!”

  He charged forward, smashing through the illusions one by one, yelling like a madman.

  The illusion cracked apart—

  BOOM.

  And a pedestal rose from the ground.

  On it was a scroll wrapped in glowing string.

  Lin Xian picked it up.

  The Ancient Scroll

  Elder Hao’s voice echoed in his token.

  “Ah, you got it? That’s the ‘Scroll of Cloudpetal Origins.’ Study it carefully. It reveals a new path of cultivation… forgotten by most.”

  Lin Xian opened the scroll.

  Inside were elegant drawings, notes, diagrams—

  And a simple title:

  “The Petal Path: Harmony Through Absurdity.”

  “…The what?”

  It was a forgotten cultivation method that mixed body cultivation, beast taming, spiritual nonsense, and… poetry?

  Lin Xian blinked.

  “Well, I always wanted to punch people and write haikus.”

  He grinned.

  The Void Tiger Cub purred approvingly.

  Outside the Trial Grounds

  Lin Xian walked out triumphantly.

  Cloudpetal disciples gasped.

  Some bowed.

  Some just looked confused.

  Bai Jingyi (now healed but pouting) crossed her arms and muttered:

  “Stupid Senior Brother Supreme…”

  Lin Xian winked.

  “Miss me?”

  She threw a peach at him.

  He caught it, took a bite, and decred:

  “Delicious. Tastes like overconfidence.”

  Chapter 6: Secret Trials, Strange Scrolls, and Suspicious Statues

  The duel was over.

  Lin Xian sat cross-legged under a plum tree, munching on his well-earned dumplings. A small pile of empty ptes surrounded him like fallen soldiers.

  The Void Tiger Cub napped on his head.

  A few Cloudpetal disciples stood nearby, watching in quiet awe.

  “He’s just… eating.”

  “Yeah, but somehow, it feels powerful.”

  Elder Hao Arrives (Again)

  The old man waddled over, sipping wine from a gourd far too fancy for his tattered robes.

  “Lin Xian!” he called. “Stop stuffing your face. Come. It’s time.”

  Lin Xian looked up with a mouth full of dumpling.

  “Fmmmf whaff for?”

  Elder Hao squinted. “Secret trial.”

  Lin Xian swallowed. “You mean the kind where people die dramatically?”

  “No, no. This one is perfectly safe,” Elder Hao said.

  Then he mumbled under his breath, “…probably.”

  Journey to the Hidden Trial Grounds

  Elder Hao led Lin Xian down a forgotten mountain path overgrown with weeds and exactly one very confused chicken.

  After a long hike (in which Lin Xian pretended to be exhausted just to annoy Elder Hao), they arrived at a stone gate covered in moss.

  Above it, ancient characters glowed faintly:

  “Cloudpetal Sect’s Hidden Trial — Only For Those Who Are Bored or Brilliant.”

  “…That’s not very reassuring,” Lin Xian muttered.

  Elder Hao grinned and handed him a jade token.

  “This was meant for our best disciple… but since she’s unconscious, you’ll do.”

  Lin Xian raised an eyebrow. “Thanks, I think?”

  Inside the Hidden Trial

  The stone gate creaked open.

  Fog poured out.

  The air buzzed with spiritual energy — and also the faint smell of old soup.

  Inside was a huge stone chamber, carved with murals of ancient cultivators doing very dramatic poses.

  A deep voice echoed through the air:

  “Welcome, challenger. Solve the trials or be trapped forever.”

  Lin Xian stepped in casually.

  “Hey, if I get stuck here, do I still get dumplings delivered?”

  Silence.

  Even the voice was confused.

  Trial One: The Puzzle of the Ancient Seals

  A circur ptform appeared, inscribed with glowing characters.

  The rules floated in the air:

  “Rearrange the seals to form the true name of the Cloudpetal Sect’s founder.”

  Ten tiles hovered mid-air, glowing with confusing calligraphy.

  Lin Xian stared for two seconds.

  Then he just smacked them all randomly like he was pying whack-a-mole.

  The ptform trembled—

  DING!

  CORRECT!

  The door opened.

  “…Wait, what?”

  Secret Expnation

  The Void Tiger Cub, now awake, was licking its paw with a bored look.

  Lin Xian stared at it suspiciously.

  “You helped me, didn’t you?”

  The tiger cub yawned innocently.

  Lin Xian squinted. “You’re not just zy… You’re plotting something, aren’t you?”

  The cub sneezed.

  Somewhere in the heavens, a divine beast ancestor coughed blood.

  Trial Two: The Statues of Supreme Sages

  Lin Xian entered the next chamber.

  There were five massive statues, each in a different pose.

  One pointed at the sky.

  One touched its toes.

  One did a dab.

  One was just napping.

  And one looked suspiciously like it was floss-dancing.

  A pque read:

  “Only one statue leads forward. Choose the true Sage of Wisdom.”

  Lin Xian raised an eyebrow.

  Then he casually walked to the napping statue and spped its head.

  CLICK.

  A hidden stairway opened.

  Lin Xian nodded smugly.

  “I knew it. True wisdom is sleep.”

  Trial Three: The Hall of Illusions

  Lin Xian stepped into the final chamber.

  Fog swirled. Mirrors floated in the air. Reflections of Lin Xian stretched in all directions.

  A voice whispered:

  “Face your truest fear…”

  Suddenly—

  All the mirrors fshed, and dozens of images appeared.

  Every single one…

  …was Lin Xian being forced to take responsibility.

  — Cleaning his room.

  — Paying sect fees.

  — Attending boring meetings.

  — Becoming Sect Leader.

  Lin Xian screamed.

  “NOOOO! I’M TOO YOUNG FOR RESPONSIBILITY!”

  He charged forward, smashing through the illusions one by one, yelling like a madman.

  The illusion cracked apart—

  BOOM.

  And a pedestal rose from the ground.

  On it was a scroll wrapped in glowing string.

  Lin Xian picked it up.

  The Ancient Scroll

  Elder Hao’s voice echoed in his token.

  “Ah, you got it? That’s the ‘Scroll of Cloudpetal Origins.’ Study it carefully. It reveals a new path of cultivation… forgotten by most.”

  Lin Xian opened the scroll.

  Inside were elegant drawings, notes, diagrams—

  And a simple title:

  “The Petal Path: Harmony Through Absurdity.”

  “…The what?”

  It was a forgotten cultivation method that mixed body cultivation, beast taming, spiritual nonsense, and… poetry?

  Lin Xian blinked.

  “Well, I always wanted to punch people and write haikus.”

  He grinned.

  The Void Tiger Cub purred approvingly.

  Outside the Trial Grounds

  Lin Xian walked out triumphantly.

  Cloudpetal disciples gasped.

  Some bowed.

  Some just looked confused.

  Bai Jingyi (now healed but pouting) crossed her arms and muttered:

  “Stupid Senior Brother Supreme…”

  Lin Xian winked.

  “Miss me?”

  She threw a peach at him.

  He caught it, took a bite, and decred:

  “Delicious. Tastes like overconfidence.”