Solvara

Before Zhenya could straighten from his bow, the array beneath his feet flared to life. The lines that had seemed like mere decorative etchings now blazed with an intense light, their patterns shifting and flowing. A familiar sensation washed over him; the dense qi in the room now pressed down on him from all directions.

"One final test, little one," Jia Qiu's voice echoed through the chamber, though he was no longer present. "Show me what you can do with that sharp mind of yours."

The world around Zhenya began to blur and fade, the solid walls of the chamber dissolving slowly. When his vision cleared, he found himself on a small island with only a single large tree standing in the middle, and next to the island was a massive ocean. Stretching out as far as he could see.

But Zhenya wasn't focused on the environment; right now he was looking around for Jia Qiu. "Ancestor? Where are you? Please just come out; the joke has gone on long enough." Shouting with all his might, he looked around the whole island, walking around all the edges and inspecting everything he could. He even climbed the large tree to search for any signs of Jia Qiu. But alas, he couldn't find him.

Sitting down under the tree, he sighed heavily and leaned against the large tree to rest. Running around looking for the ancestor had exhausted him. And he fell asleep almost immediately after sitting down; the little boy was so exhausted after everything that had happened today.

While Zhenya slumbered against the tree, a shimmer of light materialized in the air above him. It formed into a translucent figure that observed the exhausted boy. This was the guardian of the trials, an ancient spirit, bound to this realm by Jia Qiu eons ago. Tasked with overseeing the inheritors of the Heaven's Fall bloodline, he had been living here all alone for eons.

The spirit's form rippled as it circled around the sleeping child. "So this is the first one to awaken the bloodline," it mused silently, studying Zhenya closely. "He burned through his energy so quickly searching for Jia Qiu... That bastard! He said it wouldn't take that long for someone to awaken that accursed bloodline!"

The guardian settled onto a branch above Zhenya, its ethereal figure floating on it. It would wait and watch until the child woke up. To start the trials, even though it hated Jia Qiu, it did sign the contract, and breaking it meant death.

After what felt like hours, Zhenya woke up from his slumber. Stretching his whole body, he slowly stood up and looked around, hoping what he remembered from before dozing off was just a bad dream. And he could go back to his old routine and peaceful, struggling life.

"Help! Please, someone help!" he screamed, his voice tinged with hysteria. The thought of being all alone on an island terrified him, especially after losing his parents. Though he had lived on his own since then, the other kids in his neighborhood had given him precious memories, often supporting him in whatever small ways they could.

Looking around but not seeing anything change, he just sat down and leaned against the tree again, trying to calm himself down. Which was not going well as he kept sniffling. Then he heard a branch cracking in the tree; jumping up and taking on a clumsy defensive pose, he peered into the tree.

Seeing an ethereal-looking figure in the tree, Zhenya looked at it with a blank stare. "What are you?" he asked as he wiped the remaining tears from his face.

The spirit just looked at him with a caring look; even though it hated Jia Qiu, that did not mean it hated everyone related. It felt bad for the young boy as he panicked after waking up. Stifling a giggle, it descended from the branch, landing in front of Zhenya.

"I am Solvara, a great spirit, and the guardian of this trial left by your ancestor." He said slowly so the child could understand everything through his sniffling.

Zhenya rubbed his eyes again, staring at the spirit with a mix of awe and apprehension. "A... a trial?" His voice quivered slightly. "But the ancestor didn't say anything about a trial. He just disappeared!"

Solvara's form shifted. "That is because he didn't have much time left. Otherwise he would definitely have explained it to you." The spirit explained, then added with a hint of warmth, "Though I must say, I didn't expect you to spend hours climbing the tree."

The boy's cheeks flushed red. "I thought he might be hiding up there..." he mumbled, then straightened up a bit. "What kind of trial is it? Do I have to prove myself by fighting something?" his hands unconsciously tightened into small fists, though they trembled slightly.

The spirit nodded, a gesture that sent ripples through its ethereal form. "That is the second part of the trial. For now you need to cultivate and train the techniques the ancestor gave you."

"I can finally start cultivating?" Zhenya asked, leaning forward, his eyes alight with childlike enthusiasm.

"You haven't cultivated before?" Solvara asked with a suspicious look on his face. He couldn't fathom why they would start cultivating this late.

"Um, yeah. Is that weird? From what I heard from my parents when they were still alive. The main family keeps all the techniques for themselves, so if I wanted to ever start, I would have to leave the clan and join a sect. Or make contributions until I could lend the technique from the main family." Zhenya said, looking a little down again. But right after, he looked expectantly at the spirit again.

The spirit was speechless; the human race was a true mystery to him. Why would they limit themselves so much? He wondered, shrugging; he just let it go. There was nothing he could do about it anyway. After this trial is over, he would return to the immortal world.