Chapter 8: Ice Phoenix Trial

The sun had not yet risen, but the Sky Sword Sect buzzed with anticipation.

Disciples from all ranks—outer, inner, and even a few core—gathered near the towering Glacier Stone Plaza, where an ancient monument stood half-buried in ice. The surface shimmered with faint blue symbols, etched by time and sealed by formation masters of old.

Once every five years, the Ice Phoenix Trial was held here.

It was a rare opportunity—only those under the age of twenty and below the King Realm were permitted. The trial was said to be left behind by an Ancient Ice Phoenix from the early days of the sect's founding, and only those with affinity to ice could enter.

Lin Tian arrived quietly, his Frostbite Sword sheathed across his back, a plain black robe hiding his lean frame.

Still, dozens turned their heads when he appeared.

> "He's the one who beat two peak outer disciples in two strikes."

"That sword—heaven-grade, right?"

"Didn't he used to be expelled?"

"Isn't he the one Han Yi tried to kill?"

He ignored them all.

His gaze locked onto the ancient monument ahead.

A familiar voice snorted nearby. "Oh, look. The sword-picking stray dog came to bark again."

It was Wei Long, an inner disciple under Han Yi's faction. Muscles like steel cords, but half a brain, with a talent for mockery and a tongue sharper than his saber.

Lin Tian didn't respond—until Wei Long stepped into his path.

"Hey, Ice Boy," he grinned, tapping Lin Tian's chest. "You shouldn't waste your time here. This trial's for real talents—"

Crack.

Wei Long's finger bent the wrong way.

Lin Tian didn't even blink. "Next time you point at me, I'll take the hand."

Wei Long screamed, clutching his hand, red with swelling. Laughter erupted from the outer disciples. A few inner sect members blinked in shock.

"Y-You—!"

"Trash shouldn't test swords," Lin Tian said calmly and walked forward.

---

Moments Later – Trial Gate Activation

The ancient monument pulsed. Blue light burst into the sky as an icy formation spread beneath the plaza. Elders floated above, hands raised.

"The trial is open," Elder Mo declared. "Those with Ice Affinity or those who dare to temper themselves in the cold may enter."

A shimmering portal of frost appeared, humming with spiritual energy.

Lin Tian stepped forward first. A disciple beside him hesitated.

> "You're not afraid?" he whispered.

"I've already died once," Lin Tian said flatly, and stepped through the gate.

---

Inside the Trial Realm

He landed in a vast frozen canyon under a lavender sky, surrounded by icy cliffs and glacial winds that could flay flesh from bone. Dozens of disciples appeared seconds later, shivering instantly.

"W-what is this place?!"

"Cold... so cold! I can't circulate my qi properly!"

Lin Tian felt none of that. The Eternal Frost Scripture inside him circulated naturally, absorbing the biting cold like nourishment.

Suddenly, an ancient voice echoed across the sky.

> "Welcome, inheritors. Only those who prove their will, spirit, and intent may obtain the Phoenix's legacy."

> "First trial: Walk the Frozen Bridge of Will."

---

A vast, translucent bridge appeared between two cliffs—suspended over a bottomless abyss. Frost wind howled across it, forming illusions of terrifying beasts, bone-chilling whispers, and phantom swords.

It was a Will Trial—one designed to suppress the weak-willed and destroy their concentration.

Lin Tian stepped forward.

Each step he took, the illusions intensified—visions of Han Yi laughing, the sect cheering at his downfall, his parents dying, his body freezing alone in the valley.

But he did not stop.

The sword in his heart remained steady.

Midway across the bridge, the icy wind changed—this time to a howling blizzard of cold concepts.

He could sense them: faint fragments of Ice Intent, floating like snowflakes in the storm.

> Comprehension... begins here.

He closed his eyes mid-step, allowing the storm to swirl around him.

While others screamed or knelt from the pressure, Lin Tian stood calm.

His mind entered a silent space.

There, in the center of his consciousness, a snowflake hovered.

One thought echoed:

> Freeze.

The snowflake pulsed. His body shivered—not from cold, but from resonance.

> You have awakened: Basic Ice Intent.

Lin Tian's eyes opened. His foot touched the other side of the bridge.

He had passed the first trial. And with it, unlocked the next stage of his Dao.