The wind had shifted that morning, carrying with it a chill that unsettled even the seasoned disciples of the sect. Li Chen stood at the edge of the clearing, sword drawn, eyes scanning every rustle of leaves and flicker of light. Xu Ming was beside him, chaos qi swirling with a hint of nervous excitement.
"This… doesn't feel like a normal disturbance," Xu Ming muttered, tightening his grip on his training blade. "It's… deliberate. Focused."
Li Chen's expression remained calm, though his Golden Core pulsed faintly. "Correct. The upper realm doesn't act without purpose. This is a proxy, testing us directly."
From the mist at the far end of the clearing, a figure emerged. Clad in flowing robes that shimmered faintly with ethereal light, the envoy's presence alone made the ground hum with suppressed power. Eyes like polished obsidian locked on Li Chen and Xu Ming.
"Li Chen," the envoy said, voice calm but carrying an unnatural authority, "I am here under the command of your higher realm overseers. Your recent growth cannot be ignored. We wish to… evaluate your abilities."
Xu Ming blinked. "Evaluate? You mean… attack us?"
Li Chen's lips twitched. "Diplomatic evaluation. Upper realm style. Brace yourself."
The envoy moved first. A faint ripple of energy surged outward, probing and testing, seeking weaknesses in coordination, reaction speed, and control. Xu Ming exhaled chaos qi, his Five Elements flaring, while Li Chen projected sword intent, weaving a protective lattice around them both.
The envoy's attack was precise, elegant, almost surgical—each strike aimed to force mistakes rather than outright kill. Yet even a single misstep could prove fatal. Xu Ming's chaos qi flared wildly, reacting instinctively to the envoy's probing strikes, while Li Chen's Golden Core sword intent nudged, guided, and corrected the energy in real time.
Xu Ming shouted, "Master! I can feel it! The energy—it's like it's trying to talk to us!"
Li Chen smirked faintly. "Yes. Upper realm energy has a certain arrogance. Let's reply politely… with violence."
Their first coordinated strike collided with the envoy's attack. Chaos qi and sword intent intertwined perfectly, creating a radiant arc that deflected the upper-realm energy while pushing back with controlled force. Sparks flew, leaves shredded, and the ground trembled beneath their combined resonance.
The envoy tilted his head slightly, clearly impressed. "Interesting… your synchronization is unusual for disciples of a lower realm sect. I expected chaos… not harmony."
Xu Ming, puffing and covered in dust, muttered, "Harmony… right. I think I just invented a new type of bruising."
Li Chen ignored the joke but pressed his advantage, subtly adjusting the flow of sword intent to encourage Xu Ming's chaos qi to anticipate and counter the envoy's probing strikes. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, they began to turn defense into offense, forcing the envoy to adjust mid-strike.
Minutes stretched, the air thick with energy and tension. Xu Ming's body was pushed to its limits, every breath and movement requiring perfect coordination with Li Chen. Yet he found himself smiling amid the chaos. "I… I'm actually keeping up! And I didn't explode… much!"
Li Chen's eyes flickered, approving. "Good. But don't get cocky. This is still a test. Focus on flow, not spectacle."
The envoy launched a sudden surge—a concentrated strike designed to overwhelm both simultaneously. Xu Ming reacted instinctively, chaos qi forming a protective vortex while Li Chen's sword intent struck at the edges, stabilizing and redirecting the energy. The clash created a brief shockwave, tossing dust and debris into the air.
For a moment, the clearing was silent. Then the envoy's figure stepped back, evaluating. "Impressive. Lower realm disciples, yet capable of cooperation and control that would rival many mid-level upper realm disciples. Your growth is… notable."
Xu Ming groaned, wiping sweat from his brow. "Notable… right. Can we go now before the compliments become stabbing attacks?"
Li Chen's lips twitched with faint amusement. "Always pragmatic."
As the envoy faded into the mist, leaving behind a subtle ripple of upper-realm energy, both Li Chen and Xu Ming exhaled heavily. The encounter had been a trial—not lethal, but extremely revealing.
Xu Ming glanced at his master, excitement and awe mingled with exhaustion. "We… we survived… and we actually did it! We coordinated perfectly!"
Li Chen's Golden Core radiated faint warmth. "Yes. But remember—upper realm attention is rarely benevolent. This is the first ripple. Soon, tests may come that don't leave you a choice."
Xu Ming frowned, uncertainty flickering across his face. "Then… we just keep training?"
Li Chen's gaze softened. "Yes. Train. Grow. Trust each other. And maybe… try not to explode the training grounds while doing it."
Xu Ming laughed. "I'll try my best… but no promises."
The sun set, casting long shadows over the forest clearing, and for the first time, both realized that their growth had already attracted attention far beyond their world. The trials ahead would not only test their cultivation but their bond, trust, and ingenuity.
And somewhere above, the upper realm's eyes watched, plotting the next move in a game that had only just begun.