The Azure Tide Sect's great hall stood upon a cliff that faced the endless sea. Its pillars were carved from coral stone, its roof tiled with dark shells polished by salt and wind. On nights like this, the tide roared below, as though echoing the voices within.
Inside, the elders gathered around a long table of driftwood as ancient as the sect itself. Lanterns swayed in the draft, casting wavering shadows across their faces.
At the head sat Sect Master Yun Haoran, his hair white as sea-foam, his gaze calm yet sharp as the horizon after a storm. Around him, twelve elders in azure robes leaned forward, each carrying their own air of pride and weariness.
Elder Zhao, the one who had first witnessed Lin Feng's awakening, broke the silence.
"I will speak plainly. The boy carries the Storm Vein Constitution. I saw it with my own eyes — lightning devoured into his body, wind and water drawn to his breath. It is not rumor, not chance. The bloodline is real."
Murmurs rose like waves.
Elder Han, his voice deep as a bell, frowned.
"Storm Veins… That constitution vanished from the Endless Seas generations ago. And now it appears in a common outer disciple? Preposterous."
Another elder, sharp-eyed and thin-lipped, tapped the table.
"Even if it is real, what then? Storm Veins are both a gift and a curse. Those who bore it in the past were consumed by their own power before reaching maturity."
Elder Zhao's gaze hardened. "Then should we strangle the seed before it sprouts? Are we so afraid of a youth that we dare not test his fate?"
The hall quieted.
Sect Master Yun raised his hand. His voice was calm, yet it carried over the storm outside.
"Fear has merit. Caution has merit. But so does opportunity."
He let his words settle before continuing.
"The Storm Veins, if nurtured, could raise our sect beyond its current bounds. If mishandled, they may destroy both the boy and those around him. The question is not whether he is dangerous. It is whether we will guide him — or cast him adrift."
Several elders exchanged uneasy glances.
Elder Mei, the only woman among them, spoke softly.
"There is a way. The Sea Spirit Trial. It has not been opened for outer disciples in many years. If he survives, the Storm Veins will prove their worth. If he fails… then the sea will claim him, and we will lose nothing."
Silence followed. The elders weighed her suggestion like anchors in their minds.
At last, Sect Master Yun nodded once.
"Very well. The boy shall enter the Sea Spirit Trial. No whispers, no hints. He must face it as he is, unprepared. If he survives, we shall decide how to proceed. If not…"
He did not finish the sentence. He did not need to. The tide below crashed against the cliff, thundering like an unspoken verdict.
The lanterns swayed once more, shadows twisting across the ancient hall. Decisions had been cast, though the boy in his hut by the shore knew nothing of the tide that was about to rise against him.