Chapter 13: Summons of the S
The morning mist clung to the mountainside as bells rang across the Azure Tide Sect. Deep, resonant chimes rolled through the cliffs, echoing over the sea.
Lin Feng stepped out of his hut, the cool air brushing against his face. Around him, other outer disciples emerged one by one, drawn by the solemn sound. Some looked anxious, others eager.
"The summoning bell," one murmured. "It's been years since they called all of us at once."
Lin Feng said nothing, but his gaze drifted upward. The bells were not ordinary summons. They carried weight—an unseen tide pressing down upon the disciples' hearts.
The narrow paths wound toward the central plaza, where a vast stone square opened before the sect's ancient totem: a spiraling pillar carved with waves, clouds, and lightning arcs. At its peak sat a shell-shaped lamp, its flame faint but enduring.
Hundreds of disciples gathered, forming ripples of chatter. Outer sect robes fluttered like waves in the morning breeze.
"Do you think it's a sect competition?" someone asked.
"No… the elders wouldn't ring the bells for something so simple."
"Then… is it an announcement of war?" another whispered nervously.
The speculation swelled like a rising tide. Lin Feng remained near the back, observing quietly. He felt no fear, only a strange anticipation. The sparks from last night still lingered in his veins, faint but alive, like a secret flame hidden beneath his skin.
Soon, the elders appeared. One by one, azure-robed figures stepped into the plaza, their presence settling the crowd into silence. At their head stood Elder Zhao, the man whose eyes had first widened at Lin Feng's awakening.
He looked over the disciples, his gaze sharp as a fisherman's hook.
"Young ones," he said, his voice carrying easily across the plaza. "Today, the sect opens an opportunity that has not been granted in many years. A test to temper both body and spirit. The Sea Spirit Trial."
A wave of whispers swept the disciples. Some eyes lit with excitement, others dimmed with fear.
Lin Feng's heart stirred at the unfamiliar name. Sea Spirit Trial?
Elder Zhao raised his hand, and the plaza fell silent once more.
"In the coming days, all of you shall prepare. Few will be chosen, fewer still will succeed. But remember this: the sea rewards courage… and devours the unworthy."
The words hung heavy in the morning air. The disciples shifted uneasily, their youthful bravado tempered by the weight of what was to come.
Lin Feng lowered his eyes, deep in thought. He did not yet know what the trial was, nor why it had been opened now. But in his veins, the faint spark of lightning flickered, as though urging him forward.
Far above, hidden within the mist, Sect Master Yun watched in silence. His gaze lingered not on the crowd, but on the lone youth standing at the edge of the gathering.
The storm's seed had been sown.