The sun had just risen over the peaks when Lin Xu emerged from the mine. The air carried the faint scent of pine and earth, mingling with the nervous chatter of villagers. Today, the outer sect scouts would evaluate potential disciples—those who had reached Qi level 1. For Lin Xu, whose root was still nearly inert, stepping into the crowd was both thrilling and terrifying.
An elder overseeing the warm-up exercises glanced at him, tilting his head thoughtfully. Lin Xu's pulse was faint, almost invisible among the other candidates. "Hmm… possible, but quite rare," the elder murmured under his breath. "Every few years, one awakens from almost nothing… barely enough to qualify." The comment was subtle, quiet enough not to draw undue attention, yet it gave Lin Xu a small spark of reassurance. He was not an anomaly entirely unheard of, just exceedingly uncommon.
Lin Xu nodded and stepped forward. The crowd parted slightly. Xian Yu, a boy with a solid grey root, noticed him immediately and sneered. "Lin Xu, did you bring a pillow? You're going to need it when you collapse." A few candidates snickered quietly. Lin Xu's pulse flickered slightly at the remark, but he had long learned that focus mattered more than pride. Today, his survival alone would count as victory.
The first task was deceptively simple: stabilize Qi in the dantian for several breaths without spilling energy. Lin Xu exhaled slowly, recalling the days in his cave training—the delicate coaxing of the root's faint pulse. The warmth was tiny, flickering like a candle, but after countless repetitions in the solitude of the mine, he had learned to control it just enough to pass observation.
Xian Yu's grey Qi flared immediately, smooth and confident. Other candidates wavered or faltered, their pulses oscillating visibly. Lin Xu's warmth was barely perceptible, but it held, just enough to meet the bare minimum the scouts required. Sweat trickled down his forehead, but he maintained the small, stable orb of energy. The elders watched quietly. To them, this was unremarkable—a rare borderline candidate enduring, as they had seen occasionally before.
"Barely enough," Xian Yu muttered under his breath, assuming failure was inevitable. Yet Lin Xu remained upright, proving that even the most fragile spark could endure under patient care. Murmurs passed through the crowd, some incredulous, some merely curious. Lin Xu allowed a quiet smile. He had survived where others expected him to collapse completely.
As the scouts moved on, the elder approached Lin Xu. "You've held the pulse… barely, but it counts. You may try again in the next round." It was a small concession, a retest opportunity, common for borderline candidates. The boy's survival had not been miraculous, only rare enough to notice, unremarkable enough to leave no mark.
Stepping aside, Lin Xu drew a deep breath. The sun climbed higher, casting long shadows across the courtyard. Somewhere beyond this stage, the life-or-death trial awaited—the moment his original fate had promised would claim him. For now, he had survived on his own training and effort, without the Ledger's interference.
Xian Yu's expression flickered between disbelief and irritation. Lin Xu's survival had not impressed with power, but it had drawn attention nonetheless. He had endured on his own, barely, but enough to reach the next stage. The first step was complete.