The shimmering portal of the Fourth Trial faded behind Lin Tian, casting him into a vast, empty space. Here, the sky did not exist. There was no earth beneath his feet, no horizon in sight—only pure, unbroken white light stretching into infinity. It was neither warm nor cold, neither welcoming nor hostile. It simply was.
Then the world stirred.
A great rumbling filled the void, like the groan of a forgotten god awakening from a thousand-year sleep. In the distance—or perhaps directly before him, for distance was meaningless here—a titanic gate appeared, suspended in the nothingness.
Lin Tian inhaled deeply as his gaze swept over it.
The Gate of Ascension.
It towered above him, vast beyond imagining. Its frame was carved from jade and starmetal, latticed with intricate golden veins that pulsed gently, like the heartbeat of a sleeping dragon. Along its arch ran ancient runes—letters older than the sect, older than the empire, older than memory itself.
Above the archway, inscribed in characters of living light, were five words:
"Fifth Trial: The Gate of Ascension."
A pressure settled over Lin Tian's body and soul—not crushing, but oppressive in its sheer significance. He was no longer being tested by illusion or combat or desire. This was the oldest, purest trial of all.
The trial of choice.
A voice echoed from the gate itself. Not male or female. Not young or old. A voice of heaven.
"Lin Tian. Mortal of Azure Moon Sect. You have cleared the lesser trials. You stand now at the threshold of transcendence."
The gate pulsed once, and a swirling vision opened before him.
He saw a version of himself—bathed in golden light, robed in celestial silk, his eyes glowing with immortal power. He stood atop a palace in the sky, surrounded by cloud cities and spirit beasts, untouched by worldly concerns.
"Ascend," the voice whispered. "Become immortal. Leave behind the pain of mortal flesh. Walk forever in the heavens, unbound by sorrow... or love."
The image shifted.
Lin Tian's friends—Yue Qingyan, Su Meiyu, Jiang Yuyan—stood far below, still bound to the earth. Their hair silvered. Their faces aged. Forgotten.
The voice was soft.
"Rise above them. Be free. Eternal."
Then the gate shimmered again, and another vision unfolded.
This time, he saw himself unchanged—standing among the sect's halls, laughing with Su Meiyu in the elder gardens, listening to Jiang Yuyan's quiet warnings, training side by side with Yue Qingyan beneath the moonlight. Battles raged. Enemies came. But they stood together. They struggled. They grew.
But his life would end.
One day, no matter how high he climbed, death would claim him.
The voice spoke once more.
"Remain mortal. Keep your attachments. Keep your pain. And die."
Lin Tian closed his eyes, feeling the weight of that truth settle in his chest.
Behind him, the path home glimmered faintly.
Before him, the Gate of Ascension pulsed with divine promise.
His heart stirred.
"Why must power demand emptiness?" Lin Tian murmured aloud. "Why must strength cost everything else?"
No answer came.
But he knew.
This was the oldest choice. The path of countless cultivators before him.
Ascend alone, or remain and suffer.
His hands clenched slowly at his sides.
Yue Qingyan's quiet gaze flashed in his mind—her fear of losing control, her desire to hold power and love together.
Su Meiyu's teasing grin, her soft moments when she thought no one watched.
Jiang Yuyan's burdened pride, her hidden heart behind the phoenix crown.
Could he throw all that away for cold eternity?
"No," he whispered.
His eyes opened, clear and sharp.
"I reject your choice."
The light trembled.
"I will not abandon the world I fought to change. I will climb higher—but with them beside me. With every flaw, every sorrow, every joy. I will walk the mortal path... until I force the heavens themselves to change."
The gate pulsed, golden lines cracking.
"To be immortal without purpose is no life. To suffer and burn is the right of the living. I will bear that weight."
The voice returned—no longer calm, but shaken.
"Few have refused. Fewer still survive."
"I am not them," Lin Tian said softly.
The gate shuddered violently. Cracks raced along its surface, light pouring from its wounds.
"You cannot pass unless you choose!"
"I have chosen," Lin Tian said.
And he turned his back on the Gate of Ascension.
A brilliant light exploded behind him, washing the void in gold and silver. The gate crumbled into stardust.
The voice whispered a final time, quiet... almost reverent.
"Fifth Trial... overcome. Mortal path... honored."
The light of the portal home opened before him.
Lin Tian smiled.
And walked into it.
Azure Moon Sect – Obsidian Platform
The great stone portal flared with blue-white fire.
Elders and disciples stood frozen in silence. The tension was thick as iron, every breath held.
Then, without warning, the light burst outward—and a single figure stepped onto the stone platform.
Lin Tian.
His black hair drifted in the wind. His robes, burned at the edges by spiritual fire, fluttered lightly. His gaze was steady, sharp as a sword freshly drawn.
The crowd gasped.
"He survived..."
"He cleared the Fifth Trial..."
"Is he still mortal…?"
Yue Qingyan pressed a hand to her chest, relief flooding her heart.
"He returned…" she whispered.
Jiang Yuyan smiled faintly. "As himself."
Su Meiyu grinned from the courtyard wall, her golden eyes gleaming.
"I knew you wouldn't let go, Tian…"
Lin Tian raised his hand gently.
"Brothers. Sisters. Elders of Azure Moon," he said softly—but his voice carried across the whole mountain. "I remain as I was. Lin Tian. Mortal. Human. Walker of the path we all share."
Whispers swept the platform.
He had refused ascension.
Chosen the harder road.
And become something no cultivator had ever been before.
A man strong enough to defy heaven itself—and smile.
Crimson Pavilion – Nightfall
Jiang Yuyan stood alone on her balcony, watching the stars burn in the high sky.
"He chose the impossible path…" she murmured.
Behind her, Su Meiyu appeared, tails flicking lazily.
"Of course he did. Would've been boring otherwise."
Jiang smiled. "He's going to turn this world upside down."
"And I'll enjoy every moment of it."
In the distant sanctuary, Yue Qingyan sat alone in her meditation chamber, a quiet smile on her lips, her heart at last at peace.
Lin Tian lived.
And the future was no longer certain.
End of Chapter 43