A few moments ago…
Mo Yan and Yu Sui were standing at the entrance to the sealed cave when Master Fung Shu-ri approached them. His eyes held a glint of silent pride, but his face remained serious. His voice, filled with ancient wisdom, was laced with warning.
"Inside this cave, you will find a stone altar, and upon it rests a golden scroll. Centuries ago, the collective essence of ancient spiritual powers was contained within this single scroll. Only those chosen by the golden scroll can hope to harness such power."
Behind them, the disciples fell silent; even the trees bent to listen. The crowd stood stunned, their gaze fixed on the scene. Master Fung's voice echoed once again.
"That gold is not for the greedy; it is meant to test the purity of your hearts. If any of you try to steal it, or if your intentions are tainted with malice, the scroll will burn you to ashes right there. But if your hearts are true and your spirits are willing, the protective line of fire will disappear."
Master Fung slowly stepped aside, paving their way.
"Step forward one by one. The scroll will open and ask for a drop of your blood. Upon acceptance, your spirit Beast will appear. It will carve its mark on your back, and from that moment on, it will reside within that mark."
Mo Yan and Yu Sui exchanged a quiet, lingering glance. For the last time, Master Fung's voice echoed.
"There is a sacred rule you must follow: After summoning your Beast, you must stand face to face and speak their names aloud. If the spirits clash, this test will end immediately. But if they recognize each other, unite, the path ahead will be clear. Remember to bow to the sacred text at the beginning and end."
He stepped back completely.
"Now... enter."
As they approached, the cave's ancient doors creaked open, enveloping them in a wave of primordial peace. As soon as they crossed the threshold, the doors slammed shut behind them. No one looked back. They walked forward shoulder to shoulder, as if the outside world had been sealed off.
Inside the cave...
Dimly lit stone walls stood in their way, stretching out like a long, endless corridor. At the far end, as described, the golden scroll, engraved with forgotten spells, glowed on a black altar. A fierce flame engulfed it, leaving the sacred relic untouched.
Yu Sui was the first to step forward. He reached the burning edge and, prostrating deeply, bowed before the golden scroll with utmost reverence. As he raised his head, the line of fire flared up rapidly and then faded into ashes.
He crossed the line and stood before the scroll. It radiated such intense light as if a fragment of the sun were bound to the altar. Suddenly, the scroll creaked open, revealing its pages as white and spotless as fresh snow.
Knowing the scroll needed blood, Yu Sui drew his sword. He pressed his finger against the sharp edge of the sword until a drop of blood emerged. He placed his hand on the pure pages and let the drop fall. The blood instantly absorbed the paper. Yu Sui gasped and stepped back.
Immediately, a blinding blue light burst from the book. As the blue rays pierced the darkness of the cave, Yu Sui retreated further. The book trembled violently, and then suddenly, a deep silence fell. The light spread. For a moment, it seemed as if time had stopped. Even Mo Yan, standing at a distance, watched in amazement. Then, with a shrill cry, a magnificent phoenix, surrounded by blue flames and with captivating violet eyes, rose from the blue light.
Yu Sui's eyes widened. Before him stood a huge phoenix, its body made of divine blue fire, its wings spread across the narrow cave. The phoenix closed its eyes. At that very moment, a burning sensation spread across Yu Sui's back, beneath his robes, and the phoenix's symbol was imprinted on his skin, reaching up to his neck. The creature bowed its head respectfully before Yu Sui and then disappeared into the symbol on his back.
Yu Sui stood stunned, bathed in the glow of that light. A few moments later, he turned to Mo Yan, sheathed his sword, and stepped back, smiling.
"Now it's your turn," he said teasingly. "Just try to avoid getting burned... dry leaf."
Mo Yan glared at him sternly and stepped forward.
Now it was Mo Yan's turn.
Like Yu Sui, he bowed his head reverently. The border turned to ash, and he stepped inside. At first, the book remained still, but as Mo Yan approached, it opened to the same immaculate white pages. Mo Yan drew his sword, cut his finger, and offered his blood.
This time, the book burst into fierce, vibrant white flames. Light, like a broken moon, spread across the room. Mo Yan stepped back, his gaze fixed on the trembling book.
Suddenly, a powerful burst of white light erupted, and from the flames emerged a beautiful, serpentine dragon, shining like pure moonlight. It circled in the air once before bowing its head toward Mo Yan. As the dragon closed its eyes, a serpentine mark appeared on Mo Yan's back. With a final roar that shook the cave, the dragon dissolved into the mark.
Mo Yan's breathing quickened, his eyes wide with shock.
He returned to Yu Sui. The two looked at each other, then stood face to face. There was silence for a moment. Then, both raised their hands and called out the names of their spirits.
"Bai Long," Mo Yan said.
"Lan Zhe," Yu Sui called.
The dragon and phoenix appeared once again, hovering in the air behind their masters. The two spirits looked into each other's eyes. For a few seconds, the atmosphere was filled with tension. Then, in an expression of ancient recognition, the two animals bowed their heads and bowed to each other.
Yu Sui and Mo Yan then knew they had passed the test. It was time to leave. But as they turned toward the altar, two strands of dazzling white silk fluttered in the air. One wrapped tightly around Yu Sui's left wrist; the other tied around Mo Yan's right wrist. The silk was transparent and shone with an ethereal light that neither fire nor sword could cut.
Both froze, their gaze fixed on their wrists. Thousands of unanswered questions floated in the air.
This wasn't a new spell. It was the same binding curse that Queen Guzuie had placed on them twenty years ago. The presence of the spirit animals had fully awakened it. The thread, once invisible, was now impossible to ignore.
They were bound. Not by choice, not by mere fate, but by something far older than both of them. Something deeper than blood.