Chapter 16
The Trial of Conscience was the sword wielded by Grandmaster Chronos, a second–generation student at First Unity Coven.
He was known as a prodigy unmatched in a millennium; he had been one step away from ascension to the higher realm. But during a trial, his core shattered.
He died, his soul having been erased from existence. No one ever found out why. But his sword remained.
Because it was soaked in blood and radiated a murderous aura, it had been locked away in the deepest reaches of the Spire of Blades.
Yet now, this artifact had broken free of its bonds and soared into the open. This shocked not only Byron but also Laura and Craig. Even they couldn’t make sense of it.
‘An artifact. Did Linda just awaken it?” Byron watched as the Trial of Conscience, the sword that kept the Spire’s Aegis in check, suddenly erupted with a fierce glow.
Its demonic aura overwhelmed every ethereal blade around, as if it was challenging every sword in existence. It was shielding the person inside the array.
‘What did she do inside the Trial of Conscience?” Byron murmured. He wasn’t the only one curious. Every elder with their eyes glued to the scene looked just as lost.
At the peak of the frost–crowned highlands, a man with white hair and hazel eyes turned his gaze toward the Spire of Blades.
For a moment, his eyes flashed with a light the same shade as the blood–red clouds rising into the sky. “It’s back…” His whisper was carried away by the wind.
The Trial of Conscience stood upright in the heart of the formation. Within the illusion realm, the desert city around Linda faded away.
The young mage sat cross–legged, floating in midair, and declared, “The path of my heart is the righteous path.”
Linda turned to him and answered without a second thought, “Yes. What I believe in is the path itself.”
The young mage glanced at Linda and asked, “Kid, are you going for the Way of the Wanderer?”
Linda shook her head. “No. I can’t pretend to be above it all. I love money, even if I’m not obsessed with it.
‘I get resentful and jealous, and I have desires. These are my flaws, and I never try to hide them. I’m not going to cut them out of myself.
“The way of an unfettered heart. Maybe it’s freedom, maybe it’s something else. I still don’t know what it really is, but I’m going to trust my gut and walk my own road.
‘Right or wrong, I call the shots. My path is mine alone. No one gets to put a label on it.”
Linda’s expression was calm, her gaze steady ahead. The desert storm raged, and shadows danced and threatened to fade away, but her resolve never faltered.
“Well said,” the young mage exclaimed, his eyes bright as he looked at Linda. “Then I shall accompany you on this stretch of the journey, to explore this path of life together.”
Suddenly, the sandstorm ahead was sliced open. A sword came flying out of nowhere and landed right in front of Linda.
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Chapter 16
It was definitely not the one she grabbed earlier. This was an ancient sword, solid blue from tip to hilt.
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No ornate patterns, just a regular sword, nothing special to look at. But it was pouring out a powerful demonic aura.
Linda gave the mage a sideways glance. He arched his brow with a smirk. “Scared?” he teased.
Trying to get a rise out of me, huh?‘ Linda thought. ‘Pretty lame. But I gotta admit, it works.”
The mage said, “Like you said, your path isn’t for anyone else to define. And neither is this sword.
“Whether it’s a malific blade or a celestial one, that all depends on who’s holding it. The Trial of Conscience does not judge one’s path, only one’s heart.”
Linda reached out and grabbed the sword. It trembled fiercely, almost wrenching itself free, but Linda held on tight. When one hand wasn’t enough, she clamped down with both.
Within her body, five gilded cores spun wildly. Five streams of mana surged from her body, coiling around the sword and herself, aiding their fusion.
The young mage watched from the side, his expression solemn yet touched with genuine admiration.
Every elder stared as the malific aura clinging to the Trial of Conscience slowly faded, replaced by the swirling Quintessential Weave.
Then, all at once, it burst into a brilliant white light, flooding the entire Spire of Blades.
Kermit, Laurence, and Byron jolted upright. A celestial glow wrapped around the sword, and the Script of Truth–Seeking shimmered into view. It read, [Celestial.]
Craig stared up at the glowing word hanging in the sky, dumbfounded. “Celestial aptitude.”
Rafael blinked in confusion. “Wait, what does that mean?”
Craig explained, “The Trial of Conscience grades one’s potential as mortal, spirit, or celestial. Typically, a mortal rating meant one was an ordinary human, unfit for cultivation.
“Most of us who can cultivate get ranked as spirit, and that splits into four tiers: Mundane, Terrestrial, Astral, and Ascendant.
“I’m a Terrestrial Spirit, Laura’s a Mundane Spirit, and above all, there is Celestial. But…”
He continued, “All these years, First Unity Coven has only ever seen one Celestial. That was our ancestor, the one who ascended ages ago.”
Rafael covered his face with his fan. “So, does this mean Linda’s really something else?”
Craig muttered, “Something else? That’s an understatement.” Even the path she has chosen was incredible. Otherwise, the Trial of Conscience would never have acknowledged her.
“There’s another word,” Laura suddenly said. Only then did the character next to “Celestial” reveal itself to their eyes. It was faint, yet it could not be ignored. It was “Demon.”
Craig scratched his nose, too stunned to say anything. He thought, ‘Who would’ve thought the most well–behaved girl had the makings of a demon?‘
The commotion above the Spire of Blades lasted for a while before fading away. Once the barrier dropped, Laura was the first to rush in, followed closely by Byron.
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In the middle of the storm of blades, Linda stood alone, gripping a blue sword in one hand and holding onto the brocade box with the other. Byron stopped in his tracks.
“Linda, Craig called out. His shout snapped Linda out of her daze.
Linda turned to Byron, cupped her hands in salute, her tone steady and composed. She said, “Mr. Kelly.”
Even after a month there, she still addressed him distantly. Byron picked up on it, too. He knew that she still hadn’t truly embraced First Unity Coven.
“So this is the artifact? Why does it look so plain? Think we could sell it?” Rafael said, already trying to grab the Trial of Conscience before Craig could react.
Craig shouted, “Hey, don’t touch that.” A surge of sword energy instantly repelled Rafael, sending him flying back until he landed dizzily some distance away.
The others startled, instinctively stepping away from Linda. Linda frowned slightly, subtly pressing her hand against the
sword.
Instantly, all that crushing aura faded away. Byron caught it, too. His face twisted with even more mixed emotions.
“Damn it, the Trial of Conscience actually picked her,” Toney sent through their mind–link.
Byron replied, “Not just picked her. It’s actually protecting her now.”
Toney said, “Get it back.”
Byron shot back, “If you’re so tough, why don’t you try?”
Toney said, “Seriously? Can’t you even handle a rookie in the Mana–Stoking Phase? Byron, your sword skills are getting rusty.”
Byron stayed calm. “It’s not her I can’t beat. It’s the sword. The second I got close, it zeroed in on me. Striking Rafael was a warning meant for me.”
Toney was speechless for a moment. He said, “Isn’t this against the rules? That’s our ancestor’s sword.”
Byron said, “Yeah, a newbie’s wielding a sword with more seniority than any of us. If she’s the chosen one for the Trial of Conscience, are we supposed to call her Grandmaster now?”
Toney snapped, “Shut up, Byron. Seriously, when are you going to get your ass back here? I can’t manage your Verdant Ridge anymore.”
‘It’s fine; just make sure you don’t burn the whole place down,” Byron said.
“Almost did,” Toney said.
Seeing the conversation derail, Byron reminded, “So, what do we do with her? The Trial of Conscience is straight–up shielding her.
‘But by tradition, after passing the trial, she must be accepted as a student. If we don’t take her in, she’ll have to pack up and go, and the sword goes back to us.”
But right now, they couldn’t get the Trial of Conscience back. It seemed like they were taking her in.
Byron thought it over. “If none of you want to take her in, I guess I’ll have to bite the bullet-”
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Before he could finish, Laurence interrupted with a dry cough. “Or you could just let me take her. My clockwork arts still need a successor.”
Aurelio chimed in, “Hey, I can take her, too.”
Matthew retorted, “Aurelio, shut up. You don’t even have time for that boy Craig you brought in.”
Alan, the eldest senior, cut in, his tone blunt. “Give her to me.”
Matthew shot back, “Alan, you haven’t shown your face in twenty years. You really think you’ve got time to mentor?”
Calvin, the second senior, chimed in, “If Alan’s too busy, I’ve got the time.”
Byron was speechless. ‘Didn’t you guys just say she was a Shadow Caster?‘ he thought.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
