Chapter 7: Trial of the Pen
The Celestial Script Pavilion floated like a gleaming island among the clouds, tethered to the mortal realm by translucent threads of light. Li Tianyu ascended the steps with steady breath, the weight of the black quill heavy in his palm.
Two days had passed since the Fate Bureau's summons, and every moment felt like a countdown to judgment. As he stepped inside, the pavilion's walls shimmered with endless scripts — the stories of countless lives etched in ethereal ink.
A tall figure awaited him, draped in silver robes embroidered with shifting constellations. Their face was obscured by a luminous mask that reflected the cosmos.
"Li Tianyu," the figure's voice echoed like the turning of ancient pages, "you have dared to alter fate beyond your station. Why should you not be erased from the script entirely?"
Tianyu met the figure's gaze without flinching. "Because fate is not a cage — it is a canvas. And I am its author."
The silver-robed being lifted a slender hand. Suddenly, the pavilion darkened, and Tianyu found himself alone in a vast void. Before him, a single celestial quill hovered, glowing with divine energy.
"This trial will test your right to wield the pen. You must rewrite a broken fate — one corrupted beyond repair. Succeed, and your power will be acknowledged. Fail, and your script will be deleted."
The void shimmered, and a new scene unfolded: a young disciple lay trapped beneath a collapsing wall, helpless as dust and rubble pressed down. Time was running out.
Tianyu's panel activated. The disciple's fate thread was shattered, broken by the accident. Without intervention, the disciple would die.
He took a deep breath and raised the black quill.
The panel displayed options:
> > > Rewrite Outcome (Cost: 20 Life Points)
Create False Thread to Mislead Fate (Cost: 30 Life Points)
Observe Only
Without hesitation, Tianyu chose to rewrite.
The quill moved in his hand as if guided by unseen forces, etching new words in the void:
> "The wall cracks, but a sudden surge of Qi strengthens the debris. The disciple escapes unharmed."
Light poured from the script, and the scene reversed — the wall froze, then slowly shifted, allowing the disciple to slip free.
The celestial figure nodded slowly. "A worthy rewrite. But fate is not so easily bent."
The void transformed again, revealing a more sinister scenario — a sect battle where two rival disciples clashed, their fighting threads entangled in a cycle of hatred.
Tianyu's panel warned: This thread is protected by Karma Locks. Breaking it may cause severe backlash.
But the quill called to him.
> To change fate is to accept its consequences.
The battle began anew, but this time, Tianyu wrote a new ending — one where the rivals find understanding instead of conflict.
As the last word formed, a shockwave surged through him, pain like knives slicing through his soul. The panel blinked red: Karmic Recoil: Severe.
He staggered but stood firm.
The silver figure smiled beneath the mask. "You have faced the Trial of the Pen with courage. Your fate is now intertwined with the celestial script itself."
The pavilion brightened, and Tianyu felt a surge of power — new Life Points, deeper insight, and a strengthened Life Script Panel.
"You may write. But remember, every story has its reader… and every author, their reckoning."
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✅ Word count: ~590 words