The trial continued beneath a blazing sun, the temperature rising alongside the tension in the courtyard. Sweat soaked the clothes of dozens of servant disciples as they fought with desperation—each one clinging to the hope of rising above servitude.
But the atmosphere had changed.
Everywhere, eyes drifted toward one person.
Lian Hong.
Whispers echoed like ghostly threads through the crowd.
"He defeated Dahai in a single exchange…""Is he really still a servant disciple?""I swear he moved like an outer-sect elite!""How did he get so fast!?"
Lian Hong ignored them all.
He stood silent at the edge of the arena, arms folded calmly, expression unreadable. The only thing betraying his concentration was the faint pulse of qi flowing under his skin—a stable, controlled rhythm.
He was ready for the next fight.
And the next.And the next.
But not everyone watched with curiosity.
Some watched with fear.
Some with envy.
And some… with murderous intent.
At the far end of the courtyard
A small group of outer-sect disciples had gathered—curious spectators drawn by the rumors spreading from servant to outer court within a single hour.
Among them, a young man with long black hair and sharp features stood with his arms behind his back. His robe carried a subtle flame insignia.
Wei Changbai.
His eyes were cold, calculating, and filled with a killing desire he did not bother hiding.
"He's grown," Wei murmured. "Too much. Too fast."
A female disciple beside him frowned.
"Senior Brother Wei, you know him?"
"…A little."
The girl blinked.
"Well, he's strong for a servant. But surely not enough to matter?"
Wei Changbai didn't answer.
His gaze remained locked on Lian Hong—studying every movement, every breath, every flicker of aura.
He felt something wrong.Something that shouldn't exist.
"He died," Wei whispered."I made sure of it."
The wind blew, and his robe fluttered in the breeze, but his cold expression did not budge.
"If it's really him…"His voice turned to ice."…then I will finish the job."
Back in the arena
The overseer called out the next match.
"Next! Lian Hong versus—Min Tao!"
Zhou Shan nearly choked on his own saliva."M-Min Tao? Didn't you beat him yesterday?!"
Lian Hong stepped forward calmly.
He didn't intend to injure Min Tao severely, but the boy was a necessary stepping stone—both for the trial and for his own system progression.
Min Tao entered the arena nervously.
His eyes flicked toward Lian Hong.
"L-Look, um… can we maybe… not fight seriously?"
Lian Hong tilted his head.Calm. Quiet.But undeniably intimidating.
"The overseer is watching."
Min Tao whimpered.
Before the match even began, the system chimed softly in Lian Hong's mind:
[Ding!Opponent detected: Lower combat capability.Estimated difficulty: Trivial.]
Lian Hong almost sighed.
This wasn't even a challenge.
"Begin!" the overseer shouted.
To everyone's surprise—
Lian Hong didn't attack.
He simply raised one hand.
"Strike me."
Min Tao blinked. "What?"
"Attack with everything you have."
Min Tao gulped. He glanced around nervously. The crowd stared. The overseer watched.
He had no choice.
Min Tao rushed in with a desperate yell and threw three consecutive punches—
Fast for a servant disciple, but painfully slow for someone with Lian Hong's upgraded stats and battle intuition.
Lian Hong sidestepped the first.Tilted slightly to avoid the second.And tapped the third fist aside with a single finger.
The courtyard fell silent.
Then—
WHOOSH!
Lian Hong moved.
One light step.
A faint afterimage.
He appeared beside Min Tao and gently touched the boy's shoulder.
Min Tao froze.He didn't even understand what happened.
Then—he fell.
Softly.Like a leaf drifting to the ground.
The overseer raised his hand immediately.
"Winner—Lian Hong!"
No one cheered.
No one dared to.
They were too stunned.
Too shaken.
Too confused about how a servant disciple could display a movement technique that even many outer disciples failed to grasp.
At the far end of the spectator area
Wei Changbai's eyebrows twitched as he watched the match.
"That movement…" he muttered.
A younger disciple beside him shook his head.
"It's impossible. Lian Hong was useless. A weakling. Trash. Even if he was somehow alive—he couldn't become this strong in a few days."
Wei Changbai didn't speak.
His jaw tightened just enough to crack the porcelain cup in his hand.
He didn't even notice the fragments falling from his grip.
Back at the arena
As Min Tao was carried away, the overseer stepped forward.
"Next! Jin Xiaoyu versus—"
He paused.Then read the name again.
"Jin Xiaoyu versus Lian Hong."
Zhou Shan collapsed to the ground."Lian Hong, are you cursed?! Why do they keep pairing you with the strongest ones!?"
Lian Hong simply walked forward.
Jin Xiaoyu already waited in the arena, hands on her hips, expression firm but respectful.
"You held back yesterday," she said. "Don't today."
Lian Hong nodded slightly. "I won't."
The overseer raised his arm.
"Begin!"
Xiaoyu dashed forward instantly—faster than any servant so far.
Her legs moved with practiced precision.Her posture stable.Her control impressive.
She wasn't weak.
But she wasn't the one reborn, either.
Lian Hong slid sideways with a fluid motion, letting her strike pass inches from his chest.
Xiaoyu spun, sweeping upward with a palm strike.
Lian Hong countered by shifting his weight and brushing her wrist aside with the barest touch of qi reinforcement.
Their eyes met briefly.
Xiaoyu's widened.
"That footwork… you're at least Third Layer!"
"Correct."
He stepped forward—
—and the wind cracked.
BAM!
A palm strike landed on Xiaoyu's shoulder—not enough to injure, but enough to send her sliding across the arena before she hit the ground, gasping.
Silence.
Then Shen, one of the senior servants, muttered:
"That wasn't servant-level movement… that looked like a genuine sect technique."
The overseer slowly lowered his arm.
"Winner—Lian Hong."
At that moment
Wei Changbai's aura spiked faintly.
The female disciple beside him took a step back.
"S-Senior Brother… your killing intent…"
He forced his aura down, eyes never leaving Lian Hong.
"That boy…"His voice cracked with disbelief and nascent fury,"…should not exist."