Dawn.
The first ray of sunlight pierced the eastern sky, spilling over the Azure Spirit Sect like a blade of gold.
Most new disciples were still asleep.
But the elite training grounds—hidden at the northern plateau—were already awake.
Qi churned through the air.Explosions rang out from sparring rings.Disciples leapt between stone pillars, creating shockwaves with every strike.
This was not the outer sect's training yard.
This was a battlefield of geniuses.
A place where weakness died.
Arrival
Lian Hong walked up the stone steps leading to the elite grounds, his shadow long in the morning light.
Zhou Shan followed behind, trembling violently.
"Bro… bro… I can feel murderous intent from fifty meters away… one of them looked at me… and my knees almost gave out…"
Lian Hong didn't respond.
His gaze swept across the platform.
There were about thirty disciples.
Not many.
But each one…
carried power like coiled serpents.
They noticed him almost instantly.
"Who's that?""The newcomer?""That's the servant everyone's talking about.""He defeated five? Killed assassins? Tch, rumors."
Sneers.Bored glances.Hostile stares.
They weren't impressed.
They weren't respectful.
They looked at him the way predators look at fresh meat.
Zhou Shan cried internally.
"Bro… I think they want to cook you."
The First Greeting
A voice boomed across the training ground.
"You. New face. Come here."
A disciple stepped forward.
Bare-chested, muscles like iron, each step cracking the tiles beneath.
This was Chi Yao, Rank 7.
His reputation:
Violent
Arrogant
Had broken arms of three newcomers in the past
Enjoyed "welcoming" new members with pain
He crossed his arms, towering over Lian Hong.
"So you're the servant climbing up the ranks."
Lian Hong looked up at him with calm eyes.
"Yes."
Chi Yao smirked.
"First lesson of the elite group—your past doesn't matter."
He tapped his chest proudly.
"Only strength does."
He extended one finger and poked Lian Hong's forehead—with intent to humiliate.
Zhou Shan screamed in his soul.
"BRO—HE'S TRYING TO KILL YOU SOCIALLY—!!"
But Lian Hong didn't flinch.
He simply tilted his head slightly—and Chi Yao's finger touched nothing but air.
An inch.Just one inch of movement.
But Chi Yao's pupils shrank.
His finger continued forward awkwardly, leaving him slightly off balance.
Whispers rose instantly.
"He dodged by a hair…""No, that wasn't reflex. That was prediction.""His awareness is sharp."
Chi Yao's expression darkened.
"You dare dodge me?"
Lian Hong looked at him evenly.
"You attacked first."
A short silence.
Then—a ripple of dangerous killing intent surged from Chi Yao's body.
"Looks like we need to teach you—"
A calm voice cut in.
"Enough, Chi Yao."
Everyone turned.
The Rank 2 Appears
Xu Jian—the quiet, composed youth with long black hair—stepped onto the platform.
He walked with elegance, but his aura pressed on the crowd like invisible fog.
Chi Yao frowned.
"Senior Brother Xu, this doesn't concern you."
Xu Jian glanced at him.
"One more broken arm and Instructor Wei will ban you from the rankings again."
Chi Yao clicked his tongue but backed off.
Zhou Shan let out a shaky breath.
"Oh thank heavens… the Rank 2 saved us…"
But Xu Jian's eyes were fixed on Lian Hong.
Calm.Curious.Sharp as sword light.
"So," he said."You are Lian Hong."
Lian Hong nodded slightly.
"Yes."
Xu Jian examined him like an artifact.
"I watched your fights from yesterday.Your footwork is precise.Your timing unnaturally good."
He paused.
"But this place is different.We are not comparable to new disciples."
Lian Hong said nothing.
Xu Jian continued:
"If you wish to rise here…you'll need to prove yourself."
He turned and walked away.
"Train first.Your evaluation… will come later."
But as he passed beside Lian Hong, he whispered:
"Don't die before I get to fight you."
Then he moved on.
The Strongest of the Elite Group
Before the tension could settle—
another presence descended.
Silent.
Cold.
Overwhelming.
The kind of aura that made even senior disciples straighten their backs.
From behind a stone pillar stepped a tall figure in dark green robes.
He carried a simple wooden practice sword at his waist, but the heaviness of his presence made the air tighten.
Everyone bowed.
"Senior Brother Mu Yanting."
Rank 1.
The strongest disciple in the elite group.
A man rumored to be one step away from entering the Inner Sect.
He didn't look at anyone else.
Only at Lian Hong.
His eyes were unreadable.
"Come to the center."
Zhou Shan nearly passed out.
"BRO—NO—HE'S GOING TO KILL YOU—!!!"
But Lian Hong stepped forward calmly.
Mu Yanting studied him for a long, silent moment.
Finally he spoke:
"You climbed here quickly."
His tone held no emotion.
No hostility.
No admiration.
Just an observation.
"But quick rises are often unstable."
He leaned forward slightly.
"And unstable things… break easily."
A faint tremor spread across the ground from his qi pressure alone.
Several disciples staggered.
Zhou Shan fell over completely.
Lian Hong remained still.
Unmoved.
Mu Yanting's eyes narrowed.
"Interesting."
Then he turned.
"You will train with us.Not because you deserve it…"
He paused.
"But because I want to see if you can survive."
With that, he walked away.
The training grounds burst into whispers.
"He survived Mu Yanting's pressure…""That's insane!""He didn't even blink.""Who the hell is this Lian Hong!?"
Zhou Shan crawled back to his feet.
"Bro… you're a monster…"
Lian Hong didn't respond.
But inside—
the system chimed.
[Hidden Requirement Triggered][Elite Group Recognition – Stage 1 Complete]**Reward: +2% All Combat Attributes]
Then—
another notification appeared.
[A powerful gaze locks onto you…][Source: Unknown – Danger Level: Extreme]
Lian Hong slowly looked toward the distant mountains.
Someone was watching again.
Someone stronger than anyone here.
But he turned back toward the training grounds.
It didn't matter.
Let them watch.
He would rise anyway.