The echo of the battle between Lian Hong and Mu Yanting lingered over the elite training plateau long after the dust had settled.
The ground was split into jagged fissures.Stone pillars had cracked.The mountain breeze still carried the remnants of heated qi.
Disciples stood in clusters, speaking in hushed, frantic tones.
But they all agreed on one thing:
The duel today had rewritten the outer sect.
Whispers Spread Like Wildfire
"He matched Rank 1 blow for blow…""He forced Mu Yanting to use Fifth Form…""And still remained standing.""He's a monster…""No—he's a future core disciple!"
"For years, no newcomer has climbed this fast."
"Who is that kid really?"
"Someone this terrifying…won't stay in the outer sect for long."
Even the senior disciples—those who once held themselves above all newcomers—now whispered Lian Hong's name with a mixture of awe and dread.
And yet—
that admiration came with something else.
Jealousy.Fear.Hostility.
Because the moment a new peak appears—
other peaks feel threatened.
Xu Jian Steps Forward
While the crowd roared behind him, Xu Jian approached the battered combat ring, hands folded behind his back.
He studied the cracked stone.The traces of Lian Hong's movement.The outlines of Mu Yanting's Fifth Form.The faint scorch marks of awakened bloodline.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"So that's his level…"
He replayed the duel in his mind.Then turned toward Lian Hong, who was still standing in the center of the arena, steadying his breath.
Xu Jian spoke quietly:
"Your growth rate is dangerous."
Lian Hong looked back.
"So I've been told."
Xu Jian nodded once.
Then said something shocking:
"In three days, when our duel arrives—I will not hold back."
Lian Hong wiped blood from his jaw.
"I expect nothing less."
Xu Jian walked away.
But before he vanished into the crowd, he whispered:
"Be careful with Gu Xiang."
"Who?"
"The one who trained Chi Yao."
Xu Jian's gaze hardened.
"He's not done with you."
Mu Yanting Leaves a Warning
Mu Yanting, now surrounded by a crowd of disciples asking questions and begging for advice, suddenly looked back over his shoulder.
He didn't speak loudly.
But his words carried across the plateau:
"Lian Hong."
Lian Hong lifted his head.
Mu Yanting met his eyes with unwavering seriousness.
"You survived my test."
He pointed toward the distant mountain range.
"Now survive the one that comes next."
Waves of murmuring erupted.
Everyone understood who he meant.
The masked killer.
Lian Hong nodded once.
And Mu Yanting walked off the plateau.
Instructor Wei Feng's Silent Approval
Wei Feng, who had watched the entire duel without intervention, approached Lian Hong.
His expression was neutral—difficult to read.
But his words carried weight.
"You didn't win."
Lian Hong nodded.
"I know."
Wei Feng stepped closer.
"But you didn't lose either."
A strange, subtle smile touched the corner of his mouth.
"Good.Very good."
Then he turned and left, cloak drifting behind him.
But one sentence echoed in Lian Hong's mind:
"You didn't lose."
That meant more than any praise.
Back at the Courtyard
Zhou Shan was alive, but barely.
He lay sprawled on the ground like a spirit that had escaped its vessel and was too lazy to return.
"Bro…I thought…I thought you died…like…five times…"
He weakly gave a thumbs-up.
"But then you didn't…five times…"
Lian Hong let out a slow breath and sat beneath the pine tree.
Pain pulsed through his ribs, arms, and shoulders.But pain meant growth.
Pain meant he had reached a new level.
The system echoed in his mind:
[Status Update]– Fractured rib (Hairline)– Bruised sternum– Minor qi deviation– Internal shock damage: moderate– Bloodline activation state: unstable
[Recommend: Deep Recovery Meditation – 3 hours minimum]
Zhou Shan peeked through his fingers.
"Bro… please say we are taking a rest…"
But before Lian Hong could reply—
A dark shadow drifted into the courtyard.
A figure landed silently.
Zhou Shan shrieked.
"AH—GHOST—NO—MASKED KILLER—AHHH—!!"
But the figure wasn't the masked killer.
It was—
Su Qingyue.
Su Qingyue's Visit
She carried a porcelain bottle of medicine and a folded silk cloth.
Her eyes scanned the bruises on Lian Hong's arms.
"You should sit."
Lian Hong raised a brow.
"You're here again."
She knelt in front of him, calm and poised.
"You nearly broke three ribs."
Zhou Shan gasped.
"THREE?! BRO I TOLD YOU—YOU FIGHT LIKE SOMEONE WHO ONLY READS MANUALS ABOUT DYING—!!"
Su Qingyue ignored him and handed the bottle to Lian Hong.
"This is Frost Willow Salve.Made from a sixth-tier herb."
Lian Hong opened it and smelled a faint cool fragrance.
"Too valuable."
Su Qingyue's reply was immediate.
"So are you."
Zhou Shan died again.
"BRO—SHE LIKES YOU—OR SHE'S RECRUITING YOU—OR SHE'S AN ASSASSIN—these are the only possibilities!"
Su Qingyue continued in a quiet, serious tone:
"Rank 1 acknowledging you is only the beginning.Now that you've drawn this much attention—people like Gu Xiang will come for you."
Lian Hong's eyes sharpened.
"You sound certain."
Su Qingyue looked toward the northern peak.
"I am."
She hesitated.
Then she lowered her voice.
"Be careful at night.If Gu Xiang makes a move…it won't be from the front."
She stood and added:
"If you need help…come to me."
Then she left as quietly as she came.
In the Shadows – Plans Begin
Meanwhile, at a distant cliff—
Gu Xiang stood with several masked figures.
One kneeled beside him.
"Master, Chi Yao failed.The Rank 1 acknowledges Lian Hong."
Gu Xiang's voice dripped with malice.
"I know."
He watched the plateau from afar.
"Public duels are one thing.But hidden threats…"
A cruel smile twisted his lips.
"Those determine who rises—and who disappears."
He raised two fingers.
"Proceed to the next stage."
The masked figure bowed.
"Yes, Master."
Gu Xiang looked toward Lian Hong's courtyard and whispered:
"Let's see how you handle my little gifts."
Nightfall – Lian Hong Begins Recovery
The courtyard fell silent after sunset.
Lian Hong sat cross-legged beneath the pine tree.Pain pulsed through his body—
but he embraced it.
He began the deep recovery meditation.
Qi flowed slowly.Bloodline energies settled.Cells repaired micro-tears.
Zhou Shan curled up nearby.
"Bro… please don't die before I do…I'm too young to be traumatized twice in one week…"
Lian Hong didn't reply.
His mind was already sinking deeper into cultivation.
System Alert – Danger Approaching
Half an hour into meditation—
the system chimed.
[Hostility Detected]
Lian Hong's eyes snapped open.
He didn't have time to stand.
A cold wind blew across the courtyard.
A shadow landed silently on a rooftop.
Then another.
And another.
Three masked figures.
Silent.Deadly.Efficient.
Zhou Shan's eyes widened.
"...bro?"
Lian Hong rose slowly.
The masked figures spoke at the same time:
"Orders from Master Gu."
Their blades shimmered with poison.
"Eliminate the anomaly."
Lian Hong's blood surged.
"Come."
The night attack had begun.