Blackstone City didn't celebrate.
There were no cheers.
No festivals.
No songs of victory.
Only silence.
The kind of silence that came when people realized something powerful—and dangerous—had taken root.
I stood at the highest balcony of the former Black Fang headquarters, now my command center. The dark city stretched endlessly beneath me, lit by flickering torches and scattered lanterns.
The system panel hovered in front of me.
[DING!]
City Authority: Stable
Public Fear Level: Extreme
Territory Control: 82%
Passive growth active.
Power +5.
I exhaled slowly.
Power gained through control felt different.
Not explosive like battle.
But steady.
Constant.
Like a slow-burning flame.
Footsteps approached behind me.
Kang Yu stopped at a respectful distance.
"Messengers have returned," he said.
I didn't turn.
"From where?"
"The outer trade routes," he replied.
"And… from the capital."
That caught my attention.
I turned.
"What did they say?"
Kang Yu's expression was serious.
"They didn't send armies," he said.
"They sent hunters."
The system pulsed.
[DING!]
High-tier external threat confirmed.
Origin: Capital region.
Estimated arrival: 1–3 days.
Threat level: Severe.
I smiled faintly.
"So they're testing the waters."
Two days later, the northern gate guards reported movement.
Three figures approached the city.
No army.
No banners.
Just three.
But the moment they stepped inside the gates, the atmosphere changed.
People instinctively stepped aside.
Even seasoned cultivators lowered their gazes.
They were strong.
Very strong.
I stood in the main square when they arrived.
The three figures stopped several meters away.
One man.
One woman.
One older cultivator with a calm, unreadable face.
Their robes were clean.
Untouched by the grime of Blackstone.
They didn't belong here.
The system chimed.
[DING!]
External elites detected.
Origin: Capital Hunter Division.
Individual Threat Levels:
– Hunter One: Commander Rank
– Hunter Two: Commander Rank
– Hunter Three: Commander Rank (Peak)
Combined threat: Extreme.
I smiled.
"Three commanders," I said calmly.
"They must think I'm important."
The older cultivator stepped forward.
"You are Zhang Wei?" he asked.
"I am."
He studied me quietly.
Then nodded.
"I am Elder Han," he said.
"These are my subordinates."
The woman beside him smirked.
"We've come to see the so-called tyrant of Blackstone."
Her tone carried open disdain.
I didn't react.
"What do you want?" I asked.
Elder Han clasped his hands behind his back.
"The capital has heard of your… rapid rise," he said.
"We're here to test whether you are a threat."
Kang Yu stiffened behind me.
Test.
That meant one thing.
A fight.
The system pulsed.
[DING!]
Capital Challenge detected.
Event Type: Trial by combat.
Victory rewards:
Major reputation increase
System evolution progress
High-tier skill unlock chance
Failure consequence:
City control destabilized.
I stepped forward.
"Fine," I said.
"Who's first?"
The woman laughed.
"Confident," she said.
She stepped forward, aura flaring.
Commander Rank.
Sharp.
Aggressive.
"Let's see if you deserve the throne you stole," she said.
The square cleared instantly.
No one wanted to be caught between commanders.
The system pulsed.
[DING!]
Commander-level duel initiated.
Adaptive Growth Overdrive available.
I moved first.
Shadow Step.
I vanished.
She spun instantly, blade flashing.
Our attacks collided.
Shockwaves rippled across the square.
She was fast.
Faster than most commanders I'd faced.
Our blows exchanged rapidly.
Strike.
Block.
Counter.
The air cracked with every impact.
She smiled mid-fight.
"Not bad," she said.
"But not enough."
Her aura surged.
She pushed forward.
Hard.
Relentless.
The system chimed.
[DING!]
High-pressure combat detected.
Growth acceleration active.
Power increasing…
Heat surged through my body.
I stepped forward.
My fist drove into her shoulder.
Bone cracked.
Her eyes widened.
I followed with a knee to her ribs.
She flew backward, crashing into the stone ground.
Silence.
She struggled to stand.
But couldn't.
Elder Han raised a hand.
"Enough," he said calmly.
The duel ended.
The system pulsed.
[DING!]
Commander-level victory achieved.
Reputation surge: High.
Power +14.
System evolution progress: +8%.
The woman glared at me, breathing hard.
"You got lucky," she muttered.
I didn't answer.
Elder Han stepped forward again.
His gaze was calm.
But deeper.
More dangerous.
"You've proven something," he said.
"But not enough."
The system chimed.
[DING!]
Peak Commander detected.
Threat level: Critical.
Elder Han's aura spread slowly.
The entire square trembled.
"This will be the real test," he said.
I smiled.
"Good," I replied.
Because the stronger the enemy—
The faster I climbed.