No one said it out loud.
But everyone felt it.
Something had changed.
Not outside.
Inside.
The way they stood.
The way they looked at each other.
Distance remained the same.
But meaning… shifted.
Chen Xu stayed where he was.
He did not move again.
Did not need to.
Everything else—
Was already moving.
A Qingfeng disciple broke the silence.
Foundation Establishment Sixth Stage.
His voice low.
But it carried.
Qingfeng Disciple said we cannot continue like this.
No one answered immediately.
Not because they disagreed.
Because they were waiting—
For someone else to take responsibility.
Canglan Cultivator exhaled slowly.
Core Formation Fourth Stage.
His patience had thinned completely.
Canglan Cultivator said then say what you want to do.
The Qingfeng disciple hesitated.
Just a second.
Then—
Qingfeng Disciple said we test it.
A pause.
The words settled.
Heavy.
Moyun Elder looked at him.
Not surprised.
Just measuring.
Moyun Elder said how.
The Qingfeng disciple swallowed once.
His eyes shifted—
briefly—
toward someone behind him.
A weaker one.
Foundation Establishment Third Stage.
That small glance—
Was enough.
The atmosphere tightened.
The weaker disciple stiffened immediately.
He understood.
Too quickly.
Qingfeng Disciple said we send someone across.
No one moved.
No one agreed.
But no one rejected it either.
That was worse.
The targeted disciple took a step back.
Unconscious.
Then stopped.
Because stepping back—
meant stepping out.
And stepping out—
meant being alone.
He forced himself still.
His voice came out strained.
Qingfeng Disciple said senior… there are other ways.
The first Qingfeng disciple didn't look at him.
Didn't answer.
Because answering—
Would make it real.
Mei Hua frowned slightly.
For the first time—
clear disapproval.
Mei Hua said quietly this is not testing.
A pause.
Then—
Mei Hua added this is sacrifice.
The word cut deeper.
Because it was true.
The Canglan cultivator didn't interfere.
Didn't support either.
He just watched.
Carefully.
Calculating.
The Moyun Elder remained silent.
That silence—
Was permission.
The chosen disciple's breathing became uneven.
He looked around.
Searching.
For help.
For objection.
For anything.
No one met his eyes.
Not directly.
That told him everything.
Chen Xu watched the entire exchange.
Quiet.
Still.
Uninvolved.
But not indifferent.
This—
Was useful.
The disciple finally spoke again.
Lower.
Almost breaking.
Qingfeng Disciple said if I go… what happens after.
No one answered.
Because the answer—
Didn't matter.
He laughed.
Weak.
Dry.
Qingfeng Disciple said right.
He took a step forward.
Then stopped.
His legs didn't follow.
Not fully.
Fear—
wasn't something cultivation erased.
Especially not at this level.
Chen Xu shifted his gaze.
Slightly.
Toward the path ahead of the disciple.
Not the man.
The space.
That same—
undefined region.
Where nothing existed.
But something passed.
System spoke faintly.
System irregular fluctuations detected.
Chen Xu said inwardly you can see it now.
A pause.
System replied detection unstable.
Chen Xu said enough.
Silence.
The disciple took another step.
Closer now.
Closer to that invisible boundary.
His breathing slowed.
Not because he calmed down.
Because his body—
was preparing.
He clenched his fists.
Then—
Moved.
One full step forward.
Nothing happened.
A few people exhaled.
Just slightly.
Hope.
A dangerous thing.
He took another step.
Still nothing.
His shoulders relaxed a fraction.
Too early.
Then—
He froze.
Mid-step.
His body tilted slightly.
Just like before.
No sound.
No resistance.
His eyes widened.
Qingfeng Disciple said quietly something is—
He didn't finish.
His body collapsed.
Same.
Exactly the same.
Silence fell again.
Heavier than before.
Because now—
They had tested it.
And learned nothing.
No trigger.
No pattern.
No explanation.
Only result.
Death.
The Qingfeng cultivator who suggested it closed his eyes briefly.
Just a moment.
Then opened them again.
Empty.
Mei Hua turned her head slightly.
Not looking at the body.
Looking… elsewhere.
Thinking.
But slower now.
Because the situation—
Was no longer logical.
Canglan Cultivator muttered under his breath.
Canglan Cultivator said useless.
Not angry.
Just—
drained.
The Moyun Elder finally spoke again.
Moyun Elder said no more tests.
Firm.
Absolute.
No one objected.
Because no one had anything better.
Chen Xu remained still.
His eyes half-lowered.
Not tired.
Focused.
Something—
was off.
Not with the deaths.
With the reaction.
He replayed it.
Step.
Pause.
Collapse.
Too clean.
Too… consistent.
But not consistent enough.
There was something between.
Something missing.
He lifted his gaze slightly.
Not outward.
Inward.
Then—
He saw it.
Not clearly.
Not fully.
But enough.
A gap.
Not in space.
In sequence.
Between movement—
and result.
Something occupied that moment.
Something—
that did not belong to time.
Chen Xu blinked once.
Slow.
Then—
Chen Xu said inwardly so that is where you are.
System responded.
System cannot confirm presence.
Chen Xu said you do not need to.
A pause.
Then—
Chen Xu added I already did.
Silence.
Because this time—
He wasn't observing blindly.
He had found—
a direction.
Not a solution.
But a way to look.
Behind him—
voices had quieted again.
Not because they calmed down.
Because they had nothing left to say.
That was worse.
Much worse.
Chen Xu stood there.
Unmoving.
As the space around him—
continued to distort in ways no one else could perceive.
And for the first time—
He adjusted.
Not his position.
His perception.
Slightly.
Carefully.
Testing—
without acting.
Because now—
This was no longer just something to endure.
It was something—
he could begin to understand.
And once understood—
Everything else…
would follow.
The wind passed again.
Light.
Empty.
But this time—
Chen Xu did not ignore it.
His gaze followed.
Just slightly.
And for a brief moment—
The world… misaligned.
Just enough.
Then—
Returned.
No one else noticed.
Of course.
They couldn't.
Because they were still looking at the wrong place.
Chen Xu looked ahead.
Calm.
Cold.
And faintly—
almost imperceptibly—
Interested.