The heavy, metallic silence that hung over the central stadium was so intense that the gentle rustling of the morning wind through the banners sounded like roaring thunder.
Ten thousand outer disciples sat frozen in the stone spectator stands, their eyes wide with unadulterated terror. On the elevated floating platform, the five Inner Sect Elders remained standing, their majestic white robes billowing slightly in the air, their razor-sharp gazes locked entirely onto the youth in navy-blue robes.
In the center of the shattered, scorched granite ring, Railin stood with his hands tucked loosely inside his wide sleeves. His posture was completely relaxed, his dark hair falling neatly over his shoulders.
Opposite him, Senior Disciple Feng was kneeling on the cracked stone, holding the shriveled, dried husk of Senior Disciple Zhao in his arms. The golden broadsword Feng had drawn lay discarded on the ground, its pristine spirit edge reflecting the morning sun.
Feng's hands were shaking uncontrollably. The scar-faced Captain Han and his four guards had vanished last night without a trace; now, Zhao—the undisputed peak fighter of the Outer Enforcement Hall—had been reduced to a withered, hairless old man in less than ten heartbeats.
"Y-You monster..." Feng choked out, his eyes bloodshot, his voice cracking with pure, suffocating horror. "What... what did you do to Zhao?! What art is this?!"
"I told you," Railin replied softly, his smooth, metallic voice carrying effortlessly through the quiet arena. "He was far too weak. His Ninth Level foundation was nothing more than hollow, inflated garbage. And now... it is your turn."
"SILENCE!"
A thunderous, deafening roar erupted from the elevated floating platform!
Deacon Xu—the senior administrative deacon responsible for organizing the competition and a long-time political ally of Feng's family—leapt off the floating dais! His mid-grade Foundation Establishment aura exploded outward like a tidal wave, causing the stone tiles beneath the grand stands to vibrate violently!
BOOM!
Deacon Xu landed heavily between Railin and Feng, his heavy golden robes fluttering as his terrifying pressure slammed down onto the stage floor. He pointed an trembling, enraged finger directly at Railin's face.
"Impudent, demonic scum!" Deacon Xu screamed, his face twisted into a mask of righteous indignation. "In front of the Inner Sect Elders, in front of ten thousand disciples of the Sun-Moon Academy, you dare use forbidden demon arts to maim a senior disciple?! You have shattered Senior Disciple Zhao's dantian and stolen his life essence! This is a treasonous offense punishable by soul-refinement!"
The ten thousand spectators gasped as Deacon Xu drew his heavy crimson spirit spear, the tip flaring with scorching purple lightning.
"Deacons of the Outer Grand Council! Enforcement Disciples!" Deacon Xu bellowed into the sonic array. "Surround the ring! Execute this demon on the spot!"
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
In an instant, over thirty high-ranking enforcement members and six outer deacons descended from the surrounding viewing platforms, drawn blades glowing with intense elemental spirit qi, sealing every exit of the central stage!
The crowd held its breath. The entire grand competition had completely derailed into an execution ground.
Up on the floating platform, four of the Inner Sect Elders remained silent, watching the sudden escalation with dark, calculated interest. However, Elder Han—the white-bearded master overseeing the talent selection—slowly narrowed his eyes.
"Deacon Xu," Elder Han's voice resonated from high above, calm yet infused with the terrifying weight of a late-stage Core Formation master. "The academy rules strictly state that during the Outer Competition, live-combat casualties are permitted unless an explicit surrender is uttered. Senior Disciple Zhao did not forfeit. Why are you mobilizing the full enforcement force before a verdict is rendered?"
Deacon Xu's back stiffened with cold sweat, but he quickly turned toward the floating platform, bowing deeply with forced reverence.
"Elder Han!" Deacon Xu shouted loudly. "This boy is an imposter! The administrative records confirmed last night that Disciple Lin died three days ago in the western gorge! This creature is a demonic spy who stole Lin's identity! Furthermore, the evil art he just used to drain Zhao's energy is undeniably a taboo technique from the blood-cults of the Southern Wilderness!"
The crowd broke into frantic, terrified chatter.
"An imposter?!"
"He killed the real Disciple Lin?!"
"No wonder his strength skyrocketed overnight! He's a demon spy!"
Senior Disciple Feng saw his opportunity and quickly stood up, his face regaining a flush of cruel confidence as he pointed at Railin.
"Elders!" Feng declared righteously. "This demon murdered Captain Han and four enforcement guards last night in the back transit corridor! He used that same unholy dark art to consume their flesh and spirit! I demand his immediate soul-search!"
Deacon Xu sneered maliciously, raising his crimson spirit spear. "You heard him! Monster, drop to your knees and surrender your soul, or we will grind your bones to dust!"
Facing thirty high-level enforcement disciples, six outer deacons, and a Foundation Establishment master, any normal cultivator would have collapsed in sheer despair.
Yet, Railin simply let out a low, quiet chuckle.
It was a smooth, mocking sound that cut through the tense atmosphere like a sharp razor.
"A dead disciple..." Railin murmured softly, reaching into his sleeve. "A forged identity... and a stolen token. Is that the best story your corrupt little mind could construct?"
Railin withdrew a dark steel storage ring—the very ring he had taken from the scar-faced Enforcement Captain last night.
With a casual flick of his wrist, Railin tossed a thick, leather-bound book high into the air toward the floating platform!
SWISH!
Elder Han extended his hand, and the leather-bound book hovered gently into his grip.
"What is the meaning of this?" Elder Han asked coldly.
"That," Railin spoke, his metallic voice echoing with absolute authority, "is the official private ledger of Captain Han, retrieved from his corpse last night after he attempted to assassinate me on Senior Disciple Feng's orders."
Deacon Xu's face instantly turned as white as paper. "WHAT?!"
"Elder Han, if you open page fourteen," Railin continued calmly, "you will find a complete record of bribery payments made by Senior Disciple Feng to Deacon Xu over the past three years. You will find the names of twenty-seven talented outer disciples from commoner backgrounds who were systematically framed, executed, or murdered during patrol duties so that Feng's faction could monopolize the Inner Sect entry quotas."
RUMBLE!
Elder Han's soul sense swept through the leather-bound ledger in a fraction of a second. As his eyes read the glowing ink signatures and official deacon seals, a suffocating, terrifying pressure erupted from his white-robed body!
The temperature above the stadium dropped to absolute zero! The four other Inner Sect Elders leaned over, inspecting the ledger, their expressions darkening into deep, lethal storm clouds!
"Deacon Xu... Feng..." Elder Han's voice was no longer calm; it sounded like the grinding of tectonic plates deep beneath the earth. "Is this ledger authentic?"
"E-ELDER! IT IS A FORGERY! IT IS A DEMONIC TRICK!" Deacon Xu shrieked in sheer panic, his voice cracking as he looked back at the floating platform. "KILL THE DEMON FIRST! DO NOT LISTEN TO HIS LIES!"
Desperate to destroy the evidence and silence the truth, Deacon Xu completely abandoned all decorum! His Foundation Establishment aura exploded to its absolute peak as he thrust his crimson spirit spear straight at Railin's heart with blinding speed!
"DIE, YOU MONSTER!" Deacon Xu screamed!
The spear tip surged forward like a roaring lightning dragon, ripping open a spatial tear across the stage floor! A strike from a Foundation Establishment master was infinitely faster and more destructive than anything a Spirit Refining disciple could unleash!
"He's going to kill him to shut him up!" a disciple in the stands yelled.
Up on the floating platform, Elder Han's hand moved to intercept, but Deacon Xu was already less than three feet from Railin's chest!
Railin did not move a single inch. His pitch-black pupils expanded instantly, swallowing all light.
The Seven Void-Severing Steps — Second Shift: Void Mirror!
SWISH!
Railin's physical body seemed to liquefy into a dark, mirror-like spatial ripple.
Deacon Xu's roaring crimson spear plunged straight through Railin's chest—but instead of blood tearing open, the spear passed through a hollow, dark spatial illusion! The massive momentum of the Foundation Establishment strike carried Deacon Xu forward, his body overextending into the dark ripple!
"WHAT?!" Deacon Xu gasped in horror as his spear struck nothing but empty air!
Before Deacon Xu could pull back or activate his protective spirit shield, Railin materialized directly behind his left shoulder, stepping out of the dark void like an invisible death god.
"A Foundation Establishment deacon..." Railin whispered into Deacon Xu's ear, his cold, metallic voice sounding like a whisper from the underworld. "...holds quite a substantial amount of refined essence."
PAK!
Railin's bare right hand shot out like an iron vise, his dark-clawed fingers plunging straight through Deacon Xu's golden defensive robe, driving deep into his back, directly piercing his Foundation Establishment Energy Sea!
"DEVOUR!"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A catastrophic, roaring pillar of pitch-black Ashen Devouring Qi erupted out of Railin's palm, completely engulfing Deacon Xu's upper body!
"AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Deacon Xu let out a shriek so horrifying, so soul-shattering, that several younger disciples in the stands fainted on the spot!
The immense, liquid-state spirit energy stored within a Foundation Establishment master was violently torn from his Energy Sea! Thick, glowing streams of golden spirit qi were aggressively sucked out of his meridians, purified by Railin's dark core, and violently pumped into Railin's internal network!
Deacon Xu thrashed wildly, his crimson spear dropping onto the stone floor as he clawed at his own throat. But Railin's grip was absolute, like an ancient dark iron clamp locked onto his spine!
In front of ten thousand screaming spectators, thirty enforcement disciples, and five Inner Sect Elders, Deacon Xu's plump, tall body shriveled like a dried leaf in autumn! His skin turned ash-grey, his hair fell out in clumps, his eyes collapsed into hollow dark sockets, and his entire Foundation Establishment cultivation base was completely erased in seven agonizing seconds!
CRACK!
Railin casually snapped Deacon Xu's withered neck and tossed his dry, paper-thin corpse onto the floor.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The moment Deacon Xu's massive Foundation Establishment energy was integrated into Railin's lower dantian, a violent, deafening shockwave exploded out of Railin's body!
The dark liquid lake inside Railin's dantian expanded furiously, churning like a dark sea during a typhoon! The violent currents of energy shattered his inner meridians and rebuilt them instantly out of dense, pitch-black iron essence!
Spirit Refining Realm — Seventh Level!
Spirit Refining Realm — Eighth Level!
Two consecutive breakthroughs!
The terrifying, dark pressure radiating from Railin doubled, then tripled! The atmospheric pressure forced the surrounding thirty enforcement disciples onto their knees, their broadswords shattering under the sheer weight of his aura!
Railin slowly exhaled a long trail of dark, shimmering mist into the morning air.
He raised his eyes, his pitch-black pupils spinning with dark, terrifying vortexes as he looked toward the terrified enforcement disciples kneeling on the stage.
"Who else..." Railin asked softly, "...wishes to execute me?"
Silence. Absolute, terrifying silence.
The thirty enforcement disciples were trembling so violently that their armor clattered continuously against the stone floor. None of them dared to raise their heads. None of them dared to breathe.
Senior Disciple Feng was kneeling near the edge of the ring, his golden sword long forgotten, his face completely drained of color. He looked at Railin as if looking at an ancient, cosmic god of death that had descended upon the earth.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
High above, Elder Han and the four other Inner Sect Elders descended from the floating platform, landing gracefully on the ruined stage.
The surrounding deacons and disciples bowed down in reverence, but Railin remained standing tall, his posture straight, his hands tucked inside his navy-blue sleeves.
Elder Han walked past the withered husk of Deacon Xu, stopping ten feet away from Railin. His sharp eyes scanned Railin's body, feeling the deep, solid, and terrifying Eighth Level foundation radiating from the youth.
"You..." Elder Han spoke slowly, his deep voice carrying immense weight. "You are not Disciple Lin."
"I never claimed to be," Railin replied smoothly, his voice completely unbothered by the presence of a late-stage Core Formation master. "Lin was a weakling who died at the hands of Feng's assassins in the gorge. I merely borrowed his name and token to enter your academy."
The crowd gasped at Railin's blunt, fearless confession!
Elder Han's eyes narrowed slightly. "You used a forbidden devouring technique to kill an outer deacon and a top disciple in broad daylight. By the laws of the Sun-Moon Academy, such demon arts warrant immediate execution."
Senior Disciple Feng's eyes lit up with a faint flicker of hope. "Elder! Kill him! He confessed!"
However, Railin merely smiled—a cold, razor-sharp smirk that made Elder Han's inner instincts tingle with caution.
"Demon arts?" Railin murmured softly. "Is an art demonic simply because it consumes the weak? Or is it demonic because it exposes the filth hiding beneath your academy's noble robes?"
Railin stepped forward, pointing his finger toward Senior Disciple Feng and the dead body of Deacon Xu.
"This academy claims to foster talent," Railin said, his metallic voice ringing across the entire stadium. "Yet your deacons take bribes, your enforcement hall assassinates geniuses, and your elders turn a blind eye as long as the noble families remain pleased. I did not bring corruption to your academy, Elder Han... I merely brought the executioner's axe."
Elder Han remained silent for a long moment. He looked at the ledger in his hand, then at the withered corpses of Xu and Zhao, and finally at the ten thousand disciples watching from the stands.
If he executed Railin now, the academy would be seen as protecting corrupt murderers who killed commoner talents. The reputation of the Sun-Moon Academy would be completely ruined.
Furthermore... Elder Han looked deeply into Railin's pitch-black eyes and felt an ancient, chilling aura that made even his Core Formation soul sense shiver with subtle dread.
"Senior Disciple Feng," Elder Han suddenly spoke, his voice ice-cold as he turned his gaze toward the trembling Feng.
Feng flinched violently. "E-Elder?!"
"The evidence in this ledger is absolute," Elder Han declared, his voice echoing across the stadium like a sentence of divine judgment. "Senior Disciple Feng is hereby stripped of his status, his cultivation shall be sealed, and he shall be thrown into the Abyssal Dungeon to await full interrogation by the Discipline Hall!"
"NO! ELDER! MY FATHER IS THE CITY LORD OF THE SUN-MOON CITY! YOU CANNOT DO THIS TO ME!" Feng shrieked frantically as two Inner Sect enforcement deacons descended, pinning his arms behind his back and slapping heavy, anti-spirit iron shackles onto his wrists!
"Drag him away!" Elder Han ordered coldly.
As Feng was dragged away, screaming and cursing hysterically, Elder Han turned back to face Railin.
The entire stadium watched with bated breath, wondering how the Inner Sect Elders would deal with this mysterious, terrifying dark horse.
"You," Elder Han said, his eyes locking onto Railin's dark face. "You have revealed a massive cancer within our Outer Academy. For that, the sect owes you a debt. However... you have also broken countless laws and slain an outer deacon."
"And what is your verdict, Elder?" Railin asked calmly.
"The Outer Competition is over," Elder Han announced loudly, his voice echoing across the mountains. "By virtue of absolute strength, you have earned First Place in the Outer Academy Grand Tournament. You are hereby granted direct entry into the Inner Sect!"
The crowd erupted into a wild mix of shocked gasps and thunderous murmurs!
"He got into the Inner Sect?!"
"After killing a deacon?!"
"Absolute strength truly rules everything!"
"However," Elder Han added, his voice dropping into a low tone meant only for Railin's ears. "The Inner Sect is not like this outer ring. There are true monsters, ancient lineage heirs, and Core Formation elders who will not tolerate your dark methods. Once you cross the inner mountain gates... your true trial begins."
Railin looked toward the tall, mist-shrouded inner mountain peaks towering in the northern sky. A cold, dark smile touched his lips.
"Inner Sect..." Railin whispered into the wind as he turned his back on the ruined stage. "I look forward to the harvest.
See you in next chapter...