The next morning, I woke up to my courtyard being completely surrounded.
Guards. Clan elders. Even the outer disciples pretending to weed the garden had Qi fluctuations like they were ready to pounce.
I stepped outside, yawning and rubbing my eyes.
"Let me guess—this isn't a surprise birthday party?"
No one laughed.
Li Zhen, my ever-irritated grandfather, pointed a shaking hand at me.
"Boy! What have you done?!"
"Wow, vague and angry. Can we narrow it down to one scandal at a time?"
He stomped forward. "A demonic cultivator entered our grounds last night! One from the Crimson Veil Sect! You're lucky the entire estate isn't under siege!"
Technically, I was under siege. Just… personally.
"She was injured. She needed help. I helped. Then she left."
"You cultivated with her!"
"...That may have also occurred."
Gasps.
Li Zhen looked like he wanted to break a spiritual vase over my head.
Before he could scream, a deep voice rang out from above.
"Enough."
A man in gold-trimmed black robes descended like a silent thundercloud. Long white hair, obsidian eyes, and an aura so dense it made the air thicken like soup.
Beside him floated a young woman in lavender, her face hidden behind a gauze veil. Her presence… cold. Distant. Dangerous.
"Elder Jue Tian of the Netherflame Sect greets the Li Clan," he said calmly. "We come with an invitation… and a punishment."
Because obviously those two things go well together.
We gathered in the great hall.
Elder Jue Tian sat like he owned the building. I stayed standing—because chairs were suddenly too political.
"Your disciple," he said, "harbored a known enemy of our allied sects. That is an act of near-treason."
Li Zhen bowed. "He is… young. Arrogant. We will punish him—"
"I'm still here, you know," I said.
Jue Tian's eyebrow twitched. "However… the Netherflame Sect is also intrigued."
He turned to me.
"Few can survive dual cultivation with an Abyssal Yin carrier. You not only survived—you advanced."
I smiled. "I'm kind of amazing like that."
"So… we are placing you in the upcoming Outer-Realm Trial. Survive it, and we'll consider letting your clan avoid judgment."
"And if I die?"
"Then we'll know the heavens have spoken."
"Wow. Comforting."
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
Mission Assigned: Outer-Realm Trial – Infernal Bloom Garden
Difficulty: High
Participants: 100+ cultivators under Golden Core
Goal: Survive 7 days, retrieve the Blooming Flame Lotus
Bonus Objective: Keep your pants on (optional)
I nodded slowly. "When does this trial start?"
"In two days. A gate will open near Blackmoon Forest. You'll enter… and hope to exit alive."
Fun.
Then, the girl beside Jue Tian floated forward.
She removed her veil slowly, revealing a perfect face—and an emotionless stare.
"This is Yao Xinyi, our sect's top outer disciple," Jue Tian said. "She will also participate. She has orders to observe—and eliminate anyone who proves unstable."
Her eyes met mine.
"...You reek of chaos," she said.
"You reek of disappointment," I replied.
She blinked. Then smiled—just a little.
Jue Tian looked mildly horrified.
Later That Night…
"You're not going alone," Lan Ruo said, arms crossed.
Qing'er nodded. "Someone needs to protect your dumb self."
I pointed at both of them. "It's a deadly trial. Not a picnic."
"We're cultivators," Qing'er said.
"We're your cultivators," Lan Ruo added.
Then they both turned away, cheeks slightly pink.
"Also," Qing'er mumbled, "that Yao Xinyi girl is way too pretty."
I smirked.
"Jealous?"
"Shut up."
[SYSTEM]
Incoming Realm Arc: "Infernal Bloom Garden"
Host Will Enter in 24 Hours
Allies: Qing'er, Lan Ruo
Hidden Challenge: 3 Assassins already inside
Warning: The Blooming Flame Lotus is not just a flower.
And just like that, I was about to walk into a trap realm…
With a jealous maid, a former assassin girlfriend, and the vague suspicion that I used to be a god of fire and vengeance.
What could possibly go wrong?
Author's Note
🔥 Trial arc kicks off next!
100 cultivators
Deadly beasts
A "flower" that's probably going to bite someone
And Yao Xinyi—our cold ice queen—is officially watching the harem war begin 😅