Before the sun could break the mist on the mountainside, Wang Lin was already awake.
He didn't stir from his position on the pavilion's edge — seated cross-legged, spine straight, breath calm, but mind ablaze. The air around him shimmered faintly, thick with spiritual particles drawn toward him like leaves to a storm.
Even without motion, the entire world felt like it bent slightly around his presence.
And he noticed.
"It's getting stronger."
"Your presence?"
"No. The way people react to it. They feel me before they see me."
"That's not ego, Wang Lin."
"I know. That's proof."
He rose in a single breath, the silk of his robe trailing behind him like mist. Every movement was fluid now, quiet but absolute — as though the earth had decided not to resist him anymore.
He stared at his own hand. The bloodline was no longer sleeping. It wasn't fully awake, no — but it pulsed beneath his skin. Like it was waiting.
"Long Shan."
"I'm with you."
"Status."
[Status Panel]
Name: Wang Lin Realm: Qi Condensation – Stage 2 Bloodline: Celestial Dragon (Integration 15%) System Sync: 16% Spirit Points (SP): 11 Universal Shop: Active (Tier 1) Known Skills: • Dragon Step • Crushing Palm • Enhanced Focus (Passive) • Stubborn Will (Passive) • Weightless Flow (Passive)
"We're close to the next shift."
"Yes. When the bloodline passes twenty percent, you'll gain your first combat transformation."
"How will I know when it triggers?"
"You'll feel like dying… and surviving at the same time."
Wang Lin gave the faintest smirk.
"Sounds like the first time I stood up alone."
He didn't have to wait long for trouble to find him.
Just past noon, a sect messenger arrived outside Pavilion Seventeen. The disciple was barely more than a boy — nervous, stiff, barely able to lift his gaze.
"I-I was sent by the Inner Trial Committee," the messenger said, bowing deeply. "Senior Shen Bai has issued a formal challenge."
Wang Lin's eyebrow twitched upward.
He thought he'd broken that arrogant fool already.
"He wants what?" he asked, stepping into the sunlight.
"A… rematch. Before the elders. Before the trial seat. He claims your victory was due to unfair conditions."
Unfair?
Wang Lin chuckled.
Unfair was what they did to him years ago. Unfair was execution without trial. Unfair was silence from those who smiled to his face.
This?
This was just desperation.
"Where?"
"The Red Quartz Arena. At sundown."
"Fine."
The Red Quartz Arena was wider than the Jade Circle, built into the heart of the mountain with viewing platforms on all sides. It was where core disciples sparred. Where ranking matches were held. Where names were made.
And today, it was full.
Disciples filled the seats — not just outer and inner, but even some core students came to watch. A few elders lingered above, eyes narrowed with interest.
Wang Lin entered the arena last.
He didn't walk fast.
He didn't wear ornate robes.
He didn't carry a sword.
He didn't need one.
Shen Bai was already there — armored now, wearing a high-collared coat reinforced with jade plates. His sword was new. His expression cold.
"I won't underestimate you again," Shen Bai said as Wang Lin stepped into the ring.
"You didn't underestimate me," Wang Lin replied. "You just weren't enough."
Shen Bai's aura exploded in fury. "You dare—!"
"Dragon Step: primed."
"Crushing Palm: charged."
"Enemy spirit flow detected. Guard stance adjusted."
Wang Lin said nothing.
The elder referee raised a hand. "Begin."
Shen Bai moved first, blade flashing.
Wang Lin didn't dodge.
He stepped through it.
Then—
Boom.
The ground cracked.
Shen Bai flew backward, crashing into the edge of the ring. His sword skidded across the stone.
Gasps rang out across the crowd.
One strike.
Wang Lin didn't pursue.
Shen Bai groaned, pushing himself up.
"I'm not done," he spat.
Wang Lin stepped forward.
Shen Bai charged again, using a mid-level spirit technique — wind and blade forming a spiral slash.
This time Wang Lin met him head-on.
No skill name.
Just motion.
He weaved through it, let it graze his shoulder, and struck Shen Bai directly in the gut with his palm.
Crack.
The jade armor split.
Shen Bai coughed blood.
And fell.
The elder started to speak.
But Wang Lin held up a hand.
He turned to the gathered disciples, voice steady, low, but clear.
"If you plan to challenge me, understand something."
"I don't fight for your rules. Or your recognition."
"I fight to remind you — I'm not here because of your permission."
"I'm here because you couldn't stop me."
He stepped off the stage.
No one stopped him.
Not even the elders.
Back at his pavilion, he washed the blood from his hands.
The water in the basin rippled without wind.
He stared at his reflection.
Still him.
But not quite.
The lines of his face had sharpened. The shadows beneath his eyes deeper.
"It's starting, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"The transformation?"
"You're close."
"Will it hurt?"
"Like being reborn through fire."
He dried his hands slowly.
"I've burned before," he said. "Let it come."