High above the Valley of Blood Feast, perched unexpectedly on the edge of a sheer hundred-zhang cliff, stood an ancient, austere manor.
Outside its white jade railings, two figures hovered effortlessly in the air.
One wore a gray robe, his features sharp and sinister, eyes locked unblinking on the chaos unfolding below. The other radiated an aura so deep it was impossible to fathom. His very presence exuded the heavy stench of blood unique to the valley, yet his black-and-white garments marked him as a disciple of the sect.
The two stood side by side, overlooking the hundred mortals struggling below, commenting idly as though they were butchers choosing which livestock to slaughter.
"Senior Brother Zhou," drawled Feng Wuya, his voice tinged with boredom, "that lad down there looks promising. A narrow waist, broad back—he's clearly suited for cultivating the Blood Feast Art." He casually pointed to a wiry man among the mortals.
"Senior Brother Zhou, that fat one might do as well. I heard that in the last entrance trial, a fat fellow actually survived to join the sect. Perhaps history will repeat itself."
"And there's that woman with martial training… though weaker than men in strength, she might still stand a chance if she strikes first and capitalizes on her advantages."
Feng Wuya rambled on endlessly, but soon noticed that his companion had not spoken a single word. An awkward silence fell.
Cautiously, he turned his head—only to see that Senior Brother Zhou's gaze was fixed with unusual intensity upon a single figure below.
Curious, Feng Wuya followed his eyes. The man Zhou was staring at was strikingly handsome—almost unnaturally so.
Feng Wuya froze.Not because of the man's looks—beauty meant nothing in this place. If the crones of Xuanpin Gate fancied him, he'd be dragged away as breeding stock and left with a miserable end.
What shocked him was the man's actions.
"Huh?" Feng Wuya muttered in disbelief. "He found the Blood Feast Art so quickly? And he's already seen through its essence? Wait… I remember when he registered—his name was Qin Yi? How could he comprehend it so fast?"
Finally, the silent Zhou spoke, his voice low and hoarse:
"Two possibilities."
Feng Wuya held his tongue, waiting.
"First," Zhou continued, "he is a true genius. His nature resonates perfectly with the Dao of Devouring, allowing him to grasp its essence in so short a time.
"Second… he is a pawn placed here by the Xuanpin Gate. If so, then there can be only one conclusion—" Zhou's eyes narrowed. "The Valley Lord's treasured artifact has already been deciphered by outsiders."
Feng Wuya shook his head furiously, muttering, "Impossible… If he were really Xuanpin's spy, why act so brazenly, drawing everyone's attention? Doesn't he realize we're watching his every move?"
Zhou said nothing more. Instead, his figure vanished into thin air—then reappeared the next instant, as if he had never moved.
To ordinary eyes, it would seem like an illusion. But Feng Wuya had seen clearly—Zhou had moved. His speed was simply so overwhelming that even divine sense could not follow.
Shaking his head, Zhou said with quiet certainty, "No problem. His soul is clean and transparent—he has nothing to do with Xuanpin Gate."
Feng Wuya let out a breath of relief. If an accident ruined the trial under his supervision, his rewards would be cut, and his standing in the sect would plummet. He had no desire to be at odds with the sect.
No problem meant the best outcome.
"Looks like," Feng Wuya said lightly, "this Qin Yi will be the one to pass the trial. None of the others have even found a cultivation art, while he's already broken through to Qi Refining First Layer. With such a gap, he could slaughter them all before they ever cultivate."
He chuckled. "The only question is whether he's clever enough to fatten up a few pigs—push some to Qi Refining Third Layer, and then harvest them later…"
But his words trailed off abruptly.
"Wait… wait, what is he doing!?"
Feng Wuya's face stiffened in disbelief.
After mastering the Blood Feast Art, Qin Yi had not begun his slaughter. Instead—he shared its essence with another mortal!
"Has he gone mad!?" Feng Wuya's heart skipped. "What is he thinking!?"
A bead of cold sweat rolled down his temple. He glanced sideways, only to see that Zhou's expression remained utterly placid, unreadable.
Suppressing his doubts, Feng Wuya kept watching.
But then his face grew even more twisted with shock.
The "outsider" Qin Yi had enlightened broke through to Qi Refining First Layer—but instead of killing, he began seizing the other mortals' manuals! He tore each one apart on the spot, denying anyone else the chance to cultivate.
His actions quickly provoked outrage. But as a Qi Refining cultivator, he crushed the resistance of several hot-blooded challengers with ease. The rest could only watch helplessly as their manuals were destroyed.
Even so, he could not reach them all. Some managed to hide their manuals, others to secretly cultivate.
And soon, when one of them grasped the true essence of the Blood Feast Art—the third Qi Refining cultivator appeared.
At that, for the first time, a faint smile touched Zhou's lips.
Feng Wuya wiped the sweat from his brow, relieved. Though there had been a twist, the trial was still proceeding as it should.
Once bloodshed began, it would not end until only the strongest remained.
The trial could still reach its conclusion.
But then… Zhou's smile deepened.
A sudden chill ran down Feng Wuya's spine. He followed Zhou's gaze—and saw it fixed once more upon Qin Yi.
At that very moment, Qin Yi hurled himself forward without hesitation, charging straight at the cultivator who had just claimed his first victim!