The Azure Cloud Sect's trial ground was a place of profound intimidation. A vast expanse of polished obsidian stone, etched with ancient formation circles that shimmered with latent power, stretched out under the open sky. Tiered seating rose on all sides, already filling with hundreds of outer disciples, their chatter creating a low, buzzing hum. High above, on a stone dais carved with coiling dragons, sat the sect elders, their faces impassive masks of judgment. The air itself was thick with anticipation and the sharp, clean scent of ozone and condensed spiritual energy.
Li Tian walked into this arena with the stream of disciples. The whispers started instantly, a hissing undercurrent beneath the general noise.
"There he is… the servant who thinks he can cultivate."
"Zhang Fan looks furious. This won't end well for the trash."
"Did you really see him block an attack?"
"Luck. Or a hidden talisman. It's the only explanation."
The words washed over him, but they no longer had the power to sting. He felt a strange calm. The encounter at his hut had been a spark; this arena was the forge. He could feel Zhang Fan's hateful gaze burning a hole into his back, a silent promise of vengeance. Li Tian didn't need to look to know the inner disciple was seething, his pride publicly wounded.
Elder Zhao stepped to the edge of the elders' dais, his voice amplified by a sliver of Qi to echo across the grounds. "Silence! The monthly trial commences. The first test: Qi Absorption. You will each enter the meditation circle and, for the time it takes a stick of incense to burn, draw in the ambient spiritual energy. The formation will measure the volume and purity you can attract and refine. This is the foundation of cultivation. Begin!"
Disciples were called forward one by one. They sat in the central circle, glowing with a soft light as they cycled their basic cultivation arts. Most attracted a gentle, visible mist of energy that swirled around them. Some were stronger, pulling in thicker streams, earning nods of approval from the elders. Others were weaker, the mist around them faint and wispy. Each result was met with cheers or muted whispers from the crowd.
Throughout it all, Li Tian stood silently, the target of endless sidelong glances and smirks. The anticipation of his failure was a palpable force. They were waiting for the punchline, for the universe to correct itself and return the waste disciple to his proper place.
Finally, the name they'd all been waiting for was called.
"Li Tian."
A ripple of derisive laughter and mocking comments spread through the crowd as he stepped forward. "Time to sweep the energy away instead of gathering it!" someone shouted, eliciting a wave of giggles.
Zhang Fan crossed his arms, a cold smile on his face. "Show us your 'power,' servant."
Li Tian ignored them. He walked to the center of the arena and sat cross-legged within the glowing formation circle. He closed his eyes, blocking out the sea of mocking faces. In his mind, he reached for the profound and terrifying knowledge gifted to him by Ao Shun.
He began to cycle the Heaven Swallowing Art.
The effect was not gentle.
It was an explosion.
The moment the art activated, the calm, evenly distributed spiritual energy in the trial ground went haywire. The gentle mists that had gathered around previous disciples were violently torn apart. The very air seemed to shudder as a visible vortex, a whirlpool of raging, multi-hued light, formed directly above Li Tian's head.
It wasn't a gathering; it was a seizure.
A torrent of spiritual energy howled into him, so dense it was almost liquid. It flooded his meridians, a raging river compared to the trickles others had managed. The formation circle beneath him, designed to measure Qi, flared with an intensity it had not shown all day, its light blazing a brilliant, almost blinding white.
Disciples in the front rows gasped, feeling a tangible pull on the Qi within their own bodies. Those meditating nearby were jolted out of their states as the energy they were trying to draw was ruthlessly stolen away, sucked into the maelstrom centered on Li Tian.
The mocking laughter died in their throats, replaced by stunned silence, then erupting into shouts of disbelief.
"What is that?!"
"He's… he's devouring the energy!"
"That's not possible! The formation must be broken!"
"Mortal Grade Zero? They must have been wrong! This… this is monstrous!"
On the elders' dais, the stoic masks cracked. Elders leaned forward, their eyes wide with shock and confusion. They exchanged sharp, meaningful glances. This was not the result of a hidden talisman or luck. This was a fundamental, terrifying deviation from every known law of cultivation. The art this disciple was using was something they had never seen, something… primal and voracious.
Elder Zhao's face was a granite mask, but his knuckles were white as he gripped the railing before him. His eyes, narrowed to slits, were fixed on Li Tian with an unsettling mixture of suspicion and deep, calculating interest.
The incense stick burned down. The vortex of energy slowly dissipated as Li Tian ceased his cultivation. He opened his eyes. The world seemed sharper, more vibrant. He felt invigorated, powerful. The looks on the faces of the disciples surrounding him were no longer mocking. They were a mixture of awe, fear, and outright terror.
Zhang Fan's smug smile was gone, replaced by a visage of pure, unadulterated rage. His fists were clenched so tightly that blood dripped from where his nails pierced his palms. This wasn't a trick. This was a threat. A servant had not only humiliated him but now possessed a talent that defied understanding. He knew, with chilling certainty, that this could not be allowed to stand.
The arena was in an uproar. Elder Zhao's voice boomed out, cutting through the chaos, his announcement ringing with grim finality.
"The first test is concluded. Prepare for the second round: Live Combat. Pairings will be drawn immediately."
A deadly silence fell. All eyes turned to Li Tian. The test of theory was over. Now, they would see if his power was real in a fight where blood would be spilled.