The maze was silent again.
Dust still drifted from the cracked walls, and the smell of scorched stone lingered in the air. Blood pooled where disciples had fallen, their bodies gone—swallowed by the maze itself.
Only a handful remained.
Yu Qingxue leaned against the wall, her pale face damp with sweat. Zhou Tian sat hunched, glaring daggers at Li Feng while clutching his burned arm. Chen Hao stood aloof, though his gaze had darkened; even he could not mask the fact that the Hunter had shaken him.
And Li Feng—he was still kneeling, sword in the ground, chest heaving. His knuckles were white from the strain of holding on.
The system pulsed faintly.
[Condition: Stable.]
[Reward secured: Fragment Core integrated.]
[Warning: Hunter Mark active. Tracking inevitable.]
He exhaled slowly, wiping blood from his nose. Every breath burned, but deep inside his dantian, the new core pulsed with power, like a second heartbeat.
A small, dangerous smile tugged at his lips. So that's what fragments can become.
But no one else could see what the system whispered. To them, he was only a cripple who had somehow stolen a moment of glory.
The survivors staggered forward. The maze twisted again, its walls rumbling as corridors merged. Light bled in ahead—a faint, ghostly glow.
"The exit…" Yu Qingxue whispered.
One by one, they stumbled into a wide chamber. The walls here were etched with glowing runes, steady and serene. At its center, a massive jade tablet floated, its surface rippling with names.
The ranking board.
Disciples stared, holding their breath.
The board shimmered, lines of glowing text appearing.
[Trial Endurance Rankings]
1. Chen Hao – 1,200 points
2. Yu Qingxue – 1,050 points
3. Li Feng – 1,020 points
4. Zhou Tian – 940 points
Gasps echoed.
Li Feng's name was third.
For someone they had once called cripple, for someone the great clans sneered at, it was nothing less than defiance.
Zhou Tian's teeth ground audibly. He wanted to shout, to tear the tablet apart, but the truth was undeniable.
Chen Hao glanced back once, eyes narrowing. His smile was thin, almost predatory. Yu Qingxue said nothing, though her gaze lingered on Li Feng with something unreadable—curiosity, perhaps even respect.
And Li Feng simply stared at the board, feeling the system pulse inside him.
[System Alert: Ranking secured. Prestige +10.]
[Fragments converted into reputation. Influence rising.]
But then another notification followed, colder than the rest.
[Hunter Mark detected.]
[Warning: The Hunter now remembers you. Its pursuit will not end with this trial.]
His fingers clenched around his sword.
Far above, in the grand hall of elders, the crystal shifted to show the rankings.
Murmurs filled the chamber.
"This cripple… third place?"
"Impossible. The system must be flawed."
"No—the boy awakened a rune in the maze. I saw it myself. He's no ordinary cripple."
Elder Wu's eyes narrowed, his voice low.
"He's dangerous. Not for his strength—but for what follows him."
Another elder frowned. "You mean…"
Wu nodded. His gaze lingered on Li Feng's name, glowing stubbornly on the board.
"The Hunter has marked him. Wherever he goes, calamity will follow."
A chill spread through the hall.
But none moved to intervene. Not yet.
When the survivors returned to the surface, the stands erupted in noise. Disciples whispered, pointed, gawked.
"Third place? That cripple Li Feng?"
"I thought he was dead last in the last exam."
"Did you see Chen Hao's face? He'll never forgive this."
Li Feng ignored them all. His gaze swept over the crowd once before settling on the horizon.
He could feel it still—that faint, lingering malice from the Hunter, a thread of darkness tied to his soul.
The trial might be over, but the hunt had only just begun.
Elder Wu raised his hand, silencing the crowd. His gaze swept over the surviving disciples, lingering a fraction longer on Li Feng.
"You have endured the Shadow Maze," he intoned. "Some fell. Some rose. The weak were culled, and the strong… stand here now."
His sleeve flicked.
The jade tablet dissolved, replaced by a new board. Three glowing words appeared:
Final Trial – Ascension Arena.
A wave of noise erupted from the stands. The Ascension Arena was infamous, a battleground where strength and cunning clashed beneath the eyes of every elder.
Elder Wu's voice was like thunder.
"In three days' time, you will fight. One against another. There will be no illusions, no mazes—only your power. The victors shall earn the right to ascend. The rest will… be forgotten."
The disciples bowed, though unease rippled through their eyes.
As they dispersed, Zhou Tian's gaze burned with venom. Chen Hao's expression was calm, but his eyes glinted like blades. Yu Qingxue brushed past silently, though her steps slowed for the briefest moment near Li Feng.
Only Li Feng lingered, staring at the board until the letters burned into his mind.
[System Alert: Final Trial Approaching.]
[Special Notice: The Hunter will not wait until then.]
A shiver crawled down his spine.
Somewhere in the shadows of the capital, something laughed