Consciousness returned slowly, like swimming up from deep water. Chen Feng's first sensation was pain.....a comprehensive, thorough ache that seemed to originate from his bones and radiate outward. His second sensation was the smell of medicinal herbs, bitter and astringent.
He opened his eyes to find himself in the sect's medical hall, lying on a comfortable bed that was vastly superior to his usual sleeping arrangements. Formations glowed softly on the walls, maintaining optimal temperature and spiritual energy concentration.
"You're awake." Elder Han sat in a chair beside the bed, a medical text open in his lap. "Congratulations. You survived your own stupidity."
Chen Feng tried to sit up and immediately regretted the decision. Pain lanced through every muscle.
"Don't move yet," Elder Han commanded. "You nearly destroyed your meridian system. The only reason you're alive is because your cultivation foundation is abnormally resilient which, incidentally, has raised several questions I'm currently deflecting from curious elders."
"How long was I unconscious?"
"Three days. Long enough for the tournament ceremony to conclude without you, which is probably fortunate given how many people wanted to question you immediately afterward."
Chen Feng processed this. "Did I... win?"
Elder Han's lips twitched slightly. "Yes, you won. Champion of the Outer Disciple Competition, first non-elite family member to claim the title in fifteen years. Your reward includes advancement to inner disciple status, access to the Technique Pavilion, a monthly stipend of twenty spirit stones, and more political attention than any sane person would desire."
"I see."
"Do you?" The old alchemist closed his book with a decisive snap. "Let me be explicit about your current situation. The Sect Leader wants to interview you personally. Elder Shen is demanding an investigation into your cultivation method. The Zhao family is making
noise about your 'suspicious techniques.' And at least three different factions are trying to recruit you while simultaneously planning how to eliminate you if you refuse."
Chen Feng absorbed this information calmly. He had expected consequences, though perhaps not quite so many simultaneously.
"What does Elder Han advise?"
"Honestly? I'm torn between telling you to run for the mountains and admiring your audacity." Elder Han sighed. "But since you're apparently determined to stay and face this situation, here's my advice: tell as much truth as you can without revealing anything that would get you executed. You found an unusual cultivation technique, yes. It's unorthodox, yes. But it's not demonic.....emphasize that. Your father left it for you as a family inheritance. It's designed to help cultivators with damaged foundations."
"Will they believe that?"
"Probably not entirely. But it's a story that gives them political cover to accept you. The sect needs talented disciples, especially ones capable of what you've demonstrated. If you give them a narrative they can work with, most elders will be willing to overlook their suspicions."
"And those who won't?"
Elder Han's expression darkened. "Avoid them if possible. Defeat them if necessary. But Chen Feng...choose your battles carefully. You're not invincible, despite what your tournament performance might suggest. That final technique you used against Jin Wu? It should have killed you. The fact that it didn't means your cultivation method has some truly unusual properties, which will only intensify scrutiny."
A knock at the door interrupted their conversation. Elder Han tensed, then relaxed slightly when Lin Mei's voice called out.
"Chen Feng? May I enter?"
"Come in, Senior Sister Lin."
She entered carrying a tray of food.....simple but nutritious fare. Her eyes widened when she saw Chen Feng awake. "You're conscious! I've been visiting every day, but Elder Han said you needed uninterrupted rest."
"He was correct, as usual." Chen Feng attempted a smile, though it probably came out more like a grimace. "Thank you for your concern."
Lin Mei set the tray on a side table and pulled up another chair. "The sect has been in chaos since your victory. Everyone has opinions about you.....most of them strong, many of them contradictory."
"I'm aware."
"There's going to be a formal recognition ceremony in three days, where you'll receive your inner disciple token and rewards. The Sect Leader will preside." She paused. "Chen Feng, there are rumors that certain elders want to use the ceremony to challenge you, to test whether your abilities are legitimate or... something else."
"Let them test," Chen Feng said, keeping his voice even. "I have nothing to hide."
Lin Mei and Elder Han exchanged glances that suggested they thought he had quite a lot to hide, but neither argued the point.
Over the next three days, Chen Feng focused on recovery and preparation. Elder Han provided specialized medications to stabilize his meridians, while Chen Feng used meditation to integrate the massive amounts of energy he'd absorbed during the final match.
The result was unexpected.....he had advanced again, breaking through to the third level of Qi Condensation. The rapid progression should have been impossible, but the Celestial Demon Scripture thrived on consuming vast quantities of power in short periods. His foundation, while unconventional, had solidified considerably.
He practiced explaining his cultivation method in ways that were technically truthful but misleading. Yes, he had found an unusual technique. Yes, it helped with his damaged meridians. No, it wasn't demonic in the traditional sense...the Scripture walked a line between orthodox and unorthodox, making such classifications genuinely ambiguous.
The day of the ceremony arrived with surprising speed.
Chen Feng dressed in new robes provided by the sect...dark blue with silver trim, marking him as an inner disciple. The material was far superior to anything he'd owned before, embedded with subtle formations that enhanced spiritual energy circulation.
Lin Mei accompanied him to the ceremony hall, providing last-minute advice. "Remember...be respectful but not subservient. You've earned your position through legitimate victory. Some elders will try to intimidate you, but you have supporters too."
"Who supports me?"
"Elder Mo, for one...he was your father's friend. Elder Han, obviously, though he'd deny it publicly. And surprisingly, Sect Leader Yun seems inclined toward giving you a fair hearing. She values strength and results over political maneuvering."
The ceremony hall was massive, capable of holding the entire sect. Today it was filled beyond capacity, disciples and elders alike eager to witness the official recognition of the competition champion.
Chen Feng entered through the main doors, walking alone down a central aisle as thousands of eyes tracked his movement. The pressure of their collective attention was almost physical, but he maintained steady composure, keeping his expression neutral and his step measured.
At the hall's far end, the Sect Leader sat on an elevated platform, flanked by the sect's highest elders. Sect Leader Yun was a severe woman in her apparent forties...though Chen Feng knew she was over two hundred years old....with penetrating eyes that seemed to see through pretense.
Chen Feng reached the platform and performed a full formal bow. "This disciple Chen Feng greets the Sect Leader and honored elders."
"Rise, Chen Feng." Sect Leader Yun's voice carried natural authority, filling the hall without apparent effort. "You stand before us as champion of the Outer Disciple Competition, having demonstrated skills that exceeded all expectations. Your victories were decisive, your techniques unusual, and your advancement remarkable."
Chen Feng straightened, meeting her gaze respectfully. "This disciple is honored by the recognition."
"However," and the word hung in the air like a blade, "your methods have raised questions. Questions that must be addressed before you can be fully accepted as an inner disciple of Azure Peak Sect."
Here it came.
An elder to the Sect Leader's left stood....Elder Shen, whose son Chen Feng had defeated in the tournament. "Chen Feng, explain to this assembly how a disciple with damaged meridians and no cultivation foundation managed to advance to the third level of Qi Condensation in mere months, when five years of conventional training yielded nothing."
Chen Feng had prepared for this question. "This disciple was given a cultivation technique by his late father, intended as an emergency inheritance should conventional methods fail. The technique is specialized for cultivators with irregular spiritual pathways, allowing for unorthodox energy circulation patterns."
"And where did your father obtain this technique?"
"He never explained its origins, Elder. Only that it had been in our family for generations, passed down to help clan members who suffered cultivation accidents."
Technically true....Chen Zhen had possessed the Celestial Demon Scripture, and he had passed it to Chen Feng. The implication that it was an old family technique rather than a forbidden demonic cultivation method was misleading but not an outright lie.
"Convenient," Elder Shen said, his tone dripping skepticism. "This mysterious family technique appears exactly when needed, explains everything, yet cannot be verified."
Another elder stood.....Elder Mo, elderly even by cultivator standards, but sharp-eyed and direct. "Elder Shen, many families possess specialized techniques they do not share openly. Chen Zhen was a loyal servant of this sect who died protecting our interests. To question his son's inheritance seems... ungracious."
"I'm not questioning loyalty," Elder Shen snapped. "I'm questioning legitimacy. The boy's energy-draining techniques resemble documented demonic cultivation methods."
Murmurs rippled through the assembly.
Chen Feng kept his expression calm, though internally he was calculating responses. This was the critical moment....if the accusation of demonic cultivation gained traction, no amount of political maneuvering would save him.
Sect Leader Yun raised her hand, silencing the whispers. "A serious accusation, Elder Shen. Do you have evidence beyond surface similarities?"
"The evidence is his unnatural advancement! His impossible victories against superior opponents! His"
"His skill and determination," Elder Mo interrupted. "Qualities we should celebrate rather than condemn."
"Enough." The Sect Leader's voice cut through the building argument. "Chen Feng, would you consent to a spiritual examination? Elder Lian"..she gestured to a thin woman Chen Feng didn't recognize....."is our sect's foremost expert in cultivation methods. If your technique is legitimate, she will confirm it. If it is demonic... well, then we will take appropriate action."
Chen Feng's mind raced. An examination would reveal the Scripture's unorthodox nature, but would it cross the line into obviously demonic? The technique was a hybrid, after all dark but not entirely corrupt, powerful but not purely evil.
"This disciple consents to the examination," he said, keeping his voice steady.
Sect Leader Yun nodded. "Elder Lian, please proceed."
The thin woman descended from the platform and approached Chen Feng. Her eyes were colorless, almost translucent ...a side effect, he had heard, of her extreme specialization in spiritual sense cultivation.
"Hold still," she said quietly. "This may feel invasive, but it is necessary."
Her spiritual sense washed over Chen Feng like cold water, probing his meridians with uncomfortable intimacy. He forced himself to remain relaxed, allowing the examination while being careful not to actively circulate the Scripture's techniques.
Minutes passed in tense silence.
Finally, Elder Lian withdrew her spiritual sense and turned to face the assembly. "His cultivation foundation is indeed highly unusual. The meridian structure is significantly altered from orthodox norms....wider, more robust, but also more rigid. The energy circulation patterns are unconventional, emphasizing consumption and integration rather than refinement and purification."
"Demonic?" Elder Shen pressed.
Elder Lian considered carefully. "That determination depends on definition. The technique shows characteristics of certain unorthodox methods, yes. But I detected no corruption in his spiritual energy, no signs of mental degradation typically associated with true demonic cultivation, and no evidence of forbidden practices such as soul devouring or life force extraction."
She turned to Chen Feng, her colorless eyes unreadable. "Your technique walks a narrow line, young disciple. It is dark without being evil, hungry without being destructive. In my professional assessment, it falls into the category of unorthodox but acceptable cultivation methods...similar to some techniques practiced by our own Poison Hall or Shadow Division."
The tension in the hall decreased noticeably. Elder Shen's face reddened with frustration, but he couldn't argue against Elder Lian's expertise without questioning the Sect Leader's choice of examiner.
Sect Leader Yun stood, her presence immediately commanding attention. "Elder Lian's assessment is sufficient. Chen Feng's cultivation method, while unusual, does not violate sect prohibitions against demonic practices. Therefore, he will receive full inner disciple status and all associated benefits."
She produced a jade token that glowed with internal light. "Chen Feng, approach."
Chen Feng climbed the steps to the platform, his heart pounding despite his outward calm. He knelt and bowed his head.
Sect Leader Yun placed the token in his hands. "This marks you as an inner disciple of Azure Peak Sect. You have earned this position through strength and determination. Use it wisely."
"This disciple is grateful for the Sect Leader's wisdom and generosity."
"Additionally," she continued, "as tournament champion, you are granted access to the Technique Pavilion's second floor, permission to enter Zone Six of the hunting grounds, and first choice among any missions posted to the inner disciples."
"This disciple is honored."
Sect Leader Yun studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she spoke quietly, just loud enough for him to hear: "You have attracted attention, Chen Feng. Both supportive and hostile. Navigate carefully, or your rise will be as short as it was dramatic."
"This disciple understands."
She dismissed him with a gesture, and Chen Feng descended from the platform, jade token clutched in his hand. The ceremony continued with formal speeches and procedural matters, but the critical moment had passed.
He had survived scrutiny. He had been officially recognized.
Now came the truly dangerous part...maintaining his position against those who resented his success.
After the ceremony, Chen Feng was assigned new quarters appropriate to his inner disciple status.....a small house rather than a shared room, with actual furniture and a dedicated cultivation chamber. The improvement was staggering compared to his previous accommodations.
He spent the evening organizing his possessions and examining the jade token. It was more than a simple badge of status...the token contained access formations for inner sect facilities and served as a spiritual energy reservoir that could be drawn upon in emergencies.
A knock interrupted his examination.
"Chen Feng? It's Lin Mei. May I enter?"
He opened the door to find not just Lin Mei but also several other disciples Wu Tai, Xiao Ling, and Fang Ren from her hunting group, plus two others he recognized from the tournament.
"Congratulations," Lin Mei said, smiling. "We brought wine to celebrate properly."
Chen Feng hesitated, then stepped aside. "Please, enter."
They crowded into his new home, spreading out food and drink with the easy camaraderie of victory celebration. For a few hours, Chen Feng allowed himself to relax, to accept congratulations and share stories of tournament matches.
It felt almost normal.
"To Chen Feng," Wu Tai raised his cup. "The waste of Azure Peak who became its champion!"
The others laughed and echoed the toast. Chen Feng drank, the alcohol burning pleasantly down his throat.
"What will you do now?" Xiao Ling asked. "Inner disciples have more freedom but also more responsibility. Will you focus on cultivation? Take missions? Seek a master among the elders?"
"I haven't decided yet," Chen Feng admitted. "For now, I need to stabilize my foundation and explore the opportunities available."
"The Technique Pavilion should be your first priority," Fang Ren suggested. "Access to second-floor techniques is rare. You could learn methods that would take your combat ability to another level."
"Wise advice."
They continued talking late into the night, until one by one the guests departed, leaving only Lin Mei.
"You've changed so much," she said quietly, studying him in the lamplight. "Not just your cultivation, but... you. You're harder now. More focused."
"Is that criticism?"
"Observation. I'm not sure if it's good or bad yet." She stood to leave, paused at the door. "Chen Feng, be careful who you trust. Inner disciples are more skilled than outer disciples, but they're also more dangerous. The politics are brutal."
"Thank you for the warning. And for being a friend when I had few."
She smiled slightly. "Don't get sentimental on me. It's unsettling."
After she left, Chen Feng sat alone in his cultivation chamber, finally allowing the facade to drop. His body ached from the residual damage of the tournament. His meridians, while healing, remained fragile. And the political situation was precarious...Elder Shen clearly bore a grudge, and the Zhao family would not forget his defeat of their prize disciple.
But he had achieved something impossible three months ago: legitimacy.
He was no longer the waste at the bottom of the sect hierarchy. He had power, status, and the opportunity to grow stronger.
The Celestial Demon Scripture pulsed quietly in his meridians, hungry for more. The first stage....Qi Condensation...was merely the foundation. Above it lay Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, and realms beyond that most cultivators only dreamed of reaching.
Chen Feng intended to reach them all.
Whatever the cost.