Dawn came with a chill that seeped into Kai's bones.
He stood before the Shadow Hall entrance, a massive structure carved directly into the mountain's face. Unlike the ornate buildings of the main sect, Shadow Hall was austere—black stone walls without decoration, narrow windows like suspicious eyes, and an entrance that looked more like a mouth ready to swallow him whole.
Two guards flanked the door, both wearing black masks that covered their entire faces. They didn't speak. They just stared.
Kai held up the black jade token.
One guard nodded and stepped aside. The door opened silently.
[Entering Shadow Hall]
[Warning: This area is extremely dangerous]
[Recommended: Stay alert at all times]
The interior was dimly lit by purple flame torches. The walls were covered in shadow formations that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Kai could feel dozens of eyes on him, though he saw no one.
"New meat," a voice said from the shadows. A figure emerged—a young man about twenty, with a lean build and cold eyes. "Personal disciple token. Master Shen Yue's mark. You're either very lucky or very unlucky."
"Which one are you betting on?" Kai asked.
The young man smiled without humor. "Unlucky. I'm Wei Long, senior disciple. Follow me. Master is waiting in the training hall."
They walked through winding corridors. Wei Long didn't look back once.
"Advice, new guy. Don't talk back to Master. Don't ask stupid questions. Don't show weakness. And whatever you do, don't fail the first test."
"What happens if I fail?"
"You'll find out." Wei Long stopped at a large door. "Good luck. You'll need it."
The door opened.
The training hall was enormous, with a ceiling so high it disappeared into darkness. The floor was polished black stone marked with countless scratches, burns, and what looked suspiciously like bloodstains.
Master Shen Yue stood in the center, arms crossed. Her silver hair caught the dim light like strands of moonlight.
"You're early. Good. I hate waiting." She gestured to the floor. "Stand in the center circle."
Kai walked to the circle marked on the floor. The moment he stepped inside, formations activated around him, creating a barrier.
[Arena Formation Detected]
[Purpose: Combat assessment]
[Warning: Injuries sustained will be real]
"Your training begins now," Master Shen Yue said. "Shadow Hall disciples must master three fundamental arts: Shadow Movement, Silent Killing, and Survival Instinct. Today, we test your baseline."
She snapped her fingers.
Three figures emerged from the shadows—disciples in black robes, all wearing masks. Kai could feel their cultivation. Body Tempering Realm Level 6. All of them.
[Warning: Multiple opponents detected]
[Enemy Level: 6, 6, 6]
[Your Level: 5]
[Survival Probability: 23%]
"Wait," Kai said. "Three against one?"
"In Shadow Hall, fair fights don't exist." Master Shen Yue sat down on a throne-like chair that hadn't been there a moment ago. "You have ten minutes. Survive, and you pass. Die, and... well, I'll find another disciple."
"Die?!"
"Begin."
The three disciples attacked immediately.
The first one moved with Shadow Step—faster than Kai's version.
A blade flashed toward his throat.
Kai barely dodged, his own Shadow Step activating on instinct.
He rolled to the side as the second attacker's sword struck where he'd been standing.
[HP: 120/120]
[Qi: 70/70]
The third disciple appeared behind him.
Kai sensed the attack and ducked.
A fist whistled over his head.
Too fast. They're all too fast.
[System Advice: Use terrain and movement to your advantage]
[Do not engage directly]
[Survival is the objective, not victory]
Kai ran. Not away from the fight—he couldn't leave the circle—but around it, using his Shadow Step to create distance. The three disciples pursued, their movements coordinated.
[Qi: 70/70 → 40/70]
He was burning through qi fast. Shadow Step cost 30 qi each use, and he'd already used it twice.
The first disciple caught up, sword swinging in a wide arc. Kai couldn't dodge in time.
[HP: 120/120 → 105/120]
The blade cut across his shoulder.
Pain exploded, but Kai kept moving.
Blood soaked his robes.
"Running won't save you," one of the disciples said.
They were right. He needed a strategy.
Kai analyzed their patterns. They were coordinated, yes, but they weren't perfect. The first disciple attacked high, the second attacked middle, and the third went for legs and back attacks.
If he could disrupt their coordination...
The second disciple lunged. Instead of dodging away, Kai dodged toward him, using the disciple's body as a shield against the other two.
For one precious second, they couldn't attack without hitting their ally.
Kai struck the second disciple's wrist—not with his fist, but with a precise qi-enhanced strike to the pressure point.
The disciple's grip loosened.
[Basic Fist Technique → Pressure Point Strike]
[New skill learned through combat experience]
The disciple stumbled back. Kai didn't press the advantage. He ran again, creating distance.
[Qi: 40/70 → 10/70]
"Interesting," Master Shen Yue's voice echoed. "He learns quickly."
The three disciples regrouped. This time, they weren't coordinating.
They were angry.
They attacked all at once, abandoning strategy for overwhelming force.
Kai's mind raced. He couldn't use Shadow Step again—not enough qi. He couldn't fight them directly.
What could he do?
Then he noticed it.
The arena formation. It was creating the barrier, yes, but it was also generating energy to maintain itself. Energy that pulsed in predictable patterns.
[Intelligence Check: Success]
[Arena Formation analyzed]
[Weak points identified]
Kai moved to one of the weak points—a spot where the formation's energy was thinnest. When the first disciple's sword came down, Kai dodged to the side.
The sword hit the formation's weak point.
CRACK
The barrier flickered. Just for a moment.
But a moment was enough.
The formation's energy surged, creating a shockwave that threw all three disciples back.
[Arena Formation disrupted]
[Temporary chaos effect: 5 seconds]
Kai used those five seconds to catch his breath and circulate qi.
[Qi: 10/70 → 25/70]
The disciples recovered quickly. But now they were cautious. They'd seen that he could think, could adapt.
"Time's half up," Master Shen Yue called out. "Five minutes remaining."
Five minutes. Kai just needed to last five more minutes.
The disciples changed tactics.
Instead of attacking together, they took turns, keeping constant pressure while conserving their energy.
Smart.
Kai defended desperately. His rusty dagger appeared in his hand—he didn't remember drawing it. He parried, dodged, and retreated.
[HP: 105/120 → 90/120 → 75/120]
Cuts accumulated. His robes were shredded. Blood dripped onto the arena floor.
But he was still standing.
[Time Remaining: 3 minutes, 12 seconds]
The first disciple made a mistake.
He overextended on a thrust, putting too much weight forward.
Kai saw the opening. He dropped low, sweeping the disciple's front leg.
The disciple fell. Kai's dagger flashed toward his throat—
"Stop!"
Master Shen Yue's command froze everyone.
Kai's dagger was less than an inch from the fallen disciple's neck.
The other two disciples had their weapons raised, ready to strike Kai down.
"Time's up." Master Shen Yue stood. "That's enough."
The formations deactivated.
The three disciples stepped back, bowing to their master.
Kai collapsed to one knee, gasping. His whole body hurt. Blood loss was making him dizzy.
[HP: 75/120]
[Qi: 5/70]
[Quest Complete: Survive the First Test]
[Calculating results...]
Master Shen Yue walked over and looked down at him. "You're weak. Your technique is crude. Your cultivation is pathetic."
Kai's heart sank.
"But you survived. And more importantly, you thought." She grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up at her. "Three opponents, all stronger than you. You couldn't win, so you focused on survival. You used the environment. You adapted. You learned in the middle of combat."
She released him. "That's what Shadow Hall teaches. Not honor. Not fairness. Survival by any means necessary."
[Assessment Complete]
[Rank: Acceptable]
[You have passed the first test]
[Reward: +100 EXP]
[Level Up!]
[You are now Level 6]
"Wei Long!" Master Shen Yue called.
The senior disciple appeared. "Yes, Master?"
"Take Kai to the medical hall. Get him patched up." She looked back at Kai. "Rest today. Tomorrow, your real training begins. And Kai? This was the easy test."
The medical hall was surprisingly well-equipped. A healer—an old woman with gentle hands—treated Kai's wounds with medicinal paste and healing qi.
"You're the new personal disciple?" she asked.
"Yeah."
"Fourth one this year." She wrapped his shoulder with bandages. "The first three didn't make it past week one."
"What happened to them?"
"One died during training. One quit and was executed for desertion. The third went missing during a mission. Never found the body."
Cheerful.
"But you might be different," she continued. "You've got smart eyes. The ones who survive Shadow Hall aren't the strongest. They're the smartest."
After treatment, Wei Long showed Kai to the Shadow Hall dormitory. It was separate from the main inner sect dormitories—smaller rooms, but private and secure.
"Get some rest," Wei Long said. "Tomorrow morning, combat training. Tomorrow afternoon, technique training. Tomorrow night, assassination theory. You'll have two hours of sleep if you're lucky."
"That's every day?"
"For the first month. Then it gets harder."
Wei Long started to leave, then paused. "You did well today, new guy. Better than the last three. Maybe you'll actually survive."
Alone in his room, Kai checked his status.
[Host: Kai Zhang]
[Age: 17]
[Cultivation: Body Tempering Realm - Level 5]
[Level: 6]
[EXP: 0/1200]
[HP: 75/120 (Regenerating)]
[Qi: 5/70 (Regenerating)]
[Strength: 13]
[Agility: 11]
[Vitality: 13]
[Intelligence: 22]
[Luck: 15]
[Skills: Basic Fist Technique (Intermediate), Demonic Qi Circulation (Intermediate), Shadow Step (Common), Pressure Point Strike (Beginner)]
[Passive Skills: Pain Resistance (Level 1), Demonic Resistance (Level 1)]
[Survival Probability: 34.2%]
[System Advice: Your training arc has begun]
[Duration: 1 month]
[Objective: Survive and improve]
[Warning: This will be extremely difficult]
"No kidding," Kai muttered.
He lay down on the bed.