The third day began with a different announcement.
"All Outer and Inner Disciples report to the main courtyard. Mandatory joint training exercise begins in one hour."
Wei Chen dressed quickly, joining the river of students flowing toward the courtyard. The energy felt different today — anticipation mixed with nervousness.
Master Zhao stood at the center, flanked by five Core Disciples and four instructors. Behind them, a massive transportation array glowed with active magic — not shadow-based, Wei Chen realized, but spatial manipulation. Ancient enchantment that predated modern magical theory.
"Today's exercise: beast elimination," Zhao announced. "Shadow wolf packs have been encroaching on Sanctuary territory. Ten forest sectors require clearing. Each team — eight to twelve Outer and Inner Disciples mixed — will be assigned one sector."
He gestured at the array. "Transportation is instantaneous. Duration: sunset deadline. Proof of elimination: beast cores. Points awarded based on quantity and quality. Core Disciples and instructors will be positioned as emergency response — signal flare triggers immediate extraction."
The crowd murmured. This wasn't training. This was real combat with safety net.
"Team assignments are posted. Form groups. Departure in thirty minutes."
Wei Chen found the board. His name was listed under Sector 7:
SECTOR 7 TEAM:
Wei Chen (Outer, Rank 54)
Chen Ling (Outer, Rank 55)
Xu Lan (Outer, Rank 56)
Han Tao (Outer, Rank 57)
Ren Huang (Outer, Rank 23)
Liu Shen (Outer, Rank 19 - Northern District)
Jin Wen (Inner, Rank 8)
Yue Ling (Inner, Rank 2 - Northern District champion)
Eight total. Mix of branches and skill levels. Wei Chen noted with interest: Liu Shen was the Shadow Step specialist Feng had marked priority watch. Yue Ling was the defensive master who'd won Outer finals.
Strong team. Maybe too strong for "standard" shadow wolves.
"Sector 7," a voice said. Wei Chen turned. Liu Shen stood nearby, practice blade already drawn. "You're Wei Chen. The nine-year-old everyone talks about."
"That's me."
"Good. Means you're competent or lucky. Either works." Liu Shen's tone was pragmatic. "I've seen the sector map. Dense forest, multiple den sites. Estimated 15-20 wolves minimum, possibly more."
The team gathered. Yue Ling — the Northern District fighter who'd beaten Liu Shen in finals — took command naturally. "Standard formation. Inner Disciples anchor positions, Outer Disciples flexible response. Ren Huang and I handle alpha threats. Liu Shen provides mobility support. Wei Chen, Chen Ling, Xu Lan, Han Tao — you're elimination team. Clean up subordinates while we handle heavy threats."
No discussion. Just efficient tactical assignment. Wei Chen approved.
The transportation array activated. Reality twisted, compressed—
Forest. Dense and dark. The transition was instantaneous and disorienting.
"Form up," Yue Ling commanded. "Stay within sight range. Move."
They advanced in disciplined formation. Yue Ling's defensive barriers already layered around the group. Jin Wen — the Inner Disciple — positioned at rear with water-enhanced shadow techniques for long-range support.
Twenty minutes of careful progress. The forest grew darker, shadows thicker.
"Contact," Liu Shen said quietly.
Shadows moved wrong. Wei Chen counted: six wolves visible. Shoulder-height beasts, fur like liquid darkness, red-glowing eyes.
Then more appeared. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty.
"Den site," Yue Ling said. "We're in their territory. Defensive positions now."
The alpha emerged from deeper shadows. Massive — chest-height to Wei Chen. Advanced-level magical pressure radiated from it like heat from forge.
"That's Advanced," Ren Huang said, voice tight.
"I see it." Yue Ling's tone stayed calm. "Jin Wen, you and I handle alpha. Liu Shen, Ren Huang — beta support. Everyone else, eliminate subordinates. Do not engage alpha."
The pack attacked.
Coordinated assault from all directions. Twenty wolves moving with tactical precision.
Wei Chen's blade met the first wolf — Shadow Blade coating flickering but present. Clean strike through shoulder. The wolf fell.
Chen Ling and Xu Lan worked together, complementary techniques creating openings. Three wolves down in rapid succession.
But the numbers were overwhelming. For every wolf eliminated, two more pressed forward.
Liu Shen's Shadow Step technique was beautiful to watch — repositioning constantly, blade striking from unexpected angles. Five wolves fell to his efficient brutality.
Yue Ling and Jin Wen engaged the alpha. Their combined Advanced-level power versus the alpha's superior strength. The exchanges shook trees, sent shadow-infused attacks cratering ground.
"Left flank!" Ren Huang shouted.
Wei Chen turned. Three wolves had broken through, targeting—
Han Tao.
They moved as coordinated unit. First wolf feinted high. Second attacked low. Third from blind spot.
Han Tao's barriers held against two. The third got through.
Jaws closed on Han Tao's shoulder. Shadow-infused fangs punched through reinforced clothing. Blood sprayed. Han Tao screamed — raw, terrible sound.
"HAN TAO!" Wei Chen was moving before conscious thought. Shadow Step — barely controlled technique, desperate rather than precise — brought him beside Han Tao.
His blade caught the wolf's throat. Not perfect strike, but enough. The wolf released Han Tao and fell.
Han Tao collapsed. Blood poured from shoulder wound — arterial bleeding, bright red, too much.
"FLARE!" Wei Chen screamed. Not to anyone specific. To everyone. "MEDICAL EXTRACTION NOW!"
Chen Ling fired the emergency signal — red light arcing above canopy.
The alpha saw the flare. Understood what it meant. Broke from combat with Yue Ling and Jin Wen. Charged directly at Wei Chen's group.
Advanced-level beast moving at full speed. Intent clear: kill the injured one before extraction arrived.
Yue Ling intercepted. Her defensive barriers materialized — layered shadow constructs designed to absorb overwhelming force.
The alpha smashed through them. Not easily, but inevitably. The power differential was too large.
"Get back!" Yue Ling shouted. "I can't hold—"
The alpha broke through final barrier. Lunged at Han Tao's prone form.
Wei Chen was between them. Blade raised. His Shadow Blade flickered, unstable, fear and desperation disrupting concentration.
Time slowed.
The alpha's jaws opened. Shadow-infused fangs that could tear through magical barriers. Wei Chen's death — and Han Tao's — approaching with absolute certainty.
Shadow represents absence.
The words came unbidden. Lin Sha's lesson. The Core Disciple's demonstration.
The cut already exists.
Wei Chen's mind, crystal-clear in the microsecond before death, understood.
Not intellectually. Viscerally.
Shadow wasn't tool. Shadow was medium. The medium for expressing fundamental truth: matter wasn't continuous. It was particles held together by forces that could be separated. Cutting didn't create separation. It revealed separation that already existed.
And shadow was absence. The space between particles. The nothing that made something possible.
His Shadow Blade reformed.
Different.
Not coating. Expression. His understanding — incomplete, imperfect, barely grasped — flowing through shadow to express concept: You are already separated. I'm making that truth visible.
The blade met the alpha's throat.
No resistance. The wolf's flesh didn't resist because the shadow expressed truth: this tissue was already separated at fundamental level. The blade didn't cut through. It revealed existing separation.
The alpha's momentum carried it forward. Its body separated cleanly along the blade's path. Perfect. No tearing.
Just truth made visible.
The alpha collapsed. Dead instantly.
Wei Chen stood frozen, not understanding what had happened.
His Shadow Blade looked different. Thinner than usual. But denser. Compressed in ways that hurt to look at.
"Extraction incoming!" Jin Wen's voice cut through shock.
A Core Disciple materialized — spatial technique that made Wei Chen's brain ache. She assessed the situation instantly: one critical injury, one Advanced alpha dead, multiple wolves remaining.
Her shadows erupted. The remaining pack died in three seconds. Master-level technique that didn't fight — just ended threats.
"Medical," she said. Two more figures appeared — healers with water and light magic. They took one look at Han Tao and started working.
"He'll live," the lead healer said after tense minute. "Severe damage. Six months recovery, permanent reduced mobility likely."
Six months. Wei Chen's chest tightened.
"Mission complete," the Core Disciple said, surveying dead wolves. "Exceptional performance eliminating Advanced alpha. Harvest cores, return when ready."
She vanished. The healers stabilized Han Tao, prepared transport.
"Go with him," Yue Ling told Wei Chen. "We'll handle cleanup."
"No." Wei Chen's voice sounded distant. "I finish what I started."
They harvested cores. Twenty-three total. One Advanced, four intermediate betas, eighteen subordinates.
Significant haul. Probably top performance across all teams.
Han Tao had paid for that performance with half a year.
They returned through the array at sunset. Other teams reported varied success — most eliminated their assigned packs, few encountered Advanced threats.
Sector 3 team mentioned Ming Yue's performance: she'd single-handedly killed her sector's alpha through overwhelming Advanced-level magic. No injuries. Clean execution.
Different entirely.
The mission coordinator tallied results. "Sector 7: exceptional performance. Advanced alpha elimination, 23 cores total. Point distribution: 140 total. Eight members—"
"Equal shares," Yue Ling interrupted. "Han Tao gets full portion."
"Noted. 17.5 points each."
Wei Chen walked to medical in silence. Found Han Tao unconscious, shoulder wrapped in extensive bandaging. The healers had saved his life. But the damage was permanent.
"Three months minimum recovery before combat training," a healer said. "Six months before full restoration. And he'll never have perfect mobility in that shoulder again."
Wei Chen nodded. Couldn't speak.
He left medical and headed to the outer courtyard. Sat against a wall. His hands still smelled like blood despite washing.
Chen Ling found him there an hour later.
"Not your fault," Chen Ling said.
"My tactical choice led us into that den site."
"Yue Ling led us. She made tactical decisions."
"I could have—"
"What? Predicted Advanced alpha when intel said intermediate threat maximum?" Chen Ling sat beside him. "You can't control everything. Sometimes shit happens regardless of planning."
Wei Chen stared at his hands. "I killed the alpha. In one strike. That shouldn't have been possible."
"I saw. Your Shadow Blade was different. How?"
"I understood something. For just one moment." Wei Chen tried explaining. Failed. "The cut already exists. Shadow just reveals that truth. I don't know how to reach that understanding again. It came from desperation."
"Then you'll figure out how to reach it without dying first." Chen Ling's voice held certainty Wei Chen didn't feel. "You glimpsed something real. That's progress."
They sat in silence until curfew bells rang.
Wei Chen returned to his room. Tried practicing Shadow Blade with his new understanding. The coating formed differently — thinner, denser — but not the same as combat.
Close though. Foundation was there.
He lay down. Sleep came reluctantly, filled with the sound of Han Tao's scream and the moment his blade had revealed that separation was always real.
His shadow moved on the wall.
Patient.
Satisfied.
The first real price had been paid.