Dawn broke over the Azure Spirit Sect, casting a cold silver light across the roofs and tiled pathways.
But unlike normal mornings—
today, the sect felt strangely tense.
As if the mountains themselves sensed something dangerous growing in their midst.
The rumors had spread all night:
Lian Hong defeated– Chi Yao– Three assassins– Three senior elites–and stood toe-to-toe with Mu Yanting.
A newcomerwho survived everything thrown at himin just two days.
Disciples whispered as he passed, eyes widening, breath catching.
"He's the one.""He fought the assassins?""They say Gu Xiang personally came to threaten him!""And he still stayed alive!?""He's either insane… or destined."
Even instructors lowered their voices.
Because genius is respected.
But someone who rises too fast—
terrifies everyone.
Lian Hong walked across the quiet training ground.
Zhou Shan trailed behind him like a traumatized puppy.
"Bro… please listen. Today is Day 2. That means… only THREE DAYS until the masked killer arrives. And you know what that means?"
Lian Hong didn't look back.
"It means I train."
Zhou Shan threw his hands in the air.
"NO IT MEANS WE RUN AWAY AND START A NEW LIFE—!! I ALREADY THOUGHT OF A NEW NAME FOR YOU: LIAN 'COWARDLY BUT ALIVE' HONG—"
Lian Hong stepped into the center of the arena and began his stance.
Bloodline energy still flickered under his skin—
unstablebut growinglike a beast pacing behind a cage.
The system chimed:
[Crisis Growth Acceleration – Day 2][Training efficiency boosted]– Bloodline stabilization +50%– Muscle adaptivity +70%– Reaction thresholds +22%– Energy recovery +60%
Lian Hong exhaled.
His aura rose—
not violently,but steadily,
like a fire heating metal to forging temperature.
And that alone—
made disciples flinch.
On the cliff above, Rank 1 Mu Yanting stood with arms crossed.
Bandages wrapped his ribs.Purple bruises still marked his chest.
Yet his eyes were calm.
Focused.
Watching.
He muttered to himself:
"He improved again."
A thin smile touched his lips.
"…He really doesn't waste time."
A younger disciple approached cautiously.
"Senior Mu… do you think he can survive the masked killer?"
Mu Yanting didn't look away from Lian Hong.
"He must."
The disciple blinked.
"M–must?"
Mu Yanting's tone deepened.
"Because the masked killer…is not someone the outer sect should be allowed to keep."
He tightened his grip on the wooden sword.
"And only a monster can kill another monster."
Deep in a bamboo grove, Xu Jian poured tea calmly.
Despite the tranquility, his gaze was razor-sharp.
A messenger disciple knelt before him.
"Senior Xu… Gu Xiang is preparing for another move."
Xu Jian didn't look up.
He gently placed the teacup down.
"Of course he is."
The messenger hesitated.
"…Should we interfere?"
Xu Jian smiled.
But it wasn't warm.
"Interfere?No."
He lifted the teacup again.
"Let Gu Xiang sharpen the blade."
He gazed toward the sky.
"Because in two days…I want to face Lian Hong at his very best."
By the lakeside pavilion, Su Qingyue stood alone, watching the sunrise.
Her long hair caught the wind.
Her jade slip pulsed with messages—warnings, gossip, invitations—but she ignored them.
Her focus was far away.
On Lian Hong.
She murmured:
"Three days… before the killer arrives."
She clenched the jade slip.
"He needs help.But if I intervene too much…I'll draw the elders' attention."
A dilemma.
One she wasn't sure how to solve.
But she made her decision anyway.
She turned and whispered:
"…I will still help him."
In a silent chamber beneath the sect, Gu Xiang traced a finger along several black talismans pinned to the wall.
Each talisman bore the same name:
Lian Hong
He smirked.
"So you survived last night."
He moved his finger to the next talisman—one that pulsed faintly with cold aura.
A black flame flickered.
The masked killer's token.
Gu Xiang whispered:
"You will not survive three days."
He crushed the talisman—
and the black flame shot out of the fragments and streaked into the sky.
Lian Hong launched into movement training.
His Shadowstep Mirage Form left trails of afterimages—nine of them—each sharper and more controlled than yesterday.
But halfway through—
the system chimed a warning.
[Hostility Detected]
Lian Hong's expression sharpened.
He stopped moving.
Zhou Shan screamed and hid behind a pillar.
"BRO WHO IS IT THIS TIME—!? PLEASE DON'T BE ANOTHER KILLER—PLEASE LET IT BE A LOST TOURIST—!!"
A figure stepped onto the plateau.
Not a killer.
Not a jealous senior.
Not Gu Xiang.
It was—
Instructor Wei Feng.
He stared at Lian Hong with an unreadable expression.
Lian Hong bowed.
"Instructor."
Wei Feng didn't respond.
He walked closer.
Examined the cracks in the tiles.The traces of yesterday's battle.The lingering feel of bloodline power.
He stopped in front of Lian Hong.
And spoke quietly:
"You're not afraid."
Lian Hong didn't answer immediately.
Then said:
"I don't have time to be."
Wei Feng's eyes sharpened.
"That is exactly why you will die."
Zhou Shan screamed and fainted.
Lian Hong remained still.
Wei Feng continued:
"You fought Mu Yanting.You fought assassins.You fought senior elites."
He lowered his voice further.
"But the masked killer is not a fight.He is a sentence."
He leaned closer.
"You cannot beat him."
He straightened.
"But—"
He paused.
"You can survive him."
Lian Hong finally looked up.
"How?"
Wei Feng handed him a small jade plaque.
"Come to the southern training cavern tonight.Alone."
Then he turned to leave.
But before he disappeared, he added:
"And do not tell Qingyue."
Far from the sect—
a cliff overlooking a stormy valley—
the masked killer opened his eyes.
He had been sitting in meditation, surrounded by talismans and weapons.
The moment Gu Xiang's flame reached him—the symbols around him glowed.
He stood.
Wind screamed around him, bending trees like blades of grass.
His killing intent shook the dust around him.
He whispered:
"Three days."
He vanished.
The cliff cracked where he had been sitting.
Lian Hong held the jade plaque Wei Feng gave him.
Zhou Shan slowly peeked from behind the pillar like a frightened squirrel.
"Bro… that instructor… he looked serious.Like the 'I've seen students die' serious.Are you sure you want to go tonight?"
Lian Hong looked toward the southern mountains.
Moonlight would fall there tonight.
Along with danger.
"I'm going."
Zhou Shan sat on the ground, defeated.
"You know what…I'm going too."
Lian Hong lifted a brow.
"No."
Zhou Shan puffed his cheeks angrily.
"BRO YOU ALMOST DIED THREE TIMES YESTERDAY. I AM NOT LEAVING YOU TONIGHT."
Lian Hong sighed.
But didn't refuse again.
Because in this world—
even the weakest companion's loyaltywas worth more than the strongest weapon.