Night fell quietly over the Azure Cloud Sect, but Lin Yuan did not sleep. He sat cross-legged inside his quarters, the jade slip Yu Yan had given him resting in his palm. One by one, he reviewed the names etched within, cross-referencing them with memories from this body and the system's analysis.
Three inner disciples stood out immediately.
All three belonged to the same faction.
All three had connections to an inner elder who specialized in "trial supervision."
Lin Yuan opened his eyes.
"So that's how they do it," he murmured.
The system responded at once.
[Pattern Confirmed: Elimination through trial mechanics]
[Probability of Host Being Targeted: 67%]
Rather than anger, a calm clarity settled over him. In the cultivation world, threats rarely announced themselves openly. The most dangerous enemies smiled while sharpening their knives.
A faint fluctuation suddenly brushed against his senses.
Not strong.
Not obvious.
But deliberate.
The system reacted instantly.
[Hostile Intent Detected]
[Source: Eastern Outer Trial Grounds]
[Estimated Time to Event: 15 minutes]
Lin Yuan rose to his feet.
"Already?" he said softly.
He exited his quarters without alerting anyone, moving through the sect like a shadow. The night wind carried whispers of spiritual energy, disturbed in a very specific pattern—someone was setting up a formation.
By the time Lin Yuan reached the eastern grounds, he saw it clearly.
A temporary trial zone had been erected under the pretense of late-stage evaluation. At its center stood a lone outer disciple, bound by chains of spiritual energy. Fear was written across his face.
Around the perimeter, several figures stood concealed in the darkness.
Inner disciples.
Watching.
Waiting.
The system analyzed rapidly.
[Target: Outer Disciple Han Lu]
[Purpose: Bait]
[Hidden Objective: Lure high-performing outer disciples into lethal "accidents"]
Lin Yuan's eyes hardened.
So this was their method.
Create a crisis.
Force intervention.
Then eliminate the intervening party under the guise of trial failure.
Clean. Efficient. Invisible.
A figure stepped forward from the shadows—an inner disciple with sharp features and a calm smile.
"Anyone who wishes to prove their worth," the man announced, "may attempt this emergency trial. Failure will not be punished. Death… will be considered fate."
The wording was deliberate.
Lin Yuan stepped forward.
Murmurs rippled through the darkness as several outer disciples recognized him. None dared follow.
The inner disciple's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Lin Yuan," he said smoothly. "How commendable. You never fail to impress."
Lin Yuan said nothing and walked into the formation.
The moment he crossed the boundary, spiritual pressure surged from all directions. Blades of condensed energy slashed toward him, aimed not to test—but to kill.
The system activated instantly.
[Formation Analysis Complete]
[Weak Point Identified: Northern Anchor Node]
Lin Yuan moved.
Not forward.
Not backward.
Sideways.
His foot slammed into the ground, cracking stone as he struck the invisible anchor point. The formation shuddered violently, its energy destabilizing.
The inner disciple's smile vanished.
"What?" he muttered.
Lin Yuan didn't give him time to react.
He appeared directly beside the bound outer disciple and shattered the chains with a single strike. Han Lu collapsed, stunned but alive.
Then Lin Yuan turned.
The system's voice was cold and precise.
[Permission Granted: Counter-Elimination]
Lin Yuan surged forward.
The first concealed inner disciple barely had time to widen his eyes before Lin Yuan's fist struck his chest. Bone shattered. The man was flung backward, crashing into a pillar and falling silent.
The second tried to retreat.
Too slow.
Lin Yuan's movement technique flowed seamlessly into a killing strike. One blow to the throat. Clean. Final.
The third attempted to activate a defensive talisman.
Lin Yuan ripped it apart mid-activation and drove his elbow into the man's spine.
Three bodies hit the ground.
Dead.
Silence swallowed the eastern grounds.
The remaining observers—outer elders, hidden attendants, faction scouts—froze.
They had not expected resistance.
They had not expected retaliation.
And they certainly had not expected survival.
The system chimed.
[Kill Confirmed x3]
[Rewards: 90,000 Cultivation Points]
[Rewards: Fate Points +300]
[Hidden Achievement Unlocked: Hunter of the Hidden Blade]
Lin Yuan exhaled slowly.
His cultivation surged, stabilizing at a frightening level for an outer disciple. The pressure he emitted now caused even distant observers to stiffen.
He turned toward the darkness.
"You wanted an accident," Lin Yuan said calmly. "This is one."
An outer elder finally stepped forward, face pale but controlled.
"This matter," the elder said carefully, "will be investigated."
Lin Yuan looked at him.
"Good," he replied. "Investigate thoroughly."
His gaze lingered just long enough for the message to be understood.
I know who you serve.
And I am not afraid.
He helped Han Lu to his feet and guided him out of the formation zone without another word.
Behind them, the corpses remained.
Unhidden.
Unforgiven.
As Lin Yuan walked back toward the inner sect peaks, the system issued its final update for the night.
[Hidden Enemy Neutralized]
[Threat Level of Inner Sect Trial Increased]
[System Advisory: Host has entered faction conflict stage]
Lin Yuan's lips curved slightly.
Good.
The game had finally begun.