The air was different above the outer tiers.
Yan Xuan felt it the moment he crossed the final boundary stone—Qi here was not merely denser, but organized. It moved with intent, drawn into channels carved by formations, architecture, and long-standing cultivation habits. The mountain no longer tested endurance.
It tested compatibility.
He paused at the threshold, pack light on his shoulder.
A passing inner disciple glanced at him, then away, uninterested. No awe. No hostility. Just indifference sharpened by hierarchy.
Good, Yan Xuan thought. Indifference was workable.
His provisional quarters were small, cut directly into stone. One table. One mat. A single narrow window that looked out over cloud-draped slopes below. No servant. No guide.
No protection.
A wooden plaque rested on the table.
Special Inner Disciple — Provisional StatusEvaluation Period: Six Months
Yan Xuan read it once and set it aside.
"So they'll watch," he murmured. "And wait."
The system surfaced faintly, almost reflexively.
Environmental Pressure: High
Freedom of Action: Reduced
Opportunity Density: Increased
Yan Xuan dismissed it.
Opportunities were only useful if survivable.
A bell rang—deeper than the outer disciple signal.
Moments later, a voice echoed through the inner tier.
"All inner disciples, assemble at the Skyfold Platform."
Yan Xuan stepped out.
The path upward narrowed, stone giving way to suspended platforms connected by bridges of pale jade. Below, clouds drifted lazily, hiding the world he had come from.
At the platform, nearly fifty disciples gathered.
They were different.
Qi circulated openly here—controlled, confident, restrained. Many were already in Qi Condensation, their presence subtly oppressive. A few glanced at Yan Xuan with interest.
One did not bother hiding his disdain.
"That's him," a tall disciple said quietly to his companions. "The Body Tempering freak."
Yan Xuan heard him.
He ignored it.
An elder stepped forward—robes darker, aura heavy but contained.
"Inner disciples," the elder said, "you have climbed high enough to be seen. From this point forward, progress is no longer optional."
His gaze swept the group.
"Within three months, all provisional disciples must show clear preparation for Qi Condensation. Failure will result in reassignment."
Several disciples straightened instinctively.
Yan Xuan did not.
Preparation, he thought, was not the same as rushing.
The elder's eyes paused on him for the briefest instant.
"Dismissed."
As the crowd dispersed, a woman stepped into Yan Xuan's path.
She was calm, composed, eyes sharp with calculation rather than hostility.
"You're Yan Xuan," she said.
"Yes."
"Lian Yu," she replied. "Inner Disciple. Assigned to evaluate anomalies."
Yan Xuan tilted his head slightly. "Anomalies?"
"You," she said plainly. "Among others."
She studied him without shame. "You're still Body Tempering."
"Yes."
"And yet Lin Shuo won't look anyone in the eye anymore," Lian Yu continued. "That creates… interest."
Yan Xuan met her gaze. "Is this a warning?"
She smiled faintly. "No. A courtesy."
She stepped aside. "Be careful here. The inner sect doesn't crush people loudly. It starves them."
Yan Xuan nodded. "Noted."
As he walked away, the system flickered.
New Variable Detected: Lian Yu
Threat Level: Unclear
Information Value: High
Yan Xuan dismissed it without hesitation.
People were variables.
He would account for her when necessary.
That night, Yan Xuan cultivated—but differently.
He did not seek breakthrough.
He mapped.
Qi here flowed along established paths, biased toward certain physiques, certain techniques. He felt how easily he could force condensation now—and how catastrophic that would be.
Not yet.
He opened his eyes.
The inner sect wanted him to climb.
The system warned of cost.
And somewhere above, far beyond Cloudfall Mountain, a peak existed where optimization turned into erasure.
Yan Xuan lay back on the stone mat.
Arc Three had begun.
Here, power would no longer be enough.
Here, choices would start to matter.