Kael did not know how long he lay there.
When his consciousness returned, the forest was quiet. The corpse of the Stonehide Boar lay beside him, massive and still.
Pain came next.
Every part of his body screamed.
Yet beneath the pain, something had changed.
Kael pushed himself up slowly.
His movements were heavy, but stable.
[Status Update:]
— Body Tempering: 27%
— Qi Flow: Active (Low)
— Meridian Condition: Reinforced
Kael inhaled deeply.
For the first time, he felt Qi move on its own, circulating slowly through his body without tearing him apart.
"So this is a breakthrough," he whispered.
Not a realm yet.
But a foundation.
Kael stood.
The ground felt firmer beneath his feet. His balance was sharper. Even his injuries felt… distant.
He retrieved the blade and cleaned it carefully.
Before he could move on, the system's cold voice echoed again.
[Milestone Achieved.]
[First High-Risk Breakthrough Completed.]
[Permanent Rewards:]
— Body Recovery Speed Increased
— Pain Suppression (Passive)
— Combat Awareness Enhanced
[New Feature Unlocked:]
— Status Suppression (Can hide true condition)
Kael's eyes widened.
Hide?
A slow smile formed.
"That'll be useful."
He activated it instinctively.
[Status Suppression: ON]
— External Detection: Crippled (False)
Perfect.
No one would sense his progress unless he allowed it.
Kael moved deeper into the Trial Grounds, more cautious now. The forest seemed to respond differently—beasts avoided him, paths opened subtly.
Predators sensed predators.
As the second day ended, Kael found a high rocky outcrop and rested briefly.
That was when he felt it.
A disturbance.
Not from the forest—
but beyond it.
[Alert.]
[External Observation Detected.]
[Source: Trial Grounds Perimeter]
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Someone's watching."
Far away, outside the Trial Grounds, a crystal array flickered faintly.
An elder frowned.
"That aura… changed."
Another voice answered coldly.
"He should have died by now."
Kael Yuan's gaze darkened.
"Prepare a contingency," he said. "If he survives the third day… we intervene."
Back in the forest, Kael opened his eyes.
His expression was calm.
But inside—
his killing intent sharpened.
"Three days," he whispered.
"If they want to interfere…"
He gripped his blade tightly.
"I'll be ready."
The third day arrived without mercy.
Kael woke before dawn, his senses sharp. The forest felt different—tense, like a drawn bowstring. Even the wind moved cautiously, as if avoiding him.
He rose quietly.
His wounds had not healed completely, but they no longer slowed him. Pain existed, but it no longer ruled him.
Kael tested his Qi.
It flowed.
Thin, slow—but obedient.
"That's enough," he murmured.
As he moved, he noticed something strange.
The beasts were gone.
No growls.
No tracks.
No signs of life.
This was wrong.
[Environmental Anomaly Detected.]
[Cause: Artificial Interference]
Kael stopped.
Artificial.
Human hands.
His grip tightened around the blade.
"So they finally moved," he thought.
The forest suddenly shook.
A deafening roar tore through the air.
Kael's blood ran cold.
From between the trees emerged a massive silhouette—taller than the Stonehide Boar, its body covered in black fur streaked with crimson scars.
A Crimson Dire Ape.
Its eyes were wild, filled with rage.
Not hunger.
Pain.
Chains dangled from its wrists, broken but unmistakable.
Kael's gaze hardened.
"They tortured it."
[Elite Beast Detected.]
Name: Crimson Dire Ape
Threat Level: Extreme
Condition: Enraged, Controlled (Residual)
The ape slammed its fists into the ground, cracking the earth.
Kael didn't move.
Running was useless.
He inhaled deeply and suppressed his status.
[Status Suppression: Active]
Displayed Condition: Severely Injured, No Cultivation
"Good," Kael whispered. "If someone's watching… let them underestimate me."
The ape charged.
Kael rolled aside as a massive fist smashed where he stood. Shockwaves tore through the ground, throwing him back.
He skidded across dirt and rocks, blood spraying from his mouth.
Pain screamed.
But his mind stayed clear.
"Slow," he observed. "Powerful—but predictable."
The ape attacked again.
Kael dodged narrowly, using terrain, forcing the beast to turn again and again. Each missed strike exhausted it slightly.
Minutes passed.
Kael's breathing grew heavier.
One mistake—
death.
The ape roared and slammed both fists down.
Kael leaped backward—
too slow.
The shockwave hit him full force.
His body flew through the air and crashed into a tree.
Crack.
Kael slid down, barely conscious.
[Critical State Detected.]
[Override Available.]
Kael spat blood and laughed weakly.
"So this is the limit…"
His vision blurred.
But then—
Footsteps.
Human.
Kael's pupils contracted.
From the edge of the forest, three figures appeared, dressed in dark robes marked with the clan insignia.
Outer elders.
One of them sneered. "Still alive? Annoying little rat."
"So it was you," Kael whispered.
"Of course," the elder replied. "A cripple surviving this long disrupts order."
The ape hesitated, sensing new presence.
"Finish him," the elder commanded coldly.
The ape roared and raised its fists.
Kael's mind sharpened.
"No more hiding."
[Manual Override Activated.]
[All Restrictions Lifted — Temporary]
[Qi Output: Forced Stabilization]
Qi exploded through Kael's body.
Pain vanished.
The world slowed.
Kael rose.
The elders froze.
"What—?"
Kael moved.
In an instant, he was beneath the ape's arms. His blade flashed, guided by Qi for the first time—not brute force, but precision.
Slice.
The tendons behind the ape's knee snapped.
The beast howled and collapsed forward.
Kael leaped.
He drove the blade straight into the ape's skull.
The roar cut off.
Silence fell.
[Elite Kill Confirmed.]
[Trial Grounds Core Objective Completed.]
[Massive Rewards Granted:]
— Body Tempering 50% Achieved
— Qi Control: Initial Mastery
— Meridian Reinforcement (Major)
— Title Unlocked: Trial Survivor
Kael landed lightly.
He turned slowly.
The three elders stared in disbelief.
"This…" one whispered. "Impossible."
Kael's gaze was calm.
Cold.
"You broke the rules," he said quietly. "You used an enraged elite beast to kill a disciple."
The elders stepped back.
Kael raised his blade.
"And I survived."
Far above, the crystal array shattered.
Outside the Trial Grounds, alarms rang.
The clan—
had lost control.