The forest shook as the Crimson Dire Ape's body collapsed.
Dust slowly settled.
Kael stood among the ruins, blade dripping with blood. His breathing was steady, controlled—nothing like a man who had just faced death.
The three elders backed away instinctively.
"This… wasn't supposed to happen," one of them muttered.
Kael looked at them calmly.
"You interfered with the trial," he said. "That is a crime under clan law."
The elders' expressions twisted.
"Clan law?" another sneered. "You're still a cripple, boy. Even if you survived, no one will believe you."
Kael didn't argue.
He simply deactivated his suppression.
[Status Suppression: OFF]
In that instant, his aura surged.
Not overwhelming.
But solid.
Stable.
Alive.
The elders froze.
Body Tempering—half complete.
Qi responding.
"Impossible…" one whispered.
Kael stepped forward.
Each step felt heavy, like a hammer striking the ground.
"You chained the beast," Kael continued. "You tried to erase me quietly."
He raised his blade.
"I don't forget debts."
Fear flashed across one elder's face. "Kill him!"
They attacked together.
Kael moved.
Not fast—
precise.
The first elder's strike missed by a hair. Kael twisted, elbow smashing into the man's ribs. Bones cracked.
The second elder tried to retreat.
Too late.
Kael's blade slashed across his arm, severing tendons. He screamed and fell.
The third froze.
Kael stopped in front of him.
"Leave," Kael said coldly. "Tell them what you saw."
The elder stumbled back, terror in his eyes, and fled.
Kael turned to the fallen two.
"You made your choice."
He ended it cleanly.
[Human Kills Confirmed.]
[Threat Sources Eliminated.]
[Reputation Flag Updated:]
— Hostile Attention: Increased
A deep rumble echoed.
The Trial Grounds gate opened.
Light poured in.
Kael sheathed his blade and walked toward it without hesitation.
Outside, the clan square was filled.
Elders.
Disciples.
Formation arrays glowing.
Kael Yuan stood at the front.
His face darkened the moment he saw Kael walking out alone.
"You survived," Kael Yuan said slowly.
Kael stepped into the light.
"Yes."
Murmurs erupted.
"Alone?"
"No injuries?"
"That's impossible!"
Kael Yuan's gaze sharpened. "Where are the others?"
Kael met his eyes.
"Dead."
Silence.
Kael Yuan's killing intent surged.
"You dare—"
"Enough."
Elder Mo stepped forward.
Her eyes fixed on Kael.
"Tell me," she said. "Did anyone interfere with the trial?"
Kael did not hesitate.
"Yes."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Kael raised his blade and threw it onto the stone floor.
Chains clinked as they fell from it.
Elder Mo's expression changed.
"Chains…" she whispered.
Kael Yuan's face turned pale.
"You broke the rules," Kael said calmly. "I survived anyway."
Elder Mo closed her eyes briefly.
Then she opened them.
"This trial is concluded," she declared. "Kael returns alive. His survival is valid."
She turned to Kael Yuan.
"And this matter," she said coldly, "will be investigated."
The clan square fell silent.
Kael stood tall.
For the first time—
no one called him a cripple.
The silence did not last long.
Whispers spread like wildfire across the clan square. Eyes filled with shock, disbelief, and something else—fear.
Kael stood in the center of it all, calm.
Kael Yuan slowly stepped forward, his expression carefully controlled, but the veins on his forehead throbbed violently.
"This investigation," he said coldly, "must be handled carefully. Accusations without proof will damage clan unity."
Elder Mo's gaze was sharp. "Chains taken from an elite beast inside the Trial Grounds are proof enough."
Kael Yuan clenched his fist.
Several elders exchanged glances. They knew what this meant.
Someone had crossed a line.
"Kael," Elder Mo said, turning to him, "step forward."
Kael obeyed.
"By surviving the Trial Grounds alone," she continued, her voice carrying clearly, "you have met the minimum requirement to retain your disciple status."
Murmurs erupted again.
Not expelled.
Not punished.
Retained.
"But," Elder Mo added, raising her hand for silence, "given the circumstances… further compensation is appropriate."
Kael Yuan's eyes widened slightly.
"Elder Mo," he said stiffly, "this—"
"I will decide," she cut him off.
She looked directly at Kael.
"From this day forward, you are granted temporary independent disciple status. No one may interfere with your cultivation without approval."
The square exploded.
Independent disciples answered only to elders.
No bullying.
No forced missions.
No quiet assassinations.
Kael bowed deeply. "Thank you, Elder."
Inside, he exhaled slowly.
This was protection.
Not permanent—but enough.
Elder Mo continued, "Additionally, you will receive access to the Outer Resource Hall for seven days."
That was real compensation.
Kael Yuan's face darkened further.
"This is excessive," he muttered.
Elder Mo ignored him.
"However," she said, her gaze sharpening, "this also paints a target on your back."
Kael met her eyes. "I understand."
Good.
That single look told her he wasn't naïve.
Later, Kael returned to his old quarters.
Old Chen was waiting.
The old man stared at him as if seeing a ghost.
"Young Master…" his voice trembled. "You came back."
Kael smiled faintly. "I said I would."
Old Chen suddenly knelt.
Kael froze. "Uncle Chen—don't."
Old Chen shook his head. "This old man almost lost hope. But now… now I believe."
Kael helped him up gently.
"Rest," Kael said. "Things will change."
That night, Kael finally had privacy.
He sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.
The system responded immediately.
[Trial Grounds Completed.]
[Hidden Evaluation: Outstanding]
[Additional Rewards Unlocked:]
— Foundation Stabilization
— Qi Absorption Rate Increased
— Passive Skill: Calm Heart (Mental Resistance)
[Warning:]
— Hostile Faction Interest Detected
— Probability of Targeted Elimination: Rising
Kael opened his eyes.
"So the real danger starts now," he murmured.
He could feel it.
Eyes watching from the shadows.
Schemes forming.
But for the first time—
he was ready.
Outside his room, footsteps stopped briefly.
A shadow lingered.
Then left.
Kael smiled faintly.
"Come," he whispered. "One by one."
The weak boy who entered the Trial Grounds—
was gone.
What walked out—
was something else entirely.