The announcement spread at sunrise.
All inner disciples were summoned to the Ascension Platform.
No explanation.
No delay.
Kael arrived early.
The platform stood at the heart of the inner mountain—a massive stone disc engraved with ancient runes. Pressure leaked from it even while inactive.
Elders gathered above.
Not observers.
Judges.
Elder Mo stood among them, her gaze heavy.
"This isn't routine," Kael thought.
The platform lit up.
A senior elder stepped forward.
"The sect will conduct an Ascension Test," he announced. "Not to promote."
"But to measure."
Murmurs erupted.
Measure what?
The elder's eyes swept the crowd before stopping on Kael.
"Certain individuals have displayed… abnormal growth."
Silence followed.
Kael felt it.
This was aimed at him.
"The test is simple," the elder continued. "Endure the Ascension Pressure until dismissed."
Another elder added coldly, "Or until you collapse."
Kael stepped forward.
"I accept."
Mira glanced at him sharply.
Rovan said nothing—but his jaw tightened.
Kael stepped onto the platform.
The formation activated.
Instantly, pressure descended—vast and layered, far beyond the Second Pressure Hall.
The stone beneath Kael cracked violently.
His knees bent.
Not from fear.
From weight.
[Ascension Pressure Detected.]
— Source: Multi-Elder Formation
— Intensity: Escalating
Kael inhaled slowly.
Void Tempering ignited.
Pain tore through him.
Muscle fibers screamed. Bones vibrated violently, threatening collapse.
Blood flowed freely from his skin.
The pressure increased again.
A gasp rippled through the crowd.
"This is too much…"
"He'll die."
Kael's vision darkened.
His heartbeat thundered.
But his body—
did not yield.
[Threshold Approaching:]
— Body Tempering: 48.6% → 49.4%
[Warning:]
— Structural Collapse Risk: Critical
Kael clenched his fists.
"I won't stop here."
He took one step forward.
The platform shattered beneath his foot.
Shockwaves rippled outward.
Several elders stood abruptly.
"This is reckless!" one shouted.
Another sneered. "This is proof."
Kael heard none of it.
Only the pressure.
Only the weight.
[Forced Compression Event Triggered]
Something inside Kael snapped—
then condensed.
The pressure no longer crushed.
It obeyed.
Kael straightened.
The runes on the platform flickered violently.
[Body Tempering Breakthrough:]
— 49.4% → 50%
[Milestone Achieved]
The pressure vanished.
The platform went silent.
Kael stood alone amid shattered stone, blood-soaked but upright.
The mountain itself seemed to hold its breath.
Elder Mo stared.
"So… he crossed it."
A senior elder's expression darkened.
"This cannot continue."
Kael looked up.
Meeting their gazes one by one.
"I'm done," he said calmly.
"If you want more," he added,
"Make it fair."
Silence reigned.
Then—
Elder Mo raised her hand.
"The test is concluded."
She turned to Kael.
"From this moment," she said slowly,
"you are no longer measured by inner disciple standards."
A ripple passed through the elders.
Kael exhaled.
Heavy.
Steady.
The system responded.
[New Phase Unlocked:]
— Half-Tempered Body
— Pressure Authority (Minor)
[Warning:]
— External Forces Aware
Far beyond the sect, a distant bell rang.
Not of warning.
Of arrival.
The silence did not break immediately.
Elders exchanged glances, their expressions no longer unified.
Kael remained standing at the center of the shattered platform, blood drying on his skin. His breathing was slow, controlled. Heavy.
Too heavy.
One elder finally spoke, his voice sharp. "Half-Tempered Body at the inner disciple stage… this has never happened."
"Never allowed to happen," another corrected quietly.
Elder Mo stepped forward.
"The sect exists to cultivate strength," she said calmly. "Not to suppress it out of fear."
A cold snort answered her. "And what if this strength turns against us?"
Kael raised his head slightly.
"If I wanted that," he said evenly, "you wouldn't be discussing it."
The words landed like stone.
No threat.
Just fact.
After a long moment, the senior elder waved his sleeve.
"The Ascension Test is complete," he announced. "Kael will be placed under Special Observation Status."
Whispers rippled.
Special Observation.
Neither protection nor punishment.
A leash disguised as recognition.
Kael understood immediately.
"I accept," he said.
Elder Mo's eyes softened slightly—but only for a moment.
Kael was escorted away from the platform.
As he walked, disciples parted instinctively.
Not admiration.
Instinct.
Back in his courtyard, Kael finally sat down.
The moment he relaxed, pain surged violently through his body.
He clenched his teeth.
Bones screamed.
Muscles locked.
But beneath it—
stability.
[Post-Breakthrough Evaluation:]
— Body Tempering: 50% (Stable)
— Pressure Authority: Minor (Passive)
— Recovery State: Required
[Note:]
— Further growth will attract external interference
Kael leaned back against the stone wall.
"So it's official," he murmured. "No more hiding."
He closed his eyes and began slow circulation, reinforcing the new balance without pushing further.
For the first time—
the Void Tempering Art felt calm.
Not violent.
Not hungry.
Patient.
Elsewhere in the sect, sealed halls opened.
Messages were sent.
"Half-Tempered confirmed."
"Pressure-based path validated."
"Ascension formation failed to suppress."
Far beyond the inner mountain, the messages reached darker places.
A hand tapped a black crystal table.
"So he crossed fifty," a voice said softly.
"Earlier than expected."
Another voice replied, amused, "Do we retrieve him now?"
A pause.
"No," the first voice said. "Not yet."
"Let him grow heavier."
That night, Kael stood under the open sky.
The stars felt closer.
The mountain beneath his feet felt lighter.
He extended his hand.
The air around it distorted slightly—not from Qi release, but from presence.
Kael clenched his fist.
Stone cracked.
Cleanly.
He relaxed.
"I'm still far from strong," he admitted.
"But now…"
A faint smile appeared.
"I won't be crushed."
The system responded one last time that night.
[Next Major Event Predicted:]
— External Trial
— Cross-Sect Interest
— High Mortality Probability
[Recommendation:]
— Stabilize
— Prepare
— Do not retreat
Kael looked toward the horizon.
Where pressure gathered.
Where weight waited.
"Good," he said quietly.
"Let them come."