The arena slowly emptied.
Disciples whispered as they left, glancing back at Kael with complex expressions. Fear. Curiosity. Respect.
Kael returned to his courtyard without stopping.
His body ached, but it was a controlled ache—proof of use, not damage.
When he entered his room, the system activated.
[Post-Combat Evaluation:]
— Body Tempering: ~35%
— Void Tempering Art: Stage 2 Stable
— Title Active: Unmovable Body
[Overall Threat Level:] Rising
Kael sat down and closed his eyes.
The duel had not drained him as much as expected. His body recovered quickly, drawing strength from every breath.
"So this is the difference," he thought. "A solid foundation."
A knock came at the door.
Kael opened it.
Elder Mo stood outside, hands clasped behind her back.
"Come with me," she said. "Now."
The inner hall was quiet.
Elder Mo stopped in front of a sealed stone door.
"Today's duel changed your position," she said. "You defeated an inner disciple fairly."
Kael waited.
"From this moment," she continued, "you are granted probationary inner disciple status."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
Probationary.
Not full.
Protection—but conditional.
"You will receive inner disciple resources," Elder Mo said. "But you will also be watched."
Kael bowed. "Understood."
Elder Mo studied him closely.
"Tell me," she asked softly. "Why did you choose Void Tempering?"
Kael answered honestly. "Because it doesn't lie."
Elder Mo smiled faintly.
"A dangerous answer."
She handed him a jade token.
"Report to the Inner Cultivation Zone at dawn tomorrow."
Kael accepted it.
As Kael left the hall, unseen eyes followed him.
Within a sealed chamber, Kael Yuan smashed a table to pieces.
"He's moving too fast," he growled. "This was a mistake."
Another elder spoke quietly. "Then we adapt."
Kael Yuan's gaze turned cold.
"Send word to the Black Vein Hall."
A pause.
"…If he continues," Kael Yuan added, "he won't stay an internal problem."
That night, Kael stood beneath the stars.
He tested his Qi.
It flowed.
Not smoothly yet—but obeyed.
The Void Tempering Art continued to compress his body even at rest.
Kael clenched his fist.
"I'm still slow," he admitted. "But I won't break."
The system responded softly.
[New Phase Detected.]
[Path Identified: Heavy Body Cultivator]
[Next Milestone:]
— Body Tempering 50%
— Stable Qi Circulation
[Warning:]
— External Faction Interest Confirmed
Kael looked toward the distant inner mountain.
"Inner disciples," he murmured.
A faint smile appeared.
"Let's see who's heavier."
The wind passed quietly.
And somewhere beyond the clan—
danger began to move.
Dawn arrived with a thin layer of mist.
Kael followed the stone path upward, past gates he had never been allowed to cross before. The Inner Cultivation Zone sat higher than the outer grounds, closer to the spiritual veins of the mountain.
The air felt different.
Heavier.
Denser.
Each breath carried faint Qi, pressing against his lungs.
Kael adjusted immediately, slowing his breathing, letting the Void Tempering Art absorb the pressure instead of resisting it.
"So this is where they grow," he murmured.
Several inner disciples were already present, cultivating on stone platforms or sparring quietly. When Kael entered, movements slowed.
Eyes turned.
Recognition spread.
"That's him."
"The one who beat Lian Voss."
"He doesn't look special…"
Kael ignored the whispers and walked toward an empty platform near the edge.
The moment he sat down, pressure descended.
Not natural.
Artificial.
Kael's gaze sharpened.
[External Pressure Detected.]
[Source: Formation Adjustment]
Someone had increased the density around his platform.
A test.
Kael did not react outwardly.
He closed his eyes and circulated his Qi slowly, guiding the pressure inward. Muscles tightened, bones vibrated—but instead of cracking, they compressed.
The stone beneath him creaked.
A few inner disciples frowned.
"Isn't that pressure too high?" one muttered.
Another smirked. "Let's see how long he lasts."
Minutes passed.
Then an hour.
Sweat rolled down Kael's back, soaking his clothes. His breathing deepened, steady and slow.
The pressure that was meant to crush him—
was being consumed.
[Void Tempering Art: Environmental Assimilation Detected]
— Passive Density Growth
— Resistance Increasing
Kael opened his eyes.
The pressure eased suddenly.
Someone had withdrawn it.
Across the zone, a tall young man stood up from his platform. His robe bore a silver thread—ranking mark.
Senior Inner Disciple: Rovan Kells.
"So you're Kael," Rovan said calmly. "Interesting body."
Kael stood and faced him. "You tested me."
Rovan did not deny it. "This zone doesn't accept weak foundations. You passed."
Kael nodded once. "Then we're done."
A few disciples chuckled quietly.
Rovan's eyes narrowed slightly—but he smiled.
"For now," he said.
He turned and left.
Kael sat back down.
Inside, his muscles pulsed faintly, denser than before.
"This place will accelerate everything," he thought. "If I survive."
That afternoon, Kael received his first inner disciple resources.
One low-grade Qi pill.
One cultivation hour inside a Minor Pressure Chamber.
Most inner disciples considered it basic.
To Kael—
it was perfect.
Inside the chamber, pressure descended evenly from all sides, squeezing his body like a vice.
Kael did not waste time.
He activated the Void Tempering Art fully.
Pain bloomed instantly.
His skin darkened slightly as blood rushed to the surface. His bones hummed, vibrating at a low frequency.
Kael clenched his jaw.
"Compress," he whispered.
Minutes felt like hours.
At the edge of collapse, his body adapted again.
[Body Tempering Progress:]
— 35% → 38%
[Void Tempering Art:]
— Stage 2: Refinement Ongoing
When Kael exited the chamber, his legs trembled slightly—but his posture remained straight.
Watching disciples went quiet.
"That fast?"
"He didn't even scream…"
Kael returned to his room at dusk.
Old Chen was waiting, eyes wet.
"Young Master… inner disciple robes," he whispered.
Kael looked at the folded robe on the table.
Simple.
Clean.
Heavy.
He placed it aside.
"Not yet," Kael said calmly. "I'll wear it when I deserve it."
That night, Kael cultivated again.
As he did, far away, a sealed hall lit up with dark lanterns.
A message arrived.
"Subject confirmed. Heavy-body path. Growth rate abnormal."
A cold voice replied, "Observe. If he crosses 50% Body Tempering…"
A pause.
"…we act."
Back in his room, Kael opened his eyes.
He felt it.
Pressure coming.
But this time—
he welcomed it.