The night sky above the Azure Cloud Sect rippled.
It was subtle—so subtle that ordinary disciples would never notice—but to those who had stepped beyond the mortal threshold of cultivation, it was unmistakable.
A fluctuation.
A violation.
High atop the main peak, within a stone hall carved from spirit jade, several figures opened their eyes at the same time.
"Hm?"
Elder Mo, an old man with snow-white brows and eyes sharp as blades, slowly set down the teacup in his hand. The liquid inside trembled, sending faint ripples across its surface.
"That aura…" he murmured. "A breakthrough?"
Across from him, Elder Qin frowned.
"No," she said coldly. "That's not a normal breakthrough."
Another elder stood abruptly, robes fluttering as his spiritual sense expanded outward.
"It's chaotic," he said. "Unstable, yet… terrifyingly efficient."
The elders exchanged glances.
They had all sensed it.
A surge of qi that ignored conventional bottlenecks.A breakthrough that didn't follow established laws.A cultivation fluctuation that felt… wrong.
"Location?" Elder Mo asked.
The standing elder closed his eyes briefly.
"…Outer sect," he said slowly. "Near the edge of the grounds."
Silence fell.
The outer sect.
The place of trash disciples, abandoned talents, and cultivators barely worth remembering.
"That's impossible," Elder Qin said sharply. "No one in the outer sect should be capable of causing this."
"And yet," Elder Mo replied calmly, "it happened."
At the same time, inside a secluded inner sect residence—
Liu Mei staggered back a step, her hand pressed against her chest.
Her aura was in chaos.
Qi surged and retreated within her meridians, refusing to stabilize.
She had just broken through hours ago.
And yet—
It felt as if her cultivation no longer belonged entirely to her.
A strange warmth lingered deep within her dantian, connected to something far away.
To someone.
She looked toward the direction of Lin Chen's residence.
"…What have I tied myself to?" she whispered.
Fear crept in.
But it was quickly drowned by something stronger.
Dependence.
She clenched her fists.
"No," she told herself. "I chose this."
Even if she didn't fully understand it yet.
Back in the outer sect, Lin Chen stood alone in the darkness.
The remnants of breakthrough pressure still lingered around him, faint distortions in the air slowly dispersing.
He rolled his shoulders, feeling the new power settle.
Qi Condensation, Third Layer.
But unlike before, his qi felt dense—compressed to a frightening degree.
He exhaled.
The sound cracked the air.
"So this is what shared cultivation feels like," he murmured.
In his mind, the system interface flickered.
[Breakthrough stabilized.][Current cultivation exceeds same-realm average by 300%.][Warning: Host has entered observation range of higher authorities.]
Lin Chen's eyes narrowed.
"So fast?"
[Confirmed.][Abnormal growth rate detected.]
Lin Chen smiled faintly.
"Good."
Knock. Knock.
The sound came from outside his door.
Lin Chen turned calmly.
"Enter."
The door opened.
An outer sect elder stepped inside—Elder Huang.
The same elder who had confronted Lin Chen in the challenge arena.
But this time, his expression was very different.
Gone was casual authority.
In its place was scrutiny.
"Lin Chen," Elder Huang said slowly, his gaze sharp. "You broke through tonight."
"Yes," Lin Chen replied plainly.
Elder Huang studied him for a long moment, spiritual sense sweeping over his body.
Qi Condensation.Third Layer.Stable.Dense.
Too dense.
"…How?" Elder Huang asked.
Lin Chen met his gaze.
"I cultivated."
A twitch appeared at the corner of Elder Huang's mouth.
"That answer won't satisfy the sect."
"I'm not cultivating for the sect," Lin Chen replied calmly.
Silence stretched.
Elder Huang inhaled slowly.
"Listen carefully," he said. "Your recent actions—crippling Zhao Feng, public defiance, sudden breakthroughs—have drawn attention."
"From whom?" Lin Chen asked.
Elder Huang hesitated.
"…From above."
Lin Chen nodded.
"That was inevitable."
Elder Huang frowned. "You don't seem worried."
"Should I be?" Lin Chen asked. "I followed sect rules. Zhao Feng challenged me. He lost."
Elder Huang stared at him.
For the first time, he felt something unsettling.
This wasn't arrogance.
It was certainty.
"…There will be an investigation," Elder Huang finally said. "Elders may question you. Possibly test you."
"Test?" Lin Chen smiled slightly. "They're welcome to try."
Elder Huang's heart skipped a beat.
He stood, turning toward the door.
"One more thing," he added without looking back. "From tomorrow onward, you are promoted to a provisional inner sect disciple."
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow.
"That was fast."
Elder Huang paused.
"Fast," he said quietly, "is the only way to keep monsters from being wasted."
Then he left.
Lin Chen stood alone again.
Above him, clouds slowly gathered, moonlight dimming as if the heavens themselves were watching.
In the depths of the sect—
Elders prepared.Inner sect geniuses stirred.And unseen eyes turned toward the once-forgotten trash disciple.
Lin Chen clasped his hands behind his back.
"Come," he murmured. "Let's see how high this destiny can reach."
The Inner Sect was different.
The moment Lin Chen stepped past the jade archway separating the outer grounds from the inner sect, the density of spiritual qi nearly doubled. Mist drifted between elegant pavilions, and spirit trees lined stone paths, their leaves glowing faintly with inner light.
This was where true disciples cultivated.
And where pride grew unchecked.
Lin Chen walked calmly, his provisional inner sect token hanging at his waist. It was plain—far less ornate than those worn by true inner sect disciples—but its presence alone drew attention.
Whispers followed him almost immediately.
"That's him?"
"The one who crippled Zhao Feng?"
"I heard he was outer sect trash just days ago."
"Provisional inner sect… what a joke."
Lin Chen ignored them.
He was led to a wide stone platform suspended above a lake of pale blue spiritual water. The surface reflected the sky like a mirror, broken only by slow ripples of qi.
Several figures were already waiting.
Five young cultivators stood at the center of the platform, all wearing inner sect robes embroidered with silver threads.
Each one radiated pressure.
Qi Condensation, Sixth Layer.Qi Condensation, Seventh Layer.One of them—
Lin Chen's gaze paused briefly.
Qi Condensation, Ninth Layer.
A genius.
An elder sat at the edge of the platform, eyes half-closed.
Elder Qin.
Her presence alone suppressed the surroundings.
"Lin Chen," she said coolly. "You have been granted provisional entry to the inner sect. Before anything else, you will be tested."
One of the young men stepped forward, sneering.
"Elder Qin," he said respectfully, then glanced at Lin Chen. "Isn't this unnecessary? If rumors are true, he only defeated Zhao Feng through luck."
Another laughed. "Or a forbidden method."
Lin Chen met their gazes calmly.
Elder Qin opened her eyes slightly.
"Testing removes doubt," she said. "Begin."
The Qi Condensation Ninth Layer disciple stepped forward.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Sharp-eyed.
"Zhou Yuan," he said. "Ranked thirty-two among inner sect disciples."
Murmurs spread.
"He's starting?"
"Isn't that too much?"
Zhou Yuan looked at Lin Chen as one might look at prey.
"I won't cripple you," Zhou Yuan said flatly. "But you will kneel."
Lin Chen tilted his head slightly.
"Try."
Zhou Yuan's eyes hardened.
He released his aura.
Boom!
Pressure surged like a wave.
Several weaker inner sect disciples staggered back.
Lin Chen felt the force crash against him—
And disperse.
His robe fluttered.Nothing more.
Zhou Yuan frowned.
"Interesting."
He moved.
Qi gathered around his palm, forming a rotating blade of compressed energy.
Inner Sect Martial Technique: Splitting Wave Palm.
The air screamed as the attack descended.
Lin Chen stepped forward.
No technique.
No visible qi release.
Just a punch.
The lake below churned violently.
Boom!
The palm blade shattered.
Zhou Yuan's expression changed for the first time.
He slid back several steps, boots scraping stone.
"What—"
Lin Chen was already in front of him.
Zhou Yuan barely raised his arms before—
Crack!
His guard shattered.
His body flew.
He slammed into the platform barrier, coughing blood as he dropped to one knee.
Silence.
Utter silence.
The other inner sect disciples stared in disbelief.
"One move…?"
"That was Zhou Yuan…"
Lin Chen stood calmly, hands at his sides.
"Next," he said.
The remaining four hesitated.
Then one stepped forward angrily.
"I don't believe this!"
He attacked.
Then another.
Then another.
Three figures rushed Lin Chen simultaneously, techniques blazing, qi roaring.
Lin Chen inhaled.
Then exhaled.
His aura erupted.
Boom!
A shockwave blasted outward.
The three disciples were thrown back like leaves in a storm, crashing to the ground in a heap.
Only one remained standing—the Qi Condensation Seventh Layer disciple.
His face was pale.
"I concede," he said stiffly.
Lin Chen turned back toward Elder Qin.
"Is that sufficient?"
Elder Qin stared at him.
For the first time, her calm expression cracked.
"…More than sufficient," she said slowly.
She rose.
"From this moment onward," Elder Qin announced, her voice echoing across the platform,"Lin Chen is promoted to full inner sect disciple."
The crowd exploded.
Shock.Jealousy.Fear.
Lin Chen nodded once.
At that moment—
A strange, cold gaze fell upon him.
From the far end of the platform stood a woman in black robes, her hair silver-white, her expression detached.
Sword intent leaked faintly from her body.
Sword Dao Fairy.
She watched Lin Chen closely.
And for the first time in years—
Her heart stirred.
Far away, a new destiny thread trembled.
Lin Chen felt it.
And smiled.