The mist thickened as Lin Shuan stepped deeper into the forest.
Not the kind that merely obscured vision—
but the kind that swallowed presence.
Even sound seemed to hesitate here, as if afraid to travel too far. Each step he took disappeared almost instantly, leaving no trace behind. The world around him felt narrower, tighter, more suffocating.
This…
was no longer the outer zone.
This was where the true trial began.
Lin Shuan's gaze remained steady, his breathing controlled to the point where it was nearly nonexistent. His aura was still completely suppressed, sealed beneath layers of restraint that even trained perception would struggle to pierce.
But now—
his mind was active.
Calculating.
Observing.
Adapting.
He had already chosen his path.
Not just survival.
Not just growth.
But domination—quiet, unseen, inevitable.
"…stronger beasts first," he murmured softly.
His reasoning was simple.
Spirit Herbs would attract attention.
Participants would gather.
Clashes would erupt.
And where there was chaos—
there was opportunity.
But to take advantage of that…
he needed to be stronger.
More stable.
More dangerous.
So for now—
he hunted.
---
The first encounter came sooner than expected.
A shadow passed overhead.
Silent.
Fast.
Lin Shuan stopped.
Not abruptly—
but naturally.
As if he had simply chosen to pause.
His eyes lifted slightly.
The mist above rippled.
Then—
something descended.
A creature with wings.
But not wings of flesh.
Fragments.
Shifting pieces that flickered between existence and illusion, never fully stabilizing.
Its body resembled a bird—
but wrong.
Too long.
Too thin.
Its beak curved unnaturally, splitting slightly at the tip, revealing inner layers that shouldn't exist.
Its eyes—
empty.
Not hollow.
Not glowing.
Just—
absent.
The moment it noticed Lin Shuan—
it screamed.
The sound wasn't loud.
But it pierced directly into the mind.
A mental attack.
Lin Shuan's expression didn't change.
His mind—
remained still.
The Frost Divine Heart pulsed faintly.
A cold clarity spread through his thoughts, suppressing the intrusion instantly.
The creature dove.
Fast.
Direct.
Deadly.
Lin Shuan moved.
One step.
To the side.
Minimal.
Perfect.
His hand rose—
and struck upward.
Not fast.
Not powerful—
but precise.
His fingers pierced through the unstable layers of the creature's body, finding the core hidden beneath the illusion.
CRACK.
The scream cut off instantly.
The creature collapsed mid-air, dissolving before it even hit the ground.
Another crystal formed.
Slightly larger.
More refined.
Lin Shuan caught it without looking.
Stored it.
Not absorbed.
Not yet.
He continued forward.
---
Time blurred again.
Encounters increased.
Stronger.
More deceptive.
Some beasts didn't attack directly.
Instead—
they created environments.
False terrains.
Illusory paths.
At one point, Lin Shuan walked through what appeared to be a clearing—only for the ground beneath him to vanish into a void-like abyss.
A trap.
But he didn't fall.
He never had.
His step had already adjusted before the illusion fully formed.
His perception—
was no longer limited to sight.
Another time, he encountered a beast that didn't move at all.
It simply existed—
as a reflection.
Every movement he made—
it mirrored.
Every breath—
every shift—
perfectly copied.
A mimic.
A psychological trap.
But Lin Shuan stepped forward anyway.
And struck.
Not the reflection—
but the space beside it.
The illusion shattered instantly.
The real body revealed.
And destroyed.
More crystals.
More accumulation.
---
But then—
something changed.
The forest grew quieter.
Not because there were fewer beasts.
But because something else had entered.
Lin Shuan felt it.
Not directly.
But subtly.
The mist shifted differently.
The air felt heavier.
Denser.
Human presence.
Not one.
Multiple.
He stopped.
Listened.
Faint sounds reached him.
Clashing.
Energy bursts.
Voices.
A fight.
His direction changed instantly.
Silent.
Controlled.
He moved toward it.
---
The scene revealed itself slowly.
Through broken trees.
Scattered debris.
Blood.
Three figures.
Two standing.
One kneeling.
The kneeling one—
barely conscious.
The two standing—
one male.
One female.
Both at least Four-Star.
Their auras flared, unstable but strong.
Between them—
a Spirit Herb.
Golden.
Radiating dense energy.
A high-quality one.
"Hand it over," the male said coldly.
The kneeling cultivator coughed blood.
"…go to hell."
The female sighed softly.
"Then die."
She raised her blade.
Lin Shuan watched.
Hidden.
Silent.
Unseen.
He didn't move.
Not yet.
The blade fell—
But—
CLANG.
It stopped mid-air.
The female's eyes widened.
"What—"
Her weapon had been blocked.
Not by the kneeling man.
But by—
nothing.
No—
someone.
Lin Shuan stepped forward.
Finally visible.
The male's expression hardened instantly.
"…who are you?"
No answer.
Lin Shuan's gaze moved briefly to the herb.
Then back.
The message was clear.
The male laughed coldly.
"Another one looking to die?"
His aura surged.
The female moved as well, positioning to flank.
Lin Shuan didn't move.
Didn't react.
They attacked together.
Fast.
Coordinated.
But—
they were too slow.
Lin Shuan stepped forward.
Once.
The male struck.
Lin Shuan's hand moved—
redirected it.
The female followed—
her blade slicing toward his side.
He shifted.
Barely.
Her strike missed by less than an inch.
His counter came immediately.
A palm strike.
Direct.
To her chest.
BOOM.
She flew back.
Crashed.
Didn't get up.
The male froze for a fraction of a second.
That was enough.
Lin Shuan appeared in front of him.
No sound.
No warning.
His hand closed around the man's throat.
"…wait—"
CRACK.
Silence.
The body dropped.
The kneeling cultivator stared in shock.
Lin Shuan ignored him.
He walked to the herb.
Picked it up.
Stored it.
Then—
he turned.
The injured cultivator flinched.
"…don't kill me…"
Lin Shuan looked at him.
Calm.
Then—
walked away.
No interest.
No need.
The man collapsed in relief.
---
Deeper.
Further.
The mist thickened again.
But now—
something else lingered.
A presence.
Stronger than before.
Lin Shuan slowed.
His senses expanded.
Then—
he saw it.
A structure.
Ancient.
Half-buried.
Ruined.
Stone pillars cracked and broken, covered in moss and decay.
At the center—
a formation.
Still active.
Faintly glowing.
Different.
Not natural.
Not beast-made.
Human.
Old.
Very old.
Lin Shuan approached carefully.
The moment he stepped closer—
the formation reacted.
Light flickered.
Then—
a voice.
Faint.
Distorted.
"…inheritance…"
Lin Shuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
Interesting.
The formation pulsed again.
Images flickered—
ancient battles.
Unknown techniques.
Lost knowledge.
A trial.
But—
he didn't step in immediately.
Instead—
he observed.
Carefully.
Because something felt wrong.
Too easy.
Too obvious.
Then—
he noticed it.
The ground.
Slight disturbance.
Not ancient.
Recent.
Someone else had been here.
Recently.
But failed.
Or—
died.
Lin Shuan stepped back slightly.
Waited.
Seconds passed.
Then—
movement.
From the shadows.
A figure emerged.
Slowly.
Clapping.
"…impressive."
A new opponent.
Unknown.
Dangerous.
And watching him…
for longer than he realized.
Lin Shuan's gaze sharpened.
The game—
was evolving.