The forest trembled as a violent surge of spiritual energy erupted somewhere ahead. Trees bent under the pressure, leaves scattering wildly through the air as if fleeing an unseen storm. Lin Ye and Gu Chen both stopped at the same moment, their eyes locking onto the direction where the disturbance originated. The aura was powerful—far stronger than anything they had encountered so far in the trial.
Lin Ye narrowed his eyes.
"…That's not normal."
Gu Chen nodded slightly, his expression turning serious.
"Not a beast."
"Someone strong enough to cause that much pressure."
Lin Ye's lips curved into a faint smile.
"…Finally."
Without another word, both of them accelerated through the forest, moving swiftly across the broken terrain. The closer they got, the heavier the atmosphere became. The ground itself seemed to resist their steps, weighed down by the immense aura ahead.
Then they arrived.
A clearing opened before them where the forest had been completely destroyed. Dozens of trees had been shattered, their trunks split like brittle sticks. In the center stood a tall figure dressed in dark blue robes, his posture relaxed as if the devastation around him meant nothing.
Around him—
Five disciples lay unconscious.
Some barely breathing.
Others already eliminated.
The man slowly turned when he sensed Lin Ye and Gu Chen approaching.
His eyes were calm.
Too calm.
The system responded instantly.
[Ding!]
[Target Identified]
Name: Zhao Tian]
Level: 9
Trial Rank Projection: Top 3
Lin Ye's expression shifted slightly.
"…Level 9."
Gu Chen exhaled quietly.
"Strong."
Zhao Tian looked at them with mild curiosity, as though observing two animals that had wandered into his territory.
"So," he said casually, his voice smooth and confident, "more survivors."
His gaze moved between them.
"Gu Chen."
Then it stopped on Lin Ye.
"…Blood Shadow."
Lin Ye raised an eyebrow.
"Famous already?"
Zhao Tian smiled faintly.
"You've made quite a mess in this trial."
He glanced at the fallen disciples around him.
"But nothing impressive yet."
Gu Chen stepped forward slightly.
"You defeated all of them alone?"
Zhao Tian shrugged.
"They were in my way."
The casual tone made the air colder.
Lin Ye chuckled softly.
"Confident."
Zhao Tian's gaze sharpened.
"Confident people survive longer."
Lin Ye stretched his shoulders slowly, ignoring the lingering pain from his previous battles.
"…Then this should be interesting."
Zhao Tian studied him for a moment.
"You're injured."
"So are you," Lin Ye replied.
Zhao Tian's smile widened slightly.
"True."
For several seconds, none of them moved.
The tension built like a storm about to break.
Three powerful cultivators stood in the clearing.
Only one outcome awaited.
But Zhao Tian suddenly spoke again.
"You two fought each other already, didn't you?"
Neither Lin Ye nor Gu Chen answered.
But silence was answer enough.
Zhao Tian nodded slightly.
"That explains the damage to the forest yesterday."
He clasped his hands behind his back calmly.
"You're both strong."
His voice grew colder.
"But not strong enough to beat me alone."
Lin Ye smirked.
"…So?"
Zhao Tian's eyes gleamed.
"Team up."
Gu Chen's gaze hardened.
Lin Ye laughed outright.
"You're suggesting we fight you together?"
Zhao Tian shrugged again.
"If you don't, I'll defeat you separately."
The arrogance wasn't loud.
But it was absolute.
Gu Chen glanced sideways at Lin Ye.
"…Temporary truce?"
Lin Ye sighed.
"Again?"
Gu Chen didn't smile.
"Unless you want to lose."
Lin Ye thought for a moment.
Then shrugged.
"…Fine."
He stepped forward.
"Let's see if the top three genius lives up to the reputation."
Zhao Tian's eyes flashed with excitement for the first time.
"Good."
The air exploded.
Zhao Tian moved first.
His speed shocked both of them.
He appeared directly in front of Lin Ye, his palm slicing through the air with terrifying force.
Lin Ye barely activated Blood Shadow Step, vanishing just before the strike shattered the ground beneath him.
Gu Chen attacked from the side instantly, his fist aimed at Zhao Tian's ribs.
But Zhao Tian turned smoothly, blocking the attack and countering with a powerful kick that forced Gu Chen back several steps.
"…Fast," Lin Ye muttered.
Zhao Tian smiled.
"You're slower than I expected."
Lin Ye's eyes sharpened.
"Then let's fix that."
He vanished again.
This time attacking in perfect coordination with Gu Chen.
Their movements overlapped seamlessly.
Lin Ye attacked from the shadows.
Gu Chen attacked head-on.
A perfect pincer assault.
But Zhao Tian laughed.
Actually laughed.
"Better."
His aura exploded outward, a surge of power forcing both of them back as if struck by a shockwave.
"…But still not enough."
The clearing trembled as the three of them clashed again, their movements blurring as fists, palms, and kicks collided repeatedly. Shockwaves rippled through the forest with every impact, sending cracks across the ground and splintering the remaining trees.
Lin Ye's breathing grew heavier.
Zhao Tian wasn't just stronger.
He was experienced.
Every attack was precise.
Every defense flawless.
But Lin Ye's eyes slowly began to glow red again.
The pressure of the battle stirred the power inside him.
The system notification flashed faintly.
[Bloodline Awakening: 63%… 65%…]
Gu Chen noticed immediately.
"…Control it," he warned.
Lin Ye smirked.
"No promises."
Zhao Tian saw the change too.
His eyes narrowed.
"…Interesting."
The battle intensified.
Three geniuses.
One battlefield.
And as the sun slowly began to lower toward the horizon—
The final ranking of the trial was about to be decided in blood.
High above the forest, Su Qingyue watched silently as the three figures clashed with enough force to shake the entire mountain.
Her cold expression finally shifted slightly.
"…Now this is worth watching."
Her gaze lingered on Lin Ye.
The faint demonic aura surrounding him had grown stronger again.
Closer to awakening.
Closer to disaster.
Su Qingyue's fingers tightened slightly.
"…Don't lose yourself now."
Because if he did—
She would not hesitate.
Below—
Lin Ye lunged forward again, his eyes burning with determination.
"…Let's see who falls first."
The forest erupted once more as the decisive battle continued.