The forest that had served as the battlefield for the Inner Sect Trial slowly returned to silence. Broken trees, cracked earth, and scattered bloodstains remained as reminders of the fierce battles that had taken place over the past three days. But now the trial was over, and the surviving disciples were beginning to gather at the foot of the mountain where the elders of the Azure Cloud Sect waited.
Lin Ye walked through the quiet forest path, his steps slow but steady. Every movement still carried a dull ache from the battles he had endured, especially the final clash with Zhao Tian. His robes were torn in several places, and dried blood stained the sleeves, yet his expression remained calm.
Inside his mind, the system notification lingered faintly.
[Bloodline Awakening: 83%]
Lin Ye stared at the number briefly.
"…Still rising."
The demonic power within him had grown stronger during the battle, but the trial ending had prevented it from advancing further. Part of him felt relieved. Another part of him wondered what would happen when it finally reached one hundred percent.
He exhaled quietly and pushed the thought aside.
There would be time to worry about that later.
Soon the trees opened into a wide stone clearing at the base of the mountain. Several dozen disciples had already gathered there, most of them sitting or leaning against rocks while they waited. Some were injured, others exhausted, but all of them shared the same expression of relief at having survived the brutal trial.
The moment Lin Ye stepped into the clearing, several heads turned.
Whispers spread quickly among the group.
"That's him…"
"Blood Shadow…"
"He fought Zhao Tian…"
Lin Ye scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"…Great."
Fame.
Exactly what he didn't want.
But it seemed the battles he fought during the trial had already spread through the remaining disciples.
Nearby, Gu Chen stood quietly beside a large stone pillar. When he noticed Lin Ye approaching, he nodded slightly in greeting.
"You made it back in one piece."
Lin Ye smirked.
"Barely."
Gu Chen crossed his arms.
"You pushed yourself too far."
Lin Ye shrugged.
"That's the fastest way to grow."
Gu Chen didn't argue.
Because he had seen it firsthand.
Lin Ye's strength during the final battle had increased noticeably compared to their earlier clash.
A few moments later, Zhao Tian also emerged from the forest. His arrival caused another wave of whispers among the disciples. Even without displaying his aura, his calm confidence made it clear that he was among the strongest survivors of the trial.
Zhao Tian glanced around the clearing before his gaze briefly met Lin Ye's.
He gave a small nod.
Lin Ye returned it casually.
For now, the rivalry between them remained unresolved.
Suddenly, a powerful aura swept across the clearing.
All conversations stopped instantly.
Several elders of the Azure Cloud Sect descended from the mountain path, their robes flowing as they stepped forward. The spiritual pressure they carried was immense, enough to make many of the outer disciples lower their heads instinctively.
At the front stood a tall elder with silver hair and sharp eyes.
He looked across the gathered disciples calmly.
"You have survived the Inner Sect Trial."
His voice carried easily across the entire clearing.
"Out of two hundred participants, only thirty-six remain."
A murmur spread among the group.
Many disciples had already realized the trial was deadly, but hearing the numbers spoken aloud still sent a chill through the crowd.
The elder continued.
"From these survivors, only the top twenty will be accepted into the Inner Sect."
Lin Ye crossed his arms casually.
That part wasn't surprising.
The Azure Cloud Sect had never been generous with opportunities.
"Step forward and present your tokens," the elder ordered.
One by one, the disciples approached to display the jade tokens they had collected during the trial. Some had only two or three, while others carried far more.
Gu Chen stepped forward when his name was called.
He placed his tokens calmly before the elders.
"Sixteen," one of the elders announced.
Several disciples gasped softly.
Sixteen tokens was an impressive number.
Next came Zhao Tian.
He placed his tokens down with the same calm confidence.
"Eighteen."
More whispers spread through the crowd.
But Zhao Tian barely reacted.
Then it was Lin Ye's turn.
He stepped forward slowly and placed his tokens onto the stone table.
The elder counted them carefully.
"…Fifteen."
The number surprised several people watching.
For someone who had fought Zhao Tian and survived until the end, fifteen tokens was still extremely impressive.
The elder nodded once.
"You qualify for the Inner Sect."
Lin Ye stretched his shoulders lightly.
"Good."
He returned to the group, ignoring the curious looks from the other disciples.
The counting continued for several more minutes until the final ranking was decided.
The silver-haired elder stepped forward again.
"The top twenty disciples will officially become members of the Azure Cloud Sect Inner Sect."
A ripple of excitement spread through the successful disciples.
Many of them had dreamed of reaching the Inner Sect for years.
Lin Ye simply exhaled quietly.
For him, this was only the beginning.
But just as the elders prepared to dismiss the group—
Another presence descended.
Cold.
Sharp.
Elegant.
Su Qingyue stepped lightly onto the clearing stones.
Her white robes moved gently in the wind as her icy gaze swept across the gathered disciples.
Many of them instantly lowered their heads.
She was already famous within the sect.
One of the strongest inner disciples.
Her eyes paused briefly—
On Lin Ye.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then she turned toward the elders.
"These are the survivors?"
The silver-haired elder nodded respectfully.
"Yes."
Su Qingyue looked back at Lin Ye again.
Her gaze lingered slightly longer this time.
"…Interesting."
Lin Ye scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"…Why do I feel like that's bad news?"
Gu Chen quietly stepped closer beside him.
"Because it probably is."
Lin Ye sighed.
"…Great."
The Inner Sect life hadn't even begun yet.
And trouble was already waiting for him.
Above them, the mountain peaks of the Azure Cloud Sect stood tall against the evening sky.
And somewhere within those mountains—
New rivals.
New enemies.
And even greater dangers awaited.
Lin Ye looked toward the towering peaks and smiled faintly.
"…Let's see how crazy this place really is."
The next chapter of his journey had just begun.