Two years passed in the blink of an eye.
What once felt like an impossible struggle had become routine. The quiet courtyard where Li Shen had first learned to sense Qi was no longer a place of failure, but one of refinement. His body, once frail and untempered, had undergone relentless forging. Every muscle, every bone, every breath carried the marks of discipline.
Body refinement was no longer foreign to him.
It was instinct.
Qi, once fleeting and uncontrollable, now flowed through him in steady strands. Though still not perfect, still not entirely his but now he could guide it, hold it, and, at times, even resist the subtle pull of the armor within him.
He had grown not just stronger but sharper.
Standing at the edge of a massive stone plaza, Li Shen exhaled slowly as he looked out at the crowd before him.
Two hundred people.
All gathered for the same purpose.
"The Trial of Hundred Beasts begins today."
The voice echoed across the plaza, deep and commanding. An elder stood at the elevated platform, his robes flowing gently as his gaze swept across the candidates.
"These past two years, you have trained as probationary disciples," he continued. "Today, you prove whether you are worthy to become outer disciples of the Azure Cloud Pavilion."
A ripple of tension spread through the crowd.
Li Shen stood quietly among them, his expression calm.
Beside him, Chen Wei stretched his arms lazily, as if this were just another day.
"Two hundred people," Chen Wei muttered. "Only fifty make it."
Li Shen nodded slightly.
"I know."
Chen Wei glanced at him sideways, a faint grin forming. "You're not nervous at all, are you?"
Li Shen's gaze remained forward.
"…No."
And it was the truth.
Nervousness had long since been replaced by something else which was clarity.
"The rules are simple," the elder continued. "You will enter the outer forest region beyond the sect's boundary."
"You will hunt beasts at the Body Refinement level."
"And you will bring back their cores."
A brief pause.
"Your ranking will be determined by the number of cores you obtain."
Murmurs spread across the crowd.
"Only the top fifty," the elder said, his voice turning colder, "will pass."
Silence followed.
"And remember this," he added. "This is not a game."
"In the forest, there are no protections."
"No restrictions."
His gaze sharpened.
"If you die…you were not worthy to begin with."
The weight of those words settled heavily.
Chen Wei exhaled softly. "…Same as always."
Li Shen remained silent.
Because he understood something the others might not.
The real danger was not just the beasts.
"Prepare yourselves," the elder said. "You leave in ten minutes."
The crowd began to stir.
Some checked their weapons.
Others whispered strategies.
A few stood alone, their expressions tense.
Chen Wei nudged Li Shen lightly. "You teaming up with anyone?"
Li Shen shook his head.
"…No."
Chen Wei raised an eyebrow. "Bold."
"I work better alone."
A brief pause.
Chen Wei nodded slowly. "Fair enough."
He smirked slightly.
"Try not to die out there."
Li Shen almost smiled.
"…Thanks"
Ten minutes passed quickly.
Soon, the massive gates of the sect opened.
Beyond them the forest stretched endlessly, dark and dense.
One by one
The candidates began to move.
Li Shen stepped forward and crossed the boundary.
The moment he entered the forest everything changed.
The air grew heavier, the sounds sharper.
This was no ordinary place this was a hunting ground.
Li Shen moved silently between the trees, his senses fully alert. The training of the past two years guided every step. His breathing was controlled. His presence minimal.
He didn't rush.
Because he knew rushing led to mistakes.
A faint rustle echoed nearby.
Li Shen stopped instantly, his gaze shifted slightly.
There.
A beast.
Low to the ground, its body covered in coarse black fur. Its eyes glowed faintly as it sniffed the air, unaware of his presence.
A Shadow Fang Wolf at the body Refinement level.
Li Shen's posture lowered slightly.
Two years ago this would have been impossible.
Now, it was nothing more than a test.
The wolf moved slowly, circling.
Li Shen waited.
Then, he moved, fast and Precise.
His body exploded forward, closing the distance in an instant. The wolf barely reacted before Li Shen's fist struck its side.
A sharp crack echoed.
The beast was sent crashing into a tree.
Before it could recover, Li Shen was already there.
A second strike.
Direct
The wolf collapsed dead.
Silence returned.
Li Shen stood still for a moment, then crouched beside the body. With practiced efficiency, he reached into the beast and retrieved a small, dimly glowing core.
Warm.
He held it briefly before storing it away.
"One," he muttered.
No hesitation no excitement.
Just a number.
Because, this was only the beginning.
Li Shen rose slowly, his gaze shifting deeper into the forest.
The shadows stretched endlessly ahead.
And somewhere within them more beasts waited.
More danger... More competition.
His path forward was clear.
Hunt... Survive... Win.
And prove to all that he was no longer the weak boy who had fallen into a river two years ago.
Without another word
Li Shen moved.
Vanishing into the forest.