Morning spread across Pyradine City with its usual calm rhythm, sunlight stretching over tiled roofs and stone streets. In the western district, the Origins Dungeon Hall stood quietly active. It was no longer the site of a panicked riot, but rather a hub of focused, grim industry.
The atmosphere wasn't chaotic or overcrowded. Instead, there was a steady, rhythmic flow of cultivators—entering with eyes full of fire, and exiting with faces etched in deep thought.
Inside, Yuan Bi leaned behind his counter. His gaze was unmoving as he tracked every entrant and every exit. He offered no announcements, no guidance, and no interference. He simply watched the patterns of human ambition and the outcomes of their struggle.
From the beginning, the cultivators had faced the trial individually. No teams, no coordination, no shared strategies. This wasn't a limitation of the shop; it was a mechanical necessity of the experience. It was a controlled environment where every mistake belonged to the individual—and every hard-won improvement was theirs alone to keep.
Min Luan: The Obsession of Speed
Min Luan stepped into the dungeon without a moment's hesitation. "…Today, I break past that wall."
His voice carried a thin veneer of confidence, but beneath it lay a burgeoning obsession born from repeated failure. The familiar darkness swallowed him, and a zombie emerged from the gloom, its limbs dragging with that grotesque, uneven gait.
Min Luan immediately adjusted his stance. Feet planted, breath held in his lungs. The zombie lunged. Min Luan reacted quickly—yet imperfectly. A jagged claw grazed his silk sleeve.
"Tch… too close."
His brows tightened. He had seen the attack coming, but his timing had been a fraction of a second off. That tiny sliver of hesitation was enough to expose him. He retaliated with a sharp diagonal slash. The blade bit into the zombie's torso, but the strike wasn't decisive. The creature staggered, hissed, and kept coming.
"…Still not enough power."
Min Luan didn't panic. Instead, he reassessed. He shifted his weight, redistributed his center of gravity, and stopped reacting instinctively. He began to read. When the zombie advanced again, Min Luan waited. He didn't overcommit. At the exact moment the creature stepped forward, he struck.
The blade passed through the neck with surgical precision. The zombie collapsed. Min Luan exhaled slowly. "…Still sloppy."
He moved deeper. He wasn't interested in the pawns anymore. His objective was singular: The Hunter.
Lu Bong entered next. His posture was grounded like a boulder that refused to shift for the tide. "…Let's test force again."
He advanced at a measured pace. When a zombie approached, Lu Bong didn't evade or reposition. He met it head-on.
CLANG.
The impact reverberated through his bones. His feet slid back slightly, scraping against the stone. "…Good strength."
There was no hesitation in his evaluation. The zombie swung again; Lu Bong countered with a heavy overhead strike that drove the creature to its knees, cracking its posture. Yet, it remained standing.
His eyes sharpened. He followed with a second strike—faster, more controlled. The creature finally collapsed. Lu Bong didn't celebrate. His strength was sufficient, but his efficiency was lacking. The fight had taken far too many exchanges.
He continued deeper, the pressure of the air increasing until he felt it—the cold, sharp killing intent of the Hunter.
The air tightened. A figure emerged from the shadows—lean, refined, and infinitely more dangerous than the shambling dead. Lu Bong lowered his center of gravity, weapon raised.
The Hunter moved first, a sudden burst of speed closing the gap.
CLANG!
The collision was heavier than Lu Bong had anticipated. His arms absorbed the shock, but he was forced back half a step. The Hunter didn't pause; it pressed forward, its movements efficient and precise. It probed for openings, circling him like a shark.
Then, a subtle shift. Lu Bong's footing loosened on the uneven floor. Just slightly.
"…Unstable."
The Hunter sensed it instantly. It adjusted its trajectory and struck. Lu Bong reacted late, the blow landing cleanly against his side. He staggered, but he didn't retreat. He stabilized his breathing and re-centered. But the Hunter was a ghost; it retreated into the shadows before Lu Bong could capitalize.
"…I'll break through eventually," Lu Bong muttered. No frustration. Only acknowledgment.
Wu Feng entered last. He was silent, his presence devoid of wasted energy. He moved through the dungeon with measured steps, observing, processing, and executing.
When a zombie emerged, Wu Feng didn't immediately engage. He shifted slightly to the side, aligned his position, and struck once. The motion was minimal. The result was immediate. The zombie collapsed without resistance.
He repeated the pattern. Observe. Position. Strike. No hesitation. No excess force. Eventually, he reached the clearing.
The Hunter Encounter
The Hunter stood waiting. It had been observing him just as he had observed the mine. A brief, heavy silence formed between them. Then, the Hunter attacked.
Its movement was a direct line, closing the distance in an instant. Wu Feng didn't retreat; he stepped slightly off-line—a precise shift just enough to avoid the direct path of the claw.
CLASH.
Their weapons met, but Wu Feng's angle neutralized the impact. The exchange continued for minutes. Wu Feng didn't attempt to overpower the monster; he redirected, adjusted, and countered. The Hunter accelerated, its angles becoming sharper, its sequences faster.
Wu Feng adapted. His breathing remained steady. His posture was a mirror of the Hunter's own lethality. Clash after clash, they traded measured blows. Neither side overcommitted. Neither side revealed a flaw.
Eventually, the Hunter disengaged, melting back into the darkness on its own terms. Wu Feng lowered his weapon.
"…Not enough."
As dusk settled over Pyradine City, the dungeon hall gradually emptied. Min Luan emerged, replaying his mistakes in his mind. Lu Bong walked out, analyzing the instability of his stance. Wu Feng exited silently, already calculating the adjustments for the next dawn.
Each had improved. Each had pushed further than any manual or meditation could have allowed. But the conclusion remained unchanged.
The Hunter remained undefeated, a silent wall standing between them and the true secrets of the Origins Dungeon Hall.
End of Chapter 7