High above the forested trial grounds, deep within the inner walls of the Azure Dragon Sect, a grand hall sat in still silence.
The Hall of Echoing Jade—where elders rarely gathered, and only for matters of significant importance.
Within it, three figures stood before a wide projection array. The translucent image hovering in the air displayed the spirit forest below, flickering between various trial zones like drifting clouds.
Each participant's spirit token glowed faintly with its own signature, allowing the sect to track their movements and condition.
"Thirty-two tokens already claimed," spoke Elder Qin, a stooped man with a goatee so long it brushed his robes. "Two injuries—both stabilized. No fatalities yet."
"Mm." Elder Lanyue, a sharp-eyed woman in silver-blue robes, folded her arms. "Better than last year. The participants seem slightly better prepared."
The third elder, a heavy-browed man with a copper bracelet on each wrist, grunted. "It's still mostly fluff. A few decent pulses, one red will, one violet."
At that, Elder Lanyue's eyes flicked sideways. "Ah, yes. The boy from Rising Sun Village."
"Six pulses. Violet will," Qin murmured, stroking his beard. "No sect. No clan. No record of prior cultivation."
The third elder scoffed. "A fluke. Sometimes peasants stumble into strange fortunes."
Lanyue, however, narrowed her eyes.
"His token hasn't moved since he entered the zone… yet his signal is stable. Not a single injury. And…" She pointed to the side of the array, where energy patterns were faintly charted.
"There was a second-rank beast's presence briefly detected in his zone. A Bonehorn Wolf."
The others turned.
"Wasn't that beast part of the southern quadrant?" Elder Qin muttered.
"It was. It moved. And then—" she tapped the chart again— "the signal vanished."
"Vanished?" the third elder asked, frowning.
"Not faded. Not relocated. Gone. As if something… erased it."
A long silence followed.
"It could have run," Elder Qin offered weakly.
"No beast in the forest would run from a Qi Refining youth," Lanyue said quietly. "Especially not a Bonehorn Wolf."
Another pause.
The third elder exhaled slowly. "Should we intervene?"
"No," Lanyue said at once. "Not yet. Let the trial play out."
"But—"
She raised her hand. "I want to see what he does next."
---
Back in the forest, Dawn sat on a stone, brushing specks of blood from his sleeve. Not a scratch marked his skin.
The corpse of the Bonehorn Wolf was already gone—burned into ash by a subtle technique. Not even a spirit trace remained.
He looked up toward the moonlight filtering through the trees. His eyes, calm as ever, narrowed just slightly.
They're watching.
Of course they were.
He had known the moment the wolf arrived. Known that the sect's formations would register the clash. Known the patterns would draw attention.
He sighed quietly, pressing a palm against the cold rock beneath him. From deep within, a faint energy echoed—sealed ancient veins running through the mountain.
So it really is here.
A thread of excitement stirred in his calm heart.
But now was not the time to act.
---
As the sun began to rise over the Azure Dragon Sect, more candidates staggered from the trial realm—bloodied, exhausted, triumphant, or defeated.
Some limped with injuries. Others clutched spirit tokens with pride. A few had none.
Dawn arrived near the end—unharmed, walking alone as always.
But the elders were already watching him more closely.
And deep beneath the mountain, something ancient stirred.
Something waiting.
---
End of Chapter Four