The moment Su Ling's sword clattered to the moss-covered stones, Jian Long knew two things with absolute certainty:
First—the Heavenly Pulse Massage Art worked exactly as advertised.
Second—he was about to be in so much trouble.
Su Ling staggered back, clutching her wrist where golden qi still crackled along her meridians. Her chest rose and fell rapidly beneath her singed robes. "You—what kind of demonic art was that?"
Jian Long casually wiped his fingers on his stolen disciple robes—ill-fitting and reeking of sweat and cheap dye. "Demonic? Please. That was certified Velvet Sword Pavilion technique." He flashed a grin. "Page forty-two of the Outer Disciple Manual: How to Calm Your Senior Sister's Qi in Five Easy Touches."
[System Notification]
Lie Detected!
Charm +1
Su Ling's Suspicion +30%
The girl's eyes narrowed. "There is no page forty-two."
"Ah. You've read the abridged version." Jian Long sidestepped as she lunged for her sword. "Tell me, little sword fairy—how long has your qi been unstable? A week? Two?" He sniffed the air dramatically. "Smells like you botched a breakthrough. Let me guess—Elder Lian told you to 'meditate through the pain'?"
Su Ling froze mid-reach.
Bullseye.
The system helpfully projected:
[Target Analysis Updated]
Su Ling - Emotional State
• Anger: 65% → 40%
• Confusion: 20% → 55%
• Curiosity: 15% → 70%
Jian Long pressed his advantage. "And now you're what—twelfth in the outer disciple rankings? No, thirteenth." He circled her like a vulture eyeing wounded prey. "Funny how the sect always has exactly twelve spots for advancement trials, isn't it?"
A muscle twitched in Su Ling's jaw. Jian Long didn't need the system to recognize the look of someone realizing they've been played.
The forest around them held its breath. Dawn light filtered through the canopy, painting the mist blood-red. Somewhere in the distance, a bell tolled—the signal for morning assembly.
Su Ling finally straightened, sheathing her sword with deliberate slowness. "You're not a demon." Her voice carried new weight. "You're something worse—a problem."
Jian Long bowed. "At your service."
The Velvet Sword Pavilion's outer disciple compound smelled of sweat, steel, and simmering resentment. Jian Long trailed half a step behind Su Ling as they navigated the maze of training yards, his system pinging with alerts:
[New Location Discovered: Ironroot Courtyard]
• Primary Function: Physical conditioning
• Current Occupants: 73 outer disciples (Tier 3-5)
• Notable Feature: Bloodstains on central dueling platform never fade
"Remember," Su Ling hissed as they approached a line of disciples waiting before a stone archway, "you're my cousin from the Western Branch here to observe the trials. One wrong move and I'll gut you myself."
Jian Long adjusted his ill-fitting robes. "Do cousins usually smell this bad, or is that a you thing?"
Her elbow found his ribs with pinpoint accuracy.
The archway led to a sunken amphitheater where hundreds of outer disciples stood in regimented rows. At the center podium stood Elder Lian, her scarred hands clasped behind her back. The silver bell at her waist didn't chime—it hummed, a sound that vibrated in Jian Long's teeth.
"Today begins the quarterly advancement trials," she announced. "As always, the top twelve will receive..."
Jian Long stopped listening as the system overlay appeared:
[Trial Analysis]
• Event Type: Elimination Tournament
• Hidden Objective: Identify disciples with compatible qi for Dual Dao
• System Suggestion: Lose early, observe patterns
A hand grabbed his wrist.
"Don't even think about it," Su Ling whispered.
Jian Long blinked innocently. "Think about what?"
"Whatever scheme just made you smile like that."
He was saved from responding by a commotion at the arena's edge. A broad-shouldered young man with twin sabers strapped to his back shoved through the crowd, his gaze locking onto Su Ling with predatory focus.
[New Target Detected]
Name: Gao Shun
Rank: 7th Outer Disciple
Cultivation: Late Qi Condensation
Obsession: Proving Su Ling "doesn't deserve her ranking"
Recommended Response: Provoke into public outburst
"Ah," Jian Long murmured. "An admirer?"
Su Ling's grip tightened. "A leech."
Gao Shun stopped before them, his shadow swallowing Jian Long whole. "Who's this gutter rat, Ling'er?"
Jian Long's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Her future husband. You may call me Daddy."
The amphitheater fell silent.
Gao Shun's face purpled. "You dare—"
"Enough!" Elder Lian's voice cracked like a whip. "First match—Gao Shun versus the newcomer." Her lips curled. "Let's see what this... cousin is made of."
Su Ling's nails dug into Jian Long's arm. "You idiot."
He patted her hand. "Watch and learn, little sword fairy."
The dueling platform was worn smooth by generations of desperate feet. Jian Long rolled his shoulders as he faced Gao Shun across the stone circle. The crowd's murmurs washed over him—some curious, most already writing him off as dead meat.
Gao Shun drew his sabers with a flourish. "First move's yours, gutter rat. Make it count."
Jian Long cracked his neck. "How generous." He raised his voice for the crowd. "But shouldn't we make this interesting? Say... the loser kneels and admits they're unworthy to lick Su Ling's boots?"
The amphitheater erupted.
Gao Shun's blades ignited with crimson qi. "You're dead."
[Combat Initiated]
Opponent: Gao Shun (Aggressive Pattern Detected)
Host's Advantages:
• Element of Surprise (Gao believes you're untrained)
• Heavenly Pulse Art (Touch-range disruption)
• Opponent's Emotional Instability (Anger 89%)
Gao Shun struck like a landslide—all brute force and no finesse. Jian Long dodged the first swing by a hair's breadth, feeling the heat of qi singe his cheek.
"System," he thought, "give me Gao's meridians."
A translucent overlay appeared, showing pulsing energy channels. Several points glowed red—overdeveloped from repetitive saber forms.
Jian Long grinned.
The second strike came low, aiming to bisect him at the waist. Instead of retreating, Jian Long stepped into the blow, his fingers brushing Gao Shun's wrist as he twisted aside.
[Heavenly Pulse Art: Disruptive Touch]
Golden light spiderwebbed up Gao Shun's arm. His left saber clattered to the stones as his meridians spasmed. The crowd gasped.
"What sorcery—?"
Jian Long danced back, panting theatrically. "Wow! You're way stronger than the last guy who licked my boots!"
Gao Shun roared, charging blindly. Jian Long sidestepped, delivering a precise tap to the small of his back—another meridian juncture.
[Critical Strike!]
Gao Shun's Qi Flow: Disrupted 62%
The larger man collapsed to his knees, his remaining saber skittering away. The amphitheater fell deathly silent.
Jian Long sauntered forward, bending to whisper in Gao Shun's ear: "Kneel."
To everyone's shock—including Jian Long's—Gao Shun did.
Then vomited blood onto Jian Long's boots.
"Oh come on—"
A silver bell chimed.
Elder Lian stood at the platform's edge, her poisoned-jade eyes alight with something disturbingly close to hunger. "Well. This is... unexpected."
[Warning]
Sect Attention Level: 45% → 78%
Recommended Action: Immediate disengagement
Jian Long bowed. "With respect, Elder, I believe that concludes—"
"Round two," she purred. "Against me."
System Status
Host: Jian Long
Cultivation: Mortal → Early Qi Condensation (Breakthrough!)
Techniques:
• Heavenly Pulse Massage Art (Apprentice)
• Basic Qi Perception
Lifespan: 86 → 112 Hours
Karma Debt: -1,000 → -1,050 (Public Humiliation Penalty)
New Quest:
• Survive Elder Lian's "Assessment"
• Uncover the truth behind the outer disciple rankings
Threat Level: Critical (Sect Detection Risk: 92%