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Chapter 3: Inner Trials and the Blooming Thorn
The morning sun broke through crimson clouds, bathing the Crimson Lotus Sect in a radiant glow. The sect buzzed with anticipation—today was the Outer Disciple Advancement Trial. Only those under twenty and at 5th Layer Qi Refining or higher could participate. The prize? Entry into the Inner Sect—and access to ancient arts, elite cultivation methods, and better resources.
Jiang Yuefeng stood before the entrance plaza, dressed in simple robes. He looked no different from the hundreds of outer disciples present.
But his eyes gleamed with purpose.
> I'm already at 5th Layer Qi Refining. One step away from true access to this sect's hidden veins.
Lan Meixiu had gifted him more than intimacy—she had granted him dozens of refined pills and private alchemy insights. She thought she was helping her lover.
And perhaps she was. But she was also helping a weapon carve its path.
A voice echoed across the mountains.
"Advancement Trials—begin!"
---
The trial began with three stages:
1. Spirit Combat Arena – A test of strength and combat skills.
2. Mystic Herb Labyrinth – A maze requiring alchemical knowledge to progress.
3. Will of the Crimson Heart – A spiritual resonance test with the sect's legacy stone.
The top ten would be accepted as Inner Disciples.
Yuefeng breezed through the Combat Arena, using minimal force. His movements were elegant, defensive, and cunning—letting stronger opponents wear themselves down before striking critical points.
He defeated four opponents using only one technique: Shadowstep Pulse, a movement art he had quietly bought at the cost of three weeks' spirit stones.
In the Herb Labyrinth, he flourished. The paths were sealed with miasma that reacted to spiritual herbs. Yuefeng not only neutralized traps—he even improved a section by fusing two herbs together, earning a rare nod from the observing alchemy elder.
By the time the final test arrived, whispers had begun among the audience.
"Who is that guy?"
"Never seen him before… but his control is terrifying."
"He's not flashy… but deadly."
In the Will of the Crimson Heart, disciples were made to kneel before a massive jade crystal. The stone would react to their spiritual potential and karmic purity.
Most turned the stone pink or violet.
When Yuefeng knelt, a brief black-red halo flickered… before fading into pure silver.
The elders blinked.
"…Silver?"
"That hasn't appeared in decades."
> It's the suppressed Immortal Bloodline again, Yuefeng thought. This crystal sees a sliver of it… I need to be careful.
He was ranked 7th place, just within the range to ascend.
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Days Later — Inner Sect Grounds
The inner mountains were worlds apart. Here, spirit qi was ten times denser. Disciples wore fine robes, flew on swords, and cultivated openly with divine artifacts.
Yuefeng moved in quietly. No one paid him attention—just another newcomer.
But one person did notice him.
Bai Xueyin, daughter of a branch family elder from a rival sect, was currently visiting Crimson Lotus for exchange training. With moon-pale skin, long silver hair, and eyes like winter glass, she was rumored to be untouchable.
Most inner disciples avoided her. Her cultivation was already at the 9th Layer Qi Refining, and she had a high-tier ice spiritual root. Emotionless and distant.
But Yuefeng saw through her on the first encounter.
> Appraisal Activated
Name: Bai Xueyin
Beauty Score: 92
Talent: Moon-Ice Veins (Supreme-Rank Constitution)
Cultivation: 9th Layer Qi Refining
Emotional State: Cold. Repressed curiosity. Slight loneliness.
Relationship: Rejected 4 suitors. Distrustful of men. Values strength and clarity.
She encountered him near the Snow Jade Pavilion, a rare herb garden reserved for alchemists. He was harvesting Ice Lotus Seeds with precision.
"Those are rare," she said coldly. "Shouldn't you leave them to those who understand them?"
Yuefeng didn't look up. "You're right. But if I hadn't harvested them, they would've frozen over in the next three hours. The dew concentration is dropping."
She blinked. "…You knew that?"
He stood, offered her one of the seeds. "I learn quickly."
She took it, hesitating. Then said, "You're not like the others."
He smirked. "Good."
---
Over the next several days, she found herself noticing him.
At meals, he ate quietly. At training fields, he practiced for hours alone. He once corrected a junior disciple's technique without arrogance—then walked away without waiting for praise.
She found herself near him more often. At first by accident.
Then intentionally.
He began speaking to her only in moments of true value. A warning during a training accident. A brief suggestion during a herb refinement class.
And then—during a night meditation under the Frozen Moon Tree, she saw him practicing a slow breathing art. His body radiated a warm, steady rhythm.
"Why do you train so hard?" she asked.
He opened his eyes. "Because I was born empty. If I don't train, I remain nothing."
She sat beside him. "You're not nothing."
Their fingers brushed.
This time, she didn't pull away.
---
Three Days Later
They sat across from each other in a hidden cave behind a waterfall. A place only known to inner disciples with special jade tokens.
Yuefeng laid out the spiritual bed, laced with warming essence and protective arrays.
Xueyin hesitated. "I'm not sure this is what I want… or what I need."
Yuefeng cupped her cheek. "You want to be seen. Not as a tool. Not as a prize. Just as a woman."
She bit her lip. "And you?"
"I want strength. But I never take what isn't offered freely."
Her eyes shimmered. "Then take me."
That night was not lust—it was like frost melting beneath fire. She cried out only once—and he kissed her silence.
> [Dual Cultivation Successful]
Bai Xueyin: Beauty Score 92 | Supreme Talent
Emotional Depth: True Connection through Respect
Cultivation Increase:
Host: 5th → 6th Layer Qi Refining
Comprehension of Ice Qi +15%
Duality System upgraded: [Soul Mark Available – 1]*
(Soul Mark allows tracking and protection of one bonded partner. Use wisely.)
She lay beside him, cheeks pink with shame and serenity.
"I've never… trusted someone like this."
He brushed her hair. "Then let me protect that trust."
---
In the shadows above the waterfall, two eyes watched silently.
A young man with sharp robes and a silver sword at his back.
Liu Feng, Core Disciple. Top 3 of the Inner Sect. Former suitor of Bai Xueyin.
His gaze darkened.
> You dare touch what should've been mine… Jiang Yuefeng… you'll pay for this.
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