Sunset bled across the Azure River Valley in deep shades of crimson and gold.
The light reflected off stone platforms and polished weapons alike, casting long shadows that stretched toward the center of the assembly grounds. What had felt like a marketplace of ambition by day now felt like a battlefield waiting to awaken.
Li Yun stood among the candidates assigned to the combat evaluation zone, his posture relaxed, his breathing even.
Inside, his focus sharpened.
---
[Evaluation Phase: Combat — Initiated.]
[Rule Set Loaded.]
• Lethal force discouraged
• Crippling allowed
• Surrender recognized
• Deaths: "Unfortunate but acceptable"
---
The final line lingered.
Su Yan stood at the edge of the platform, unable to participate but close enough that Li Yun could feel her presence. Her eyes never left him.
"Combat evaluations reveal more than strength," she said quietly. "They reveal temperament."
Li Yun nodded. "That's what they're looking for."
Across the platform, candidates were being paired.
Some were visibly nervous. Others radiated confidence. A few smiled—too eagerly.
The system activated again, subtle but firm.
---
[Matchmaking detected.]
[Priority factors: Control score, notoriety, rivalry.]
[Warning: Targeting probability elevated.]
---
Li Yun already knew what that meant.
He did not need to look far to confirm it.
Han Zhen stood several meters away, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the evaluators with feigned indifference. The moment Li Yun glanced in his direction, Han Zhen's lips curved faintly.
A predator recognizing opportunity.
A voice rang out.
"First match—Han Zhen of Stonecloud Sect."
A pause.
"Versus… Li Yun."
The valley stirred.
Whispers erupted instantly.
"So soon?"
"They're testing him."
"Stonecloud doesn't lose face easily."
Su Yan's fingers tightened against the fabric of her sleeve.
Li Yun stepped forward.
The system responded immediately.
---
[Rival Match Confirmed.]
[System Restriction Updated:]
• Maximum output: Controlled
• Fatal actions: Blocked unless life-threatening
[Hidden Condition:]
• Outcome will influence sect interest weighting
---
So even this fight is being watched… by more than eyes.
Li Yun stepped onto the combat platform.
Han Zhen followed, rolling his shoulders casually. "Looks like fate wants us acquainted."
Li Yun met his gaze calmly. "Looks like it wants to measure you."
Han Zhen laughed softly. "Careful. Arrogance without backing gets people crippled."
The evaluator's voice cut between them. "Begin."
The barrier around the platform flared to life.
Han Zhen moved first.
Qi surged through his limbs, refined and efficient. He closed the distance instantly, palm striking forward in a technique designed to shatter bone without killing.
Li Yun did not retreat.
His perception expanded.
---
[Combat Insight: Active.]
[Enemy analysis:]
• Technique: Stonecloud Palm
• Flaw detected: Overcommitment on forward momentum
---
Li Yun pivoted at the last instant, redirecting the strike past his shoulder. The impact cracked the air where he had been.
Han Zhen's eyes widened slightly.
Li Yun countered—not with force, but timing.
His elbow slammed into Han Zhen's ribs.
A sharp crack echoed.
Han Zhen staggered back two steps, shock flickering across his face.
"You—!"
The crowd gasped.
Li Yun did not pursue recklessly.
The system tightened its restraint again.
---
[Advisory: Maintain equilibrium.]
---
Han Zhen snarled, qi flaring brighter. "You think one hit means something?"
He shifted stance, drawing deeper power.
Li Yun steadied himself.
This fight was not about winning fast.
It was about being seen correctly.
And every move from here on would echo far beyond this platform.
---
Han Zhen's aura surged.
The refined qi that had moments ago been carefully restrained now rolled outward in heavy waves, pressing against the barrier and causing faint ripples to spread across its surface. The murmurs from the audience sharpened into focused silence.
"This is Stonecloud's second palm form," someone whispered.
"He's serious now."
Han Zhen planted his foot and drew in a deep breath. His muscles tightened, veins faintly visible beneath his skin as qi flowed into precise channels.
"You had one good reaction," he said coldly. "Don't confuse that with superiority."
Li Yun did not answer.
His eyes were calm, his stance loose, almost careless.
Inside, however, the system's voice was precise and relentless.
---
[Combat escalation detected.]
[Opponent output increasing: 42% → 63%]
[System Advisory:]
• Counter without decisive injury
• Prolong engagement for evaluation depth
---
Li Yun exhaled slowly.
So they want to see how I handle pressure.
Han Zhen moved.
This time, his strike was not linear. He twisted mid-step, palm splitting into a feint and a follow-up elbow, both carrying compressed qi designed to shatter muscle and disrupt meridians.
Li Yun shifted back half a step.
Not enough to retreat.
Just enough to breathe.
---
[Combat Insight: Expanded.]
[Multiple vectors detected.]
[Optimal response: Redirection + body control.]
---
Li Yun raised his forearm and absorbed the first strike—not with strength, but structure. His muscles tightened in layered sequence, dispersing the force across his frame.
Pain flared.
He ignored it.
Before Han Zhen could complete the elbow strike, Li Yun stepped inside his guard and placed two fingers against Han Zhen's shoulder joint.
A precise tap.
Han Zhen's arm went numb.
"What—?"
Li Yun followed with a short, compact kick to the thigh. Not enough to cripple—but enough to unbalance.
Han Zhen stumbled back, breathing hard now.
The crowd was no longer whispering.
They were watching.
---
[Observer interest: Rising.]
[Stonecloud Sect evaluation node: Active.]
[Multiple minor sect interest detected.]
---
Han Zhen's face flushed with anger.
"You're holding back," he hissed.
Li Yun met his eyes evenly. "So are you."
That only enraged him further.
Han Zhen roared and unleashed his qi fully, stone-like patterns briefly forming across his arms as his sect technique activated at near-full output.
The barrier around the platform shuddered.
Su Yan's breath caught.
"This is too much," she whispered. "If he lands that—"
The system reacted sharply.
---
[Threshold breach imminent.]
[System Override Available.]
Override Option
• Permit decisive strike (Risk: Exposure)
• Enforce restraint (Risk: Injury)
---
Li Yun's heartbeat slowed.
This is the choice.
If he allowed decisive force, he could end this instantly—but his depth would be exposed. Too many eyes. Too early.
If he enforced restraint, he would be hurt—but remain unknown.
Li Yun chose.
---
[Restraint enforced.]
---
Han Zhen's palm struck.
The impact was brutal.
Li Yun crossed his arms just in time, but the force blasted him backward. He skidded across the stone platform, boots carving shallow grooves before he managed to stop.
Pain exploded through his forearms.
Bones screamed—but did not break.
The Perfect Mortal Foundation absorbed the shock, though barely.
The crowd erupted.
"He took it!"
"Body Tempering shouldn't survive that!"
Han Zhen stared, disbelief warring with fury. "Why won't you fall?!"
Li Yun straightened slowly, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.
He wiped it away calmly.
"Because," he said quietly, "I don't need to."
The evaluator raised his staff sharply.
"That is enough."
The barrier flared bright, forcing the two apart.
"This match concludes," the old man announced. "Result: Inconclusive."
A wave of shock rippled through the valley.
"Inconclusive?"
"Against Stonecloud?"
Han Zhen's face twisted. "What?! He retreated!"
The evaluator's gaze cut toward him like a blade. "And yet you failed to break him. Control was lost. Intent escalated."
Han Zhen fell silent, fists trembling.
Li Yun bowed once—neither submissive nor arrogant.
The system chimed softly.
---
[Combat Evaluation Recorded.]
[Result: High resilience / exceptional restraint.]
[Exposure level: Controlled.]
[Hidden Modifier:]
• Sect interest weighting redistributed
---
As Li Yun stepped off the platform, Su Yan reached his side instantly.
"You're hurt," she said quietly.
"Superficially," Li Yun replied. "Worth it."
She studied him, then nodded. "You chose the long road."
Li Yun looked back once at the platform—at Han Zhen standing rigid with restrained fury.
"Yes," he said. "And now they'll argue about me instead of deciding."
Above them, on the observer's terrace, voices murmured.
"Too controlled."
"Or too dangerous?"
"Watch him."
Li Yun felt it clearly.
This duel had not settled anything.
It had opened doors.
And behind those doors waited sects, rivals, and a future that would no longer allow him to pass unnoticed.
---
The combat platform cleared slowly.
Candidates who had finished their matches drifted away in small clusters, voices hushed, eyes sharp. Some spoke excitedly. Others avoided eye contact altogether.
Li Yun felt the change the moment he stepped off the stone.
The way gazes lingered.
The way conversations paused when he passed.
This was not admiration.
It was recalibration.
Su Yan walked beside him, her hand lightly gripping his sleeve until they were out of immediate sight of the platform. Only then did she release him.
"You fractured at least one forearm bone," she said quietly.
Li Yun flexed his arm. Pain flared, sharp but controlled. "Hairline. It'll heal."
"With time," she replied. "Or help."
The system stirred.
---
[Post-Combat Assessment initiated.]
[Host injuries: Moderate.]
[Recovery optimization available.]
[Option Available:]
• Accelerated recovery (Consumes reserves)
• Natural recovery (No cost, slower)
---
Li Yun did not answer immediately.
He could feel eyes on him still—observers pretending to watch others while tracking his movements through reflections, shadows, spiritual fluctuations.
"Natural," he decided.
---
[Natural recovery selected.]
[Endurance adaptation: Incremental.]
---
Su Yan glanced at him. "You're conserving."
"I'm pacing," Li Yun replied. "They expect hunger for advantage."
They found a quiet stretch near the outer ring of the valley, far enough to be overlooked but close enough to hear when needed. Li Yun sat, resting his back against a smooth boulder warmed by the fading sun.
Only then did the system speak again.
---
[Hidden Condition Met.]
[Restraint under pressure maintained.]
[Public escalation avoided.]
[Hidden Reward Unlocked.]
---
Li Yun's attention sharpened.
---
[Passive Skill Acquired: Tempered Will.]
[Effect: Increased resistance to provocation, fear-based suppression, and emotional manipulation.]
---
He felt it immediately—not power, but clarity.
The lingering tension from the duel settled into something firmer, quieter. His thoughts aligned more cleanly, emotions no longer threatening to spike under scrutiny.
Su Yan noticed.
"You're steadier," she said.
Li Yun nodded. "They wanted me reckless. I didn't give them that."
Her lips curved faintly. "That alone makes you troublesome."
A sharp laugh echoed not far away.
Li Yun looked up.
Han Zhen stood several paces away, flanked by two Stonecloud disciples. His posture was rigid, his expression tightly controlled—but the anger beneath was unmistakable.
"This isn't over," Han Zhen said coldly. "You embarrassed my sect."
Li Yun met his gaze calmly. "You did that yourself."
The words landed like a blade.
Han Zhen stepped forward—then stopped.
He glanced briefly toward the observers' terrace.
He couldn't act.
Not here.
Not now.
"Enjoy your moment," Han Zhen said quietly. "When we meet again, there won't be restrictions."
Li Yun inclined his head slightly. "I'll be waiting."
Han Zhen turned and left.
The system reacted instantly.
---
[Rivalry Update:]
[Han Zhen — Status: Hostile / Escalating.]
[Future conflict probability: High.]
---
Su Yan exhaled slowly once they were gone. "That wasn't a threat. That was a promise."
Li Yun stood.
"Good," he said. "Promises create predictability."
The sun dipped lower.
A bell rang once—clear and resonant.
The evaluator's voice echoed across the valley.
"Combat evaluations conclude. Candidates of interest—remain."
Movement rippled through the crowd.
Many left.
Some stayed.
Li Yun stayed.
The system chimed softly.
---
[Private Evaluation Phase detected.]
[Candidate tier: Shortlist.]
---
A young attendant approached Li Yun, bowing respectfully. "You are requested to attend a private consultation."
Li Yun's eyes narrowed slightly. "Which sect?"
The attendant smiled politely. "Not a sect."
That alone was enough to make Su Yan tense.
"Follow me," the attendant said.
They were led away from the main grounds, toward a quieter terrace carved into the valley wall. Guards stood discreetly at a distance—not imposing, but unmistakably present.
At a low stone table sat a woman in plain robes, her appearance unremarkable—until Li Yun focused.
Her aura was deep.
Hidden.
Dangerous.
She looked up as he approached, eyes sharp and measuring.
"Li Yun," she said calmly. "Sit."
He did.
"I observed your evaluation," she continued. "You disappointed many."
Li Yun waited.
"And intrigued a few," she added.
The system remained silent—but alert.
"I represent no sect," the woman said. "I represent selection."
Li Yun's heartbeat slowed.
Selection.
Not recruitment.
Not yet.
"Within thirty days," she continued, "you will choose where to stand. Before then, you will be tested again—quietly."
She slid a small jade token across the table.
"Do not lose this."
Li Yun picked it up.
The system reacted the instant his fingers closed around it.
---
[High-tier marker detected.]
[Effect: Concealed tracking / invitation beacon.]
[Warning: Multiple forces may respond.]
---
Li Yun met the woman's gaze. "And if I refuse?"
She smiled faintly. "Then you will still be tested."
She stood.
"So walk carefully, Li Yun. The cultivation world has noticed you."
As she left, Su Yan finally spoke. "That wasn't an offer."
"No," Li Yun agreed. "It was a countdown."
He closed his fingers around the jade token.
Above them, the sky darkened.
And somewhere beyond the valley, forces far older and far stronger began adjusting their attention.
---