Morning arrived without peace.
The Inner Grounds woke to whispers.
Servants discovered bloodstains scrubbed too clean to be accidents. Disciples sensed lingering pressure in the air—an unease that had no source, no explanation. Five cultivators had entered a restricted courtyard during the night.
None of them walked out.
Kael stood at the edge of his courtyard, watching the sun climb slowly over the tiled rooftops. He had already cleaned himself, changed clothes, and suppressed the devil sigil until it lay quiet beneath layers of control.
Quiet—but not asleep.
"They'll come in daylight now," Kael murmured. "Because darkness failed."
As if summoned by the thought, footsteps approached.
Not rushed.
Not hostile.
Measured.
Three elders entered the courtyard, their robes pristine, their expressions stern. Behind them walked Lin Hao.
His gaze flicked briefly to the faint cracks in the stone floor, then to Kael's calm face.
"You survived," Lin Hao said lightly.
Kael tilted his head. "You sound disappointed."
One of the elders stepped forward. Elder Zhou—an enforcer type, known for decisive action rather than politics.
"Five cultivators were found missing," Elder Zhou said. "Last seen entering this area."
Kael nodded. "Then you found the right place."
The elders frowned.
"You admit it?" another elder asked sharply.
"I acknowledge it," Kael replied. "There's a difference."
Lin Hao smiled thinly. "Bold words for someone under observation."
Kael looked at him directly. "You sent them."
The courtyard went still.
Lin Hao's smile froze for half a heartbeat—just long enough.
"That's a serious accusation," Lin Hao said carefully.
Kael shrugged. "Then deny it."
Lin Hao did not.
Instead, Elder Zhou spoke again. "Regardless of intent, five lives were lost within the Inner Grounds. This threatens stability."
Kael met the elder's gaze calmly. "They attacked me."
"Evidence?" the elder pressed.
Kael gestured to the shattered barrier remnants. "My courtyard was sealed. They broke in."
Silence followed.
Breaking an Inner Grounds barrier without authorization was a serious offense.
Lin Hao's jaw tightened.
"You're becoming a liability," Lin Hao said quietly.
Kael smiled faintly. "No. I'm becoming inconvenient."
The devil sigil stirred—not flaring, not leaking—but resonating faintly. The elders felt it. They shifted subtly, discomfort creeping into their posture.
Elder Zhou exhaled. "Enough."
He turned to Lin Hao. "Leave."
Lin Hao stared at him. "Elder—"
"Now," Elder Zhou repeated.
Lin Hao hesitated, then bowed stiffly and withdrew, his eyes never leaving Kael until the last moment.
When he was gone, Elder Zhou studied Kael with new interest.
"You didn't kill the last one," the elder said quietly.
"No," Kael replied. "I wanted a message to remain."
The elder nodded slowly. "You're dangerous."
Kael inclined his head slightly. "I've been told."
Elder Zhou turned away. "From today onward, no one may act against Kael Draven without direct approval from the clan head."
The other elders stiffened but said nothing.
Before leaving, Elder Zhou paused. "Understand this. Protection is not favor. It's containment."
Kael smiled. "Then contain me well."
They left.
The courtyard fell silent again.
Kael returned to the stone platform and sat down. His expression relaxed, but his focus sharpened inward.
The sealed fear surged more violently than before.
Fear recognition expanding.
Authority stabilizing under observation.
Kael felt it clearly now—not just fear directed at him, but fear shaped around him. His name was being spoken carefully. His courtyard avoided. His presence recalculated.
Fear was learning.
And fear remembered.
"That's enough for today," Kael murmured.
He resumed cultivation—not to grow explosively, but to refine control. The devil foundation adapted steadily, knitting itself deeper into his existence, preparing for pressure yet to come.
Far away, in a secluded tower within the Inner Grounds, Lin Hao crushed a jade cup in his hand.
"He's not breaking," Lin Hao said coldly.
A shadow behind him replied softly, "Then we escalate."
Lin Hao's eyes gleamed. "Prepare the Blood Trial."
The shadow hesitated. "That's not meant for—"
"I know exactly what it's meant for," Lin Hao snapped. "If he survives that…"
He smiled thinly.
"Then he deserves what comes next."
As night fell again over the Inner Grounds, Kael opened his eyes.
The Trial Mark pulsed faintly.
Not a warning.
An invitation.
Kael stood slowly.
"So," he whispered, a sharp smile cutting across his face,
"you've finally decided to raise the stakes."