Night settled heavily over the Imperial Capital.
Li Tian returned to his small courtyard residence arranged by the palace. The walls were simple, the room quiet, yet spiritual formations were hidden in every corner. He could feel them—monitoring arrays woven into stone and wood.
The Empire did not trust easily.
He sat cross-legged on the bed and closed his eyes.
His cultivation was at the Third Meridian Realm.
But his meridians were wider than ordinary cultivators, strengthened by the Heaven-Defying technique. Qi flowed through him like a steady river, yet deep inside his dantian, the reversed golden energy coiled like a sleeping dragon.
He had suppressed it earlier in the palace.
But suppression came with cost.
His chest felt tight.
He slowly circulated his breathing method.
Inhale.
Qi entered through his nose and pores.
Exhale.
Impurities left in faint wisps.
After several cycles, the discomfort eased slightly.
Yet his thoughts did not.
The Crown Prince's eyes replayed in his mind.
Calm.
Measured.
Ambitious.
Zhao Liang was not a foolish ruler obsessed with pride. He was calculating. Allowing Li Tian to compete in the Meridian Trial was not mercy—it was strategy.
If Li Tian showed nothing unusual, he would simply be another talent.
If he revealed too much…
Then the Empire would take action.
A knock suddenly echoed at the courtyard gate.
Li Tian opened his eyes instantly.
He did not sense killing intent.
He rose and opened the door.
A young woman in white stood outside.
Her robes bore the insignia of the Imperial Academy.
Her expression was cool, yet curious.
"My name is Su Yan," she said. "I was told to deliver information regarding the Meridian Trial."
She handed him a scroll.
Her cultivation aura was steady—also Third Meridian Realm.
But refined.
Clearly trained under strict guidance.
"Why inform me personally?" Li Tian asked.
She looked at him for a moment before answering.
"Because you are the most discussed name in the capital."
He remained silent.
She continued.
"The trial has three stages. Combat, endurance, and comprehension."
"Comprehension?" he repeated.
"Yes. Ancient formation remnants left by the founding emperor. Only those with strong spiritual perception can pass."
Li Tian's heart moved slightly.
Formations.
That meant sensing spiritual flow.
Dangerous.
If he touched the formation too deeply, the Heaven-Defying qi might react.
Su Yan studied his face.
"You seem calm."
"There is no benefit in panic," he replied.
A faint smile appeared at the corner of her lips.
"Many nobles intend to suppress you during the combat stage. You embarrassed them by surviving the demonic assault."
So that was part of it.
Political resentment.
"Thank you for the warning," Li Tian said.
She turned to leave, then paused.
"Li Tian."
"Yes?"
"Be careful of the Fourth Prince."
Her eyes sharpened slightly.
"He is not as gentle as the Crown Prince."
With that, she left.
The courtyard fell quiet again.
Li Tian returned inside and opened the scroll.
Names.
Dozens of them.
Noble heirs. Sect disciples. Academy elites.
One name stood out.
Zhao Feng.
Fourth Prince.
Fifth Meridian Realm.
Li Tian exhaled slowly.
A gap of two realms.
Ordinarily impossible to bridge.
But he was not ordinary.
Still, he could not reveal everything.
He looked up at the moon beyond the window.
"I cannot rely on the Heaven-Defying Mark carelessly," he murmured.
If he used too much reversed qi, observers would notice.
If he restrained himself too much, he would lose.
Balance.
Just as the Crown Prince said.
Balance maintained control.
He closed his eyes once more.
This time, he did not circulate qi.
He listened.
To the faint hum of the capital.
To the distant pulse of spiritual veins beneath the earth.
To the subtle shift of heaven and earth qi in the night.
His perception spread quietly outward.
And far beyond the city walls—
In a dark forest where twisted trees grew—
A shadow coiled atop a black stone altar.
The Black Serpent King.
Its golden pupils narrowed.
"It begins," a low voice hissed.
Within the capital, spiritual energy was gathering.
Ambition.
Talent.
Imperial destiny.
And something else.
Something that did not belong to this era.
The serpent's tongue flicked.
"That boy… must not rise."
Back in his room, Li Tian suddenly opened his eyes.
For a brief moment—
He felt killing intent.
Faint.
Distant.
But real.
He stood slowly.
Three days.
The Meridian Trial.
Enemies in the palace.
Enemies in the shadows.
And he—
Still only Third Meridian Realm—
Was walking a path against heaven itself.
The storm was coming.
And it would not wait.