Three days after the ambush at the trial grounds, East Sky Academy returned to its usual rhythm. Or so it seemed on the surface.
Beneath the surface, everything had changed.
Lin Feng's name was now etched into the consciousness of every disciple, elder, and administrator. Rumors painted him as a genius, a freak, or even a cursed soul reborn. None could ignore him anymore.
And none were ready for what he planned next.
He stood outside the towering gates that led into the Inner Court.
Beyond them were the elite.
Only those who passed the annual Ascension Challenge could enter—and only if selected by a seated elder.
But Lin Feng wasn't going to wait a year.
He wasn't going to wait at all.
He had Qian Ru's spirit sealed, the relic talismans hidden, and Ruoxi's support in secret.
He needed access to the ancient archives, the pill vaults, the teleportation scrolls… and most importantly—
He needed to find the ones pulling the strings.
The next day, an announcement shook the academy.
"Emergency Ascension Challenge to the Inner Court — Open by Instructor Recommendation."
Sponsored by Instructor Zhu.
A loophole.
Lin Feng smiled when he read the posting.
Fifty outer court disciples were selected. Ten would pass.
The trial would consist of three parts:
A gauntlet climb to the Thunder Ridge Peak.
A three-on-three group battle judged by Inner Court elders.
A final duel between the remaining participants.
Each phase eliminated a portion.
And each phase… could be manipulated.
"Careful," Ruoxi warned him the night before. "The ones behind Qian Ru will act again. They'll have planted people inside the trial."
"I'm counting on it," Lin Feng replied.
The first trial began at dawn.
Fifty disciples stood at the base of Thunder Ridge, a jagged slope of blade-like rocks and dense fog. Every ten meters, a spiritual ward tested their qi flow, and a wrong step could launch them down the mountain.
At the top: a glowing gate that recognized only balanced qi, sharp perception, and spiritual resilience.
As the bell rang, the climb began.
Lin Feng didn't rush.
He walked slowly, eyes half closed, letting the void within him align with the spatial interference. His Monarch Core pulsed gently, stabilizing his steps.
Others tried to run—and stumbled.
Screams echoed as three fell in the first ten minutes.
By the halfway point, only thirty-two remained.
A figure approached him—Feng Zhan, a top outer court talent, and a known disciple of Elder Xun, rumored to have ties to Qian Ru.
Zhan sneered. "Going slow, Lin Feng?"
"Going steady," he replied.
Zhan suddenly thrust his palm sideways, releasing a shockwave.
Lin Feng jumped.
It was a direct attack—against the rules.
But up here, there were no judges.
Only the mountain.
Lin Feng landed on a sharp ledge, blood trailing from a nick in his arm.
He exhaled.
"Monarch Form: Inner Spiral."
His soul force compressed, forming a shell of pure perception.
He surged forward, dancing through the shifting rocks like smoke.
Zhan's second blow missed entirely.
The next moment, Lin Feng appeared behind him.
"Lesson one: never attack from behind without a plan."
He flicked his finger.
A soul burst cracked Zhan's concentration—his step missed.
He screamed as the wind caught him and hurled him off the slope.
Another down.
At the top, Lin Feng passed through the gate. Only seventeen others followed.
The group trial was more complex.
Randomly selected trios.
Lin Feng was paired with a timid boy named Lian Cheng and a girl with sharp silver eyes named Mei Yue.
"We'll hold you back," Lian muttered. "Everyone says you should be alone."
Lin Feng knelt beside him.
"Everyone is wrong," he said. "You guard the left. Mei guards the right. I take center."
Mei Yue nodded. "Got it."
The battle was brutal.
Their opponents were aggressive, especially targeting Lian.
But Lin Feng didn't let them touch him.
He took the brunt of the attacks, redirecting strikes, forming brief shields with void energy.
When Mei unleashed her frost sigil, Lin Feng mirrored it with a vacuum slash—shattering enemy defenses.
Within minutes, they stood victorious.
The judges—especially Elder Xun—watched in silence.
After a rest period, only twelve disciples remained.
Final duels.
Lin Feng faced off against one of the academy's rising stars—Huo Liang, fire-type cultivator, known for his Flame Armor.
Liang spoke with confidence. "You may be clever, but fire burns through tricks."
Lin Feng smiled faintly.
"Fire burns. But what does it burn in?"
He raised his hand.
"Void Field."
Around the arena, air distorted. Heat dispersed. Flame bent away from him.
Liang's fire attacks weakened, slowed.
He pushed forward, but Lin Feng moved through him like a ripple.
One blow. Palm to chest.
Liang was unconscious before he hit the floor.
Ten passed.
Lin Feng stood at the top.
As the names were engraved onto the obsidian stone, the crowd cheered. But among the crowd… a dark-robed man turned away.
His lips moved silently.
"So the Void Lord returns. Then the next gate must open sooner."
To be continue...