When the southern gate of the Azure Spirit Sect opened itself to the rising sun, it was a time of new beginnings for this ancient place in northwestern China. Handler stood high atop that wall; but he might as well have been anywhere on earth for all he knew what lay behind those distant clouds to the south, west, or east of here.
Dozens of outer disciples gathered together in small groups. Their mouths carried the mix of hope and dread that always lay just over the horizon for new initiates to any organization. Each wore simple azure robes with the sect's emblem, a symmetrically-styled god beast coiled snake, sewn in brilliant embroidery upon his breast. Although spears were most common, there were swords and bows as well, unlike other sects whose sharps were kept out of sight like bicycles in a minivan!
Lin Xuan stood outside the crowd, edge of spear buried in the earth. His gaze was firm but as he looked on, thought raced through every face around him. Qiu Ran had been with the Nightroot garden as a poison-runner; but there was no shock in the name being here -- he laughed slightly, as if at some dark private joke.
Broken Fang Gorge is no place to take a stroll. The ores are precious and the beasts which guard them fiercer still. The honorable thing is to bring results back with you; whether you live to do so or not... that case will have to be decided by fate itself. What was truly terrifying is that the mere thought of being involved in any public show trial could be worse than death.
Huo's glance passed them, brutal and unyielding. "Come along." The doors of the sect let out a wail, and the disciples walked outside themselves at that.
Gorge of Broken Teeth Banded lands lay smashed as if beasts had chewed through them; festooned like the hull of some carnivorous ship faulty in airflow from leaks in its hull apex where windows become frontispiece open to sea breeze and the excess gales of darkness just entered.
System detected: Miasma. Effect: Fading of Qi. Countermeasure: Optimize the circulatory flow of the Flowing Meridian Path. The ratio should be 3:1.
"Yes." It was as if Lin Xuan's mind had been enveloped in thick clouds, but after the modification things suddenly became clear: his breathing evened out. Around him, however, a few disciples already began to cough.
In his bewilderingly long stride. "The gorge: place that consumes weak few," Wei Qing muttered nearby, his face was stern. His ironwood spear on one shoulder, he walked with a quiet air of certainty. Although he was not Lin Xuan's neighbor, his bearing pointed to the fact that he too understood danger.
Lin Xuan gave the smallest of nods. "Then let us not be consumed as well."
At first, it was only a rustling. The bamboo stalks swayed with unearthly agility as forms flitted through the area. A disciple yelled, but his shout was quickly cut off by the appearance of a scaled figure. A Fangscale wolf, with faint luminescent fangs and an early-stage Qi Gathering cultivation — but the venom in its bite could kill within three breaths of contact.
Chaos broke loose. Disciples cried out, in a frenzied clash of blades against its hide.
[Rosefang Wolf Iteration.]
"Yes." System unfolded the pattern of its movements-paused before it made a lunge, flicked its tail to fake out a bite. Lin Xuan moved with utmost swiftness, the iron tip of his spear flashing.
"Dragon fang skewer!" The strike went clean through the wolf's open maw, the iron tip bursting from its skull. The beast convulsed once and fell. The other disciples gazed upward shocked at the efficiency so clean. For them, fighting with a Roaming Spirit beast meant desperation; for Lin Xuan, calculation.
But from the corner of his eye, Qiu Ran watched with cool malice.
At the entrance to a gorge, four or five hours after they started down it, a glittering shoal of spirit ore could be seen embedded in the cliff: pale blue light was dancing faintly within.
Orders poured from Instructor Huo's mouth. "Quickly now, form up in groups!" Disciples drew their hammers and chisels, Qi-infused strikes crumbling stone around them. However, the noise it created stirred those dwelling within the valley. Soon, even more beasts were prowling about.
Lin Xuan worked like a well-oiled engine, every movement guided by the System.
[Skill Discovered: Spiritual Ore Extraction - Low-grade mining technique.]
"Yes." His first grain of ore slid easily into his hand. Once he had pocketed it away, the System's tones announced themselves with finality.
[Unseen Trigger: Ore infused with latent beast qi. Attracts predators.]
A wolf's cry split the silence. Out of thin air, it seemed, three wolves flashed into sight before them, their bodies much larger than they should be--and unbelievable hunger shone through hungry eyes.
Qiu Ran stepped forward with his retinue clustering around him. "Lin Xuan," he shouted pungently, so that everyone would hear. "If you have such outstanding abilities, then why not be responsible for our welfare? Or is it only your strength which causes disciples to bleed?" He was being coated with poison and shown before everyone. If Lin Xuan won a victory, then envy would settle in people's hearts. If he were to fail, then it would turn into shame holding onto his body.
Lin Xuan's grip on his spear tightened. Even without its heat, the power it held was undiminished. "If the wolves come looking for me, I'll destroy them all. If they come after you…" His gaze sliced through the air with every word. "I trust you'll be able to scramble away fast enough." Chuckles spread among some disciples, hidden quickly by the growling of a wolf.
The beasts charged. But this time Lin Xuan did not wait. He moved first, a silver lightning bolt with his spear. Guided by the System, each of his attacks flowed smoothly through the wolves' pace like a silk thread through a needle eye. The first wolf's paw was captured as it sliced across the air, deflected into a collision course with the second's path. Lin Xuan's spear spun and shot out, driving home to pierce it in its throat with spatters flying up blackened blood. The third wolf snapped at his side--but he danced away, the tip of his spear hammering into its jaw.
[Perfect Skill Triggered: Phantom Ghost Wheel Enabling → Phantom Drift Footwork.]
His body blurred, its afterimage still remaining—the wolf bit at nothing but air. At the next instant, its eye was pierced.
The field of battle abruptly changed into silence. The three wolves lay dead, their Qi dispersing off in blue vapor clouds. Even those who had been skeptical could only stare with wide eyes and open mouths.
"An outer disciple...?" someone whispered. "How can he fight like that?" Qiu Ran's smile took on more of a razor edge.
By dusk, they had pushed on into peril, cliffs closing in around like the jaws of a monster. The miasma thickened, and the air grew heavy with the stench of blood. The System issued a warning.
[Multiple beast signatures detected ahead. Estimated rank: Qi Gathering late stage.] The disciples fell back, unease creeping through the whole ranks.
Instructor Huo sounded a halt. "We're camping here tonight. We'll go into the Inner Gorge at first light." Even as campfires were kindled, however, Lin Xuan saw Qiu Ran stealing into the shadows, two others following.
[Hostile intent detected. Probability of ambush: 92%.]
Lin Xuan placed his hands over his knees, his expression unchanged. No more, and no less. The time of night grew deeper, and the mist thickened, hiding the moon. Around the edges of the firelight, footsteps were illegible.
The System gave a beep.
[Alert: Multiple foes converging. Not external disciples, but spirit beasts. Estimated rank: Qi Gathering, Peak.]
A howl that was lower-pitched and louder than before shook the gorge. The disciples scrambled to their feet with drawn weapons. And within the shadows, Lin Xuan caught a flash of human eyes—not beast, but man—awaiting the chaos to break. The trial was no longer an examination. It had become an execution ground.