Li Xiuying woke before dawn with Chen Wulong's poison formulas burning behind her eyelids.
The knowledge felt disturbingly natural now—how to brew Iron-Bone Centipede venom, which herbs could neutralise spiritual toxins, the precise temperature needed to crystallise Soul Withering Mist. Three days had passed since her second trial, and the alchemical expertise had settled into her consciousness like sediment in still water.
Too natural, she thought with growing unease. Yesterday I caught myself thinking in Chen Wulong's voice for an entire conversation with Cook Yang.
[CYCLE OF SAMSARA SYSTEM - STATUS UPDATE]
[Soul Integrity: 81%]
[Memory Resonance: 54% (Combined)]
[Next Trial Eligibility: 72 hours remaining]
The golden text flickered across her vision before fading. Seventy-two hours until her third death. Li Xiuying pulled her thin blanket tighter, fighting the urge to scream. Each trial was stealing more of her original self, replacing Li Xiuying's memories with those of the dead.
Around her, fellow outer disciples stirred in their cots. The morning routine called, and she had a role to play the lucky weakling who'd finally managed a breakthrough.
"Xiuying."
The voice belonged to Wang Lei, a Qi Refinement 3rd Stage disciple who'd never spoken to her before. Now that she'd advanced to his level, apparently she warranted acknowledgment.
"Senior Brother Wang," she replied carefully, maintaining the respectful tone expected of someone with her background.
"I heard about your advancement. Remarkable, really." His smile didn't reach his eyes. "Tell me, what technique did you use for your breakthrough? The other disciples are... curious."
Li Xiuying felt Mei Lin's tactical instincts sharpen. Wang Lei wasn't making casual conversation, he was fishing for information. Someone had sent him to probe her story.
"This disciple simply followed Elder Wu's breathing exercises with greater focus," she said. "Perhaps desperation helped where confidence had failed."
"Desperation." Wang Lei nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, I suppose that could explain such... sudden progress. Two stages in one night is quite unusual."
The emphasis on 'unusual' carried clear implications. Li Xiuying's enhanced senses caught the subtle tension in his posture, the way his spiritual energy circulated in preparation for potential conflict.
He suspects something, Chen Wulong's paranoid instincts whispered. Information gathering. Probably reporting back to higher-level disciples.
"This disciple has been fortunate," Li Xiuying said humbly. "The sect's teachings are profound."
Wang Lei studied her for another moment, then shrugged. "Indeed. Well, congratulations on your advancement. I'm sure it will serve you well in today's remedial training."
He walked away, but Li Xiuying noticed how he immediately approached Liu Meihua for a whispered conversation. Her enhanced hearing caught fragments: "...nothing suspicious..." "...genuine breakthrough..." "...still pathetically weak..."
The investigation was subtle but real. Someone doubted her story.
Li Xiuying made her way to the outer training grounds where Elder Wu had scheduled her remedial sessions. The courtyard bustled with second and third stage disciples practicing basic cultivation techniques under the supervision of Senior Disciple Zhao Ming.
"Li Xiuying," Zhao Ming called out as she approached. "Your advancement has been noted. However, you'll need to demonstrate proper foundation before joining regular training. Begin with basic qi circulation."
Li Xiuying settled into lotus position among the other disciples, acutely aware of their scrutinizing gazes. Her sudden advancement had made her an object of curiosity and suspicion. She needed to appear competent but not exceptional.
Show them a mouse that learned to squeak louder, not a lion pretending to be a mouse, Mei Lin advised.
Li Xiuying began the familiar breathing exercises, but now they felt completely different. Spiritual energy flowed through her meridians like water through a well-carved channel. The sensation was intoxicating after three years of struggling to sense qi, having it respond so readily felt miraculous.
Too readily, she realised with alarm. Her advancement was more dramatic than she'd intended to reveal. She quickly throttled her circulation, limiting the visible spiritual energy to barely above Qi Refinement 2nd Stage levels.
"Adequate," Zhao Ming observed after watching her for several minutes. "Your foundation appears stable, if unremarkable. Continue with meridian strengthening exercises."
Li Xiuying nodded respectfully, secretly relieved that her deception was holding. But as she moved through the prescribed techniques, she became increasingly aware of the foreign knowledge competing for attention in her mind.
Chen Wulong's alchemical expertise whispered corrections to her breathing rhythm. Mei Lin's military training suggested tactical applications for basic combat forms. The two sets of memories felt like competing voices, each trying to guide her actions.
This is getting worse, she thought desperately. I can barely remember what my original cultivation approach felt like.
"Form pairs for sparring practice," Zhao Ming announced. "Light contact only. Focus on technique over power."
Li Xiuying found herself partnered with Liu Meihua, whose Qi Refinement 4th Stage cultivation gave her a clear advantage. The other girl's expression mixed curiosity with condescension as they took fighting stances.
"Try not to embarrass yourself, Sister Xiuying," Liu Meihua said with false sweetness. "I know this is all very new for you."
The sparring began, and Li Xiuying immediately faced a problem. Mei Lin's sword techniques burned in her muscle memory, sophisticated combat forms far beyond what any outer disciple should possess. Using them would expose her secret, but suppressing them completely would look suspicious given her advancement.
Liu Meihua launched a basic palm strike, her movements confident but textbook. Li Xiuying sidestepped clumsily, deliberately overcompensating to appear inexperienced. But Mei Lin's instincts screamed at the poor technique, demanding corrections.
Block with the left, counter with a rising strike to the solar plexus, follow through with...
No! Li Xiuying forcibly suppressed the general's tactical advice. I'm a newly advanced outer disciple, not a veteran warrior.
She stumbled backward, allowing Liu Meihua's follow-up strike to clip her shoulder. The impact was light but served its purpose making her appear appropriately outmatched.
"Better luck next time," Liu Meihua said smugly as the bout ended. "Perhaps more practice will help."
Li Xiuying bowed respectfully, hiding her frustration. Every instinct Mei Lin had given her demanded that she demonstrate proper technique, show these amateurs how real combat was conducted. But doing so would mean exposure and death.
The training session continued for two hours, each moment a careful balancing act between competence and mediocrity. Li Xiuying performed adequately enough to justify her advancement while avoiding any display that might raise suspicions.
As disciples began dispersing for afternoon duties, Zhao Ming approached her with a thoughtful expression.
"Your improvement is noted, Li Xiuying, but your foundation remains shaky. Report here daily for additional training until your techniques stabilise."
"This disciple is grateful for Senior Brother Zhao's guidance," Li Xiuying replied, though the prospect of daily scrutiny made her stomach clench.
Walking back toward the servants' quarters, Li Xiuying reflected on her increasingly precarious situation. The sect was watching her more closely now, looking for explanations that she couldn't provide. Meanwhile, the system's countdown continued relentlessly toward her next trial.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[ADVANCEMENT MONITORING PROTOCOLS DETECTED]
[WARNING: SECT SURVEILLANCE INCREASING]
[RECOMMENDATION: MAINTAIN LOW PROFILE UNTIL NEXT TRIAL]
[TIME REMAINING: 67 HOURS, 23 MINUTES]
Li Xiuying paused in the corridor, processing the system's warning. The sect's surveillance was becoming systematic rather than casual. Someone with real authority had decided she warranted investigation.
Who? she wondered. Elder Wu seemed satisfied with my explanation. Chen Weilong and his friends are suspicious but lack the authority for formal investigation.
The answer came with uncomfortable clarity: someone higher up the hierarchy had taken notice. Someone with the power to order surveillance and demand answers.
As she reached her quarters, Li Xiuying caught sight of herself in a polished metal mirror. For just an instant, she saw Chen Wulong's cautious paranoia in her expression, Mei Lin's military bearing in her posture. The reflection felt like looking at a stranger wearing her face.
Fifty-four percent memory resonance, she remembered with growing dread. At what point do I stop being Li Xiuying entirely?
The question haunted her as she settled onto her cot, surrounded by disciples who had no idea they were sleeping next to someone whose soul was slowly dissolving into fragments of the dead.
In sixty-seven hours, she would die again. And each death brought her closer to the terrifying possibility that one day, Li Xiuying might not wake up at all.