The Council Chamber was carved from ancient obsidian, its walls etched with runes that pulsed faintly like beating hearts. Statues of past masters lined the perimeter, each towering figure radiating silent judgment.
Kai Ren stood alone in the center.
The elders loomed on their raised thrones, their presence suffocating. Even without releasing a shred of killing intent, the air pressed down on Kai's shoulders like a mountain.
For a boy once mocked as useless, standing here was surreal. Yet Kai's gaze did not waver.
Elder Mo, the sharp-eyed leader of the Council, leaned forward. His voice was cold steel.
"Kai Ren. You were a Zero-Talent. A cripple whose Spirit Core was fractured beyond repair. Yet in a matter of weeks, you shattered a ranked student's weapon, crushed a training dummy, evaded testing arrows, and even defeated Lin Yue. Tell us—what are you hiding?"
The words cracked like thunder.
The other elders murmured, their whispers heavy as stormclouds.
"A hidden bloodline?"
"Perhaps a forbidden artifact?"
"No… I sensed no external qi during his fight."
Kai's heart pounded, but his face remained calm. Panic was death. The system was his only secret, and he would die before he revealed it.
"I hide nothing, Elders," Kai said, voice steady. "For years I was trash. I refused to accept that fate. I trained, I fought, I endured humiliation. Perhaps my body awakened late. Perhaps the heavens pitied me. I cannot say. But I will not stop here."
The chamber fell into silence.
Elder Huang's piercing gaze narrowed, as though searching Kai's soul. "Late awakening is rare, but not impossible. Still, the timing is… suspicious."
Elder Mo's palm slammed against the throne armrest. BOOM! The sound rattled the chamber.
"Enough. We cannot prove deceit, but neither can we ignore the anomaly. From today, Kai Ren is under observation. His progress will be monitored. Should he reveal any sign of forbidden practice…" Elder Mo's eyes sharpened, "he will be dealt with."
Kai bowed, fists clenched. "Yes, Elder."
He turned and walked out. The elders' stares lingered on his back like daggers.
Inside, Kai's chest burned—not with fear, but with defiance. Observation? Let them watch. No chain can bind me now.
---
That night, silence blanketed the dorms. Kai sat cross-legged in the dark, moonlight spilling across the floorboards.
The system's interface glowed faintly in his mind.
> [New Path Available – Upgrade Cultivation Realms.]
[Current Cultivation: Mortal Stage, Initial.]
[Upgrade Cost: 3 Points.]
[Upgrade Status: Locked – Insufficient Points.]
Kai exhaled. The temptation was intoxicating. To leap to the next stage, to crush suspicion beneath raw power…
But he only had two points. One short.
He smiled coldly. "Then I'll hunt it down."
---
The opportunity arrived at dawn.
The academy bell tolled, summoning all students to the outer courtyard. Dozens gathered, armed with blades, spears, and talismans. The buzz of chatter was tense, excited, fearful.
Elder Huang stood before them, hands folded behind his back. His voice boomed.
"Today begins the Outer Ring Trial. You will enter the Spiritwood Forest. Inside roam spirit beasts. Your task: kill one and bring back its core. Survive, and you prove your worth. Fail…" His eyes swept coldly over the crowd. "And you are no longer part of Skyblade Academy."
Murmurs rippled. Some paled, others grinned.
Kai felt every eye flick toward him.
"He'll die for sure."
"This trial will expose him."
"He won't last an hour."
Kai ignored them. His gaze fixed on the treeline beyond the academy gates.
The Spiritwood Forest loomed vast, its canopy swallowing the morning light. The air carried the musk of beasts, the iron tang of old blood.
The gong rang.
The trial began.
---
Students surged into the forest, blades flashing, voices fading into the shadows.
Kai slipped away silently, his movements smooth from Shadow Step. His steel-edged rod rested against his shoulder. The deeper he went, the thicker the air became—humid, heavy, tinged with faint qi.
Screams echoed in the distance. Branches snapped. The growl of beasts vibrated through the ground.
Kai's senses sharpened, every muscle coiled. His time would come.
Minutes stretched. Then—rustle.
From the undergrowth, a wolf padded out. Its fur bristled crimson, its fangs dripping venom. Its eyes glowed with savage hunger.
> [Target Identified: Crimson Fang Wolf.]
[Rank: Low Mortal Spirit Beast.]
[Suggested Action: Eliminate. Reward: 1 Point.]
Kai's lips curved. "Just what I needed."
The wolf snarled, lunging. Its jaws snapped toward his throat.
Kai's body blurred—Shadow Step!—and the beast struck empty air. He reappeared at its flank, staff already swinging. CRACK! The rod smashed into the wolf's ribs. It howled, staggering.
Kai's fist followed—Iron Breaker Fist!—slamming into its skull. Bone shattered beneath the strike. The wolf collapsed, twitching once before falling still.
The forest went silent.
> [Victory Achieved.]
[Upgrade Point +1.]
[Total Points: 3.]
Kai exhaled, chest rising and falling. He crouched, pulling the glowing beast core from its chest. Warmth pulsed in his hand.
Then he whispered the words that would change everything.
"System. Upgrade my cultivation realm."
> [Confirm Upgrade? Cost: 3 Points.]
"Yes."
The world erupted.
Energy surged through his veins, liquid fire burning away weakness. His Spirit Core roared, shattering its fragile shell, reforming, reforging into something stronger, brighter. Qi gushed into him like a tidal wave, filling every pore, every bone, every breath.
Kai gasped, his body trembling, muscles vibrating with newfound power. His fists tightened, his senses stretched, the forest blooming with detail—every heartbeat, every rustle, every shift of wind.
> [Cultivation Realm: Mortal Stage, Initial → Mortal Stage, Middle.]
The difference was staggering. His body thrummed like a forged blade, sharp and unyielding.
Kai raised his fist, marveling at the raw strength thrumming within. "This… this is what true power feels like."
---
But he wasn't alone.
A soft chuckle drifted through the trees.
Kai spun, staff ready.
From the shadows stepped Lin Yue. Her twin daggers gleamed faintly, her eyes bright with intrigue. She leaned casually against a tree, but her posture was that of a predator.
"I thought I was imagining things," she said softly. "But no. I felt it. Your qi surged just now, didn't it?"
Kai's chest tightened. "You followed me."
Her lips curved. "You're full of surprises, Kai Ren. Every day, you grow stronger. Faster than anyone should. The Council suspects you. But me? I'm curious."
Her gaze sharpened, glittering like her blades.
"How long can you keep this secret?"
Before Kai could answer, she blurred, vanishing into the forest like smoke.
Silence returned, heavy as stone.
Kai lowered his staff slowly, his jaw clenched. She hadn't exposed him—not yet. But her words were a warning.
He glanced at the beast core glowing in his palm. His Spirit Core throbbed inside his chest, stronger than ever.
The system's voice whispered.
> [New Path Unlocked – Upgrade Spirit Core Quality.]
Kai froze, eyes widening. Upgrade the core itself?
His lips curved into a dangerous smile.
"Then let's see how far trash can climb."
The forest stirred with distant howls. The trial was far from over. But one truth was clear—Kai Ren's rise had only just begun.