The Black Crane Sect lay nestled between jagged peaks, its towering gates carved from black stone streaked with crimson veins. From afar, it looked like a sleeping beast—silent, massive, and waiting to devour those foolish enough to enter.
Li Yun stood among a long line of hopeful cultivators at the foot of the mountain.
Around him were youths from all corners of the region—some clad in silk robes, others wearing patched clothes like his own. Excitement buzzed in the air, mixed with anxiety and ambition. This was the Outer Disciple Trial, the gateway into one of the most feared sects in the Jianghu.
And for Li Yun, it was the mouth of the enemy.
He lowered his gaze, hiding the cold light in his eyes.
Black Crane Sect…
This is where my father died.
The jade token rested inside his sleeve, its surface still faintly cracked from his grip the night before. His ribs ached, his meridians burned, and his cultivation was unstable—but his foundation had been laid.
Body Tempering (Initial Stage).
Weak by sect standards.
Enough to survive.
A thunderous voice echoed from the mountain gates.
"Silence!"
An elder stepped forward, his robe embroidered with silver cranes. His aura alone pressed down on the crowd like a mountain, forcing several weaker applicants to their knees.
Qi Condensation Realm.
Li Yun's pupils shrank.
So this is the difference…
The elder's gaze swept over the crowd with open disdain.
"The Outer Disciple Trial has three stages," he announced coldly. "Those who fail will be expelled. Those who cheat will be crippled. Those who cause trouble…"
A cruel smile touched his lips.
"…will die."
No one doubted him.
The gates groaned open.
First Trial: The Stair of Crushing Intent
The first trial was simple in concept—and brutal in execution.
A stone stairway climbed straight up the mountain, disappearing into the clouds. From the very first step, oppressive spiritual pressure poured down like an invisible hammer.
"This stair tests your body and will," the elder said. "Climb. Reach the top before sunset."
At his signal, the crowd surged forward.
The moment Li Yun stepped onto the first stair, his breath hitched.
His bones groaned as pressure crushed down on his shoulders. It felt like carrying a boulder on his back.
Around him, cultivators cried out as some collapsed instantly, blood leaking from their mouths.
Li Yun clenched his teeth.
This pressure… it's targeting the meridians.
Qi Condensation cultivators would resist easily.
Body Tempering cultivators?
This was a massacre.
He circulated his Qi instinctively, forcing it through his freshly opened meridians. Pain flared as his unstable cultivation protested, but the pressure eased slightly.
Step by step, he climbed.
Halfway up, screams echoed behind him. Several applicants had fainted. Others were dragged away by sect guards, faces pale with humiliation.
Li Yun didn't look back.
He focused on one thing only.
Endure.
By the time he reached the final step, his vision swam, his legs trembled, and blood seeped from his clenched fists. Only a fraction of the original crowd remained.
The elder nodded slightly.
"First trial… passed."
Second Trial: The Arena of Comparison
The second trial took place in a massive stone arena carved into the mountainside.
"This trial tests combat ability," another elder announced. "You will fight. Victory advances. Defeat ends your journey."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
This was what separated talent from trash.
Li Yun's name was called early.
He stepped into the arena, facing a tall youth with broad shoulders and arrogant eyes.
"Zhao Feng," the youth sneered. "Qi at the peak of Body Tempering. You?"
Li Yun said nothing.
The gong sounded.
Zhao Feng moved instantly, his fist glowing with Qi as he lunged forward. The crowd cheered—his technique was refined, his movements trained.
Li Yun sidestepped.
Zhao Feng's punch shattered stone where Li Yun had stood.
"Coward!" Zhao Feng roared, attacking again.
Li Yun ducked, twisted, and slammed his elbow into Zhao Feng's ribs.
Crack.
Zhao Feng screamed.
Before he could recover, Li Yun grabbed his collar and drove his forehead forward.
Blood exploded.
The arena fell silent.
Li Yun didn't stop.
He swept Zhao Feng's legs, slammed him into the ground, and pressed a knee against his throat.
"I yield!" Zhao Feng screamed in terror.
Li Yun stepped back.
Victory.
Whispers erupted around the arena.
"Who is that?"
"He fights like a madman."
"That killing intent…"
Li Yun returned to the sidelines, expression calm—but inside, his heart pounded.
Too much attention…
Third Trial: The Mark of the Crane
Only thirty applicants remained.
The final trial was deceptively simple.
Each candidate was given a black talisman etched with a silver crane.
"Infuse it with your Qi," the elder said. "The brighter the mark, the higher your ranking."
One by one, candidates stepped forward.
Bright light. Faint light. Some talismans cracked and shattered.
Li Yun stepped up last.
When he poured his Qi into the talisman, pain ripped through his meridians. His unstable cultivation surged violently—but something deeper responded.
The jade pendant his father had left him grew warm.
The talisman flared.
Not bright.
Violent.
A sharp, jade-green light burst forth, startling the elders.
The light quickly dimmed, but the damage was done.
The elder narrowed his eyes.
"Accepted," he said slowly. "Outer Disciple."
Li Yun bowed.
Inside, his lips curled.
I'm in.
That Night
Outer disciples were given crude stone rooms on the outer mountain.
As Li Yun sat alone, stabilizing his cultivation, a presence appeared outside his door.
A familiar voice spoke softly.
"You survived longer than expected."
Li Yun's eyes snapped open.
The door creaked open.
A man in black robes entered—his face calm, his aura terrifying.
Qi Condensation… no. Higher.
"Remember me?" the man asked.
Li Yun stood slowly.
"I remember everyone from the Black Crane Sect," he replied coldly.
The man smiled.
"Good. That will make killing you later more satisfying."
He turned and left.
Li Yun exhaled slowly.
His hands shook—not with fear.
With anticipation.
The sect has no idea what it just let inside.