"Welcome to the Hidden Space of the White Rank Pagoda."
Li Yan's eyes lifted. There was no figure. No presence to grasp. Only the voice, resonating through the space itself, as though the world were speaking directly to him.
"You have completed the White Rank Pagoda—an achievement no disciple has reached since its inception. In doing so, you have unlocked this realm."
A soft hum spread through the air.
Five orbs of light appeared before him, forming a wide arc. Each was roughly the size of a clenched fist, glowing warmly with golden radiance. Subtle strands of runic energy wrapped around them, flickering with layered complexity.
"You are granted five choices," the voice continued evenly. "Each orb contains a different reward. Touch any orb to view its contents. But remember—only one may be chosen."
Li Yan stored his sword back in his storage ring and stepped forward without hesitation.
His robes shifted gently in the breeze, his expression calm and composed. But his eyes—sharp, calculating—studied the orbs with quiet intensity, as though weighing their worth before even touching them.
"So this is what lies beyond the unknown," he murmured.
He reached for the first orb.
The moment his palm made contact, a soft resonance filled the chamber, like a chime echoing through an empty hall. A translucent panel unfolded above the orb, bathed in warm golden light.
[Artifact
Artifact Name: Moonlit Dagger
Level: Tier-5 Mid-Level
Type: Attack
Description: A sleek silver dagger imbued with moonlight essence, capable of enhancing darkness-element attack power.]
Li Yan studied the panel in silence. The image of the dagger lingered before him—slender, elegant, perfectly balanced for silent execution.
"A generous reward for a White Rank disciple," he said quietly.
Then his eyes narrowed a fraction.
"But something like this…" He turned away without hesitation. "I can acquire something like this anytime from the sect treasury."
Calm. Decisive.
He stepped toward the next orb.
The moment Li Yan's fingers brushed the second orb, the golden hum returned. Light rippled outward, and a new panel shimmered into existence.
[Artifact
Artifact Name: Blue Armor
Level: Tier-5 High-Level
Type: Defense
Description: A deep sapphire armor capable of mitigating attacks from cultivators at the peak of the Ethereal Fusion Realm (Qi King) and lower.]
Blue-tinged light reflected faintly off Li Yan's robes as he folded his arms.
"Defense against peak Qi Kings… impressive," he acknowledged quietly.
His gaze lingered for a brief moment—no more.
"But still within the range of what the sect's treasury can provide," he continued, tone even. "Not rare enough. Not irreplaceable."
There was no disdain in his voice—only a standard sharpened by long-term thinking.
He moved on.
The third orb responded to his touch, runes unfolding in more intricate patterns this time, lines overlapping with deliberate complexity.
[Technique
Technique Name: Phantom Shadow Step
Level: Mortal-Tier High-Level
Type: Movement
Description: Allows the user to create an afterimage to confuse opponents, enhancing evasion and positional control in combat.]
Li Yan raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Better than Phantom Dash," he admitted, rubbing his chin in brief consideration. "Cleaner misdirection. More flexible positioning."
His eyes narrowed.
"But a mortal-tier high-level technique," he concluded. "Something I can acquire from the Techniques Hall when I need it. I would only need around 20,000 Shadow Points."
"Still a better choice than the first two," Li Yan muttered. "Let's see the last two before deciding."
He paused a fraction longer than before. No hesitation—evaluation. The technique had merit. It would be useful.
Just not decisive.
He withdrew his hand.
The fourth orb reacted the instant his fingers touched it.
A deeper vibration rippled through the chamber. The ambient warmth dipped subtly, shadows curling at the edges of his perception. Darkness Qi bled into the air as the panel revealed itself.
[Cultivation Resource
Name: Elemental Qi Stones
Type: Darkness
Quantity: Ten
Description: Stones infused with pure darkness Qi. Highly prized for cultivation acceleration.]
Li Yan's pupils contracted.
The stones hovered within the panel, each one gleaming like condensed night.
"With these…" he murmured, almost thoughtfully, "I could push my cultivation forward four stages. Possibly more."
The implication settled heavily.
A shortcut. A compressed ascent. Immediate power.
For a heartbeat, his pulse quickened, and the future possibilities accelerated.
Then his gaze cooled.
"No, I already possess the Fire Mine," he said quietly. "Thousands of Fire Qi Stones—far purer, far more abundant."
He stepped back, excitement draining cleanly from his eyes, replaced by measured clarity.
"If I want to speed up my cultivation, I already have Fire Mine," he concluded. "This adds convenience—not leverage."
The orb dimmed behind him as he turned away.
Only one remained.
The fifth orb.
Li Yan approached it more slowly.
Not from caution—but recognition.
A subtle warmth radiated from the sphere, different from the others. Not aggressive. Not refined. Just… present. Like heat lingering in stone long after the sun has passed.
The instant his fingers made contact, an unfamiliar Qi crept up his arm. Not hostile. Not submissive.
Aware.
The panel unfolded, glowing with deeper gold.
[Pet Beast
Name: Spirit Beast Egg + Companion Guide
Bloodline: Unknown
Element Type: Unknown
Description: A gold-and-black egg radiating faint warmth, containing a mysterious beast. Includes a manual detailing bonding rituals, combat synergy, and integration into cultivation pathways.]
Li Yan didn't move.
A Spirit Beast Egg.
His gaze shifted between the softly glowing orb and the precise script floating above it. This wasn't just a reward.
It was a variable.
A companion—one that could grow, evolve, and adapt alongside him. Not a fixed artifact. Not a consumable resource.
A living force. "I read a lot of novels, in which Beast companions were more than weapons. With the right bond, they became extensions of one's cultivation—scouts, shields, executioners, anchors. Some even shaped their master's future path."
"Unknown bloodline… unknown element," Li Yan murmured.
His eyes sharpened.
"That uncertainty alone raises its value."
His thoughts flickered—brief, controlled. Ancient beasts awakening from obscurity. Sealed inheritances. Bloodlines lost to time, mistaken for nothing… until they weren't.
"Out of all five," he said quietly, "this is the only choice that carries growth beyond prediction."
He glanced once more at the other orbs. Artifacts. Technique. Cultivation resource.
All replaceable.
This was not.
The golden orbs continued their slow rotation, silent, patient.
Li Yan exhaled once.
The decision had already been made.
"I choose—" He extended his hand without hesitation. "—the Spirit Beast Egg."
The golden light flared.
And the choice was sealed.
The instant Li Yan's fingers made contact, the orb erupted.
Radiant golden light flooded the hidden realm, swallowing space and depth alike. A deep, ancient hum reverberated through the air, steady and immense, as if something sealed for ages had finally acknowledged his choice.
"You have chosen the Spirit Beast Egg, which comes with a Companion Guide," the disembodied voice intoned. There was no excitement in it—only weight. Approval.
"Fortune favors the bold."
The remaining orbs shuddered once, then fractured, dissolving into countless motes of light that scattered and vanished into the silvery air.
Only his reward remained.
In the space before him, a large egg materialized—golden-black, roughly the size of a large melon. Its shell shimmered faintly, layered with swirling prismatic patterns that shifted like slow-moving currents beneath glass. It pulsed rhythmically, alive, yet tightly sealed.
Beside it hovered an ancient scroll bound with a black ribbon. Its surface radiated a restrained, ethereal aura—quiet, but profound.
Li Yan stepped forward.
He placed both hands against the egg. It was warm. Not hot—steady. Controlled. A gentle resonance flowed into his palms, threading up his arms with unfamiliar clarity.
A spark stirred in his chest. Not excitement. Recognition.
"A Spirit Beast…" he murmured, voice low, steady. "Let's see what you become."
Without hesitation, he stored both the egg and the Companion Guide into his storage ring.
The moment they vanished—
The ground lurched violently.
A deep mechanical hum surged through the hidden space, layered and rhythmic, like massive interlocking arrays grinding into motion. A sharp metallic click echoed outward, unmistakable.
Li Yan's gaze snapped up, senses already flaring.
"So that's how it is," he said calmly.
The voice returned—quieter now, but edged with finality.
"The reward has been claimed. The hidden space will now close. Prepare for return."
Before he could respond, his vision blurred.
The world collapsed inward.
____
Outside the White Rank Pagoda, tension thickened the air.
All eyes remained fixed on the floating White-ranked leaderboard.
[White Rank Pagoda — Li Yan Tian
Current Level: Hidden Level
Points: 5,000
Time Remaining: 12:51 (Paused)]
Unchanged.
The pagoda phase had ended. All other competitors had long since exited, scattered throughout the arena—some relieved, some bitter, some exhausted to the bone.
Only one was missing.
"Why is he… still inside?" a disciple whispered.
"It's been too long," another murmured, unease creeping into his voice.
"He should've been ejected already."
Whispers multiplied. The noise swelled. Even the elders leaned forward, their attention still locked on the silent White Rank Pagoda.
At the entrance, the head referee frowned.
He felt it.
A disturbance. Not violent—but wrong. A pressure far beyond what the pagoda's formations should emit.
Then—
BOOM.
A thunderous shockwave ripped through the arena.
The White Rank Pagoda shook violently. Hairline cracks spread across its surface as blinding golden light seeped through the ancient structure. A crushing pressure descended, heavy enough to make even experienced cultivators stiffen.
Gasps erupted.
"Why is the pagoda reacting like this?!"
"Is this because of Li Yan Tian?!"
The head referee took an involuntary step back as the entrance flared—
And exploded outward in gold.
The stadium was drowned in light.
Then—
Silence.
From the swirling portal, a single figure stepped forward.
Li Yan.
He emerged calmly. Upright. Composed.
The breeze tugged at his white robes as if in acknowledgment. There was no arrogance in his posture—no declaration in his gaze.
Only presence.
Something had changed.
Not visibly—but unmistakably.
A subtle weight pressed outward from him, refined and controlled, causing nearby disciples to still without understanding why.
No one spoke.
Thousands held their breath.
"He's… out," someone whispered.
"I've never seen him before," a yellow-robed disciple murmured, disbelief thick in his voice.
"Who is he… really?"
The head referee finally spoke, his voice thunderous with Qi amplification.
"Li Yan Tian of the White Rank has completed the Hidden Level," he declared. "An achievement without precedent."
A beat of silence.
Then the arena erupted.
Cheers. Shouts. Shocked laughter. Applause like rolling thunder. Admiration tangled with envy, curiosity sharpened into obsession.
"Who knew he had this kind of luck…" a black-robed disciple muttered darkly.
"That wasn't luck," a woman beside him replied coldly. "That was skill."
"What did he obtain?" someone asked.
No answer came.
Li Yan stood at the center of it all, expression unchanged.
Silent.
And utterly unbothered.
"Look at him," Cao Lian said softly, her gaze never leaving the white-robed figure standing amid the participants. "That composure… He feels entirely different from the other disciples."
Ji Hong did not answer immediately. A faint smile curved his lips as he watched Li Yan stand in silence, unmoved by the storm of attention. "That's because he is," he said at last.
Around them, the arena remained caught between celebration and disbelief. Cheers still echoed, but beneath them ran an undercurrent of unease—speculation sharpened by envy.
Li Yan said nothing.
His violet eyes swept across the crowd with measured calm, cataloging faces, reactions, and intentions. His fingers brushed his storage ring once, unconsciously, in which the Spirit Beast Egg and its Companion Guide lay.
A near-imperceptible smile touched his lips. "This is only the beginning."
The Head Referee raised his hand.
The crowd quieted at once.
"Li Yan Tian," he said, his voice carrying across the arena with Qi reinforcement. "Step forward."
Li Yan turned his gaze toward the head referee and began walking. His pace was unhurried, his posture upright. Conversations died. Even those who had been whispering moments earlier fell silent.
He reached the center of the arena and stopped.
The Head Referee studied him closely—approval and curiosity mingling in his eyes. "You have accomplished something no disciple has achieved since the creation of the Pagoda Trials," he said. "Reaching the hidden level is not merely rare—it is unprecedented."
With a gesture, a luminous panel formed above the platform.
[Li Yan Tian — 5,000 Points | First Conqueror of the Hidden Level]
A wave of astonishment rolled through the arena.