Space twisted violently—
Then everything went white.
The group reappeared in a vast, endless expanse.
"…Is this the Netherworld?"
Feng Bo looked around, clearly confused.
He wasn't the only one.
All the disciples stood still, staring at the boundless white space surrounding them. There was no sky, no ground—just an eerie, endless void.
"Newcomers… already?"
A voice echoed suddenly.
Everyone looked up.
A burly man stood atop a high platform, as if he had always been there.
No one had sensed his presence before he spoke.
That alone sent a chill through the crowd.
Around him lingered a thick, blood-soaked aura—dense, oppressive, and unmistakably born from countless killings.
Some inner disciples instinctively stepped back after a single glance.
Others held their ground—but their expressions turned wary.
"Hm… not bad," the man said, scanning the group. "Better than the last batch."
His gaze moved slowly—
then paused.
On Wang Li.
A young man.
A saber.
Nothing remarkable at first glance.
But the longer he looked—
the more wrong it felt.
Then his eyes shifted slightly—
to the purple token at Wang Li's waist.
His pupils contracted faintly.
*That aura…*
*Don't tell me… that little demoness again?*
*Another one?*
*…No. Watch first.*
He withdrew his gaze.
---
Meanwhile—
Wang Li wasn't looking at him at all.
His attention was elsewhere.
The lanterns.
Black lanterns floated silently throughout the white space.
They swayed gently—
but there was no wind.
Wang Li narrowed his eyes.
*These things…*
There was no flame.
No oil.
Yet they burned.
Or rather—
they *fed*.
A faint, unsettling sensation brushed against his mind.
*Resentful spirits…*
"Cough."
The burly man cleared his throat, pulling everyone's attention back.
"For the time being," he said calmly, "we are comrades."
A pause.
"Some of you are new. So listen carefully."
His tone shifted slightly.
Colder.
Sharper.
"The Netherworld is simple."
"You kill—or you are killed."
Silence fell.
"To them, you are nourishment," he continued. "To you, they are resources."
"Fair."
No one spoke.
But the weight of his words settled heavily.
"The sect gives you two choices," he said.
"Form teams. Hunt."
"Or…"
"Join the battlefield."
A low rumble echoed.
Massive doors opened on both sides of the hall.
"Left for teams. Right for battlefield."
---
Wang Li didn't hesitate.
Not even for a breath.
His figure blurred—
and shot straight toward the battlefield entrance.
No discussion.
No hesitation.
No fear.
*Grouped enemies are easier to kill than hidden ones.*
His path had already been decided.
His body—
his cultivation—
his future—
demanded resources far beyond normal means.
The battlefield wasn't danger.
It was opportunity.
By the time others reacted—
he had already vanished through the door.
"…What's wrong with that outer disciple?" someone muttered.
"Charging into the battlefield like that… does he want to die?"
Before anyone could process it—
another figure moved.
A woman.
She walked calmly toward the battlefield entrance.
"…Another one?"
"And she's an inner disciple?"
Confusion spread.
"What's the battlefield like?" a newer disciple asked.
An older inner disciple sneered.
"A meat grinder."
"Most who gain the most go there."
"Most who die… also go there."
---
Beyond the door—
Wang Li stepped into a massive open area.
To one side stood a towering structure.
**MILITARY REGISTRATION**
The words were carved deep, radiating pressure.
Clearly left behind by someone powerful.
In the distance—
massive ships hovered.
Disciples moved constantly, boarding and disembarking in large numbers.
Wang Li paused.
Then exhaled softly.
"So many…"
Hundreds.
No—thousands.
*The sect's true strength…*
Each peak.
Each opportunity.
Each producing inner disciples.
Compared to the mortal world—
this was a different scale entirely.
Wang Li's gaze hardened slightly.
*Inner disciple… isn't enough.*
Not even close.
He needed more.
Faster.
Stronger.
Safer—
in a dangerous way.
That was why he chose the battlefield.
---
"Junior brother!"
A voice called from behind.
Wang Li glanced back briefly.
A female inner disciple.
Smiling.
Friendly.
Too friendly.
He turned away—
and walked straight into the registration hall.
Ignored.
Completely.
The woman froze.
"…He ignored me?"
Her smile twitched.
*Didn't even ask why I called…?*
---
Inside—
a small line had formed.
Wang Li stepped in quietly.
When it was his turn—
he approached the counter.
And paused.
A puppet.
Made of bamboo strips.
It moved.
Barely.
"Name?"
"Wang Li."
"Status?"
"Outer disciple."
"Reason?"
"Inner disciple promotion."
A pause.
Then—
a token was handed over.
"Proceed. Assigned ship."
That was it.
Wang Li blinked.
*That simple?*
He didn't know—
most people avoided the battlefield.
Those who volunteered—
weren't questioned.
---
When he stepped out—
the woman was still there.
Waiting.
"Junior brother," she said again, smiling.
Wang Li looked at her.
This time—
longer.
"What do you want?"
Direct.
Blunt.
She hesitated slightly.
"Would you like to team up?"
Her gaze flicked briefly—
to the purple token.
Wang Li noticed.
Of course he did.
"Are we close?" he asked calmly.
Her smile froze.
Wang Li stepped back slightly—
as if guarding himself.
Then walked away.
Quickly.
The woman stood there, stunned.
"…What is wrong with him?"
Then her expression twisted slightly.
"…He thinks I have bad intentions?"
She looked around instinctively—
then stiffened.
*…That did look suspicious.*
Without another word, she turned and entered the hall.
---
Meanwhile—
Wang Li had already reached the ships.
He located his assigned one and joined the queue.
Quiet.
Patient.
Detached.
But—
not alone for long.
The same woman appeared again.
Wang Li didn't react.
Didn't respond.
Didn't engage.
Until—
boarding time.
"Junior brother," she said with a bright smile, "how about we stay in the same room? We can get to know each other better."
Wang Li turned.
Slowly.
His eyes were calm.
Too calm.
"I thought I told you…"
A pause.
"…to scram."
The word fell softly.
But—
the world changed.
For a brief moment—
everything turned crimson.
A wave of saber intent surged outward—
sharp, silent, unstoppable.
It struck her mind directly.
**Boom.**
She was thrown off the ship—
unconscious before she hit the ground.
Silence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
Wang Li turned away—
as if nothing had happened.
Like brushing aside an insect.
And walked into the ship.
Behind him—
a group of inner disciples stood frozen.
A single thought echoed in their minds:
"That… is an outer disciple?"