The announcement came at dawn.
Not by bell.
Not by summons.
By presence.
Wei Liang felt it before the message arrived.
Pressure.
Different from before.
Sharper.
Focused.
This time—
It wasn't just selection.
It was…
Screening.
A servant appeared at his gate.
"You are required."
No explanation.
No delay.
Wei Liang stood.
Followed.
The training grounds were already filled.
But not like before.
More people.
Stronger presence.
Less structure.
More tension.
Wei Liang stepped in.
Immediately—
He felt it.
Eyes.
Not just one.
Many.
Watching.
Evaluating.
Shen Jinhai stood near the front.
Arms crossed.
Waiting.
Not hiding it anymore.
Shen Linyue was there too.
Leaning casually against a pillar.
Watching.
Smiling.
And—
At the center—
Shen Yuxiu.
Silent.
Still.
Observing everything.
Wei Liang moved to the back.
Same as before.
But this time—
It didn't feel natural.
Because now—
Everyone knew him.
A voice rang out.
"Second selection begins."
The instructor from before stepped forward.
But now—
There were others.
Elders.
Watching.
"This round is different," the instructor said.
His voice—
Colder.
"No demonstrations."
"No individual testing."
A pause.
Then—
"Survive."
Silence.
Then—
Movement.
The ground shifted.
Literally.
A formation activated.
The entire field—
Changed.
The space expanded.
Distorted.
Turned into something else.
A battlefield.
Wei Liang's eyes sharpened instantly.
Formation illusion.
But—
Not harmless.
Figures appeared.
Not real.
But not fake.
Constructs.
Each—
Radiating pressure.
"Defeat them," the instructor said.
"Or be removed."
No further explanation.
The constructs moved.
Immediately.
Chaos.
Some rushed forward.
Some froze.
Some—
Panicked.
Wei Liang didn't move.
Not immediately.
He observed.
Patterns.
Movement speed.
Attack behavior.
Three near him.
One fast.
One heavy.
One balanced.
Wei Liang stepped sideways.
Avoiding the first strike.
The fast one.
The second came—
Heavy.
Wei Liang didn't block.
He redirected.
Minimal movement.
Enough to deflect.
The third—
Followed.
Clean.
Efficient.
Better than the others.
Wei Liang's eyes narrowed.
This one—
Was different.
He adjusted.
Not reacting.
Anticipating.
The fight tightened.
Elsewhere—
People were falling.
Removed instantly.
No second chance.
Wei Liang moved again.
Step.
Turn.
Palm.
But this time—
Something changed.
The fragment inside him—
Activated.
The world slowed.
Not everything.
Just—
What mattered.
He saw it.
The flaw.
The opening.
Wei Liang stepped in.
Closer.
His strike—
Connected.
Clean.
The balanced construct—
Collapsed.
One down.
The others—
Adjusted.
Faster.
More aggressive.
Wei Liang retreated.
Controlled.
Breathing steady.
Too many variables.
Need to reduce.
He moved again.
Not away.
Between them.
The attacks overlapped.
Clashed.
Disrupted.
Wei Liang used it.
Redirected one—
Into the other.
Minimal force.
Maximum effect.
Both—
Broke.
Silence—
Around him.
Wei Liang stood.
Uninjured.
Stable.
Then—
A shift.
The pressure changed.
Wei Liang looked up.
Shen Jinhai.
Already finished.
Already watching him.
"…So you made it this far."
The formation trembled.
The final phase.
The constructs disappeared.
Only participants remained.
And now—
They faced each other.
"Last stage," the instructor said.
"Reduce numbers."
No rules.
Just—
Survival.
Wei Liang exhaled slowly.
So it begins.
Shen Jinhai stepped forward.
Directly toward him.
This time—
No pretense.
"You won't pass again," he said.
Wei Liang met his gaze.
Calm.
"…We'll see."
The distance closed.
And this time—
There would be no interruption.