The order came at sunrise.
Not through servants.
Not through whispers.
Directly.
"All selected participants—assemble at the east gate."
No delay.
Wei Liang arrived early.
Not first.
But close.
The east gate stood open.
Beyond it—
The wilderness.
Uncontrolled.
Unrestricted.
Dangerous.
Unlike the estate—
Nothing out there would hold back.
People gathered.
Not many.
But enough.
Wei Liang scanned them.
Familiar faces.
Shen Jinhai.
Standing near the front.
Calm.
Watching.
Shen Linyue.
Off to the side.
Relaxed.
But her eyes—
Sharp.
Shen Yuxiu—
At the center.
Still.
Unmoving.
And others.
Stronger than before.
More experienced.
More dangerous.
An elder stepped forward.
Not the same as before.
Older.
Heavier presence.
"This hunt," he said,"is not training."
Silence.
"You will enter the Blackwood Range."
A faint shift moved through the group.
Wei Liang's eyes narrowed slightly.
Blackwood Range.
Dangerous territory.
Unstable.
Filled with spirit beasts.
And—
Worse.
"Your objective is simple," the elder continued.
"Survive for seven days."
A pause.
Then—
"Return with proof."
Proof.
Wei Liang understood.
Kills.
The elder's gaze swept across them.
"You may cooperate."
Another pause.
"…or not."
There it is.
The rules were simple.
There were no rules.
Wei Liang exhaled slowly.
Good.
Because this—
Was real.
They moved out.
Together.
But not united.
The moment they crossed the gate—
The atmosphere changed.
The forest was darker.
Thicker.
Alive.
The air—
Unstable.
Wei Liang felt it immediately.
Qi fluctuations.
Irregular.
Harder to control.
Good training.
Bad survival.
No one spoke.
The group spread slightly.
Naturally.
Distance.
Space.
Trust—
Didn't exist here.
After an hour—
They stopped.
Not by command.
By instinct.
Something was wrong.
Wei Liang felt it first.
The forest—
Too still.
No wind.
No movement.
Then—
A sound.
Low.
Heavy.
From the ground.
Wei Liang's eyes sharpened.
"Underground," he said quietly.
Too late.
The earth exploded.
A massive creature burst out.
Scaled.
Dark.
Massive jaws.
A burrowing beast.
It roared.
The sound—
Shook the air.
Chaos.
Some retreated.
Some attacked.
Shen Jinhai moved first.
Fast.
His strike—
Clean.
The beast reacted—
Faster.
Its tail slammed across the ground.
Shockwave.
Several people were thrown back.
Wei Liang moved.
Not away.
Sideways.
Avoiding.
Observing.
The beast—
Too strong.
Too large.
Direct fight—
Inefficient.
Wei Liang's mind moved quickly.
Pattern.
Movement.
Weak point.
There.
Under the jaw.
But—
Guarded.
Requires timing.
The beast lunged.
Shen Jinhai clashed again.
Force against force.
Wei Liang didn't join.
He waited.
Watched.
Then—
Moved.
The moment came.
The beast opened its mouth.
Wide.
Wei Liang stepped in.
Close.
Too close.
The world narrowed.
His breathing slowed.
The fragment—
Activated.
Everything—
Clear.
The angle.
The timing.
The opening.
Wei Liang struck.
Not strong.
Perfect.
His hand—
Drove upward.
Under the jaw.
The beast froze.
For a fraction.
Enough.
Shen Jinhai's attack—
Landed.
The beast collapsed.
Heavy.
Final.
Silence fell.
Wei Liang stepped back.
Calm.
Unnoticed—
Almost.
But not entirely.
Shen Jinhai looked at him.
Eyes—
Sharp.
"…You."
Wei Liang didn't respond.
Because—
He already knew.
This was just the beginning.
Deep within—
The pagoda trembled.
The third floor—
Cracked.
Light—
Spilled through.
Wei Liang's lips moved faintly.
"…Now."