The wind on the northern cliff grew strangely quiet.
Lin Ye stood facing the man in white robes, studying him carefully. At first glance, Li Tianxuan looked completely ordinary—calm posture, relaxed smile, hands loosely behind his back.
But the pressure surrounding him told a different story.
It felt like standing near a mountain.
Heavy.
Immovable.
Lin Ye scratched the back of his head.
"…So the number one disciple came all the way here just to stare at me?"
Li Tianxuan chuckled.
"I was curious."
Lin Ye smirked.
"About the guy who broke the arena?"
"That was part of it."
Li Tianxuan's eyes gleamed faintly.
"But mostly…"
"…I wanted to see if the rumors were exaggerated."
Su Qingyue stepped slightly forward.
"Senior Brother."
Her tone was calm, but her gaze was sharp.
Li Tianxuan glanced at her and smiled.
"Relax."
"I'm not here to bully your student."
Lin Ye blinked.
"…Your student?"
Su Qingyue's expression hardened slightly.
"He is not my student."
Lin Ye grinned.
"Sounds like teacher denial."
She ignored him.
Li Tianxuan watched their interaction with clear amusement.
"…Interesting."
Then his gaze returned to Lin Ye.
"Let's do something simple."
Lin Ye sighed.
"…Here we go."
Li Tianxuan raised one finger.
"Block one attack."
Lin Ye blinked.
"That's it?"
"Yes."
Lin Ye shrugged.
"Alright."
Li Tianxuan moved.
No warning.
No visible preparation.
One moment he stood several meters away—
The next moment he was already in front of Lin Ye.
His palm shot forward.
Lin Ye's instincts exploded.
Blood Shadow Step.
He vanished instantly.
But—
Li Tianxuan's hand still touched his shoulder.
Tap.
Lin Ye froze.
"…What."
Li Tianxuan stepped back casually.
"That was good."
Lin Ye stared.
"I dodged."
Li Tianxuan smiled.
"Not fast enough."
Lin Ye rubbed his shoulder.
"…You're ridiculous."
Su Qingyue crossed her arms.
"I warned you."
Lin Ye groaned.
"Great support, thanks."
Li Tianxuan laughed.
"You reacted well."
"But your technique still has flaws."
Lin Ye frowned.
"…Such as?"
Li Tianxuan pointed toward the ground.
"You rely too much on the first movement."
"If someone predicts it…"
"…you're finished."
Lin Ye thought about that.
"…Fair."
Li Tianxuan nodded.
"You have talent."
"But talent without experience is dangerous."
Then he turned away casually.
"I'll be watching your progress."
Lin Ye called out.
"…That's it?"
Li Tianxuan glanced over his shoulder.
"For now."
Then he disappeared down the mountain path.
Silence returned to the cliff.
Lin Ye scratched his head.
"…That guy is weird."
Su Qingyue didn't respond immediately.
Instead, she watched the direction Li Tianxuan had left.
Her expression unreadable.
Lin Ye noticed.
"…You're staring."
"I'm not."
Lin Ye smirked.
"…Are you jealous?"
Her eyes snapped toward him instantly.
"…What?"
Lin Ye grinned.
"You got mad when he called me your student."
"I did not."
"You did."
Su Qingyue stepped forward.
"Focus on training."
Lin Ye laughed.
"Jealous."
Her hand moved suddenly.
THUD.
Lin Ye fell backward onto the stone platform.
"…Ow!"
"Stop talking."
Lin Ye groaned.
"…Definitely jealous."
She turned away quickly.
But the faint pink on her ears betrayed her calm expression.
Black Fang's Trap
Deep inside the forest beyond the Inner Sect, Wu Shan stood before a group of Black Fang members.
A map of the surrounding mountains was spread across a stone table.
His finger pointed toward a location beyond the sect walls.
"The Fallen Spirit Valley."
Liu Feng frowned.
"That place is dangerous."
Wu Shan nodded.
"Exactly."
He looked around at the gathered disciples.
"Tomorrow the sect will assign an outer mission."
"Spirit beast hunting."
Liu Feng's eyes widened slightly.
"You arranged it?"
Wu Shan smiled coldly.
"Yes."
"And Lin Ye will receive that mission."
One of the disciples asked nervously,
"…What if he refuses?"
Wu Shan shook his head.
"He won't."
His eyes gleamed.
"Because his personality won't allow it."
Then his voice lowered.
"And once he enters the valley…"
"…he won't come back."
The Black Fang disciples smiled darkly.
System Notification
That night—
Lin Ye sat cross-legged inside his courtyard, quietly circulating spiritual energy.
The demonic bloodline inside him pulsed faintly.
Almost restless.
Then—
The system screen suddenly appeared.
[New System Quest Detected]
Lin Ye frowned.
"…Now what?"
The text continued.
[Kill or Be Killed]
Mission: Enter Fallen Spirit Valley and eliminate hostile cultivators.
Reward:
• Demonic Martial Skill Upgrade
• Bloodline Stabilization
• Massive EXP Gain
Failure:
• Death
Lin Ye blinked.
"…That's very straightforward."
Another notification appeared.
[Warning: Multiple enemies detected]
Lin Ye slowly stood up.
"…Of course."
He stretched his arms.
Then smiled.
"…Guess tomorrow will be interesting."
Outside his courtyard, the night wind carried a faint chill.
Because somewhere in the mountains—
A trap was already waiting.
And Lin Ye was walking straight into it.