A Monster’s Ascent

Xiang Xiaoli stepped through the swirling darkness of the black portal, and instantly, a deathly silence engulfed her. As she looked around, her breath hitched—this was unlike any battlefield or trial she had ever imagined.

The ground was so black that it looked like an endless abyss, giving the illusion that she was standing on nothing. A few steps in, and she could hear her own heartbeat echo in the dead air. The air itself was thick, oppressive, as though countless souls whispered in agony around her.

The trees… if they could even be called that… were made of flesh and bone, pulsating with a sickly red hue. Black vines slithered around them like living veins, dripping crimson liquid onto the corrupted soil. The sky was a twisting vortex of blood-red clouds, churning as if something ancient lurked within.

Even Shen Yuan was surprised by her decision to enter this place. Now, standing in this land of nightmares, she understood why.

"This… isn't just a test… it's a battlefield of survival."

She took a deep breath, her hands clenching into fists. Either she would come out stronger… or she wouldn't come out at all.

Time passed painfully slow for those waiting outside.

The other elites stood at a distance, their faces betraying a mix of impatience, nervousness, and barely concealed fear. Two days. Not a single sign of life from within the portal.

Finally, one of the senior disciples, a woman with sharp, hawk-like eyes, broke the silence.

"That's it. She's dead."

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. The idea of survival was absurd. The black portal was a place of absolute destruction, a trial that no one had ever cleared before.

Another disciple, a tall young man with a scar across his cheek, scoffed and turned his glare toward Shen Yuan.

"You knew she wouldn't make it, didn't you?"

Shen Yuan, standing with his arms crossed, barely acknowledged him. His expression remained unmoved, cold as ever.

The scarred disciple took a step forward, his voice rising.

"You sent her in there for your own amusement! You—"

"Oh?" Shen Yuan finally spoke, his voice carrying an amused lilt. "And who forced her to go?"

The disciple faltered for a second before shaking his head. "You manipulated her! You knew she had something to prove, and you let her walk into her death!"

His words sparked agreement among the crowd.

"He's right! You've been playing with us this entire time!"

"It's just a sick game to you, isn't it, Shen Yuan?"

Shen Yuan stood at the front, arms crossed, expression indifferent to all of the accusations. Tang Jiyan, however, frowned and finally spoke.

"You should have stopped her, Shen Yuan."

Shen Yuan barely glanced at him. "Why?"

Tang Jiyan narrowed his eyes. "You know very well why. She's—"

"She made the choice." Shen Yuan's voice was cool, sharp. "So it's not my problem."

The cold dismissal made Tang Jiyan clench his jaw, but he couldn't refute it. Shen Yuan wasn't wrong… but it still felt wrong.

Then a sharp voice cut through the silence.

"You're just using us for your own fun, aren't you?!"

A female elite stepped forward, the same girl who had argued with Xiang Xiaoli on the first day. Her face twisted with anger, her gaze filled with resentment.

"No one can clear that black portal! You knew it, and yet you let her go! You—"

Before she could finish, a voice silenced her mid-sentence.

"Who said that just because most of you are incompetent, no one else can do it?"

The crowd froze.

Heads turned towards the black portal, where a figure emerged from the swirling darkness.

Xiang Xiaoli.

Her robes were tattered, bloodstained. Her face was pale yet sharper than before, her eyes burning with newfound intensity. But what shocked everyone wasn't just her survival.

It was the pressure radiating from her body—a cultivation so fierce it made the air tremble.

She was no longer in the early layers of the Heaven Path Realm.

She had stepped into the 6th Layer of Nirvana Realm.

A chilling silence spread across the elites. No one could believe it. The weakest… no, the former weakest among them all had not only survived Shen Yuan's cruelest trial, but she had emerged stronger than almost all of them.

A slow clap echoed through the air.

Shen Yuan.

His smirk was barely concealed as he clapped lazily, his deep black eyes gleaming with amusement.

"See? That's what the black portal is for."

His words sent a shiver down their spines.

"It pushes you to the very edge, forces you into desperation, makes you claw for survival. And since it's filled with Qi due to me making its law inside like that, if you survive, you evolve."

They all understood now. This wasn't just a test. It was a brutal transformation.

Then, something even more shocking happened.

Xiang Xiaoli stepped forward, cupped her fists, and bowed deeply to Shen Yuan.

Her voice was calm, but firm.

"Thank you."

Gasps spread through the crowd. It wasn't the act of bowing that stunned them—it was who was bowing to whom.

A Nirvana Realm expert was bowing to a Heaven Path Realm cultivator.

Yes, Shen Yuan had a 10th halo, making him a monstrous genius. But this? This was unprecedented.

Many felt a creeping dread.

They had been questioning and doubting someone like him? Who could somehow make the impossible look like just tough work!

Shen Yuan let out a light chuckle, brushing a stray hair from his face.

Then he raised a hand, his smirk deepening.

"So… who wants to go next?"

A heartbeat of silence.

Then, Tang Jiyan stepped forward without hesitation.

"I do."

And with that, he entered the black portal.

From there, the tide of the elite area shifted forever.

With Tang Jiyan willingly stepping into Shen Yuan's trial, the others finally understood what true power was.

Meanwhile… in the distant country of Fengyue. 

Deep within the secluded halls of the Gu family sect, an elderly figure sat comfortably, sipping his tea.

Elder Tian Xu.

His newly cultivated Elysian Realm cultivation pulsed faintly as he enjoyed the peaceful air, his mind free of worry.

But then—his peace was shattered.

A figure entered the hall hurriedly, his face pale and breath ragged.

Tian Xu didn't even bother to look up.

"Ah… Minister Zhao. What brings you here?" he asked lazily, swirling his tea.

The man who entered was Minister Zhao, the minister within the court of the royal Fengyue family—looked distraught. Sweat dripped from his forehead, his lips trembling.

"He survived, Tian Xu."

Tian Xu raised a brow. "Who?"

Minister Zhao swallowed, his voice heavy.

"Shen Yuan. He lives… and he's far more of a monster than before."

Elder Tian Xu went still.

Then, he burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! You must be joking. That boy died three centuries ago to my decisive move. Maybe age is catching up to you. hahaha."

Minister Zhao's frustration grew. "I am not joking, Tian Xu! Shen Yuan wrote this for you himself."

With shaking hands, he handed over a letter.

Tian Xu frowned and slowly unfolded it.

Inside, there was only a short, arrogant message.

'How are you, old Tian Xu? Did you miss me?

Don't worry, we will meet soon. Have fun until then.'

For a long moment, silence.

Then, the temperature in the hall plummeted.

Tian Xu's grip tightened around the letter. His fingernails dug into the paper, leaving deep marks. His expression was unreadable, but the veins in his forehead bulged.

Then— BOOM!

A violent surge of his Qi erupted from his body, causing the entire hall to tremble. The letter burned away in an instant.

Minister Zhao stepped back, cold sweat dripping down his spine.

Tian Xu's voice was low, furious.

"That damn brat…"

His aura flickered, the entire sect shuddering in response.

"Shen Yuan… I will tear you apart next time. But… how did you escape the chrono void?!"