Chapter 33: Into the Ruins! Trial Begins

The Sunken Ruins of Taihua was quiet, but the moment the trial gates opened.

Thousands of cultivators surged forward, their Qi flaring in a chaotic storm, their movements reckless as they raced into the unknown. Some moved with calculated precision, forming small squads, while others charged in blind confidence, eager to prove themselves.

Jin Ye?

He walked.

His robe flowed behind him as he stepped forward at his own pace, his silver eyes scanning the battlefield ahead. The weak would eliminate themselves. There was no need to rush.

The second cultivators crossed the threshold, the first screams rang out.

Boom!

A young noble, barely into 8th-stage Qi Refinement, triggered a buried formation trap beneath his feet. The air shimmered as golden runes lit up, and in the next instant, an explosion of fire and Qi tore through his body, reducing him to ash.

More traps activated in succession, catching careless competitors off guard. Some fell into Qi-absorbing pits, their energy forcefully drained as they collapsed, powerless. Others triggered wind blade formations, their bodies sliced apart before they even understood what had happened.

Jin Ye exhaled slowly, watching as panic spread among those who had entered recklessly.

"This is the culling," he muttered to himself. "The real trial hasn't even started yet."

The Azure Sky Sect hadn't created a trial to be passed—it had created a battlefield to weed out the weak.

The cultivators who had expected an easy trial were the first to suffer.

A group of rogue cultivators rushed toward a seemingly safe temple corridor, only for its entrance to collapse the moment they stepped inside. The dust cleared to reveal jagged Qi-infused spikes piercing through their bodies.

Elsewhere, a trio of noble-backed disciples, believing themselves superior, sneered at the struggling rogues and moved ahead without caution.

That arrogance lasted until a massive serpent lunged from the shadows, its fangs sinking into one of their throats before he could even scream.

The other two drew their blades, Qi flaring, but the beast moved with terrifying speed, its body twisting as it crushed one beneath its tail. The last disciple tried to flee—only for a waiting shadow to slice his legs out from under him.

Jin Ye observed, unimpressed.

These cultivators had trained in controlled environments, their confidence built on their family backing.

But none of that mattered here.

The Ruins of Taihua didn't care about bloodlines. It only respected the strong.

Jin Ye moved deeper into the ruins, his steps light, precise, each movement guided by instinct and calculation. Unlike others, he didn't simply walk forward—he read the terrain, his eyes scanning for minute shifts in energy, loose dirt, and hidden formations.

Then, the ground shook violently.

Crack!

The stone beneath his feet fractured, deep fissures splitting through the battlefield.

A moment later, an entire section of the ruins collapsed, dragging dozens of cultivators down with it. The screams were short-lived—many were swallowed by the shifting rubble, crushed instantly.

But for those who survived?

They found themselves trapped in an underground battleground, a massive chamber with crumbling stone bridges suspended over a bottomless pit.

Jin Ye landed smoothly on one of the tilting bridges, his balance perfect, even as it swayed beneath him. Others weren't so lucky—some landed on unstable platforms, which crumbled the moment they made contact.

A few cultivators barely had time to scream before they plummeted into the darkness below.

Jin Ye let out a small breath.

No bodies. No sound of impact.

Bottomless. Whatever's down there, it's not good.

A few rogue cultivators tried to make their way across the bridges, but Jin Ye already knew what was coming next.

Sure enough—they weren't alone down here.

From the shadows of the cavern, something moved.

Jin Ye's eyes flickered toward the source of the disturbance. A dozen glowing red eyes opened in the darkness.

Then came the growls.

The real fight was about to begin.

The red-eyed beasts surged from the shadows, their claws scraping against the ancient stone bridges. They were low-level spirit beasts, but the danger wasn't in their strength—it was in their numbers.

Jin Ye observed them calmly as they spread out, their hungry growls vibrating through the cavern. Other cultivators, still disoriented from the sudden collapse, weren't so composed. Some panicked, blindly activating their Qi techniques in an attempt to force the creatures back.

A mistake.

The moment they attacked, the beasts reacted twice as fast, moving in erratic patterns.

A rogue cultivator unleashed a Flame Arc Palm, his fiery Qi roaring toward the nearest beast. The attack connected—but instead of dying, the creature twisted unnaturally, dispersing the force along its sleek, sinewy body. It barely staggered before lunging forward, tearing into his throat with fangs dripping with Qi-absorbing venom.

Jin Ye didn't move. He had already seen it—these beasts weren't strong, but they were fast, adaptive, and resistant to reckless Qi outbursts.

Before anyone else could react, a figure dropped onto one of the nearby bridges with a loud impact, cracking the stone beneath his feet.

A flash of familiar crimson robes.

Shen Li grinned as he stood, dusting off his sleeves. "Tch. I barely get here, and you're already stuck in a mess?"

Jin Ye smirked. "Didn't think I'd see you struggling either."

Shen Li scoffed, his Qi flaring as his hands flexed open. "Struggling? Please. This is just a warm-up."

Before the beasts could react, Shen Li moved.

His footwork shifted as he activated Soaring Gale Steps, his body becoming a blur of movement. He vanished from one bridge and reappeared on another in the blink of an eye, his Iron Wave Palm smashing into the nearest beast's skull.

The creature let out a sickening crunch before its body was launched off the bridge, plummeting into the abyss below.

That was the difference between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement.

Jin Ye, still standing motionless, watched the remaining beasts carefully. They weren't reacting the same way as before. The moment Shen Li struck, the creatures hesitated—just for a fraction of a second.

He smirked. There it is.

The moment one of the beasts twitched, Jin Ye moved.

His Shadow Phantom Step activated, his body flickering into motion. He didn't move like Shen Li—he didn't rely on raw speed. Instead, he blurred between afterimages, his presence shifting unpredictably.

The beasts reacted to his illusions, swiping at nothing.

By the time they realized their mistake, Jin Ye had already struck.

His sword moved with Flowing Phantom Blade, slicing cleanly through their weak points—the thin, membranous tendons behind their legs, the soft points beneath their jaws.

He didn't kill in a single strike—he killed in a sequence of perfect ones.

The beasts never even got the chance to retaliate.

Shen Li let out a low whistle as Jin Ye landed on the next bridge, his sword flicking the blood from its blade. "Not bad. You're moving like you've already hit Foundation Establishment."

Jin Ye rolled his wrist, adjusting his grip. "Almost."

The last of the beasts let out a piercing shriek before fleeing back into the shadows, unwilling to throw their lives away any further.

Shen Li cracked his neck, sighing. "Well, that was fun. Shall we keep moving before this place collapses even more?"

Jin Ye nodded. The real test was still ahead.

The two moved quickly and efficiently, navigating the narrow bridges that led deeper into the ruins.

As they reached a wider platform, the area opened up into a large, broken plaza—one that was already occupied.

Other cultivators had made it through the collapse, though many bore injuries from the beasts or failed formation triggers. Some were tending to wounds, while others were already forming loose alliances.

Jin Ye barely needed a glance to tell who was worth remembering.

One group in particular stood out—a trio of noble cultivators dressed in matching robes, their insignias marking them as direct disciples of high-ranking families. Their presence was controlled, their stance prepared.

They weren't here to survive.

They were here to dominate.

Shen Li nudged Jin Ye with his elbow. "Think they're gonna be a problem?"

Jin Ye's smirk widened slightly. "Not for us. But definitely for everyone else."

Before either of them could say more, another familiar presence arrived.

"Well, well."

A voice smooth as silk drifted from the edge of the platform.

Bai Xueqing stepped into view, her violet robes immaculate despite the chaos. Her violet eyes swept over Jin Ye and Shen Li, her lips curling into a knowing smirk.

"I was wondering how long it would take before I ran into you two."

Shen Li raised an eyebrow. "Not even surprised to see us?"

Bai Xueqing chuckled. "Please. If either of you had died this early, I would've been severely disappointed."

Jin Ye crossed his arms. "I assume you didn't come here just to chat."

Bai Xueqing's smirk didn't fade. "No. I came here because we're heading to the same place."

Jin Ye and Shen Li exchanged a glance.

She tapped her fingers against her sleeve. "We all know how this trial works. The real test is deeper in the ruins. And judging by the fact that most of the reckless idiots have already died off, that means the only ones left are…"

She gestured to the nobles across the plaza, who were eyeing them just as carefully.

"…those who actually know how to fight."

Jin Ye exhaled lightly. She wasn't wrong.

The Azure Sky Sect trial was just beginning—but the battlefield was already shrinking.

For now, traveling together might be the best move.

He smirked. "Fine. But don't slow us down."

Bai Xueqing laughed softly. "I was just about to say the same thing to you."

Just as their group settled, a low vibration shook the plaza.

Everyone went silent.

Then—a deep, guttural growl.

The ground cracked apart, ancient runes lighting up as something massive stirred beneath the ruins.

A moment later, a monstrous Qi beast burst from the ground, its body covered in centuries of hardened scales, glowing with remnant spiritual energy. Its Qi marking it as a Foundation Establishment beast.

Its golden eyes locked onto the cultivators, its presence alone suffocating.

Jin Ye sighed, cracking his knuckles.

"Finally. Something interesting."