Chapter 35: Ripples Through the ruins

The Scarlet Fang Earth Drake lay motionless, its massive form sprawled across the ruins, its once-golden eyes now dull and lifeless. Its death was supposed to be the end of the battle.

Instead, it was just the beginning.

Jin Ye didn't miss the shift. The air itself felt heavier, charged with something ancient stirring beneath the surface. The moment his sword had delivered the final blow, he had felt it—a ripple through the ruins, a pulse of energy that didn't just fade.

It spread.

And now, the ruins were responding.

The ground hummed, a deep, rhythmic vibration that sent cracks crawling along the ancient stonework. Faint golden runes flickered to life, glowing across the plaza and beyond.

A moment later, a low, resonant chime rang through the sky, not from any physical bell, but from the air itself.

The trial had acknowledged the first great kill.

Jin Ye exhaled slowly, rolling his shoulders as the last remnants of the battle faded. Something was coming.

Shen Li, still catching his breath, let out a sharp laugh. "Oh great. We just killed a monster, and now the ruins wanna throw more at us?"

Bai Xueqing tapped a delicate finger against her lips, smirking. "You sound surprised. This place isn't going to reward us for surviving—it's going to push us harder."

She wasn't wrong.

Just beyond the battlefield, entire sections of the ruins began shifting. Stone walls peeled away as hidden doors slid open, revealing dark passageways leading deeper into the ruins. Some led downward into shadowed depths, while others revealed long-lost chambers, untouched for centuries.

The real trial was beginning.

And then—

A flash of golden light erupted

A sect elder's projection materialized in the sky, his face unreadable, his gaze sweeping over the gathered cultivators. His voice rang out, calm but firm.

"First Trial Phase Completed: Qualified Cultivators May Now Enter the Inner Ruins."

The words carried weight.

A moment later, a golden inscription appeared on the chests of a select few.

Jin Ye barely had time to glance down before he saw it—a faint, pulsing sigil etched into his robe, marking him as one of those chosen.

Shen Li stretched his arms, glancing at his own glowing mark. "Hah. No surprise here."

Bai Xueqing inspected hers with mild amusement. "Well, I would've been offended if they overlooked me."

Jin Ye noticed the immediate reactions from the crowd.

Some cultivators who had barely survived the battle looked down at their chests with disbelief—only to find… nothing.

No mark. No selection.

For them, the trial was over.

And the realization hit hard.

The strongest had been chosen. The rest were being left behind.

Bai Xueqing turned to Jin Ye, tapping at the mark glowing on his chest.

"So? Did you expect anything less?"

Jin Ye smirked, brushing off the light. "Would've been annoyed if they tried to ignore me."

Her violet eyes flickered with interest. "You're quite the dark horse, aren't you? Rising this fast, outshining some of the so-called elites."

Jin Ye said nothing.

He could tell she was watching him closely now, analyzing him in a way she hadn't before.

Shen Li, ever the blunt one, grinned. "She's trying to figure you out, you know."

Bai Xueqing's smirk didn't falter. "Of course I am. Someone like him doesn't just appear out of nowhere."

She folded her arms, tilting her head. "A hidden sect inheritance? A master in the shadows? Or maybe…" She smiled knowingly. "You're just a monster in human skin."

Jin Ye met her gaze, his silver eyes cold yet amused.

"Does it matter?"

Bai Xueqing chuckled softly. "No. I like mysteries."

Shen Li let out a dramatic sigh. "Flirting already? Can we at least get through this trial first?"

Bai rolled her eyes. "Please. If I wanted to seduce him, he'd already be mine."

Jin Ye smirked. "Confident, aren't you?"

Bai's eyes gleamed. "I have every reason to be."

Shen Li groaned. "Alright, alright. Before this gets too weird, can we focus? We're about to step into a deeper death trap, and I'd rather not have you two distracted."

Bai chuckled but didn't argue. The mood had shifted.

This wasn't just about moving to the next phase anymore. Eyes were on them. The strongest clans, the jealous contenders, the ones who felt like they had lost their chance.

Jin Ye could feel it.

The weight of rising too fast.

He exhaled, gripping his sword hilt lightly.

It didn't matter. He wasn't here to be liked.

He was here to join Azure Sky Sect and begin his ascent once again.

And this trial wasn't over yet.

The moment the golden sect markings settled onto Jin Ye, Bai Xueqing, and Shen Li, the tension in the ruins shifted.

The ones who hadn't been chosen looked around in desperation, frustration, or disbelief. Some tried activating their Qi, as if forcing more energy into themselves would suddenly change the outcome.

It didn't.

The selection had already been made.

And Jin Ye had been marked.

The ripple effect was immediate.

Groups that had previously ignored him now took notice. Whispers spread among the survivors.

"That rogue cultivator got chosen?"

"Did you see the way he moved during the fight? He wasn't just keeping up—he was leading the attack."

"Zhao Tian didn't even get picked, but that guy did? That means he's above a Zhao Clan heir?"

Jin Ye let out a slow breath as the weight of attention settled on him. He could feel their stares. The scrutiny. The resentment.

It didn't bother him.

But it did amuse him.

Shen Li nudged him, grinning. "Looks like you just became public enemy number one."

Jin Ye smirked. "Took them long enough."

Bai Xueqing, standing beside them, watched the nobles carefully. The Zhao Clan disciples stood stiffly, their faces cold, their hands clenched. Some of them had bloodied robes, proof that they had fought—but not hard enough.

They had expected their names to be guaranteed. And yet, the sect hadn't chosen them.

Instead, it had chosen a rogue cultivator.

Bai Xueqing smiled faintly, her voice like silk. "Some people don't take failure well."

Jin Ye followed her gaze. Zhao Tian stood among his clan, his eyes locked onto Jin Ye with quiet fury.

He didn't speak, didn't challenge him outright. But his Qi was unsettled, sharp.

Jin Ye didn't need words to know what it meant.

You were never supposed to be above me.

Jin Ye tilted his head slightly, not with arrogance, but with mild curiosity.

If Zhao Tian was going to make a move, he might as well hurry up.

As the crowd shifted toward the newly revealed pathways into the Inner Ruins, Jin Ye took a moment to step away, finding a quiet spot near the crumbling temple walls.

He sat, legs crossed, fingers resting loosely on his knees.

Bai Xueqing watched him curiously. "And here I thought you'd be eager to move on."

Jin Ye closed his eyes. "No point in rushing."

Shen Li leaned against a broken pillar, arms crossed. "Thats true, plenty of people reached the ruins before us. But look at them now."

Jin Ye didn't answer.

He could feel it—the remnants of battle still lingering in his body.

The Scarlet Fang Earth Drake's dying essence had left an imprint, something he could refine. It wasn't just Qi—it was tempering his body.

His breathing slowed as he let it settle into his meridians.

The changes were subtle at first.

His control over Shadow Phantom Step grew sharper, his ability to flicker between positions even more refined. His spiritual awareness expanded, letting him feel the ebb and flow of Qi around him with greater clarity.

Then—

A flicker.

For a brief second, Jin Ye felt something else.

A presence.

Not from the cultivators around him.

Not from Bai or Shen Li.

From deeper within the ruins.

It wasn't alive, not in the way a beast or person was. But it was watching.

And then, as quickly as it appeared, it was gone.

Jin Ye opened his eyes, exhaling.

Shen Li raised an eyebrow. "Good nap?"

Jin Ye cracked his neck. "Something's waiting for us in there."

Bai Xueqing's eyes gleamed with interest. "Oh? Did you see something?"

Jin Ye rolled his shoulders. "Felt it."

Bai's lips curled slightly. "I hope it's something exciting."

Shen Li chuckled. "You two are freaks."

Jin Ye smirked. "Takes one to know one."

A sudden shift in pressure signaled the next step in the trial.

The ancient stone doors leading deeper into the ruins groaned, the once-dormant engravings flaring to life as the Qi seals unraveled.

A sect elder's voice resonated through the ruins, though no figure appeared.

"From this point forward, death is no longer discouraged."

The words sent a cold ripple through the cultivators.

"Those who enter the Inner Sanctum do so at their own risk. The Azure Sky Sect rewards the strong—but only the strong. Proceed, or turn back. The choice is yours."

Silence.

Then, without hesitation, Jin Ye stepped forward.

Bai Xueqing followed, her violet robes flowing behind her. Shen Li walked beside them, stretching his arms.

Behind them, the crowd hesitated. Some glanced at each other, unsure. A few turned away, unwilling to risk death.

The gates rumbled as Jin Ye and his group passed through.

And the moment they crossed the threshold—

The entrance sealed shut behind them.

There was no turning back now.