Chapter 36: Inner Sanctum

The doors behind them sealed with a thunderous boom, and the light of the outer ruins vanished in an instant.

Jin Ye's steps didn't falter. If anything, he welcomed the shift in atmosphere.

The Inner Sanctum of the Sunken Ruins was an entirely different world.

Gone were the half-broken courtyards and weathered statues. Here, the air was thick with ancient suppression, the very walls pulsing faintly with sealed formation energy. Stone floors bore glowing runes in unfamiliar patterns, and obsidian pillars rose like silent sentinels, humming with dormant intent.

Jin Ye let out a slow breath. The moment they stepped in, he could feel it—his body reacting, the remnants of the Scarlet Fang Earth Drake's essence settling deeper into his bones. His limbs felt solid. His skin subtly firmer.

Whatever this place threw at him next, he was ready.

"Doesn't look like we're getting rest here," Shen Li muttered, his eyes scanning the crisscrossing formation lines underfoot. "Place feels like it's waiting to kill us just for breathing."

Bai Xueqing smiled faintly. "If it wanted to kill us, it already would have." She tapped her fan against her palm. "This place is testing us. Every step."

Jin Ye didn't reply. He already saw it—an arena-like depression ahead, its boundary marked by shimmering runes etched into the stone. A floating orb of light pulsed above it, and with a single flicker, a message inscribed itself into the air:

"Only the chosen may pass. Defeat the guardian."

Shen Li raised a brow. "That's ominous."

The orb pulsed again, and the ground trembled. From the formation ring, a humanoid figure of condensed Qi began to form, wrapped in whirling wind and shadow.

Shen Li stepped forward without hesitation, rolling his shoulders as the formation circle sealed behind him with a low hum.

A moment later, the guardian began to coalesce—a tall, broad-shouldered warrior clad in etched bronze armor, wielding twin sabers etched with wind runes. The air around it shimmered as the construct flexed its arms, saber energy pulsing outward in razor-sharp arcs.

Shen Li exhaled sharply, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. "Alright. Let's see what you've got."

His Qi surged as he activated Iron Vein Circulation, his veins glowing faintly as spiritual energy flooded his limbs.

The construct moved first—blindingly fast.

Its twin sabers slashed out in a cross pattern, forming a net of silver light that cut toward Shen Li's throat and waist in a single synchronized attack.

He ducked under the first and raised his arm to block the second, Qi condensing into his forearm like an iron bracer.

Clang!

The impact sent a tremor down his spine.

"Tch. Heavy."

He retaliated, stepping in with a forceful Iron-Wave Palm, but the guardian shifted mid-step, redirecting its weight and parrying his strike with one saber while stabbing with the other.

Shen Li twisted, narrowly avoiding the stab as the blade sliced open part of his outer sleeve.

He backed off, resetting his stance.

"Okay. Not a pushover."

The guardian charged again, sabers dancing in a spinning flurry. Shen Li's feet dug into the formation lines, his Qi solidifying beneath his soles as he activated Steel Anchor Stance.

The next exchange was brutal—his palms clashing against blades, force for force. Sparks flew from every impact, the floor beneath them cracking from the sheer tension.

He finally spotted the opening—the guardian overcommitted on a sweeping arc.

Shen Li roared, both palms surging with Qi.

Double Iron-Wave Palm!

The twin strikes collided with the guardian's chest in a concussive blast. The first shattered its outer armor; the second punched through the core of its Qi matrix.

The construct let out a distorted screech before shattering into a thousand motes of light.

Shen Li staggered slightly, brushing dust from his arm as blood slowly welled from a shallow cut across his shoulder.

He grinned. "Now that's more like it."

Then he glanced at Jin Ye and Bai Xueqing. "Alright, your turn."

Bai Xueqing stepped into the formation ring with measured grace, the hem of her violet robes brushing the glowing runes beneath her feet.

As the formation sealed around her, the temperature shifted. The guardian began to form—not a beast or armored warrior, but a serpentine spirit woven from flame and gale, its body coiling mid-air like a living storm.

Its Qi fluctuated wildly—hot and unstable—perfectly designed to counter ice-based techniques.

Bai's eyes narrowed. "Oh? Testing my affinity directly?"

She flicked her wrist, her crystalline folding fan snapping open, a shimmer of cold blooming across its edge.

"Very well. Let's dance."

The elemental serpent struck first, shooting forward with a Flame Spiral Lunge, the wind around it sharpening its trajectory into a twisting projectile.

Bai raised her fan and stepped to the side—not retreating, but redirecting her footing into a graceful arc.

Frozen Orchid Bloom.

With a flick of her wrist, a flurry of glacial petals burst outward, intercepting the fiery lunge.

But the flames didn't snuff out.

The beast broke through the petals, its body spinning into a flaming corkscrew, catching Bai's sleeve with a scorching whip of wind. The silk singed, smoke curling from the edge.

Her eyes narrowed. "Persistent."

She twisted away, raising her fan overhead as she moved into her next stance.

Lotus Entombment.

A ring of ice surged up from the formation lines, trying to trap the elemental—but the spirit coiled upward, avoiding the seal. It retaliated with Inferno Cascade, a rain of fire shards hurtling toward her from all angles.

Bai's body shimmered with frost.

Winter Veil Technique.

A glacial shield unfolded around her just in time, the fiery barrage crashing against it in a wave of steam and pressure.

Her eyes flashed. "Enough."

She stepped forward, her Qi flaring with sharp, condensed intent. With a single sweeping motion of her fan—Crystal Bloom Severance—a lance of focused ice burst from beneath the guardian, piercing through the core of its flame.

The serpent writhed, shrieking as its form unraveled, its fiery body cracking apart under the spreading frost.

Moments later, it shattered completely.

Bai exhaled, tucking her fan closed with a quiet snap.

A thin sheen of frost coated her sleeves. A smirk played on her lips.

"So fragile once you cool their temper."

She stepped from the formation ring without another word.

Jin Ye nodded once. Shen Li just gave a low whistle.

Then came Jin Ye's turn.

He stepped into the circle, and immediately, the orb pulsed harder.

His opponent began to take form—a hunched beast of skeletal limbs and elongated claws, its joints glowing red, and its entire body radiating a single purpose: penetration.

Its claws were shaped like Qi spears, vibrating with Piercing Qi Threads, a rare type of offensive energy designed to break through reinforced defenses.

The kind of attack meant to tear through Qi armor, body tempering, and even artifact-enhanced robes.

The crowd murmured. Someone whispered, "He's just Qi Refinement. That thing will gut him in one strike."

But Jin Ye didn't draw his sword.

He stood still.

The guardian lunged. Its claws flashed toward his chest, brimming with Drilling Claw Technique—the air around them bending as they accelerated to pierce through layered defenses.

The claws struck.

And stopped.

A deep thunk echoed through the arena as the beast's claws scraped against Jin Ye's reforged war robe, the impact rippling through the fabric—but not tearing it.

Beneath the robe, his flesh didn't even bruise.

The crowd stilled.

Even the watching disciples from major clans went quiet.

The guardian reeled back, but Jin Ye moved first.

Shadow Phantom Step activated, his body flickering to the side. Before the construct could adjust, his sword drew from its sheath in a blur.

Flowing Phantom Blade.

The strike came not from where the sword moved, but from where the guardian wasn't looking. It carved through the creature's spine, unraveling its Qi core in a single pass.

The guardian collapsed into mist.

Jin Ye stepped out, not a scratch on him.

And suddenly, no one doubted his mark.

Some, even began to fear him.

No sooner had Jin Ye stepped off the platform than the silence was broken.

"Guess even rogues can get lucky," a voice rang out, edged with disdain.

Jin Ye's eyes lifted lazily as a group approached from the far side of the chamber. They moved like a tide—disciplined, aggressive, and fast.

Liu Clan.

Recognizable by their dark blue robes embroidered with twin lightning serpents, their disciples were well-known for one thing—speed and power combined into ruthless spear strikes.

At their head was Liu Yan a peak 9th grade Qi Refinement cultivator, he was lean and sharp-eyed with a long spear strapped across his back and a chip on his shoulder.

He stopped just short of Jin Ye, smirking. "Nice trick back there. Standing still and letting a beast slap you around? Clever if you like gambling with your life."

Shen Li raised an eyebrow. "That sounded like jealousy with extra words."

Liu Yan ignored him, eyes still locked on Jin Ye. "Let's see if you're just tough, or if you actually know how to fight."

Bai Xueqing sighed from the side, flicking her fan open. "You all really love measuring swords, don't you?"

Jin Ye didn't blink. "Alright."

Liu Yan's grin widened as he pulled his spear free, the weapon crackling with arcs of Internal Thunder Qi.

Without preamble, Liu Yan exploded forward.

His footwork activated Thunder Vein Surge, each step charging the spear with momentum and crackling energy.

Jin Ye remained still.

The spear flickered into view, thrusting forward with lethal precision.

Blazing Thunder Thrust.

The technique had made Liu Yan famous in regional tournaments—it was designed to pierce through reinforced Qi barriers and spirit armor in a single strike.

But Jin Ye didn't dodge.

The spear slammed into his chest—

and stopped cold.

A sharp shockwave pulsed from the impact, a flash of blue lightning dancing across his robe… but the fabric didn't tear.

No blood.

Liu Yan's eyes widened.

The crowd gasped.

Jin Ye didn't even flinch.

The war robe held firm, the Qi-reactive alloy woven into the fabric absorbing the kinetic burst, while the beast-enhanced physique underneath dulled the residual force completely.

Jin Ye took one slow step forward.

"My turn."

He flickered—Shadow Phantom Step engaging, his body phasing into an afterimage.

Liu Yan pivoted, reacting too late.

Flowing Phantom Blade.

Jin Ye's sword didn't strike with raw force—it flowed like water, slipping past the spear's extended shaft, gliding beneath the guard.

A shallow cut opened along Liu Yan's ribs, precise, controlled.

Liu Yan staggered back, barely keeping his footing.

Jin Ye didn't press further. He simply stepped away, sheathing his sword.

"All that talk and that's all you could do?"

Before the tension could escalate again, the ground beneath their feet trembled.

The runes lining the floor flared a deep violet, and a pulse of spiritual pressure swept through the chamber.

The formation monolith at the center activated, glowing as ancient script burned across its face.

"Trial Phase Two: Adaptation Initiated. From this point forward, cultivators must prove not only strength—but awareness, survival, and judgment."

The room darkened.

Hallways began to shift, twisting as if alive. Walls pulled apart. Doorways opened into spiraling corridors filled with fog and fragmented Qi.

A new voice echoed—not mechanical, but… amused. Almost sentient.

"Beyond this threshold, you will face not just beasts… but each other."

The Liu Clan disciples exchanged glances, some already taking positions behind Liu Yan.

Bai Xueqing's expression sharpened. "Wonderful. They're going to turn us on each other now."

Shen Li chuckled. "Finally. This was starting to feel too cooperative."

Jin Ye's fingers brushed the hilt of his sword again.

He wasn't worried.

If anything, this was the kind of battlefield he thrived in.

One where the rules started breaking.

And only the strong rewrote them.