Chapter 13: Elder Jian's Test

in the golden glow of the morning sun, still quiet save for the whisper of wind rustling through the bamboo groves. Lin Feng stood at the center, the energy from his recent breakthrough still crackling faintly around him like a fading storm. His breathing was steady, but each inhale pulled spiritual essence into his lungs with a newfound hunger, his body instinctively adapting to the shift in cultivation.

Then he felt it—an oppressive pressure rolling toward him like an avalanche.

He turned.

A tall figure approached, his dark violet robes marked by silver embroidery that shimmered with the glow of the sun. His long beard swayed slightly as he walked, and his eyes, sharp and discerning, held the gravity of a man who had seen centuries come and go.

Elder Jian.

Lin Feng immediately bowed, fist cupped to palm. "Disciple Lin Feng greets Elder Jian."

The elder's gaze swept over him, lingering for a moment on the faint motes of spiritual energy still dissipating from the platform. "You broke through to Qi Condensation Stage 3 just now."

It wasn't a question.

Lin Feng nodded, still bowed. "Yes, Elder."

The elder's brow furrowed ever so slightly. "Two days ago, you were barely at Stage One. And before that, the records said your meridians were severed."

The murmurs of disciples watching from afar began to stir again. Lin Feng could feel their eyes on him, some filled with awe, others with suspicion and resentment.

"I—I only recently began cultivating properly, Elder," Lin Feng said carefully. "Thanks to guidance from the sect, and fortune in the wilds."

Jian tilted his head slightly, studying him. "Fortune, indeed. Few cultivators gain such fortune without cost. Power always demands payment. Remember that."

Lin Feng swallowed and nodded again.

A long silence stretched between them. Jian's expression was unreadable, like a mountain hidden behind a veil of clouds.

Then he spoke again. "You will spar with me."

Lin Feng's heart stuttered in his chest. "P-pardon?"

"I will restrict my power to Qi Condensation Stage 3. If you can withstand three moves, I will personally recommend you for the Inner Disciple Trials."

Gasps echoed from the onlookers. Some disciples backed away instinctively, while others surged forward to watch. Elder Jian, one of the most respected figures in the sect—personally issuing a challenge? That was unheard of for an outer disciple.

Lin Feng's instincts screamed at him to refuse. But another voice, one he barely recognized as his own, rose up inside him.

This is your chance.

He looked up and met the elder's gaze. "I accept."

The training platform cleared instantly, giving the two figures space. The atmosphere was electric, charged with both anticipation and anxiety. Elder Jian raised one hand and summoned a shimmering jade talisman, pressing it against his chest.

A translucent seal appeared over his body, dimming his aura. The oppressive pressure from before vanished, leaving only the sharp presence of a cultivator at Lin Feng's own level—but far more honed, precise, and deadly.

Lin Feng took a deep breath and gripped his ironwood training spear.

"Ready yourself," Jian said simply.

Lin Feng's muscles tensed. He dropped into a defensive stance, the spear angled to cover his center, knees bent and eyes sharp.

The moment of silence that followed felt eternal.

Then Jian vanished.

[System Alert: Host is under attack. Activating danger sense.]

Everything slowed. Lin Feng felt the system guiding his perception, slowing time just enough to track a blur rushing toward his side.

He pivoted, barely managing to deflect a palm strike aimed at his ribs. The force of the blow sent him skidding backward, his heels dragging twin furrows through the dirt.

"One," Jian said, expression calm.

The watching disciples gasped.

Lin Feng coughed, the taste of blood rising in his throat. The elder's speed was terrifying. Even restrained, his movements were honed to perfection.

But Lin Feng wasn't the same boy from a week ago.

He shifted his stance again, this time lowering his body and tightening his grip on the spear. His mind focused, the system's overlay enhancing his internal map of the battlefield.

Jian struck again. This time, the elder moved diagonally, feinting with his right hand before spinning low with a sweeping leg.

Lin Feng reacted instinctively, invoking his new skill—Essence Pulse.

Spiritual energy burst from his core and traveled through his limbs, into the ground beneath him. The floor shuddered, and the vibrations disrupted the elder's footing for a split-second.

Enough time for Lin Feng to vault backward and evade the sweep.

"Two," Jian said, a glint of approval in his eye.

Lin Feng's chest heaved, sweat running down his back. His Qi was draining rapidly. The strain of matching an elder, even one suppressed to his level, was beginning to show.

But he had one more move to survive.

Elder Jian raised his hand.

This time, Lin Feng felt it before it happened—a compression of air, spiritual energy condensing into a single point.

A palm strike charged with dense Qi shot toward him like a cannonball.

He couldn't dodge it.

But he could redirect.

He thrust his spear into the ground beside him, channeling every ounce of Qi into a grounding technique the system had subtly suggested—an unorthodox method used by ancient cultivators to neutralize incoming force by absorbing it through a spiritual grounding channel.

The moment the elder's strike landed, Lin Feng roared. His body shook as the energy tried to tear through him—but the spear grounded it, acting as a lightning rod. The backlash still sent him flying, but he landed on his feet, staggering but upright.

The dust settled.

Jian lowered his hand.

"Three," he said.

Cheers erupted across the platform. Disciples who had looked down on Lin Feng now stared in stunned silence. A few looked furious. Others awed.

Lin Feng bowed deeply, every muscle aching. "Thank you for the lesson, Elder."

Elder Jian studied him for a long moment. "Your technique is crude. Your foundation is rushed. Your instincts are... unnatural. But you are talented. More than that, you are adaptive. That is rare."

He turned to the crowd.

"Let it be known: Lin Feng shall participate in the Inner Disciple Trials. If any disciple has objections, they may challenge him tomorrow at sunrise. The dueling platform will be open."

With that, he vanished, leaving behind stunned silence.

That evening, Lin Feng returned to his quarters, his body battered and spirit worn thin. He collapsed onto the mat, breathing deeply, letting the tension drain out of his limbs.

But the moment his eyes closed—

[System Alert: New Quest Unlocked]

"Trial of Ascension: Inner Disciple Selection"

Objective: Reach Qi Condensation Stage 4 within 72 hours. Survive the Trials. Place Top 10.

Bonus Objective: Defeat a Core Disciple (???)

Rewards: ???

Lin Feng let out a long breath.

The path ahead was already demanding more of him.

But now... he had momentum. He had purpose. And for the first time in his life—

He had hope.