Chapter 21: Whispers Beneath the Sect

The air felt different.

Ever since Lin Feng's return from the Forbidden Wing, the atmosphere around him had shifted. Subtly. Like ripples beneath a still lake, unnoticed by most—but to someone as attuned to his surroundings as Lin Feng had become, it was unmistakable.

Eyes lingered longer on him in the halls. Fellow disciples paused mid-step, some feigning casual interest, others whispering in hushed tones.

He couldn't tell if they knew what he'd done.

Or if it was the system's growing power seeping from his core.

[System Update: Soul Resonance Stabilized – Suppressing excess spiritual fluctuations… 53% complete.]

Estimated time to full concealment: 11 days.

Eleven days. Eleven days until he stopped radiating a presence that attracted unwanted attention like a flame did moths.

Until then, he would need to be cautious.

Especially with what was coming next.

The Outer Sects' Summit Trials – 7 Days Remaining

Despite his rapid rise, Lin Feng was still officially an Inner Sect initiate. That meant he was required to participate in the upcoming Summit Trials, a traditional event where rising stars from all four divisions of the sect competed for prestige, resources—and sometimes, secret inheritance opportunities.

In years past, the Summit had been little more than a formality. A platform for established geniuses to flaunt their progress and for the rest to quietly admire from below.

But this year…

This year, everything was different.

Whispers in the Dark

In a quiet forest clearing on the edge of sect grounds, a masked figure kneeled before a glowing formation.

A second voice spoke from within the formation—a distorted, bone-deep whisper.

"So. He accessed it."

"Yes, master."

"And the fragment responded?"

"Yes. The Astral Legacy has recognized him."

A long silence.

"Then the prophecy unfolds. The inheritor walks among them. He must be monitored… tested. If he survives, he may be worthy of assimilation."

"And if he resists?"

"Then he will be unmade."

The formation flickered and died.

Sect Grounds – Training Arena Nine

Lin Feng stood shirtless beneath a waterfall, the roaring cascade slamming down upon him with crushing force. Qi flowed in swirling patterns around his body, reinforced by the system's stabilizing array.

His muscles tensed as he cycled his cultivation method again and again.

[Cultivation Session Complete – Qi Condensation (Peak Stage): 99%]

Breakthrough Available – Foundation Establishment Accessible.]

But he didn't move to break through.

Not yet.

He understood now that each realm, while merely a stage to many, was a foundation to him.

The System allowed him to rush forward, yes—but every step taken recklessly was a risk. The knowledge he had obtained from the Astral Sovereignty tome taught him this: true power lay not just in advancement, but in depth.

And so, he trained.

He meditated.

He forged his body beneath waterfalls, fought phantom opponents generated by the system's combat simulator, and reviewed every combat art he had acquired.

[New Technique Mastery Achieved – Blazing Steps (Tier 2 Movement Art): 100%]

[Passive Skill Unlocked – Spatial Echo: Afterimages created from movement may disorient opponents.]

[Stat Boost: Agility +12 | Perception +4]

That Evening – Quiet Confrontation

As Lin Feng returned from his training, he felt it: a presence shadowing him through the winding stone paths of the sect.

When he turned a corner toward the empty bridge over the spirit lake, the presence followed.

He stopped at the center of the bridge.

"You've followed me for two hours. Might as well come out."

From the shadows stepped a girl—no older than him, with sharp, fox-like eyes and a black whip coiled at her hip. Her robes marked her as a member of the Shadow Branch—an elusive subsect within the Azure Wind Sect, known for their silent techniques and assassins-in-training.

"You're sharper than they said," she mused, stepping forward.

Lin Feng didn't relax.

"Who sent you?"

"No one. I'm here on… curiosity. You broke into the Forbidden Wing. That's not something a disciple at Qi Condensation should be able to do. Or live through."

"I didn't break in," he replied evenly. "It opened."

She tilted her head.

"Mysterious. Dangerous."

"What do you want?"

"To see if you're worth watching," she said, her voice suddenly cold.

Then, without warning, she attacked.

The whip shot forward like a snake, wrapped in black mist.

[System Alert: Hostile Combat Detected – Initiating Countermeasure Assist?]

"No," Lin Feng murmured, eyes narrowing. "I need to handle this."

He stepped forward, vanishing from sight.

When the whip cracked across where he'd been, he was already behind her.

Blazing Steps – Spatial Echo.

Two afterimages burst outward as Lin Feng slammed his palm toward her midsection, forcing her to twist and leap backward.

The girl landed gracefully, whip recoiling to her side.

A grin tugged at her lips.

"Well then. You're interesting after all."

She flicked her wrist, and a small jade token flew toward him.

"Name's Xue Yiran. Shadow Branch. You'll want allies during the Summit. If you're smart, you'll call me."

Before he could reply, she vanished into the shadows.

Midnight – Lin Feng's Quarters

Lin Feng sat cross-legged, token in hand.

[Xue Yiran – Shadow Branch Initiate | Qi Condensation (Late Stage)]

Favorability: Neutral (Rising)

New Contact Saved.

He smirked.

"System, show me my current quests."

[Active Quests:]

Prepare for the Summit Trials (7 Days Remaining)

– Defeat at least 3 seeded Inner Sect opponents

– Impress senior elders

– Survive attempted sabotage Astral Keys – Legacy Hunt

– Seek first Astral Key (Clue: Summit Trials Prize Vault)

– Hidden mechanisms may react to your presence Unlock Foundation Realm – (Optional)

– Bonus Reward if achieved before Summit Trials

He exhaled slowly.

Everything was accelerating. Faster than he anticipated.

But Lin Feng no longer feared acceleration.

He embraced it.

He lived it.

Let the world come.

He would rise to meet it.