Chapter 34 — The Five Peaks

"The Five Peaks Younger Generation Assessment begins."

Gu Tianhe's voice rolled across the central arena.

Hundreds of disciples fell silent.

Five banners moved beneath the morning wind.

Heavenly Sword.

Jade Lotus.

Vermilion Flame.

Black Tortoise.

Cloudveil.

Shen Yuan looked at the last one.

It had been six years since Cloudveil had properly participated.

Six peaceful years.

Then he accepted three disciples.

Now there were registration forms.

Life had consequences.

Gu Tianhe continued.

"The assessment is not merely a competition."

"Your cultivation realm matters. Your foundation matters. So do control, judgment, technique, and your ability to apply what you've learned."

Several elders stood around the enormous circular arena.

Behind them were stone platforms, formation pillars, training constructs, and a thirty-foot jade stele covered in spiritual inscriptions.

"Your results will help determine mission eligibility, resource allocation, future training opportunities, and which disciples may represent Azure Origin Sect in upcoming gatherings of the Eastern Domain."

That drew considerably more attention.

Quiet conversations spread through the younger disciples.

Shen Yuan glanced at his three.

Lin listened calmly.

Jian's attention shifted toward the sword cultivators gathered beneath Heavenly Sword Peak's banner.

Lu looked interested in everything.

"What kind of gatherings?" he asked quietly.

"Later," Shen Yuan said.

Lu nodded.

Gu Tianhe raised his hand.

The arena became quiet again.

"Today will begin with cultivation and foundation assessment, followed by practical control trials. Combat assessment begins tomorrow."

Shen Yuan approved.

Fighting after paperwork.

Very sect-like.

The Five Peaks separated into their designated areas.

Cloudveil's section was small.

Three disciples.

One Peak Master.

One steward.

Plenty of empty seats.

Heavenly Sword Peak occupied nearly an entire side of the arena.

Qin Feng stood near the front with Zhao Tianming.

Shen Yuan's attention briefly settled on Zhao.

Foundation Establishment.

First Stage.

The young man had only recently broken through, but his aura was already settling.

Qin Feng was speaking to him quietly.

"Don't become obsessed with proving that you've reached Foundation Establishment. You've only just crossed the threshold. Today is about seeing where the foundation still needs work."

Zhao nodded.

"I understand, Master. I won't force anything for the sake of a ranking."

Qin Feng smiled.

"Good. Remember that tomorrow when someone insults your swordsmanship."

Zhao laughed.

"I'll try."

Shen Yuan looked at Lu.

Lu was staring at one of the formation pillars.

"Don't touch that."

"I wasn't going to."

"You were leaning toward it."

"I wanted to read it."

"From there."

Lu straightened.

Qin Feng happened to glance over.

Their eyes met.

He looked at Shen.

Then at Lu.

Then back at Shen.

Shen Yuan nodded once.

Qin Feng somehow seemed to understand.

The other Peaks were beginning to gather as well.

Jade Lotus Peak wore pale green and white.

Mu Qinglan stood among them, speaking with several disciples.

One young woman separated from the group after noticing Cloudveil.

She appeared around Lin's age.

Her cultivation was Qi Refining Eighth Stage.

Several small formation discs hung from her belt.

She approached with an easy smile.

"Lin Yue?"

Lin nodded.

"I'm Liu Meiying, from Jade Lotus Peak."

"Lin Yue."

"I know."

Lin paused.

Liu laughed lightly.

"Sorry. I've heard so many stories about Cloudveil lately that I wanted to meet at least one of you before deciding which ones are nonsense."

"Most."

"That's reassuring."

Liu glanced toward Lu.

A faint line of soot remained near his sleeve despite Chen An's efforts.

"Most?"

Lin followed her gaze.

"Some are accurate."

Lu heard that.

"Which ones?"

Lin looked away.

Liu smiled.

"I think I'll figure that out myself."

She returned to Jade Lotus shortly afterward.

Lin watched her go.

Shen Yuan noticed the slight uncertainty in her expression.

Not discomfort.

Just unfamiliarity.

For all the impossible things Lin had encountered since joining Cloudveil, ordinary interaction with disciples her own age had become surprisingly rare.

That probably needed fixing too.

Vermilion Flame Peak was considerably louder.

A young man with red-trimmed robes stood near the front, arguing with another disciple.

"Every year the control assessment favors sword cultivators."

His companion sighed.

"You said that last year."

"Because it was true last year."

"You set three targets on fire."

"They were targets."

"The objective was precision."

"The fire was precise."

"It spread to the examiner's table."

The young man folded his arms.

"Poor placement."

Shen Yuan inspected him.

[Tang Rui]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining — Ninth Stage]

[High-grade Fire Spiritual Root]

[Specialization: Flame Arts / Alchemy]

Promising.

Not Cloudveil-level absurd.

But promising.

Black Tortoise Peak stood almost opposite them.

Their disciples looked broader and more physically developed.

At the front stood a large young man with a calm expression.

[Han Bo]

[Cultivation: Qi Refining — Ninth Stage]

[Specialization: Body Tempering / Defensive Arts]

Han Bo was currently looking at Lu.

Lu noticed.

They stared at each other.

Han Bo smiled.

Lu smiled back.

Shen Yuan had a bad feeling.

There were also guests.

A smaller viewing platform had been prepared beside the elders' section.

Most of its occupants were representatives from nearby sects who happened to be visiting Azure Origin or had been invited to observe.

Two figures drew Jian's attention immediately.

Duan Zheng.

And beside him—

Ye Feng.

They belonged to the Profound Sword Sect, not Azure Origin.

Duan's condition had improved considerably since Shen Yuan had helped rescue and heal him, though his aura had not completely returned to its former stability.

Ye Feng stood beside his master.

They had already met Jian again during that incident.

But circumstances then had hardly allowed for an ordinary conversation.

There had been too many unanswered questions.

Too much danger.

Too much surrounding Duan Zheng's disappearance and the Profound Sword Sect.

Today was different.

Ye noticed Jian looking.

He raised one hand.

Jian nodded.

A few moments later, while the elders prepared the assessment formation, Ye walked over.

"You look different again."

Jian considered that.

"So do you."

Ye glanced down at himself.

"I don't think I've changed that much since we last met."

"You have."

Ye smiled.

"I'll take your word for it."

His gaze moved toward Jian's chest.

He already knew Jian could cultivate again.

He had seen enough during their previous reunion to understand that.

What he didn't understand was how.

Jian's aura no longer moved like the sword cultivator Ye had once known.

"You've gotten stronger."

"Yes."

"Still not going to explain what you're cultivating?"

Jian looked toward the enormous jade stele.

"They'll ask."

Ye followed his gaze.

"Convenient."

Jian nodded.

Ye laughed.

There it was.

The Jian Wuchen he remembered.

Not unchanged.

Not restored.

But still Jian.

Ye's expression softened slightly.

This content has been misappropriated from NovelPhoenix; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

"The last time we met, everything was a mess. Master had barely recovered, and none of us knew what would happen next."

Jian glanced toward Duan Zheng.

"How is he?"

"Better. Not fully recovered, but better than he was."

"Good."

Ye nodded.

"We're only here as guests today. Master had business with Sect Master Gu, and when he heard the Five Peaks Assessment was happening, he decided we should stay and watch."

His smile returned.

"I didn't object."

"You wanted to watch."

"I wanted to see what Cloudveil has been doing to you."

Jian's eyes narrowed slightly.

Ye corrected himself.

"What Peak Master Shen has been teaching you."

"Better."

Ye laughed again.

"After the assessment, we should spar."

Jian answered immediately.

"Yes."

Ye blinked.

"That was easier than expected."

"You asked."

"Fair enough."

Someone called Ye from the guest platform.

He stepped backward.

"I'll hold you to it."

Jian nodded.

"I know."

Ye returned to his master's side.

Lu appeared beside Jian.

"Friend?"

"Yes."

"Rival?"

"Yes."

"You're going to fight him?"

"Later."

Lu grinned.

"Good."

Jian looked at him.

"Why?"

"I want to watch."

Reasonable.

The cultivation assessment began an hour later.

The jade stele at the center of the arena was called the Five Spirits Foundation Stele.

It wasn't especially ancient.

It wasn't secretly connected to a dead Immortal.

It contained no severed authority.

Shen Yuan checked.

Twice.

It was simply a good Mortal Realm artifact.

Refreshing.

The first disciples stepped forward.

Body Tempering Seventh Stage.

Body Tempering Ninth.

Qi Refining Third.

Qi Refining Sixth.

Qi Refining Seventh.

Each placed a palm against the stele.

The formation measured cultivation, spiritual Qi density, circulation stability, and foundation quality.

Most results were ordinary.

Some were impressive.

A Jade Lotus disciple at Qi Refining Seventh Stage produced exceptional spiritual control.

A Black Tortoise disciple at Qi Refining Eighth showed unusually strong physical foundations.

Tang Rui stepped forward when Vermilion Flame was called.

The stele glowed red.

[Qi Refining — Ninth Stage]

[Spiritual Qi Purity: Excellent]

[Foundation Stability: Excellent]

[Fire Affinity: Superior]

Vermilion Flame disciples cheered.

Tang Rui stepped away looking satisfied.

His companion called from behind him.

"Try not to burn the next test."

Tang Rui ignored him.

Liu Meiying followed later.

[Qi Refining — Eighth Stage]

[Spiritual Qi Purity: Excellent]

[Foundation Stability: Superior]

[Spiritual Control: Exceptional]

Mu Qinglan nodded approvingly.

Then Heavenly Sword Peak was called.

Zhao Tianming stepped forward.

The atmosphere changed slightly.

Foundation Establishment was not unheard of among Azure Origin's younger generation.

But it mattered.

Zhao placed his hand against the stele.

The inscriptions lit one after another.

[Foundation Establishment — First Stage]

[Foundation Stability: Excellent]

[Spiritual Qi Purity: Superior]

[Sword Qi Integration: Excellent]

Several elders nodded.

Grand Elder Mo Qingfeng leaned forward.

"Good foundation."

Qin Feng smiled.

"He spent long enough preparing it."

"Better than spending longer repairing a bad one."

Zhao bowed toward the elders and stepped away.

Shen Yuan watched him return to Heavenly Sword.

There was nothing absurd about Zhao's cultivation.

No Immortal physique.

No impossible scripture.

No hidden ancient authority.

Just talent, proper instruction, resources, discipline and years of work.

And the result was good.

Genuinely good.

Shen Yuan made a mental note.

His disciples needed to see more people like that.

"Cloudveil Peak."

The arena became noticeably quieter.

Lin went first.

She walked to the stele.

Several disciples whispered.

Shen Yuan heard fragments.

Damaged root.

Body Tempering.

Nine-Yin.

Beat Zhao.

Qi Refining Fifth.

Rumors multiplied faster than cultivators.

Lin placed her palm against the jade.

The formation activated.

[Qi Refining — Fifth Stage]

No surprise there.

Then:

[Foundation Stability: Perfect]

The examiner raised an eyebrow.

Another inscription lit.

[Spiritual Qi Purity: —]

The stele paused.

Frost spread slowly across its surface.

Not violently.

A thin white layer covered the upper inscriptions.

The formation elder immediately adjusted the array.

Three symbols dimmed.

The frost stopped.

He studied the readings.

Then calmly recorded the result.

"Qi Refining Fifth Stage. Foundation stability is exceptional. Yin Qi purity exceeds the upper range this instrument was designed to distinguish."

Whispers spread.

The elder continued writing.

"No instability detected."

That mattered more.

Lin removed her hand.

The frost remained for several breaths before fading.

Liu Meiying stared at the stele.

Then at Lin.

Lin returned to Cloudveil.

Lu leaned toward her.

"Did you break it?"

"No."

The examiner heard him.

"She did not."

Lu nodded.

"Good."

The elder looked suspiciously relieved.

"Jian Wuchen."

The arena quieted again.

Different whispers this time.

Former genius.

Destroyed meridians.

Profound Sword Sect connections.

Sword Tomb.

Crippled.

Recovered.

Maybe.

Jian stepped forward.

On the guest platform, Ye Feng leaned slightly forward.

Duan Zheng's attention sharpened as well.

Jian placed his palm against the stele.

Nothing happened.

A few disciples murmured.

Then the stele searched deeper.

The formation looked for a dantian.

Failed.

Conventional meridians.

Failed.

Standard Qi cycle.

Failed.

The examiner frowned.

Jian remained still.

Then—

Thump.

His Sword Heart beat.

The stele flashed.

Sword Qi entered the First Sword Meridian.

Returned.

Second.

Returned.

Third.

Returned.

Fourth.

Returned.

The Ninefold Heaven-Severing Sword Scripture completed one cycle.

The entire stele lit silver.

[Cultivation Structure: Unrecognized Sword Path]

[Primary Cultivation Core: Sword Heart]

[Active Spiritual Channels: Four]

[Energy Equivalent: Foundation Establishment]

[Foundation Stability: Excellent]

[Sword Intent Density: Extreme]

The examiner stepped closer.

"Circulate once more."

Jian did.

Sword Heart.

Four Sword Meridians.

Return.

The elder watched carefully.

His confusion gradually became understanding.

"Your original meridians were not repaired."

"No."

"You constructed an alternative cultivation network around the Sword Heart."

"Yes."

From the guest platform, Ye Feng's expression changed.

He had already known Jian's path was different.

He had already seen Jian cultivate and fight after their reunion.

But knowing something was different and seeing the structure laid bare were not the same thing.

Four entirely new spiritual channels.

A Sword Heart functioning as the center.

Sword Qi circulating through a system that hadn't existed when Jian's original meridians were destroyed.

Jian hadn't simply recovered.

He had rebuilt himself around the sword.

The examiner looked toward Shen Yuan.

"Peak Master Shen, what is the name of his cultivation method?"

"Ninefold Heaven-Severing Sword Scripture."

Several sword cultivators immediately looked over.

Qin Feng's expression sharpened.

Duan Zheng repeated the name quietly from the guest platform.

The elder recorded it.

"Special cultivation path. Foundation Establishment equivalent for assessment purposes."

Jian removed his hand.

The elder added:

"Equivalent does not mean identical."

"I know."

Jian returned to Cloudveil.

Ye Feng was still watching him.

This time when their eyes met, Ye gave a slow nod.

Jian returned it.

The spar they had just agreed to had become considerably more interesting.

"Lu Chen."

Lu walked forward.

The examiner picked up his registration slate.

Stopped.

Read it again.

His eyes moved toward Chen An.

"Cultivation realm: Pending Assessment?"

Chen An nodded.

"Correct."

The examiner looked at Lu.

Lu smiled politely.

The elder sighed.

"Place your hand on the stele."

Lu did.

The formation activated.

Then stopped.

Activated again.

Stopped.

A third attempt.

[Cultivation Realm: None Detected]

Murmurs spread through the arena.

Lu remained calm.

The formation changed modes.

Physical foundation.

The jade brightened.

[Physical Foundation: —]

Another pause.

[Body Tempering classification exceeded.]

[Qi Refining classification incompatible.]

[Spiritual Root detected.]

The formation attempted identification.

Gray light appeared inside the stele.

Several elders leaned forward.

The gray light refused every elemental symbol.

Fire remained dark.

Water.

Earth.

Wood.

Metal.

Yin.

Yang.

All failed.

Finally:

[Spiritual Root Classification: Unknown]

[Internal Spiritual Structure: Incomplete]

[Physical Output exceeds standard Qi Refining measurement range.]

[Manual Assessment Recommended.]

The examiner stared at the result.

Then at Lu.

Lu glanced toward Shen Yuan.

"Pending."

Chen An's expression did not change.

Somehow he looked vindicated anyway.

Black Tortoise Peak handled the manual assessment.

One of their elders activated a reinforced physical-testing formation.

A thick black stone pillar rose from the ground.

Formation lines covered its surface.

The elder looked at Lu.

"No spiritual energy."

"I don't really have usable spiritual energy yet."

"That simplifies things."

Lu liked him immediately.

"Strike the pillar as hard as you can using only your body."

Lu looked toward Shen Yuan.

Shen nodded.

Lu planted his feet.

Twisted.

Punched.

BOOM.

The pillar shook.

Formation lines flashed upward.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.

Six.

They stopped just below the Foundation Establishment marker.

The Black Tortoise elder raised his eyebrows.

Han Bo leaned forward.

The elder checked the formation.

"Again."

Lu punched.

Same result.

The elder nodded.

"Your raw physical output is beyond normal Qi Refining standards and approaching what we expect from early Foundation Establishment cultivators."

Lu smiled.

Then the elder continued.

"That does not make you a Foundation Establishment cultivator."

Lu's expression became attentive.

"You lack a complete internal circulation system. You cannot reinforce your body with stable spiritual energy, sustain equivalent output through technique, or recover the way a Foundation Establishment cultivator can."

He tapped the pillar.

"Strength is one part of a cultivation realm. Not the entire realm."

Lu nodded slowly.

"So I'm strong in one part."

"Extremely."

"And unfinished everywhere else."

The elder smiled faintly.

"I would have said incomplete."

"That sounds better."

Han Bo laughed from the Black Tortoise section.

Lu looked over.

Han Bo raised one fist in greeting.

Lu returned it.

Shen Yuan saw the problem developing.

At least this one looked healthy.

By midday, the first assessment ended.

Shen Yuan reviewed what he'd seen.

The system could tell him more about his disciples than the Five Spirits Foundation Stele ever could.

Bloodlines.

Physiques.

Compatibility.

Hidden structures.

Potential.

But the stele had answered something the system rarely emphasized.

Where did they stand here?

Now.

Among their generation.

Lin's realm was still lower than the strongest younger disciples.

Her quality was absurd, but Qi Refining Fifth Stage remained Qi Refining Fifth Stage.

Jian possessed combat power around Foundation Establishment, but his cultivation structure still had five Sword Meridians left to build.

Lu could punch like a monster.

He could not yet cultivate through an entire night's sleep.

Different strengths.

Different weaknesses.

Good.

That was much more useful than simply knowing all three had terrifying potential.

The practical control assessment began after midday.

The arena transformed.

Formation pillars rose.

Floating targets appeared.

Barriers shifted through several routes.

The objective was simple:

cross the field.

Strike designated targets.

Avoid forbidden ones.

Use no more power than necessary.

Points rewarded accuracy, control, efficiency and judgment.

Tang Rui looked personally offended by the last requirement.

His companion patted his shoulder.

"Remember the examiner's table."

"That happened once."

"Twice."

"The second time was wind."

Liu Meiying performed beautifully.

She entered the formation at Qi Refining Eighth Stage and barely attacked anything.

Instead, she watched.

Three breaths.

Five.

Then she moved.

She stepped exactly where two moving barriers separated.

Tapped one formation node.

Redirected a floating target.

Used its movement to block another.

Then crossed half the field without wasting a single technique.

Her final score placed her near the top.

Lin watched carefully.

"She's good," Lu said.

"Very."

Mu Qinglan looked pleased.

Not surprised.

Tang Rui entered later.

Fire erupted.

Controlled fire.

Mostly.

He burned through the correct targets, curved one flame around a forbidden marker, then nearly scorched an examiner's sleeve.

The examiner looked at him.

Tang Rui immediately extinguished it.

"Wind."

His companion covered his face.

His score was still high.

Zhao Tianming used his sword.

Precise.

Efficient.

Foundation Establishment gave him more power than most of the field, but he deliberately reduced every strike.

No wasted Sword Qi.

No unnecessary destruction.

Qin Feng nodded.

Shen Yuan did too.

Zhao had listened.

Lin's turn came next.

She entered the formation.

The first barrier moved.

She stepped around it.

Second.

Moonfrost remained sheathed.

A target appeared.

Lin raised two fingers.

A thin crescent of Lunar Qi struck its center.

Perfect.

Another target.

Another.

Then the field changed.

Five false targets appeared around one real one.

Lin slowed.

Liu Meiying had solved this section by reading the formation.

Lin couldn't.

Not as quickly.

So she used something else.

Her Lunar Qi advanced.

Receded.

Returned.

For a brief moment, frost touched all six targets.

Five reacted to the formation.

One did not.

Lin struck the sixth.

Correct.

She finished with an excellent score.

Not the highest.

Liu remained above her.

Lin looked at the board.

Then toward Liu.

Liu smiled.

Lin nodded.

No frustration.

Just information.

Something to improve.

Shen Yuan approved.

Jian entered.

His problem appeared immediately.

Precision was easy.

Control was not.

Not because Jian lacked control.

Because the Ninefold Heaven-Severing Sword Scripture had been built around a very specific idea.

Cutting.

The first target split perfectly.

The second too.

The third—

also the support behind it.

The examiner deducted points.

Jian frowned.

Next target.

He reduced his Sword Qi.

Perfect center.

No collateral damage.

Then the formation forced him to change direction.

Fourth Sword Meridian.

Sword Qi redirected.

Target struck.

Another.

Return.

Another.

Return.

Jian's score climbed.

He finished high.

Below Zhao.

Above most Qi Refining disciples.

Jian studied the score.

Lu leaned over.

"You lost points for cutting too much."

"Yes."

"That's impressive."

"It isn't."

"It is from here."

Jian ignored him.

Then Lu entered.

The examiner looked at him.

"No unstable spiritual techniques."

Lu nodded.

"Understood."

Shen Yuan added:

"No Chaos Qi."

"I understood the first time."

"Good."

Lu entered.

First barrier.

He jumped over it.

Second.

He slid underneath.

Third.

A physical target appeared.

Lu punched it.

The target flew out of the formation.

The examiner stared.

Lu looked back.

"Too much?"

"Considerably."

"Oh."

Next target.

Lu used less strength.

Better.

Then the formation changed.

Three spiritual gates appeared.

The first required Qi activation.

Lu stopped.

He touched it.

Nothing.

He tried physical force.

"Do not break the formation," the examiner said.

Lu withdrew his hand.

He looked around.

No alternate route.

No physical mechanism.

Nothing to punch.

That was unfortunate.

He raised his hand.

"Am I allowed to skip this one?"

"No."

Lu sighed.

His trial ended there.

The score was mediocre.

Several disciples whispered.

Lu walked back to Cloudveil.

He looked annoyed.

Shen Yuan waited.

"I could have broken it."

"Yes."

"Very easily."

"Probably."

"That doesn't count?"

"No."

Lu sighed again.

Then he looked toward Zhao Tianming.

Zhao was speaking with another Heavenly Sword disciple.

Spiritual Qi circulated through his body continuously.

Naturally.

He wasn't meditating.

Wasn't concentrating on his dantian.

Wasn't thinking about every meridian.

The circulation simply happened.

Lu looked toward Lin.

Same.

Her Nine-Yin Lunar Scripture moved faintly even while she watched the arena.

Jian too.

Sword Qi wasn't actively surging, but his Sword Heart maintained the beginning of a cycle without effort.

Lu became still.

His own Chaos circulation couldn't do that.

Every successful cycle required awareness.

I am the anchor.

If he stopped maintaining it—

the structure weakened.

Maybe the problem wasn't that he needed to concentrate harder.

Maybe—

A voice interrupted.

"That test was unfair to you."

Lu turned.

Han Bo stood nearby.

Lu shook his head.

"No."

Han Bo looked surprised.

"I can't open a spiritual gate."

"Not yet."

"Then the test found something I'm bad at."

Han Bo smiled.

"Fair enough."

Lu looked at him.

"You're Han Bo."

"You know me?"

"You've been staring at me."

Han Bo laughed.

"I heard you pushed Senior Brother Zhao backward using only physical strength."

"Once."

"I want to try."

Lu smiled.

"Good."

From several steps away, Shen Yuan heard the entire conversation.

Definitely a problem developing.

A healthy one.

Probably.

After the trials, Liu Meiying found Lin near the edge of the arena.

"You almost caught my score."

"Almost."

"Most people would sound more disappointed."

"I learned something."

Liu tilted her head.

"About formations?"

"That I don't understand them."

Liu laughed.

"That's a very efficient lesson."

Lin looked toward the formation field.

"How did you identify the false targets?"

"The spiritual flow around them wasn't identical. The formation was trying to hide the difference, but whoever designed the third node used a repeating seven-beat cycle."

Lin looked back at her.

"You saw that?"

"I study formations."

"Still."

Liu smiled.

"If you ever visit Jade Lotus Peak, I'll show you. It's easier once you know what to watch."

Lin hesitated only briefly.

"I'd like that."

"Good. And I want to see your Lunar Pool."

Lin considered.

"It's cold."

Liu waited.

Lin realized that was apparently not a complete invitation.

"You can visit."

"Much better."

They separated.

Shen Yuan pretended not to have been listening.

Near the end of the afternoon, Ye Feng found Jian again.

Duan Zheng was speaking with Gu Tianhe and one of Azure Origin's elders.

That left Ye free to wander.

He stopped beside Jian and looked toward the ranking board.

"Your control score is lower than I expected."

"I cut a support."

"I saw."

"It was behind the target."

"That doesn't make it part of the target."

"I know now."

Ye laughed.

For a few moments they watched the remaining disciples complete their trials.

Then Ye's attention returned to Jian.

"Four new meridians."

"Sword Meridians."

"Right."

Ye had questions.

Jian could see them.

This time, Ye chose only one.

"Does it hurt?"

Jian looked at him.

"Less than the old ones did at the end."

Ye's expression lost some of its humor.

He remembered those days too.

Jian continued before the silence settled too deeply.

"The Sword Heart supports them."

"And you still have five more to build?"

"Yes."

Ye exhaled.

"You really did start over."

Jian looked toward Clear Wind.

"No."

Ye waited.

Jian thought about the Tomb.

The Sword Heart.

The scripture.

The things he'd lost.

The things that remained.

"Started differently."

Ye considered that.

Then nodded.

"After the assessment."

Jian looked at him.

"Our spar."

"Yes."

Ye smiled.

"I want to see what 'differently' feels like from the other side of a sword."

Jian's hand rested on Clear Wind.

"You will."

That answer satisfied both of them.

At sunset, the jade ranking board changed.

Cultivation assessment complete.

Control assessment complete.

Tomorrow's combat brackets appeared.

Names filled the enormous board.

Disciples immediately crowded closer.

Excited voices spread across the arena.

Tang Rui complained about his opponent.

Liu Meiying was already studying possible matchups.

Han Bo looked pleased with his bracket.

Zhao Tianming remained calm.

Then Cloudveil's names appeared.

Lin Yue.

Her first opponent came from Vermilion Flame Peak.

Lin Yue — Wei Shan

Qi Refining Fifth Stage against Qi Refining Seventh.

Lu's name appeared farther down.

Lu Chen — Qiao Ren

Qi Refining Sixth Stage.

Han Bo was in the same section of the bracket.

If both advanced—

they could eventually meet.

Lu grinned.

Then Jian's pairing appeared.

Jian Wuchen — Chen Ziyu

Heavenly Sword Peak.

Qi Refining Ninth Stage.

A murmur moved through the Heavenly Sword disciples.

Chen Ziyu was not unknown.

He had spent nearly a year at Qi Refining Ninth Stage and was considered one of Heavenly Sword Peak's stronger disciples below Foundation Establishment.

His swordsmanship was steady.

Technically clean.

His cultivation foundation was excellent.

And unlike Ye Feng—

he had never fought Jian before.

Chen Ziyu looked across the arena.

Jian met his gaze.

The Heavenly Sword disciple gave a formal salute from a distance.

Jian returned it.

No hostility.

No ancient grudge.

No hidden corruption.

Just tomorrow's opponent.

Ye Feng appeared beside the guest railing.

He looked at Jian's matchup.

Then at Jian.

"Don't lose."

Jian raised an eyebrow.

Ye smiled.

"I want my turn."

Jian looked back at the board.

"I won't."

Lu leaned closer.

"Confident."

"Yes."

"That's all?"

Jian looked at him.

"Do you want a speech?"

Lu thought about it.

"No."

"Good."

Lin walked past them.

"He's excited."

Lu frowned.

"How can you tell?"

Lin considered.

"Long answer."

Lu stared after her.

Then toward Shen Yuan.

Shen was already walking away.

Lu sighed and followed.

Shen Yuan glanced back once at the arena.

Tomorrow—

Lin would fight someone two stages above her.

Lu would fight an actual Qi Refining cultivator under proper rules.

Jian would test his reconstructed Sword Foundation against one of Azure Origin's conventional sword cultivators.

Ye Feng would be watching.

So would Duan Zheng.

No Immortal Emperor was required.

No ancient seal needed repairing.

No relationship hidden across eight thousand years needed severing.

Just cultivation.

Competition.

Three disciples discovering where they stood in the Mortal Realm they had only begun to climb.

Shen Yuan found that considerably more interesting than he expected.

And probably healthier.