Days later, news spread across the region.
Azure Cloud Sect was recruiting.
Unlike other sects, their requirement was simple.
Survive.
Fifteen participants stood within the arena.
At its center—
A chained beast.
A Flame Dragon Bird.
Its aura alone crushed the air.
"The test is simple," an elder said. "Endure its pressure. The last one standing… passes."
The chains loosened.
The beast opened its eyes.
And the world changed.
One by one, candidates collapsed.
Ten.
Eight.
Five.
Only three remained.
Li Hao… and two others.
Sweat dripped down his face.
His legs trembled.
Inside him, both souls reacted.
The ice blade resisted.
The lightning dragon… roared.
It did not submit.
It challenged.
The pressure intensified.
The other two fell.
Only Li Hao remained.
Standing.