The sun had already climbed high above the Azure Cloud Sect when the morning training session finally ended. Disciples slowly left the Central Training Hall, returning to their respective courtyards or heading toward cultivation chambers scattered throughout the mountains.
Yet even as the hall emptied, the whispers continued.
Lin Ye's name had spread faster than he expected.
"Blood Shadow…"
"The newcomer who rejected Black Fang…"
"He ranked third in the trial…"
Lin Ye walked down the stone path outside the hall, rubbing his temples.
"…I should've stayed in the outer sect."
Gu Chen walked beside him, completely unconvinced.
"You wouldn't last a week there anymore."
Lin Ye sighed.
"…Fair point."
Ahead of them, Zhao Tian stood near the edge of the courtyard, leaning casually against a stone pillar as if waiting.
Lin Ye raised an eyebrow.
"Following me now?"
Zhao Tian shrugged.
"Observing."
Lin Ye smirked.
"That sounds suspicious."
Zhao Tian ignored the comment and spoke calmly.
"Rejecting Wu Shan publicly will create problems."
Lin Ye crossed his arms.
"Yeah, everyone keeps saying that."
Gu Chen nodded.
"Because it's true."
Lin Ye glanced between them.
"…You two make a great motivational team."
Zhao Tian's tone remained calm.
"Black Fang doesn't like losing influence."
"And they definitely don't like being embarrassed."
Lin Ye shrugged.
"I didn't embarrass them."
Gu Chen looked at him.
"You laughed."
Lin Ye blinked.
"…Right."
That might have been a mistake.
Zhao Tian pushed himself away from the pillar.
"There's something else you should know."
Lin Ye sighed.
"Of course there is."
Zhao Tian's voice lowered slightly.
"The Inner Sect holds ranking matches."
Lin Ye tilted his head.
"…Ranking matches?"
Gu Chen answered this time.
"Every month."
"Disciples compete for positions on the Inner Sect Ranking Board."
Lin Ye's eyes lit up slightly.
"…That sounds interesting."
Zhao Tian nodded.
"Higher ranking means better resources."
"Better training grounds."
"And more influence."
Lin Ye rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"…So basically…"
"Fight stronger people."
"Get stronger rewards."
Gu Chen nodded once.
"Exactly."
Lin Ye grinned.
"Why didn't you start with that?"
Zhao Tian studied him for a moment.
"You're enjoying this too much."
Lin Ye shrugged.
"I like clear rules."
Zhao Tian's eyes sharpened slightly.
"The first ranking challenge begins in three days."
Lin Ye blinked.
"…That soon?"
Gu Chen nodded.
"The new disciples usually participate."
Lin Ye chuckled.
"…Perfect timing."
Because his blood was already itching for another fight.
Inside his mind, the system flickered faintly.
[Future Combat Event Detected]
Lin Ye smirked.
"…You like this place too."
But before anyone could say more—
A sudden surge of spiritual pressure spread across the courtyard.
All three of them turned instantly.
At the far end of the training grounds, a group of disciples had gathered around the arena again.
Shouting echoed faintly.
"Fight!"
"Don't hold back!"
Lin Ye raised an eyebrow.
"…Looks like someone's already started."
Zhao Tian's expression shifted slightly.
"That's not a normal sparring match."
The pressure continued to rise.
Even from a distance, it was obvious that the fight was intense.
Lin Ye stretched his shoulders.
"Let's take a look."
The three of them moved quickly through the courtyard toward the arena.
When they arrived—
They immediately saw the problem.
Two inner disciples were fighting violently in the center of the arena. Their attacks were far beyond normal sparring intensity, each strike carrying enough force to crack the stone floor beneath them.
One of them was clearly struggling.
The other—
Was overwhelming him.
The stronger disciple slammed his opponent to the ground with a brutal punch, sending dust exploding across the arena.
Several disciples watching nearby looked uneasy.
"He's going too far…"
"That's not a spar anymore…"
Lin Ye frowned slightly.
"…Who is that?"
Gu Chen answered quietly.
"Liu Feng."
Zhao Tian added,
"Black Fang."
Lin Ye sighed.
"…Of course."
Liu Feng stood over the fallen disciple, his aura flaring with arrogant confidence.
"Too weak."
He kicked the injured disciple aside like discarded trash.
"Next."
The watching disciples hesitated.
No one stepped forward.
Liu Feng laughed mockingly.
"What?"
"No one else wants to try?"
His gaze swept across the crowd.
Then—
It stopped.
On Lin Ye.
A slow smile spread across Liu Feng's face.
"Well…"
"…Look who decided to show up."
The crowd shifted nervously.
Everyone knew the tension between Lin Ye and Black Fang.
Lin Ye scratched the back of his neck.
"…I literally just got here."
Liu Feng stepped forward.
His aura surged slightly.
"You rejected Wu Shan earlier."
Lin Ye nodded casually.
"Yep."
Liu Feng smirked.
"That was stupid."
Lin Ye shrugged.
"Still feels right."
The crowd fell silent.
Because everyone knew what was coming.
Liu Feng raised his hand and pointed directly at Lin Ye.
"Get in the arena."
His voice echoed across the courtyard.
"Let's see if the famous Blood Shadow deserves the reputation."
Lin Ye stared at him for a moment.
Then sighed.
"…Seriously?"
Gu Chen glanced at him.
"You don't have to accept."
Zhao Tian crossed his arms.
"But if you refuse…"
Lin Ye nodded.
"…Yeah, I know."
Reputation.
Inner Sect culture.
Running away now would follow him forever.
Lin Ye stepped forward.
"…Fine."
The crowd parted as he walked toward the arena.
Liu Feng grinned widely.
"Good."
Lin Ye stepped onto the cracked stone floor and rolled his shoulders.
"…Let's make this quick."
Above the arena, several senior disciples had begun watching from nearby balconies.
Among them—
Su Qingyue stood silently once again.
Her gaze focused on Lin Ye.
"…Already?"
Because she could feel it clearly now.
The demonic aura inside him had grown even stronger.
Back in the arena, Liu Feng cracked his knuckles.
"You're about to regret rejecting Black Fang."
Lin Ye smiled faintly.
"People keep saying that."
Then he took his stance.
"…Let's see if anyone can prove it."
The courtyard fell silent.
Because the next fight—
Was about to determine whether Lin Ye's rising reputation was real.
Or just rumors.