The first light of dawn pierced the mist shrouding Azure Cloud Sect’s outer sect grounds, painting the sky in streaks of pale gold and crimson as thousands of outer sect disciples gathered at the entrance of the Misty Forest. The air hummed with a volatile mix of excitement and dread; for most, this trial was their only chance to climb the sect’s ranks, while for Lin Mo, it was a battlefield where survival hung by a thread.

Elders lined the stone platform overlooking the forest, their robes fluttering in the breeze. Elder Qing stood at the far end, his face impassive, his eyes faintly fixed on Lin Mo’s figure hidden in the crowd. Beside him, Elder Wang wore a cold, satisfied smirk, his gaze sweeping over the disciples until it landed on Lin Mo, sharp with murderous intent. The sect’s grand elder stepped forward, his voice booming across the grounds, carrying the weight of sect law. “The outer sect trial begins now! Survive seven days in the Misty Forest, collect ten demonic beast cores, and avoid forbidden traps. The top ten disciples shall enter the inner sect. Disobey the rules, and face expulsion—or death.”

A resonant bell tolled, and the sea of disciples surged forward, vanishing into the thick, silvery mist of the forest. The mist clung to skin, muffling sound and distorting vision, turning the familiar woods into a labyrinth of unknown dangers. Lin Mo moved at a steady, cautious pace, separating himself from the chaotic crowd within minutes. He activated Body Lightening Step, his footsteps light as a feather, leaving no trace as he slipped through the underbrush, his senses sharpened to their limit.

The Six Paths Immortal Root hummed quietly in his dantian, attuning him to the flow of spiritual energy around him. He could hear the snarls of low-level demonic beasts in the distance, the rustle of leaves from other disciples, and a faint, malicious aura creeping toward him from the west—exactly the trap Elder Qing had warned of. Three figures emerged from the mist moments later, their robes emblazoned with the Wang family’s crest, their cultivation bases at late-stage Qi Refining, surrounding Lin Mo in a triangular formation.

“Lin Mo, you thought you could hide from us?” the lead disciple sneered, his hand gripping a spiritual sword. “Elder Wang has given the order—you die here today, and no one will ever find your body.”

Lin Mo’s expression remained calm, but his hand tightened around the wisp of spiritual energy coiled at his fingertips. He had known the Wang family would strike early, but he had not expected them to abandon all subtlety so quickly. “You dare to kill a fellow disciple during the trial?” he asked, his voice cold and steady.

“The trial is full of accidents,” another disciple laughed, raising his palm. “No one will blame us for a ‘demonic beast attack.’”

The three disciples lunged forward without warning, their spiritual energy surging. The lead disciple slashed his sword, sending a crescent of sharp energy cutting through the air, while the other two unleashed Spiritual Energy Palm, their attacks converging on Lin Mo from three sides. Lin Mo’s eyes narrowed, and he executed Body Lightening Step to its fullest extent, his body darting sideways like a fleeting shadow, narrowly dodging the sword energy. The palm strikes slammed into the trees behind him, splitting trunks with a deafening crack.

He did not retreat. With his realm consolidated to Qi Refining Great Perfection, his spiritual energy control far surpassed that of ordinary late-stage disciples. He channeled energy into his right palm, the power of the Heavenly Immortal Art swirling within it, and counterattacked with a perfected Spiritual Energy Palm. His attack was faster, more concentrated, and far more powerful than his opponents’—it slammed into the first disciple’s chest, sending him flying backward, coughing up blood.

The remaining two disciples faltered, shock crossing their faces. They had underestimated Lin Mo’s strength, believing him to be a mere newly promoted Great Perfection disciple. But Lin Mo did not give them time to recover. He moved like the wind, closing the distance in an instant, his fingers forming a quick spell seal. A thin blade of condensed spiritual energy sliced through the air, cutting deep into one disciple’s arm, making him drop his weapon.

Just as Lin Mo prepared to end the fight, a fourth, stronger aura burst from the mist—a peak late-stage Qi Refining disciple, the Wang family’s trump card for this ambush. He unleashed a brutal, full-power attack, a wave of destructive spiritual energy barreling toward Lin Mo with no room to dodge. Panic flickered in Lin Mo’s eyes for a split second, but then the cloud-patterned token in his robe warmed sharply, Elder Qing’s hidden spiritual energy activating. A faint, golden barrier enveloped him, weakening the incoming attack by half.

Lin Mo grunted at the residual impact, but he did not