Lin Feng stood at the edge of the Jade Serpent Gorge. Below him, the Stormrift Sect's outer testing grounds sprawled like a battlefield, filled with towering stone platforms, spiritual formations glowing with faint blue light, and hundreds of other young cultivators.
Some were dressed in silks and adorned with spirit beast pendants. Others, like him, came from humble origins—leather armor, threadbare robes, worn weapons. But all had one thing in common.
Ambition.
A robed elder floated down from the sky on a glowing disc of jade. His presence silenced the crowd in an instant.
"I am Elder Mo of the Stormrift Sect," he announced, his voice amplified by a spiritual technique. "You are here for the outer disciple trials. There are three phases."
The crowd tensed.
"First: Survival. You will be transported into the Stormrift Illusory Domain. You must survive against spirit beasts for twelve hours. Killing others is forbidden. However, should you die in the illusion… your trial ends."
Lin Feng narrowed his eyes. An illusory test? That meant spirit manipulation, illusions, perhaps mental trials. The System pulsed in his mind.
System Notice: External illusion detected
Activating Adaptive Interface for Reality-Sync Mode…
So the System could help even inside illusions. That was good.
"Begin!" Elder Mo shouted, and a formation flared beneath their feet.
The world went black.
Then—
Roaring flames. Jungle mist. The stench of blood.
He was inside the trial.
Ten minutes in, Lin Feng was already sprinting through twisted jungle vines, dodging the serrated tail of a Three-Eyed Flame Lizard.
He flipped midair, using Windstep, and slammed his saber into its vulnerable eye socket.
Beast Defeated: Three-Eyed Flame Lizard (Tier 1 – Mid) EXP Gained: 140
Qi Density Increased
A second later, the body shimmered and dissolved.
Just as I thought… the illusion mimics real combat, but the energy flows back to me.
It wasn't just a trial—it was training.
Over the next six hours, Lin Feng slew fifteen more beasts. Every movement became more fluid. His Qi more refined.
When a massive Cloudfang Tiger leapt at him, he baited it into a trap and struck its neck in one clean, sweeping arc.
The moment it vanished, a System prompt flashed:
Qi Condensation – Layer 8 → Layer 9
Final Layer Reached. Foundation Breakthrough Ready Upon Conditions Met.
His body surged with energy.
He'd reached the peak of Qi Condensation in under a week.
When the twelve hours ended, Lin Feng emerged from the illusion in near-perfect condition—unlike many others who collapsed to the ground, exhausted or vomiting.
Elder Mo raised a hand.
"Of the 417 present, 183 have passed Phase One."
Gasps echoed around the testing field.
Lin Feng stood calmly, blade sheathed, his breathing steady.
Let them watch, he thought. Let them wonder.
The System Lord was just getting started.