The spirit stream flowed quietly beside them.

  Water shimmered with dense qi, reflecting the gathered disciples like distorted mirrors. Word had already spread — a newly promoted outsider facing an established inner sect cultivator.

  No one intervened.

  This was how hierarchy formed.

  Wu Jian stepped forward, hands clasped behind his back, confidence clear in every movement.

  “Relax,” he said lightly. “We’re only exchanging guidance.”

  The disciples watching understood the lie immediately.

  Guidance in the inner sect often meant humiliation.

  Lan Yue remained nearby, her expression tense but silent. Interfering would only worsen matters for Shen Yu.

  Shen Yu faced Wu Jian calmly.

  Inside, the Emotion Reflection Gu released a cool ripple, steadying his breathing. The restless hunger faded into controlled stillness.

  Wu Jian’s aura surged.

  Two Gu appeared instantly.

  A crescent-shaped Wind Blade Gu circled his shoulder, slicing faint lines into the air, while a bronze-scaled Armor Gu spread across his skin like liquid metal.

  Rank Two Gu.

  Far stronger than anything Shen Yu had faced openly.

  “You may attack first,” Wu Jian said generously.

  Shen Yu did not move.

  He observed.

  The flow of qi.

  The rhythm of Wu Jian’s breathing.

  The subtle connection between cultivator and Gu.

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  Then he stepped forward.

  Simple.

  Direct.

  Wu Jian smirked and flicked his finger.

  The Wind Blade shot forward.

  Fast.

  Too fast for ordinary Rank One cultivators.

  But Shen Yu moved before the attack fully formed.

  The Emotion Reflection Gu sharpened perception, allowing him to sense intent rather than motion. He tilted slightly aside as the blade cut past his shoulder, tearing fabric but missing flesh.

  Murmurs rose among the spectators.

  Wu Jian’s eyes narrowed.

  “Not bad.”

  Three more blades formed simultaneously.

  This time, Shen Yu did not dodge immediately.

  The Devouring Presence stirred.

  Not unleashed — restrained.

  A faint invisible pressure spread outward.

  The incoming blades wavered midair.

  For a fraction of a second, Wu Jian lost synchronization.

  That moment was enough.

  Shen Yu closed the distance instantly.

  His palm struck Wu Jian’s armored chest.

  The Bronze Armor Gu flared brightly — then trembled violently.

  Wu Jian’s expression changed.

  “My Gu—!”

  The armor’s qi destabilized as instinctive fear spread through it. Though Shen Yu did not devour it, the Devouring Presence’s aura disrupted its control.

  Wu Jian staggered backward.

  Shock replaced confidence.

  The watching disciples fell silent.

  A Rank Two Gu… suppressed by presence alone?

  Wu Jian gritted his teeth and released more power. Wind blades formed wildly, cutting through trees and stone alike.

  Now killing intent leaked through his restraint.

  Shen Yu felt the hunger surge in response.

  The Devouring Presence roared silently within him, urging completion.

  Consume.

  For one dangerous instant, his vision darkened.

  The Bronze Armor Gu looked unbearably tempting.

  One touch…

  And it would vanish.

  The Emotion Reflection Gu pulsed sharply.

  Calm returned.

  Shen Yu stopped advancing.

  Instead, he stepped back.

  “I’ve seen enough,” he said quietly.

  Wu Jian froze, mid-attack.

  The words struck harder than any blow.

  Not victory.

  Dismissal.

  The wind blades dissipated slowly.

  Silence lingered before whispers erupted among the onlookers.

  Wu Jian’s face darkened with humiliation, but he did not attack again. Instinct warned him clearly — continuing would not end well.

  “…This isn’t finished,” he said coldly before turning away.

  His companions followed quickly.

  The crowd dispersed soon after, excitement barely concealed.

  Lan Yue approached, eyes filled with surprise.

  “You didn’t even use a visible Gu technique,” she said.

  Shen Yu looked at his hand.

  “I can’t afford to,” he replied softly.

  Because each time he drew closer to releasing that power…

  It became harder to stop.

  High above Inner River Peak, Wei Liang watched through a monitoring Gu.

  Beside him stood another elder cloaked in gray.

  “His control improved,” the elder noted.

  Wei Liang nodded slowly.

  “Yes… but the thing inside him is adapting as well.”

  He closed the viewing mirror.

  “The real test begins soon.”

  Far beneath the mountain, ancient formations flickered faintly once more.

  Something sealed deep underground stirred in quiet anticipation.

  As if waiting for the moment Shen Yu would finally lose restraint.

  To be continued…