ARK SPIRIT

The final stretch before the examination passed faster than Hao Nhien had expected.

After reaching the eighth layer of Qi Condensation, he did not return to the deeper mountains. Most of his time went into stabilizing his cultivation, retraining the Tieu Dao Footwork and his sword techniques, and checking everything he might need once he entered the secret realm. Hao Nhien did not rush to accumulate more true qi. Instead, he focused on allowing his body to adapt to the eighth layer, spending time each day on breathing cultivation, circulating true qi through his meridians, and adjusting any areas that still felt strained or consumed energy too quickly.

He did not spend all of his remaining contribution points. Most of the supplies for the examination were purchased with spirit stones and spoils he had no reason to keep: Qi Recovery Pills, healing medicine, several low grade defensive talismans, a Direction Talisman, and a simple protective artifact for emergencies.

None of them were especially valuable, but Hao Nhien knew exactly when and how each one could be useful.

The outer sect was changing by the day as well.

The closer the examination came, the higher the prices of pills and talismans rose. Rumors about the chosen secret realm appeared constantly. Some insisted it would be the Cloud Sea Illusion Realm because Illusion Breaking Talismans and Direction Talismans had nearly sold out. Others swore the Mystic Yin Stone Cavern was the true destination and claimed the Cloud Sea rumors had been deliberately spread by merchants to drive up prices.

Some disciples had even begun hoarding medicines that resisted cold.

No one knew which rumor was true, and Hao Nhien did not waste time guessing. If it was the Cloud Sea Illusion Realm, his Direction Talisman and his experience staying calm when his senses could not be trusted would at least keep him from being completely passive. If it was the Mystic Yin Stone Cavern, his earlier training in cold water might help his body endure constant environmental pressure, though the yin cold of the cavern would certainly be nothing like river water. And if it was the Spirit Beast Forest, that would be the closest to what he had already experienced.

No preparation could cover everything.

But at least he would no longer walk into danger empty handed, armed with nothing but the vague confidence he had carried during his earliest days in the outer sect.

Tieu Lan had become busier as well.

Medicine Peak had entered its own preparation period, producing pills and organizing medicinal materials for the examination. She no longer appeared in the outer sect as often as before. There were days when the two of them did not meet at all, and other times when they only had enough time to exchange a few words in the evening before she had to return.

Two days before the examination, Hao Nhien stood on a high outcrop at the edge of the outer sect, looking down at the roads winding around the mountainside.

From here, the entire outer sect resembled a broad current rushing toward a narrow passage. Stone houses were scattered among bamboo groves, while the market remained brightly lit from morning until night. Voices calling to one another, the noise of bargaining, the hammering from the forge, and bells from the various halls rarely stopped.

Hao Nhien stood in the wind, his pale blue outer robe moving lightly around him.

His eighth layer Qi Condensation aura had completely stabilized. True qi flowed evenly through his meridians, without the lingering instability of a recent breakthrough. Within his Sea of Consciousness, the Divine Soul was still not strong enough to produce any obvious transformation, but the embryonic cycle within it had gradually stabilized. Each circulation had become smoother and more natural, no longer carrying the flickering uncertainty of its earliest days.

None of this gave him any reason to underestimate the examination.

But he was better prepared than at any point since entering the Tieu Dao Sect.

Light footsteps sounded behind him. Hao Nhien did not turn around. He already recognized the rhythm.

Tieu Lan stopped beside him, wearing the pale blue robe of the Tieu Dao Sect with the green embroidery of Medicine Peak and a small alchemical furnace emblem at her chest. She stood a little closer to him than she once would have, not enough to draw attention from others, but no longer keeping the unconscious distance she had maintained before.

Tieu Lan looked down at the outer sect below.

“Only two more days.”

“Mm.”

She remained quiet for a moment before asking,

“Are you worried?”

Hao Nhien thought for a few breaths.

“Yes.”

Tieu Lan turned toward him.

Hao Nhien laughed softly.

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t. But I’ve prepared everything I can.”

He looked toward the main mountain.

“The rest, I’ll only know once I’m inside.”

Tieu Lan nodded.

After a moment, her hand lightly touched the back of his.

Hao Nhien looked at her.

Her cheeks reddened slightly, but this time she did not pull away.

“I believe in you, Young Master.”

The words had barely left her lips before she paused and corrected herself in a much quieter voice.

“I believe in you, Hao Nhien.”

The corner of his mouth lifted.

He turned his hand over and held hers.

Tieu Lan let him.

The two stood together on the outcrop, watching layers of clouds drift slowly around Tieu Dao Mountain.

Two days later, just after dawn, more than a thousand outer sect disciples qualified for the examination had gathered around the plaza beneath the main mountain.

Tieu Dao Mountain was rarely this quiet. Not because there were fewer people, but because the usual noise had almost completely disappeared. Disciples stood in groups of various sizes. Some had their eyes closed as they regulated their breathing. Others quietly discussed plans with their companions, repeatedly checked their storage pouches, or simply watched the elevated platform in silence.

No one knew which secret realm would be opened.

Nor did anyone know the exact rules of the examination.

After more than a month of speculation, the rumors were still only rumors.

Hao Nhien stood among the crowd.

His pale blue robe blended with those around him, his expression calm. The Tieu Dao Sword rested at his waist. He had checked all of his supplies the night before, and his examination token remained safely inside his storage pouch.

Just as the sun began to rise above the horizon, a bell rang from the summit of the main mountain.

Dong...

The sound was not especially loud, but it was deep, passing through the bamboo forest and over the mountainside before spreading across the plaza.

The voices around him quickly faded.

Dong...

The second bell rang.

Eyes throughout the crowd turned toward the platform.

Dong...

When the third bell faded, the entire plaza had fallen silent.

A figure slowly stepped forward.

Hao Nhien recognized him immediately.

Old Bai.

The Mission Hall elder normally wore a sleepy expression and sat behind his old wooden counter as though nothing in the world was important enough to concern him. Today, however, Old Bai wore a long white robe, its broad sleeves moving in the morning wind. He was not particularly tall, yet simply standing on the platform made him feel completely different from usual.

His gaze swept across the plaza.

He did not need to release any pressure. The crowd grew even quieter on its own.

“Outer sect disciples.”

Old Bai’s voice carried clearly enough for even those at the farthest edge of the plaza to hear.

“A month ago, many of you probably thought that once you passed through the gates of the Tieu Dao Sect, the road ahead would open before you.”

He paused.

“By now, you should understand.”

“Getting in easily does not mean moving forward will be easy.”

No one answered.

Old Bai continued.

“This examination will last three months.”

A faint wave of murmuring passed through the crowd.

Three months.

Far longer than many had expected.

Old Bai did not give them much time to discuss it.

“Do not assume three months means you only need to spend a long time hunting demonic beasts.”

“A secret realm is not a hunting ground.”

“You will have to survive there, search for resources, decide when to advance and when to retreat, choose where to rest, choose whom you can cooperate with, and if you are fortunate enough to encounter an opportunity, decide whether you can seize it.”

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His gaze sharpened.

“After three months, the one hundred disciples with the highest examination scores will each receive five hundred contribution points and become inner sect disciples.”

Several sharp breaths sounded below.

Five hundred contribution points.

For an outer sect disciple, that was already a substantial amount of resources.

“As for the rest...”

Old Bai continued.

“You will return to the outer sect, continue cultivating, continue taking missions, and wait for the next examination.”

He swept his gaze over the crowd once more before saying,

“The secret realm for this examination is the Spirit Beast Forest.”

The plaza immediately stirred.

Some disciples drew sharp breaths. Others visibly changed expression, while a few could not hide their excitement.

Hao Nhien narrowed his eyes slightly.

The Spirit Beast Forest.

Not the Cloud Sea Illusion Realm that so many had been betting on for the past half month.

Not the Mystic Yin Stone Cavern.

But the most dangerous of the three outer sect secret realms commonly used for examinations.

Old Bai seemed to have anticipated their reaction.

“The Spirit Beast Forest is vast. The records you have read describe only the regions that have been explored with some degree of certainty. Do not assume the entire secret realm is the same.”

Hao Nhien’s gaze shifted slightly.

The Tieu Dao Encyclopedia had indeed recorded only its broadest traits: primeval forests, large numbers of demonic beasts, many organized beast groups, and a far greater risk of being surrounded than in the mountains outside.

Old Bai continued.

“The demonic beasts inside are still classified by rank as usual. First rank, second rank, third rank, and beyond. But some large groups also follow their own internal hierarchy of Soldiers, Generals, and Kings. Remember, those are positions within a group, not fixed cultivation ranks. A beast called a General in one pack may not be as strong as a General in another.”

The crowd listened in silence.

“Examination points are also not the same as Mission Hall contribution points.”

Old Bai went on.

“A first rank beast core is worth ten examination points.”

“A second rank core is worth thirty.”

“A third rank core is worth one hundred.”

At that, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

“But if the only thing you see when facing a third rank demonic beast is one hundred points, I suggest crushing your jade token before it notices you.”

A few dry laughs sounded from below and quickly died away.

No one truly found it funny.

Old Bai raised a hand. A pale gray examination jade token appeared in his palm.

“The jade token in your possession is your final way out. If you encounter danger you cannot handle, crush it and the formation will send you outside. But the moment you do, you are eliminated, and every resource you obtained inside the Spirit Beast Forest will be reclaimed by the formation.”

Someone called out,

“What if we hide them in a different storage pouch?”

Old Bai glanced down.

“Do you think the formation only knows how to look inside a pouch?”

The disciple immediately shut his mouth.

A few quiet chuckles spread through the crowd.

Old Bai waited for them to fade before continuing.

“Inside the secret realm, the sect will not interfere with most disputes between you.”

“Beast cores can be taken. Teams can fall apart. Someone who cooperates with you today may choose a different interest tomorrow.”

His gaze grew colder.

“But do not mistake that for the Tieu Dao Sect encouraging you to kill one another without reason.”

“If you leave enough evidence behind, a debt incurred inside the secret realm remains a debt once you come out.”

The atmosphere beneath the platform grew heavier.

“You may be weaker than your opponent,” Old Bai said.

“But dying because you are weak and dying because you are foolish are two different things.”

Hao Nhien’s expression did not change.

Words like these no longer shook him as they once might have. He simply remembered one thing.

Once he entered the Spirit Beast Forest, he would bear the consequences of every choice he made.

Old Bai raised his hand.

A dark red command token flew into the air, spun overhead, and burst into light.

Boom!

Space on both sides of the plaza trembled. Two dark vortexes opened and gradually stabilized into enormous gates. From within came the smell of damp earth, vegetation, and the unmistakable aura of demonic beasts, strong enough that anyone who had spent time in the wilderness would recognize it immediately.

Old Bai clasped his hands behind his back.

“You have one double hour.”

“Enter, or give up.”

He said nothing more.

At first, no one moved.

Several disciples stared at the gates, unconsciously tightening their grip on their examination tokens.

Then a tall, thin young man carrying a spear stepped forward.

He took a deep breath, did not look back, and walked straight into the gate on the right. The moment his body touched the dark surface, he disappeared.

A few more followed.

Then several dozen.

Soon the crowd began to move.

Footsteps, voices calling to companions, and robes brushing past one another filled the plaza.

Hao Nhien did not push forward.

He checked the positions of his talismans, healing medicine, and examination token, then placed a hand on the hilt of the Tieu Dao Sword.

Everything was where it needed to be.

Before following the crowd, he turned toward the edge of the plaza.

Tieu Lan was still there.

Among so many figures, she was neither the closest nor trying to force her way forward.

But Hao Nhien found her with a single glance.

Her hands were lightly clasped in front of her, her eyes still fixed on him.

She did not call out.

Hao Nhien raised a hand and waved.

Tieu Lan smiled. Her lips moved.

The distance was too great for him to hear, but he could still read the words.

“Come back safely.”

He nodded, then turned and stepped into the passage on the left.

Darkness swallowed him immediately.

The moment he passed through the gate, Hao Nhien felt an invisible force seize his entire body and drag him forward. Heaven and earth seemed to overturn. Layers of darkness twisted around him while wind screamed past his ears, stripping away all sense of direction.

A few breaths later, his feet struck the ground.

Hao Nhien dropped to one knee on damp soil, his right hand immediately settling on the hilt of the Tieu Dao Sword. True qi circulated quickly through his meridians, gradually calming the disturbance in his blood and breath.

He did not stand immediately. Instead, he remained still and listened.

The wind was faint. Dry leaves brushed against one another. Farther away came the broken rhythm of insects.

There were no approaching footsteps and no nearby bushes being disturbed.

Hao Nhien swept his gaze across the large tree trunks and the dark spaces wide enough to conceal a person. Only after confirming there was no obvious immediate danger did he rise.

Then he finally looked properly at where he had been sent, and his expression grew more serious.

This was not the Spirit Beast Forest he had imagined.

At least, it did not resemble most of what he had read.

There was no sunlight filtering through the green canopy of a primeval forest. Above him stretched a dark sky with no sign of the sun, while a large moon hung in the distance, casting cold light across towering gray trees. Their bark was split by deep cracks, branches crossing overhead while thin strands of mist drifted through the forest, unlike any ordinary mountain fog.

The spiritual qi here was dense, but colder and heavier than outside. Each breath caused a faint pressure in his meridians.

Hao Nhien remembered Old Bai’s warning.

The Spirit Beast Forest was vast.

Perhaps he had been sent into a region rarely mentioned in the records.

Or perhaps this place had changed.

Hao Nhien did not know.

And when he did not know, it was better not to invent an answer.

A low roar sounded somewhere deep within the forest, then quickly faded.

Farther away, something seemed to rush through a patch of undergrowth.

Hao Nhien did not try to locate it. He simply remembered the direction.

Several other figures began appearing in open spaces some distance away. Some drew their swords the moment they steadied themselves. Others moved back against tree trunks, while a few glanced around and quickly left.

Their eyes briefly met.

No one approached immediately.

They were still fellow disciples after entering the secret realm, but no one was foolish enough to believe those two words alone were enough to entrust someone with their back.

Hao Nhien was no different.

Traveling alone offered flexibility, but in completely unfamiliar terrain, encountering a beast pack or being targeted by several disciples at once could overwhelm even someone at the eighth layer of Qi Condensation. Forming a temporary group was worth considering, provided the people involved were trustworthy enough to test.

Hao Nhien chose a position with a relatively open field of view and waited without calling out to anyone.

After a while, two figures approached from different directions.

The man on the right was tall and broad shouldered, carrying a dark round shield with a short saber strapped across his back. His steps were heavy but steady, each footfall deliberate.

The other man was much leaner. His robe was tied close to his body, leather guards covered his hands, and two short knives hung at his waist. His gaze never remained on Hao Nhien for long, constantly sweeping the surroundings instead.

When they were still more than ten zhang away, both stopped almost at the same time.

Neither came close enough to make the others feel threatened.

The shield bearer spoke first.

“Fellow cultivator, I am Lam Phong, seventh layer Qi Condensation. Would you be interested in traveling together for a while?”

The other man added,

“Tieu Van. Seventh layer.”

He looked around the dark forest.

“I don’t like this place. Going alone seems like a good way to get into trouble.”

Hao Nhien did not answer immediately.

He observed them for several breaths.

If Lam Phong’s claim was true, his shield made him suited to handling direct attacks. Tieu Van appeared quick and alert, but a few steps were not enough to judge the true level of his movement technique. More importantly, Hao Nhien had no way of knowing whether either man was telling the truth.

He cupped his hands.

“Hao Nhien. Eighth layer Qi Condensation.”

Both men reacted slightly.

Lam Phong asked,

“What do you think?”

“We can travel together for a while.”

Hao Nhien replied,

“One li to start with. We see how well we work together, then decide whether to continue.”

The two exchanged a glance.

Tieu Van nodded first.

“Reasonable.”

Lam Phong did not object.

Hao Nhien continued,

“Don’t spread out too far. I’ll take the front. Brother Lam, hold the right side. Brother Tieu, watch the rear.”

“If we’re ambushed, regroup first. Don’t chase on your own.”

“If we meet something we’re not sure we can defeat, we retreat.”

Tieu Van gave a faint grin.

“I like the last rule.”

Hao Nhien looked at both of them.

“We don’t need a fixed division of spoils yet. If one person kills something alone, he keeps it. If we fight together, we divide things based on contribution afterward. If we still think we can work together after one li, then we can discuss a longer arrangement.”

Lam Phong nodded.

“Agreed.”

“No objection,” Tieu Van said.

“Then let’s go.”

Hao Nhien turned toward the deeper forest.

The three began moving.

The air was damp and cold. Gray leaves crackled softly beneath their feet. Hao Nhien did not move quickly, keeping his eyes on the undergrowth, claw marks along tree trunks, and fresh tracks in the moist soil.

Lam Phong followed slightly behind on the right, shield partially raised.

Tieu Van kept to the left rear, his footsteps noticeably lighter than those of the other two.

They had not traveled even half a li when a bush ahead suddenly shook.

Hao Nhien stopped at once.

Lam Phong raised his shield.

Tieu Van’s hand moved to the hilt of a knife.

A pair of dark red eyes appeared behind the leaves.

A moment later, a gray wolf slowly stepped from the undergrowth.

It was nearly half again the size of an ordinary wolf, with long legs and tightly packed muscle. Its dark gray fur blended almost perfectly with the surrounding forest, leaving only its cold eyes clearly visible beneath the moonlight.

Hao Nhien recalled what he had read.

Gray Shadow Wolf.

A first rank demonic beast.

Individually, they were not especially powerful.

But they rarely hunted alone.

The Gray Shadow Wolf stopped several zhang away.

Its eyes flicked quickly over Hao Nhien, Lam Phong’s shield, and finally paused for a moment on Tieu Van behind them.

Then it began to retreat.

Step by step, it moved backward into the darkness without turning its body away from the three cultivators, steadily increasing the distance.

Hao Nhien’s expression changed.

The Tieu Dao Sword was already leaving its sheath.

“Kill it.”

Lam Phong hesitated for only a moment.

Tieu Van reacted just as quickly.

“Don’t let it call the pack.”

But the Gray Shadow Wolf seemed to have been waiting for that very moment.

As soon as Hao Nhien advanced several steps, it turned and darted deeper into the forest. Its gray body slipped between the trees, always staying far enough ahead that Hao Nhien could not close the distance immediately, yet never disappearing completely from sight.

Hao Nhien chased only a few steps before stopping.

He had no intention of rushing blindly into unknown terrain just to kill a first rank demonic beast.

Ahead, the Gray Shadow Wolf stopped on a low rise and looked back at them.

Then it lifted its head.

Auuu...

A long howl cut through the forest.

Hao Nhien tightened his grip on the sword.

Exactly what he had feared.

“Fall back. Close formation.”

No one questioned him this time.

Lam Phong stepped forward immediately, raising his round shield across his body. Tieu Van shifted to the side, drew both knives, and turned to watch their rear.

The three quickly closed the distance between them.

No one looked at the Gray Shadow Wolf as though it were merely a lone first rank beast anymore.

Several breaths later, another howl answered from far to the left.

A third came from behind, closer this time.

Then a shorter call sounded from the right.

Not every howl was long. Some lasted only half a breath, while others came from so far away they nearly blended into the wind.

But it was enough.

They were communicating their positions.

Hao Nhien scanned the darkness between the trees. The first Gray Shadow Wolf still stood on the distant rise, neither approaching nor leaving.

Its purpose was obvious now.

Keep the prey in place until the pack arrived.

Dry leaves began rustling from several directions, distant at first but steadily drawing closer.

“How many?” Lam Phong asked, tightening his grip on the shield.

“Don’t know.”

Hao Nhien quickly studied the terrain. The trees were too dense on the left. The closest howl had come from behind them. To the right lay a lower stretch of ground with a wider field of view, but almost no cover.

“Retreat now?” Tieu Van asked.

“Not yet. If the encirclement is already closing, choosing the wrong direction will send us straight into the pack. Hold formation. Find the side with the least movement, then break through.”

Hao Nhien raised the Tieu Dao Sword.

The Gray Shadow Wolf on the rise watched them in silence while the sounds within the forest crept steadily closer.

The pack was closing in.