After his meeting with the Sect Master, Long Tianyan returned to the outer sect with a quiet heart—but not a peaceful one. The Sect Master's words still echoed in his mind, and the token of recognition burned with a weight beyond its size.
Two months. That was all the time he had to prove himself.
The Outer Sect Competition was no ordinary trial. Every year, thousands of outer sect disciples participated, but only the top ten would earn a chance to enter the inner sect. For Tianyan, this wasn't just about rising in status—it was survival.
If he stayed in the outer sect, Liu Yan and Elder Liu Tian would eventually act again.
And next time, they might not fail.
Elder Yan had prepared a special training area deep within a quiet forest on the edge of the sect grounds. Shielded by formation arrays, it offered Tianyan privacy and protection.
For days, his life became a cycle of intense cultivation, sparring, and mental refinement. Elder Yan was strict but patient, her understanding of spiritual energy deep and profound.
"Again," she said calmly, watching him stumble from a failed sword technique.
Tianyan wiped the blood from his mouth and nodded, pushing himself upright.
They had shifted his training to focus on battle instinct, movement control, and spiritual energy flow under pressure. His raw potential was vast, but he still lacked stability and refinement.
"Don't waste the strength given to you," Elder Yan said, her eyes never blinking. "Control it. Learn its rhythm."
Tianyan gritted his teeth, his sweat-soaked clothes clinging to him. "Yes, Elder."
Each day, Elder Yan would spar with him personally, adjusting his breathing techniques, correcting his posture, and guiding his spiritual flow with light strikes. Though she was at the 6th Layer of the Heavenly Passage Realm, she always suppressed her strength to match him—but her precision made every duel a lesson in pain and progress.
On the seventh day of training, as Tianyan sat cross-legged near a waterfall, stabilizing his spiritual energy, a soft voice called out to him.
"You look like you just lost a war," Chen Yixuan teased, emerging from the trees with a small basket of steamed buns and herbal soup.
Tianyan opened his eyes and allowed himself a tired smile. "Feels like I've been fighting Elder Yan and gravity at the same time."
Yixuan laughed and sat beside him, handing him food.
"You really are serious about the competition," she said.
"I have to be," he replied between bites. "This is the only way forward."
Yixuan nodded. Her bright eyes dimmed slightly. "Just don't burn yourself out. I'll still be here even if you only make it to eleventh place."
Tianyan smiled. "Then I guess I'll aim for first."
They sat in comfortable silence for a moment. The wind rustled through the trees, and the sound of the waterfall offered peace.
"Do you ever miss before the cliff?" Yixuan asked suddenly.
Tianyan didn't answer right away.
"Yes," he finally said. "But I wouldn't go back."
Yixuan turned to him. "Why?"
"Because back then, I didn't know who I was. Now… I'm starting to find out. Even if it's dangerous."
Yixuan nodded, then stood up and dusted her robe.
"Then I'll help you however I can," she said with a smile. "Whether that's cheering you on or dragging you back to bed when you collapse."