Before him stretched an endless valley, a sea of towering trees rolling out to the horizon, and mountains enclosed the landscape, their peaks casting long shadows across the dense forests below.

  The distant roars of beasts mingled with the rustling leaves, a constant reminder of the life hidden within.

  The very air felt thick with Qi, alive with power. Li Yan inhaled deeply, letting the pure energy flow through him, merging with his own reserves. A thrill surged in his chest. This was it. His real training would begin here.

  He turned instinctively, wanting to see the sect’s mountains behind him. Instead, only the teleportation gate remained.

  The sect, its mountains, and Qi shield had completely vanished. His brows furrowed. He had thought the portal was merely a shortcut—he hadn’t expected it to transport him to a completely different place where even the sect itself could no longer be seen.

  Puzzled, Li Yan frowned. "How far did this portal send me?"

  Ji Hong noticed his confusion and chuckled softly. Pointing skyward, he said, "Looking for the sect? Try looking up."

  Li Yan raised his eyes—and was shocked again.

  Suspended high above, far in the heavens, floated the sect itself. From this distance, it seemed smaller, diminished by the vast space between them, but still magnificent.

  It hovered effortlessly, encased in a shimmering defensive shield that glowed faintly against the sky—a marvel of cultivation and craftsmanship.

  Awe filled Li Yan’s heart. Compared to his previous world, he could only think, "This world really was something else."

  Ji Hong’s voice broke his reverie. "The Goddess created it," he said with reverence.

  Li Yan nodded, admiration plain in his expression. "Truly remarkable," he replied.

  Ji Hong offered a faint smile and resumed walking. Together, they descended a winding path leading toward the Tier-1 Hunting Ground.

  The silence between them was peaceful, broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves and the distant cries of unseen beasts.

  Eventually, they arrived at a wide stone platform where a massive rectangular slab of white stone stood upright.

  Its smooth surface glowed faintly under the daylight, carved with fifty rows of text. At the very top, bold characters read: White Rank Leaderboard.

  Ji Hong gestured toward the slab. "This is the White Rank Leaderboard," he explained. "It displays the hunt records of all disciples in this Tier-1 Hunting Ground."

  "The formation covering the Hunting Ground is linked to it. Every hunt within this zone is monitored, so each kill is automatically recorded."

  "As you can see, only the top fifty disciples are displayed here, along with their names, cultivation, and the number of beasts they’ve hunted."

  Li Yan stepped closer, studying the four neatly aligned columns. The first displayed ranks from 1st to 50th, the second listed disciples’ names, followed by their cultivation levels, and finally the total number of beasts they had slain.

  His gaze rose to the top, where three names glowed brightly:

  1st – Mu Fan – Qi Gathering Realm (Stage-Peak) – 639 hunts

  2nd – Wen Hai – Qi Gathering Realm (Stage-Peak) – 543 hunts

  3rd – Zhang Wei – Qi Gathering Realm (Stage-Peak) – 496 hunts

  "All three at the peak of Qi Gathering Realm," Li Yan murmured to himself. "Impressive, but not unreachable."

  At the bottom, just below the 50th disciple’s name, he noticed a small countdown etched into the stone: Refresh in 12 days.

  As he absorbed the details, Ji Hong continued, "Only disciples within the Qi Gathering Realm (Qi Disciple) can appear here. The moment someone breaks through to the Qi Refining Realm (Qi Practitioner), their name is removed."

  Li Yan nodded thoughtfully. "So the board is designed to push disciples to challenge themselves and compete."

  "Exactly." Ji Hong inclined his head. "There’s also a monthly reward system."

  "Disciples ranked 11th to 50th each receive 100 Shadow Points.

  Those from 4th to 10th get 250.

  Third place earns 500, second place 750, and first place 1,000 Shadow Points."

  Li Yan’s brows rose slightly. "That’s quite the incentive," he admitted, admiration clear in his voice.

  Ji Hong gave a satisfied nod. "Before you enter the Hunting Ground, place your disciple badge on the stone and channel your Qi to register. Since it’s your first time, it will add your name to the board."

  Li Yan hesitated a moment before asking, "Elder Ji, can I choose a different name than the one on my disciple badge?"

  Ji Hong looked a little surprised but then nodded. "Of course. Simply think of the name you want as you channel your Qi."

  With a firm nod, Li Yan stepped forward. Summoning his disciple badge, he pressed it against the lower part of the stone and let his Qi flow into it. In his mind, he formed the words: Li Yan Tian.

  He wanted both his and Yan Tian’s names to rise together. This, he decided, would be the first step.

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  On the stone, his name appeared briefly at the 50th rank, alongside his cultivation and a "0" under beast hunts, before fading again.

  Ji Hong’s voice sounded from behind, curious. "Li Yan Tian? So that’s your full name?"

  Li Yan turned, calm resolve in his eyes. "Yes, Elder Ji."

  Ji Hong nodded in acknowledgment, then waved his hand. A small porcelain bottle materialized in his palm, which he extended toward Li Yan. "Take this. Inside are two healing pills. They’ll help if you’re injured in the Hunting Ground."

  Li Yan hesitated. He knew how valuable such pills were, yet a part of him wanted to earn everything on his own. "Thank you, Elder Ji, but I’d rather not accept them now. I want to rely on what I earn myself."

  "Next time, I’ll buy them with my own Shadow Points."

  Ji Hong chuckled softly. "I thought you might say that. But don’t worry—these are given to all disciples entering the valley for their first hunt. You’ve already earned them by being here."

  Li Yan finally accepted, tucking the porcelain bottle into his storage ring. "If that’s the case, then I’ll gladly accept."

  Ji Hong’s expression turned solemn yet encouraging. "Good. This is where I leave you."

  His gaze swept over the valley path ahead before settling on Li Yan once more. "The path leads straight into the Tier-1 Hunting Ground. You can use your disciple badge to enter and exit the formation barrier."

  He paused, his tone sharpening. "It’s the best place to start. If anything happens, you can always return to the sect. But remember—"

  Ji Hong locked eyes with him, the weight of his words pressing down like iron. "—You won’t grow stronger unless you face what’s ahead."

  Li Yan felt a surge of respect for the elder. Though the words were simple, their meaning struck deep. The Hunting Grounds were not just wilderness—they were a crucible where disciples honed their skills, where survival meant growth, and weakness meant death.

  With a deep breath, Li Yan cupped his hands respectfully. "Thank you for everything, Elder Ji. I’ll make sure not to waste this chance and live up to your expectations."

  Ji Hong gave a small nod, his expression softening slightly. "Do not concern yourself with expectations. Focus on your path, and the rest will follow."

  "Also, take care of yourself. Killing among disciples is forbidden, but fighting for resources is not."

  With that, Ji Hong turned and began his ascent back toward the teleportation portal, leaving Li Yan standing at the threshold of the unknown.

  As Ji Hong’s figure disappeared, Li Yan stood at the threshold, purple eyes reflecting the wilderness stretching endlessly before him. The dense trees swayed as watchful sentinels, and distant roars rolled through the valley air.

  His pulse quickened, but instead of rushing forward, he sat cross-legged near the glowing White Rank Leaderboard. "Rushing in now would only get him killed," he thought.

  Closing his eyes, he calmed his breathing. "This place looks safe for now… let’s see if I can enter my spiritual consciousness, just as Senior Yao Fuhuo hinted."

  He recalled her hint from that morning and thought to himself, "Focus on the upper dantian, between the brows—where the Soul Core resides."

  Drawing his awareness inward, Li Yan concentrated on the point between his brows. At first, his thoughts scattered like restless birds.

  His pulse quickened, his breathing wavered. But slowly, his focus sharpened.

  Threads of warmth gathered at his glabella, converging into a single spark.

  A ripple ran through his mind.

  And then—he entered.

  The familiar landscape unfolded before him: a tranquil sea stretching outward, encircled by a thirty-meter boundary of mist-like energy.

  Its surface glowed faintly, like liquid light, pulsing in rhythm with his very soul.

  At the center of that sea sat Yan Tian’s soul, sealed within the glass-like barrier Yao Fuhuo had created.

  The boy’s figure was cross-legged, eyes closed, serene yet distant, as though he were dreaming in a world apart.

  "Yan Tian…" Li Yan murmured softly, the name a mixture of comfort and ache.

  The boy didn’t stir. His presence was silent, peaceful, unreachable.

  Li Yan clenched his fists, then relaxed them. "Don’t worry," he murmured, a vow forming in his heart. "I’ll travel to your home when I’m strong enough. That’s my promise to you."

  The boy gave no response, and Li Yan didn’t try to wake him. Instead, Li Yan lowered himself into a cross-legged position a little away from the seal. His heart steadied.

  With a thought, he summoned the Knowledge Yao Fuhuo had transferred into his spiritual consciousness; symbols and words rose from the depths like streams of light, swirling upward before aligning into orderly rows in the air before him.

  Knowledge.

  The characters glowed faintly, strange yet oddly familiar. Although this language was not of Earth, Li Yan understood it instinctively—thanks to Yao Fuhuo’s transfer, which imprinted the comprehension directly into his soul.

  Lines of text flowed past his vision. Spiritual Sense. Absorption of Knowledge. Perception of Energy Flow. Memory Imprint.

  Li Yan began to absorb the knowledge before him, which taught him how to expand his Spiritual Sense to detect his surroundings like an unseen eye.

  Then, how to use spiritual power to absorb and organize knowledge, multiplying his comprehension speed. And how to stabilize his spiritual sea against external interference.

  The information didn’t simply sit in his mind—it engraved itself, flowing like water through the channels of his soul. His breath deepened as his inner sea brightened faintly with every line absorbed.

  Li Yan exhaled slowly, a trace of wonder in his eyes. "So this is spiritual learning… this speed is beyond anything possible with mere mortal study."

  After enough study with his Spiritual Sense, Li Yan shifted his focus. "Good. Now—let’s start with the sword."

  With a thought, the knowledge floating before him sank into the spiritual sea beneath his feet.

  Ripples spread outward, and one by one, translucent bubbles rose to the surface, glowing softly as they drifted upward.

  In moments, nearly thirty bubbles hovered around him, each radiating its own unique aura.

  His gaze sharpened. "What the…?"

  Each bubble carried an emblem that marked the weapon it represented—a sword, dagger, throwing knife, spear, trident, battle axe, warhammer, scythe, bow, whip, fan, gauntlet…

  The variety stunned Li Yan. "So many options…" he hadn’t expected Yao Fuhuo to transfer the knowledge of a complete armory to give him so many different paths.

  Each bubble pulsed as though calling out to him, tempting him to choose.

  But he currently only had a sword with him, and his mind had already chosen it.

  He raised his hand, and the bubble marked with a sword symbol shimmered before flying into his palm.

  The rest sank back into the spiritual sea.

  The instant his fingers touched it, the bubble exploded with a sharp snap, scattering shards of light. They swirled around him like fireflies before surging into his mind.

  A flood of knowledge rushed through him—grips, stances, forms, even breathing techniques tied to the flow of the blade.

  Not just words, but vivid images: he saw a figure wielding a sword, moving through basic forms in a clear, deliberate sequence, like a patient instructor guiding him.

  Li Yan steadied himself as the torrent of information poured through him. It was overwhelming at first, but his mind adapted quickly, absorbing the fundamentals.

  "The sword…" he murmured, eyes narrowing. "It’s not only a weapon of offense. The sword mirrors the heart. It’s precision. Balance. Will."