The news spread faster than wildfire.

  Before sunset, every corner of the outer sect buzzed with disbelief.

  “Direct promotion?”

  “Impossible — he just entered the sect!”

  “They say the inner sect personally summoned him…”

  Jealousy, fear, admiration — emotions mixed freely among the disciples. Some refused to believe it. Others quietly accepted a truth the valley incident had made undeniable.

  Shen Yu no longer belonged among them.

  Inside the outer sect courtyard, Shen Yu packed his few belongings.

  There was little to take — spare robes, basic refinement tools, and a small pouch of spirit stones earned during the trial.

  Lin Mei stood by the doorway, arms crossed.

  “So it’s true,” she said. “You’re leaving already.”

  Her voice held no resentment, only quiet disbelief.

  Shen Yu nodded.

  “They said I leave at dawn.”

  She studied him for a moment. “You don’t look happy.”

  He paused.

  Most disciples would celebrate endlessly at such an opportunity.

  But Shen Yu remembered the envoy’s words.

  This is protection.

  Which meant danger was already approaching.

  “The inner sect isn’t safer,” he said.

  Lin Mei smiled faintly. “Nothing in cultivation ever is.”

  After a moment, she handed him a small jade vial.

  “Spirit-calming powder,” she explained. “Helps stabilize qi during refinement. You’ll need it more than I will.”

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  Shen Yu hesitated before accepting it.

  “…Thank you.”

  She shrugged lightly. “Just don’t forget us outer sect survivors when you become some terrifying expert.”

  He almost replied — but stopped.

  Because deep down, he wasn’t sure what he would become.

  Before dawn, a spirit crane descended into the courtyard.

  Its wings spanned nearly twenty meters, feathers glowing faintly with spiritual light. Several disciples gathered secretly to watch from afar.

  Elder Han stood beside it, expression unreadable.

  “The inner sect lies beyond the upper ridge,” he said. “Once you cross, your past status no longer protects you.”

  Shen Yu climbed onto the crane’s back.

  The jade token in his sleeve grew warm, reacting to the beast.

  With a powerful beat of wings, the crane rose into the sky.

  The outer sect shrank below — crude buildings, dusty arenas, and countless struggling cultivators fading into the distance.

  For a brief moment, Shen Yu felt something unexpected.

  Relief.

  But it didn’t last.

  As they flew higher, the true scale of Black River Sect revealed itself.

  Hidden peaks emerged from the clouds, connected by floating bridges and rivers of flowing qi. Spirit waterfalls cascaded through the air, nourishing forests untouched by mortal hands.

  The inner sect.

  A place where aura alone surpassed anything below.

  Shen Yu felt pressure immediately.

  Gu hidden across the mountains stirred as he passed, their faint awareness brushing against him like whispers.

  The Devouring Presence awakened slightly, intrigued.

  More powerful prey existed here.

  Elder Han glanced sideways. “Control your aura.”

  Shen Yu blinked. “I’m not releasing any.”

  The elder frowned but said nothing more.

  They landed before a massive stone gate carved into a mountain cliff.

  Ancient characters glowed above it:

  Inner River Peak

  Waiting at the entrance stood the white-robed envoy.

  “You arrived quickly,” he said with a smile.

  Elder Han bowed slightly before departing without another word.

  Now alone, Shen Yu followed the envoy through the gates.

  The moment he crossed the threshold—

  A powerful formation activated.

  Light swept across his body.

  Scanning.

  Testing.

  For an instant, the Devouring Presence reacted violently, as if threatened by exposure.

  Shen Yu’s heart pounded.

  But the Emotion Reflection Gu pulsed calmly, stabilizing the disturbance.

  The formation light faded.

  “…Interesting,” the envoy murmured quietly, though he did not elaborate.

  They continued walking.

  Inner disciples passed by, their auras sharp and disciplined. Several glanced toward Shen Yu, curiosity clear in their eyes.

  A newcomer already summoned inward?

  Unusual.

  Dangerous.

  Promising.

  The envoy stopped before a secluded courtyard.

  “This will be your temporary residence,” he said. “Tomorrow begins your evaluation.”

  Shen Yu nodded.

  As he entered the courtyard, a strange feeling settled over him.

  The air here was richer.

  Denser.

  Every breath strengthened his cultivation slightly.

  Yet beneath that abundance, he sensed something else.

  Watching.

  Not elders.

  Not disciples.

  Something older woven into the mountain itself.

  Far below the inner sect, deep underground, ancient formations flickered briefly — responding faintly to his arrival.

  And within the sealed chamber beneath the hunting valley, the imprisoned shadow stirred again.

  Its countless eyes opened slowly.

  Closer.

  The Devourer draws closer.

  To be continued…