Third pov Almost instantly, the entire underground space began trembling violently.The ancient runes carved across the walls and ground lit up brighter than before, pulsing with dark qi as the energy flooding through the chamber grew heavier and heavier.Then the ritual circle beneath them ignited completely.A violent surge of dark qi exploded upward from the formation, wrapping itself around every chained slave within the chamber.Li Wei gasped sharply.Kaien’s expression darkened immediately as he felt the energy locking onto him like chains tightening around his body.The extraction had started.Dark qi surged through the formation relentlessly, binding every single person within the circle as their spiritual energy began getting drawn out forcefully.The slaves around them screamed in agony almost instantly.Some collapsed to their knees.Others trembled violently as streams of energy were ripped directly from their bodies and absorbed into the glowing runes beneath them.Kaien

Third POV Then an overwhelming pressure crashed down on all three of them so violently it almost forced him back to his knees.The new realm around them finally became clear.Dark crimson skies stretched endlessly overhead while jagged mountains towered in the distance like ancient beasts waiting silently in the dark. The air itself felt heavier here, dense with spiritual energy so oppressive it almost became physical.The Jiuyao Abyss.Kaien’s breathing roughened slightly as he forced himself to steady his footing.Even moving felt difficult.The realm’s pressure pressed against every part of his body relentlessly, suppressing movement and disrupting the flow of qi inside him almost immediately.His already unstable core reacted badly to it.A sharp pain spread through his meridians again as the fragment’s energy became even more chaotic under the realm’s influence.Kaien clenched his jaw tightly.Even he was struggling.Beside him, Lan Su stumbled slightly before quickly forcing he

Third POV After the evaluation finally came to an end, the remaining participants were gradually dismissed from the arena one after another.Several disciples immediately gathered around the higher ranked candidates, either congratulating them or openly trying to recruit connections while the elders finalized the results above.Kaien paid little attention to any of it.His unstable core still pulsed painfully beneath the surface, forcing him to constantly suppress the violent qi fluctuations threatening to spiral out again.Not far away, Elder Shen’s gaze lingered briefly on him one last time before he finally looked away.Then one of the elders stepped forward calmly.“The successful participants will now be assigned temporary residence within the outer sect,” he announced. “You will officially receive your placements after the initiation period ends.”Several disciples immediately straightened respectfully.The elder’s gaze swept across the crowd briefly before settling on a younge

Kaien then replayed the events of the evaluation slowly inside his mind. The elder’s gaze had remained on him far longer than it should have.Even now, remembering it made Kaien feel faintly unsettled.Had he revealed too much?Kaien frowned slightly. During the trial, he had deliberately suppressed most of his strength. But it seemed like that elder still seemed to notice something.Kaien slowly exhaled.The Jiuyao Abyss was far more dangerous than the lower realms. If someone here truly discovered the fragment or the abnormalities within his body, the consequences would be troublesome.Very troublesome.A sudden knock interrupted his thoughts.Kaien’s eyes opened immediately.“Enter.”The door slid open shortly afterward and A disciple stood outside respectfully.“Brother,” he greeted with a slight bow. “Elder Shen has requested your presence.”Kaien’s eyes narrowed faintly.So soon.Outwardly, however, his expression remained calm.“I understand.”The walk through the sect remained

“That definitely wasn’t normal.”“He used some kind of forbidden technique…”“Black magic…”The accusations grew louder with every passing second.Some disciples looked openly fearful now while others stared at Kaien with suspicion and hostility.Ren Tao himself remained kneeling on the ground, humiliation twisting his expression as several disciples hurried toward him.Lan Su immediately stepped closer to Kaien afterward.“We should leave now,” she muttered quietly.Kaien nodded once.Li Wei stayed unusually silent as the three of them quickly left the courtyard behind.Even while walking away, Kaien could still feel countless gazes fixed onto his back.The rumors had already started.And inside a sect like this, rumors spread faster than wildfire.The walk back to their quarters was far more solemn than before.Li Wei looked visibly unsettled by everything that happened while Lan Su occasionally glanced toward Kaien as though wanting to say something.Eventually, after reaching the