The murmurs of the crowd were still thick in the air when Elder Yan stepped forward, his long sleeves swaying with each deliberate stride. His gaze swept over the remaining disciples. “Enough,” he said, his voice carrying over the courtyard like the toll of a deep bell. The noise died instantly. Even the wind seemed to hesitate. “You have endured the Second Trial,” Elder Yan continued, each word precise. “But endurance alone does not make an inner disciple. Tomorrow will be the Final Trial, the one that will strip away pretenses and leave only truth. Strength, yes. Skill, certainly. But above all… adaptability.” His gaze lingered on each of them, pausing on Quinn just long enough to send an involuntary shiver down his spine. He clasped his hands behind his back. “Rest well tonight. At dawn, you will gather here. By tomorrow’s end, only twelve of you will earn the right to step through the Inner Gate. The rest will return back.” A ripple went through the group, it was excitemen

The panther vanished. Then it reappeared and its jaws were a hand’s breadth from his face. Quinn’s world slowed. He saw the curve of each tooth. The ripple of the muscle down its shoulder. The bead of its silver eye narrows into focus. Something deep in his chest shifted like a lock turning in a door. His vision got clearer immediately. He then moved with the surety of instinct awakened. The blade in his hand met the inside of the beast’s jaw, slicing upward through flesh and bone in one smooth arc. The beast howled in pain and staggered back, shaking its head violently. [Breakthrough Detected: Qi Foundation — Level Five Achieved] [All Attributes +10% | Spiritual Sense Expanded] Quinn felt the change as much as he saw it in the System’s overlay. His qi flowed smoother, and cleaner, like water freed from a blocked channel. The crushing pressure of the panther’s killing intent no longer felt like a mountain, it was more like a heavy storm he could still walk through. Elder