Black Mist Forest welcomed their steps with a silence different from the days before. Thin mist still hung lazily among the trunks of the ancient trees, but the air that had once felt choking and poisonous now carried the scent of damp earth and the freshness of young leaves. Afternoon sunlight pierced through the gaps in the foliage, scattering long golden shafts across the rocky path.Qin Zilong walked without hurry. His black robes swayed gently in rhythm with his steady, measured strides. No trace of injury remained on his body, and his breathing was completely calm, nothing like the ragged gasps after the fierce battle against Elder Xue. Seven full days inside the dimensional space had healed and erased every mark of that fight completely.Behind him, the sound of small, rapid footsteps never ceased.Tap. Tap. Tap.Tianyi.The young Sacred Winged Lion ran a little to the left, then leapt to the right, sniffing every tree trunk they passed with overflowing curiosity. From time to

The morning sun crept upward from behind the ridges of the Heavenly Sword Mountains, brushing away the remnants of mist that clung to the sheer cliffs. A heavy vibration shattered the silence as the giant bronze bell tolled.Dooong!The wave of sound slammed into the sea of clouds, triggering the wingbeats of thousands of spirit birds from the crowns of ancient trees. Below, the ocean of people who had been frozen at the foot of the mountain since dawn all looked up in unison.The Heavenly Sword Gate towered thirty meters high, flanked by two ancient stone sword blades that radiated an invisible pressure. Anyone standing before it without a solid cultivator foundation was forced to regulate their breathing more tightly. Beyond it, thousands of stone steps vanished into the thick mist leading toward the sect’s peak.For the more than five thousand participants crowded on the plaza—from noble clans to luxurious mounted royal processions—that gate was the dividing line between heaven and

“Qing Zilong!”Elder Mu Rong’s voice rose again, this time ringing coldly, releasing a pressure of Qi that made several low-level disciples shiver. “This is the second call. If there is no response by the third count…”Mu Rong drew a breath, his hand moving to touch the parchment scroll in order to close the list. “…your name will be permanently declared eliminated from the records of the Heavenly Sword Sect.”Before the word “eliminated” had fully left the old man’s lips…Tap.The sound was small. Almost swallowed by the morning breeze.Tap. Tap.Footsteps.Their rhythm was constant. Neither hurried nor lingering. In the middle of the plaza that had suddenly locked into absolute silence, the sound of shoe soles striking the stone pavement rang so clearly, as though it struck directly against the eardrums of everyone present.The crowd near the gate slowly parted to the sides, pushed aside by the invisible pressure carried by the new figure.A young man in a simple black robe

Several participants behind Wang Li joined in with soft snickers, feeling they had support to join in.“True, this is basically looking for death.”“Destroyed meridians and still wanting to join the sword sect selection? Want to be a clown?”Zilong was completely undisturbed. His eyebrows did not even twitch the slightest bit. He only looked at Wang Li with empty eyes, as though the man in front of him was joking alone on an empty stage.“Finished?” Zilong asked flatly.Wang Li was stunned for a moment. That single word felt so strange in the middle of the insults he had thrown.“If you’re finished…” Zilong took one step forward, brushing past Wang Li’s shoulder without the slightest concern, “…get out of my way.”There was no threatening tone. There was no angry shout. Yet the way Zilong treated him as though he were nothing more than dust on the floor made Wang Li’s face turn deep red in an instant. The veins at the temples of the young man from the Wang Clan immediately bulged outw

That reality made several people swallow hard. An invisible rift began to form among the crowd; those who hated Zilong still looked down on him, while those who thought clearly felt a chill at the speed of that growth.Far back in the ranks of the Qing Clan, Qing Tian stood rigid. His eyes trembled as he stared at his son’s back. Earth Realm Third Level might be ordinary in the eyes of disciples from a major sect, but for a father who had watched his son be poisoned and humiliated for three years, it was a miracle. The corner of Qing Tian’s lips lifted into a smile of pride that he made no effort to hide.“Clan Leader,” an elder whispered with a trembling voice. “The Young Master has truly reached Earth Realm.”“He never broke his promise,” Qing Tian replied softly.In front of them, Wang Li was still trying to press Zilong with his sneer.“So what? Do you want everyone to praise you? Too bad, the gap between us is still one level.”Qing Zilong glanced sideways briefly. His gaze was f