The moonlight cast long shadows across Shang Academy's northern gardens. Zhen Zenin walked slowly, his hands clasped behind his back, mind weaving through ancient formations and spiritual calculations. His cultivation was stabilizing, coiling like a sleeping dragon inside him.
He could feel it—one push away from Foundation Establishment.
But power invited attention. And not all eyes were friendly.
"Zhen Zenin," a soft voice called.
He turned. It was Yue Qing, dressed in a pale blue robe, her sword strapped behind her waist. Her gaze was calm, but there was something else behind her eyes—calculated interest.
"I've been observing you," she said, standing beneath a maple tree.
"I noticed," Zenin replied.
Yue Qing smirked. "You're a mystery to everyone. You don't seek allies, don't chase favor, yet you climb faster than anyone."
Zenin was silent.
"I came to make you an offer," she continued. "When the combat trials begin, join me. You'll face elite teams. Alone, you may pass. But with me, you'll dominate."
He turned his gaze toward her. "And why would the strongest disciple want me as an ally?"
Her smile didn't waver. "Because I don't believe in fate. I believe in danger. And you reek of it."
Zenin nodded once. "I'll consider it."
As she turned and walked away, he murmured,
> "In the Thirteen Hells, the most dangerous enemies wore the kindest masks."
Later that night, he returned to his courtyard to find a faint scent of herbs in the air—unfamiliar and bitter.
He scanned the area, eyes narrowing. Beneath his bed, he found a small pouch of Searing Vine Powder—an alchemical poison that paralyzed cultivators from the inside out.
Zenin stared at it, unmoving.
Then he burned it in his hand, flames turning white with intensity.
He sat cross-legged and began meditating, stabilizing his inner qi flow. No anger showed. No fear.
Only stillness.
> "She's testing the waters now," he thought. "It won't be long before she acts directly. I'll give her until Chapter Fifty. That will be her last warning."
Outside his courtyard wall, hidden in shadow, a figure watched him in silence. The poison had failed—but the plan was only just beginning.
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