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Chapter 15 - Chapter 15: A Shadow from the Inner Court

The moment Liu Shen stepped out of the rift, the world shifted.

The air, once thick with miasma, parted in a spiral. The corrupted mist that choked the Ashfire Hollow fled from him like prey sensing a predator.

Behind him, the crimson rift began to shrink, flickering violently.

And then—it collapsed.

A silent burst of spiritual shockwave rippled outward, flattening trees and shattering rocks within a hundred-meter radius. Dozens of remaining disciples who hadn't yet reached the center were thrown back, coughing blood.

Liu Shen remained still, unscathed.

> The rift closed itself… or rather, it sealed itself once I left. It wasn't a trial.

It was a test.

He glanced at his hands. The Flame-Sealed Soul Core had merged into his meridians. His cultivation had stabilized at late Foundation Realm, far ahead of any outer disciple—and even most inner court juniors.

He covered his Qi carefully.

> No need to show my cards. Not yet.

---

Outside the Hollow – Return of the Chosen

At the boundary of Ashfire Hollow, elders awaited the return of survivors.

Only eighteen made it back.

Some were missing limbs. Others trembled, haunted by whatever they'd seen inside.

But the one who walked out first, untouched and composed, was Liu Shen.

Elder Mo's expression froze. Beside him, Elder Jin narrowed his golden eyes.

"Report," Mo said.

Feng Lei limped forward, bandaged and pale. "He… he reached the rift. We followed. He survived. We didn't."

"Who?"

Feng Lei pointed weakly at Liu Shen.

"He fought like a monster. Crushed a shadow demon. Killed beasts in a single strike. He isn't normal!"

Murmurs erupted among the observers.

A senior inner court girl—Yu Xuelan—stepped down from the sky, her robes fluttering.

She was an envoy from the Inner Court Selection Division, here to scout potential candidates.

Her gaze locked onto Liu Shen immediately.

"You. Name?"

"Liu Shen," he replied, eyes calm.

"You'll come with me. A preliminary inner court test begins tomorrow. Anyone capable of surviving Ashfire Hollow's rift deserves a seat."

A murmur passed through the crowd again.

Outer court disciples never skipped the ranking duels. Yet Liu Shen had just been handpicked.

---

That Night – Disciplinary Hall, Hidden Chamber

A different room, a different kind of darkness.

There, within a stone chamber lit by cold green fire, a figure knelt before an ancient altar.

He wore black robes with a red sash—a symbol of the Demonic Execution Pavilion.

"The rift was closed," the figure said. "But… something else returned."

A voice echoed from the altar.

"Did he retrieve the soul core?"

"Yes."

A pause.

"…Begin observation. Do not interfere yet. But if he dares to ascend further without submitting to our mark—destroy him."

The kneeling man bowed deeper. "As you command, Pavilion Master."

---

Meanwhile – Liu Shen's Quarters

Liu Shen sat cross-legged in a secluded cultivation chamber provided by the selection envoy.

His mind wasn't on meditation.

He was reviewing the battle inside the rift.

> That echo of me… it wasn't just memory. It carried intent. My old killing will, the part I had to bury after I fell. If that power exists here, someone harvested it when I died.

> And Gu Yao's fragment... it didn't dissolve. It escaped into the cracks when the rift closed.

He opened his eyes slowly, sharp as blades.

> They've begun watching me. I can feel the spiritual threads around this room. Observation spells.

Let them watch.

For now.

---

Final Scene – Inner Court Pavilion

Yu Xuelan read a report under moonlight.

Liu Shen. Orphan from the borderlands. Poor background. No prior cultivation records before this year.

Yet now he had the aptitude of a high-tier inner court disciple.

> He's either a hidden genius… or something else entirely.

She folded the scroll.

And for the first time in years—smiled.

> Let's see what secrets you're hiding, Liu Shen.

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