The forest was quiet again, but it was a silence painted in blood. Broken branches littered the path, deep gouges marked the earth, and the stench of beast blood mingled with the copper tang of human wounds.
Disciples limped along the ridge, their formation shattered. Some carried the injured, others staggered alone, pale and trembling. Fear clung to them heavier than their weapons.
Wu Ming shuffled with his staff dragging in the dirt. "Senior Brother, I think I broke every bone in my body. Twice."
"You're walking," Chen Yu said dryly. "You're fine."
Wu Ming groaned. "Walking doesn't mean not broken. It means too stubborn to lie down."
Despite the humor, the exhaustion in his voice was real.
As they moved, whispers followed Lin Xuan like shadows.
"He blinded the Ironback…""He led them to stand, when even Core-backed disciples fled.""Look at his circle—unbroken, still steady…"
A few disciples edged closer to his group, their eyes uncertain but hopeful. One bowed his head slightly. "Lin Xuan… if not for you, we'd have scattered. You have my thanks."
Lin Xuan only inclined his head, his voice calm. "Keep your strength. More storms wait."
Others, however, muttered with envy."He thinks himself a commander now.""The elders will not let him rise unchecked.""Better to stay clear, lest Meng Zhao's faction cuts him down."
The campfire of his reputation burned brighter — and with it, shadows grew deeper.
That evening, they made camp by a stream. Li Mei washed blood from her blade with steady hands, her eyes sharper than before. Chen Yu practiced slow strikes in silence, sweat dripping steadily.
Wu Ming, wrapped in a blanket, muttered, "If beasts don't kill me, Senior Brother's training will. This trial is worse than death."
Lin Xuan glanced at them one by one. They were exhausted, battered, but they had stood firm. Step by step, their roots deepen. They are no longer weeds to be trampled. They are growing into steel.
The System stirred.
[Observation: Leadership impact measured.][Hidden Quest Progression: Allies strengthened through survival.][Fusion Potential: 15%. Expansion threshold increasing.]
Across the camp, other disciples tended wounds. Groans and curses filled the air. Some glared openly toward Lin Xuan's fire, their eyes sharp with jealousy.
"He makes them look weak.""Now everyone praises him.""But where were the elders? Why must we bleed while he gains glory?"
Fear had shifted into something darker — resentment.
Zhou Ren saw it.
He sat at his fire, surrounded by lackeys, a smile playing on his lips. His voice was soft, but his words carried venom.
"See how they look at him? Half with awe, half with hatred. Both are weapons."
One lackey asked, "Senior Zhou, what do we do? Another beast like that and—"
"—and Lin Xuan will lead again," Zhou Ren cut in, his grin widening. "We cannot allow it. So let us make the next beast his end."
He leaned close, whispering, "Spread word that he carries hidden elixirs. That he hoards what he finds, only helping his own circle. When the next attack comes, desperate hands will turn on him. And in the chaos… the beasts will finish what I began."
His followers smirked, their eyes glinting cruelly.
The night deepened. Fires burned low. The forest was no longer silent — heavy footsteps crunched faintly in the undergrowth. Low growls echoed through the mist, closer each hour.
Disciples gripped their weapons tighter, eyes darting nervously at every sound. No one slept well.
Wu Ming huddled under his blanket, trembling. "Senior Brother… that doesn't sound like wolves. That sounds like… something that eats wolves for breakfast."
Lin Xuan's gaze turned toward the trees, steady. "Beasts stalk us. They're waiting for the weak to falter."
The forest answered with another low growl.
Dawn came gray and heavy. The disciples rose with hollow eyes, nerves frayed raw. Rumors whispered already — that Lin Xuan hoarded elixirs, that his strength came from secrets stolen from others. The seeds Zhou Ren planted had begun to sprout.
And from the ridges ahead, a roar shook the air — deeper, heavier than even the Ironback. The ground trembled beneath their feet.
Wu Ming whispered hoarsely, "Senior Brother… if that's the main course, I'm full. Truly. I'm done."
Lin Xuan's spear settled calmly against his shoulder. His eyes gleamed, steady as ever. "Then we fight on empty stomachs."