The sect bells tolled thrice at dawn, the sound heavy and resonant, echoing through the Nine Heavens Cloud Sect like a judgment hammer. Every disciple knew what those bells meant—punishment, a public sentence carried out for all to witness.
And this morning, the name whispered from every lip was the same.
"Kai."
"The trash disciple who killed Yueming…"
"Not trash anymore. Didn't you hear? He crushed Zhou Yan and even stood tall against Senior Yao's pressure!"
"Doesn't matter. No matter how strong he's become, today he faces the Beast-Sealed Valley. No one comes back from there alive unless the heavens themselves favor them."
The sect paths filled with robed disciples, flowing toward the Grand Punishment Plaza like a tide. Iron Vein Hall's disciples were the loudest, their smirks cruel, their voices thick with anticipation. But beneath the surface chatter, a ripple of unease spread. Kai had defied odds again and again. What if this storm of punishment didn't bury him, but forged him into something far sharper?
---
The Judgment
Kai stood at the center of the plaza, his black training robe torn but clean, his eyes as calm as still water. The punishment platform rose beneath his feet, etched with suppressing runes that glowed faintly as if eager to shackle him. Around him, hundreds of disciples crowded, whispering, pointing, watching.
Elder Wei, the iron-blooded enforcer of sect law, stepped forward, his voice booming like thunder.
"Disciple Kai, outer-sect rank unknown. You stand accused of defying sect harmony, slaying a fellow disciple, and spreading unrest. By decree of the elders, you are sentenced to enter the Beast-Sealed Valley for three full nights. Survive, and you shall be considered absolved. Fail…"
His eyes gleamed cold.
"…and the sect shall mark your name in the Book of Ashes."
A hush fell. Everyone knew what that meant. Survival in that cursed valley was nearly impossible.
Iron Vein disciples broke the silence with jeers. "Three nights? He won't last three hours!"
Kai's lips curled into a thin smile. Three nights? If the sect wants to test me, then I'll use their trial to sharpen my blade. Come storm or shadow, I won't bow.
---
The System Stirs
Just as the elder's decree settled in his ears, a soft chime echoed within his consciousness.
> Ding!
New Minor Feature Unlocked: Survival Log
– Records every danger you endure in extreme environments.
– Rewards adaptive growth and passive stat boosts for surviving lethal conditions.
– Current Challenge: "Endure the Beast-Sealed Valley."
Kai's heart thudded once, steady and strong. The punishment wasn't just a noose—it was an opportunity. So the System recognizes even this trial… then I'll wring every drop of growth from it.
---
Sect Politics in Motion
Not all eyes in the plaza gleamed with cruelty. From the higher platforms where inner disciples and elders sat, silent discussions rippled.
"Look at his composure. Not even a flicker of fear."
"He has spirit… but spirit alone cannot overcome the Valley."
"He is dangerous. If he survives, Iron Vein's dominance in the outer sect will be shaken."
A shadowed elder, half-hidden in the ranks above, narrowed his eyes. His fingers tapped his sleeve rhythmically. The faintest curl of a smile tugged his lips. Let the boy bleed. The Valley will test him better than I ever could.
---
The Descent
Kai was escorted by two grim-faced enforcers through the northern gates, past layers of spiritual barriers that shimmered faintly against the dawn light. Ahead stretched the jagged maw of the Beast-Sealed Valley—a scar on the earth where thick black mists writhed like living things. The air itself smelled of old blood and rotting beasts.
The enforcers stopped at the edge.
"Enter," one barked. "At dawn three days hence, if you crawl out alive, the sect will cleanse you of guilt. Until then, you are on your own."
Kai stepped forward without hesitation. The mist swallowed him whole.
The valley closed behind him with a sound like grinding teeth.
---
The Valley's Grip
Darkness pressed down like a shroud. The mists were thick, carrying whispers and growls that curled in the ears. The ground was uneven, littered with bones of beasts and disciples alike. Jagged trees stretched like claws, their bark slick with black ichor.
> Survival Log Activated.
Condition: Toxic Spiritual Miasma detected.
Passive boost gained: +2 Endurance.
Kai inhaled slowly, forcing his qi to circulate, burning away the worst of the poison. His body ached under the oppressive aura, but his mind sharpened. Good. If this place wants to break me, I'll bend it into fuel instead.
The first growl came minutes later—a massive wolf-like beast with scales instead of fur, eyes glowing sickly green. Its claws scraped against stone as it circled him, saliva sizzling where it dripped.
Kai lowered his stance, fist tightening.
The beast lunged.
---
First Blood
The valley erupted in motion. Kai's fist met scale with explosive force, the impact rattling his bones. Pain shot up his arm, but the wolf staggered, ribs cracking. It snarled, recovering instantly, and lashed its tail like a whip. Kai rolled aside, his senses heightened by the deadly mist.
Too fast to drag this out.
He drew qi to his legs, lunged forward, and slammed his palm against the wolf's jaw. The crack of bone echoed, followed by a gurgling whimper as the beast collapsed, twitching.
Blood steamed in the mists.
> Survival Log Updated!
Entry #1: Slain Mistfang Direwolf.
Adaptation Boost: +1 Strength.
Kai exhaled, sweat dripping. So every kill and every step here feeds me. Then I'll carve my path one beast at a time.
---
The Nights of Terror
The hours bled into one another. The valley was relentless. Pack beasts stalked him in twos and threes. Birds with talons sharp enough to rend stone swooped from above. At night, the mists thickened until even his senses screamed with false visions.
He slept barely an hour at a time, leaning against bone piles, every nerve awake. Each battle tore his body but honed his instincts. His fists grew heavier, his dodges sharper.
Pain sharpens me. Fear tempers me. If the sect thinks this will bury me, they've handed me a forge instead.
By the second night, his robe was in tatters, his knuckles raw, blood crusted across his arms and chest. His eyes burned with fatigue, yet within them blazed a light that hadn't been there before.
The light of someone who refused to die.
---
Sect Reactions
Back in the sect, word spread like wildfire.
"Still alive?"
"He's lasted two nights? That's impossible!"
Even Iron Vein disciples began to falter in their mockery. Meanwhile, neutral factions whispered in awe. Inner disciples began recording bets. Elders debated behind closed doors—whether to let Kai's rise continue or to intervene before he became too dangerous.
The shadowy elder simply smiled, waiting.
---
The Third Night
The valley grew silent as Kai limped deeper, every breath ragged but controlled. His qi swirled thicker than before, his survival having forced him to break through a bottleneck without even noticing.
But the silence was not mercy.
It was a warning.
Ahead, the mists parted to reveal a beast unlike the others—a colossal, half-decayed serpent, scales rotting but eyes burning with undying hunger. It was a relic of the valley, something that had devoured countless disciples.
Kai's lips curled into a grim grin.
"Perfect. A storm deserves a storm's end."
The serpent lunged, fangs gleaming like spears.
And Kai roared back, fists surging with qi as the System chimed.
> Survival Log Critical Challenge Detected!
Victory grants bonus reward.
The valley shook as man and beast clashed, thunder echoing in the dark.
---
Cliffhanger
Outside, dawn's first light brushed the sect gates. Disciples gathered again, waiting to see whether Kai's name would be etched into the Book of Ashes… or carved into legend.
The Beast-Sealed Valley rumbled in the distance.
And Kai's battle cry still echoed within.