CHRONICLE OF THE VEILED ASCENSION
Chapter 4: Sharpened Edges
"Combat testing will begin now," Elder Zhou announced, his voice cutting through the nervous chatter.The training ground had been cleared, forming a large circular arena marked by formation stones. These would create a protective barrier, preventing fatal injuries while allowing disciples to fight at full strength. Chen Ye had experienced these formations countless times in his previous life — they were reliable, if somewhat painful when you hit the barrier at high speed."Combat will be one-on-one duels," Elder Zhou continued. "I will select pairs based on cultivation level. You will fight until submission, incapacitation, or my judgment. Holding back excessively will cost you points. Excessive brutality will disqualify you. Is that understood?""Yes, Elder!"Chen Ye watched as the first pairs were called. Most matches were straightforward — clumsy technique exchanges, predictable patterns, fights that revealed inexperience more than skill. These were outer disciples, after all. Most had been cultivating for only a year or two.But Chen Ye had twenty years of experience compressed into his fifteen-year-old body. Every mistake he saw, he'd made himself. Every opening, he'd learned to exploit. Every technique, he'd faced and overcome.It's almost unfair, he thought without sympathy. But fairness is a luxury I can't afford."Chen Ye," Elder Zhou's voice called out. "Step forward."The murmuring increased as Chen Ye walked into the arena. His earlier performance on the Testing Stone had made him a topic of interest. Now everyone wanted to see if his cultivation matched his combat ability."Your opponent: Wang Ming."Chen Ye's lips twitched slightly. Of course. Wang Ming, the arrogant disciple who'd confronted him at the Mission Hall. This wasn't random selection — Elder Zhou was testing something. Perhaps seeing if Chen Ye's new strength came with corresponding skill, or simply giving Wang Ming a chance to put an upstart in his place.Wang Ming entered the arena with a confident stride, his hand resting on a well-crafted steel sword — far better than Chen Ye's basic iron blade. His cultivation was Late Awakening Stage, and his family's wealth had clearly bought him quality instruction."Try not to embarrass yourself too badly," Wang Ming said loudly enough for others to hear. "I'll try to end this quickly."Chen Ye said nothing. Words were wasted energy. He simply drew his sword and settled into a basic guard stance.Elder Zhou raised his hand. "Begin!"Wang Ming charged immediately, his sword trailing a line of spiritual energy. It was an aggressive opening — Rushing River Strike, a common outer sect technique. Powerful, but telegraphed.Chen Ye sidestepped.The movement was minimal, efficient. Wang Ming's blade passed harmlessly through empty air where Chen Ye had stood a moment before. Off-balance from the missed strike, Wang Ming stumbled slightly.Chen Ye's sword whispered forward, tapping Wang Ming's extended wrist. No force, just contact. A reminder.That could have been a severing strike, the gesture said.Wang Ming's face flushed red. He recovered and attacked again, this time with a combination — horizontal slash followed by upward thrust. Better technique, but still predictable.Chen Ye parried the slash with minimal movement, redirecting rather than blocking. The thrust he avoided by shifting his weight, letting the blade pass inches from his ribs. His counter was instant — a lightning-fast strike toward Wang Ming's throat that stopped a hair's breadth from contact.The message was clear: I could have killed you twice now."Enough playing around!" Wang Ming snarled, abandoning technique for raw aggression. He channeled more spiritual energy into his blade, making it glow with power. The attacks came faster now, a flurry of strikes that would overwhelm most opponents.Chen Ye moved through them like water flowing around stones. Duck, sidestep, parry, deflect. Never blocking directly, never wasting energy. His face remained expressionless, almost bored.To the watching disciples, it looked like an impossible performance. How could someone match Wang Ming's Late Awakening Stage power while appearing so relaxed?But Chen Ye knew the truth. Cultivation stage mattered less than people thought. Wang Ming had more raw energy, yes, but he used it inefficiently. Every strike was over-committed, every movement telegraphed. He fought like someone who'd trained in safety, never experiencing real danger.Chen Ye fought like someone who'd died once and refused to do so again.After thirty seconds of futile attacks, Wang Ming was breathing heavily. His spiritual energy was depleting rapidly from the aggressive expenditure. Chen Ye's breathing remained steady.Time to end this, Chen Ye decided. Dragging it out serves no purpose.The next time Wang Ming committed to a heavy overhead slash, Chen Ye didn't dodge. Instead, he stepped forward into the attack's dead zone — too close for the blade to strike properly. His shoulder drove into Wang Ming's chest, disrupting his balance. Simultaneously, Chen Ye's sword swept Wang Ming's legs.Wang Ming crashed to the ground, the impact driving the air from his lungs. Before he could recover, Chen Ye's blade was at his throat."Yield," Chen Ye said quietly.Wang Ming's face was purple with humiliation and rage, but he wasn't stupid enough to continue. "I yield," he spat.Chen Ye stepped back, sheathing his sword. The entire fight had lasted less than two minutes.Elder Zhou nodded slowly, making notes on his jade slip. "Winner: Chen Ye. Next pair..."As Chen Ye left the arena, he felt dozens of eyes tracking him. The combat display had been more revealing than the cultivation test. Anyone could have a lucky breakthrough, but skill came from experience and training. For a fifteen-year-old to move like a seasoned warrior was unusual.Chen Ye kept his expression neutral, but internally he was calculating. He'd revealed more than intended, but holding back would have been equally suspicious. Elder Zhou was too sharp to be fooled by a deliberately poor performance.Balance, he reminded himself. Show enough to justify resources, not enough to draw dangerous attention.Liu Feng appeared beside him as he left the training ground. "That was impressive, brother. Where did you learn to fight like that?""Practice," Chen Ye replied shortly."Just practice?" Liu Feng's tone was casual, but his eyes were analytical. "You moved like you'd fought Wang Ming a hundred times before. Like you knew exactly what he'd do."Chen Ye met his gaze calmly. "Everyone has patterns. I just paid attention."It was technically true. People did have patterns. Chen Ye just had the unfair advantage of having watched those patterns for years in his previous timeline.Liu Feng studied him for a moment longer, then smiled. "Well, I'm glad you'll be joining my team tomorrow. With skills like that, hunting Spirit Wolves will be easy.""Perhaps," Chen Ye said noncommittally.As Liu Feng walked away, Chen Ye's analytical mind worked. Liu Feng's interest was growing. That could be useful or dangerous, depending on how it developed. For now, Chen Ye would play the role of a talented but humble outer disciple. Someone useful enough to cultivate as an ally, not threatening enough to eliminate.Let him think he's recruiting me, Chen Ye thought coldly. Let him believe he's the one in control.The comprehension test came last, conducted in a quiet hall where disciples examined ancient texts and attempted to understand cultivation theory.This was Chen Ye's strongest category. In his previous life, he'd spent decades studying technique manuals and cultivation methods. Now, with the Chronicle's knowledge added to his experience, he could parse cultivation theory that would baffle most inner disciples.The test presented a passage from an ancient manual on energy circulation, deliberately written in archaic language with multiple valid interpretations. Disciples had one hour to write their understanding.Chen Ye finished in fifteen minutes.His analysis was concise and accurate, demonstrating understanding well beyond his supposed experience level. He carefully avoided showing too much — no references to advanced techniques or forbidden knowledge. Just clear, logical reasoning that appeared to come from natural insight.When Elder Zhou reviewed his submission, the elder's eyebrows rose slightly."Chen Ye. Remain after the assessment concludes."Several disciples looked at Chen Ye with mixtures of envy and concern. Being singled out by an elder could mean reward or punishment. In this case, Chen Ye suspected it was neither.He wants to investigate, Chen Ye realized. My progress is too sudden to ignore.An hour later, Chen Ye stood alone in Elder Zhou's office, a sparse room decorated only with cultivation manuals and weapon racks."Chen Ye," Elder Zhou began, settling behind a simple desk. "Your performance today was remarkable. Peak Awakening cultivation, superior combat skills, and comprehension that rivals inner disciples. Three months ago, you were barely qualified to remain in the outer sect. Explain this transformation."Chen Ye had prepared for this question. "Elder, I experienced a breakthrough in understanding. Three months ago, I was injured during a mission and nearly died. While recovering, I had... insights. About how I'd been wasting my cultivation potential."It was close enough to truth. He had died and gained insights. The timeline was just slightly off."What kind of insights?" Elder Zhou pressed."That I was following techniques incorrectly. Rushing when I should be patient, forcing when I should be guiding. I started over, purifying my foundation before advancing. The progress came naturally after that."Elder Zhou was silent for a long moment, studying Chen Ye's face. "You're not lying, but you're not telling the complete truth either."Chen Ye's heart rate increased slightly, but he kept his expression respectful. "Elder, I've shared what I understand. If my knowledge seems advanced, perhaps it's because I stopped trying to be clever and focused on fundamentals."Another long silence. Then Elder Zhou nodded slowly."I've seen many disciples in my years at this sect. Some are naturally talented. Some work hard to compensate for limited gifts. You, Chen Ye, are something different. You carry yourself like someone who has seen combat, real combat where hesitation means death."Perceptive, Chen Ye thought. Dangerously so."I will be watching your progress with interest," Elder Zhou continued. "The sect needs talented disciples, but talent without character breeds demons. Do not become someone I must regret not eliminating early."The threat was subtle but clear. Elder Zhou suspected something unusual about Chen Ye. He was willing to give the benefit of doubt for now, but that tolerance had limits."I understand, Elder. I seek only to serve the sect and advance my cultivation.""See that you do." Elder Zhou dismissed him with a wave. "Your resource allocation for next quarter will be in the top tier. Use it wisely."Chen Ye bowed respectfully and left, his mind racing.Elder Zhou was more dangerous than he'd remembered. The old man had survival instincts that came from decades of sect politics. He'd identified Chen Ye as an anomaly, even if he couldn't explain why.I'll need to be more careful, Chen Ye concluded. But I can't slow down either. The timeline demands rapid progress.That evening, Chen Ye sat in his room, completing the final cycle of Abyssal Tide Circulation.The pain was excruciating, the worst yet. Every meridian felt like it was being scoured with broken glass. Black impurities oozed from his pores in unprecedented amounts. His body convulsed, his jaw clenched so hard he tasted blood.But Chen Ye held the circulation steady. He'd come too far to fail now.Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the technique completed.[Abyssal Tide Circulation - Complete]
[Meridian Purity: 95%]
[Foundation Quality: Excellent]
[Breakthrough to Foundation Stage now available]
[Warning: Breakthrough will require 12-16 hours of uninterrupted cultivation. External protection recommended.]Chen Ye opened his eyes, his body trembling but his spirit soaring. Ninety-five percent purity. In his previous life, he'd never achieved better than seventy percent. This foundation would support heights he'd never dreamed possible before.But the breakthrough would leave him vulnerable. Twelve to sixteen hours of deep cultivation where he'd be unable to defend himself. In the sect, that meant risk. Disciples died during breakthrough attempts — sometimes from failure, sometimes from "accidents."I need a secure location, Chen Ye thought. Somewhere I won't be disturbed.An idea formed. Tomorrow's Spirit Wolf hunt with Liu Feng's team. If he could separate from the group briefly, find a secure cave or hidden location in the forest...Risky. But everything worth doing was risky.Chen Ye smiled coldly in the darkness. Tomorrow would be interesting. A hunt where the prey might become the hunter. Where every member of the team had their own agenda. Where Chen Ye would either secure his breakthrough to Foundation Stage or die trying.Just like old times, he thought. Except this time, I know how the game is played.Outside his window, the moon rose over Azure Cloud Sect, painting everything in silver light. Tomorrow, blood would be shed in the outer forests. The only question was whose.