The cheers from the Outer Sect Trial finals had not yet faded when Lin Yuan quietly left the arena. While most disciples were celebrating, lamenting, or boasting, he had no interest in lingering. Victory was only a checkpoint, not an end. The system's silence told him something more important was approaching.
As he walked toward the quieter stone paths behind the sect, a faint fluctuation brushed against his senses.
Not hostility.
Observation.
Lin Yuan slowed his steps but did not turn around. The system reacted a moment later.
[Unknown Individual Detected]
[Cultivation: Concealed]
[Threat Level: Undetermined]
He continued walking until the path narrowed near a bamboo grove. Only then did a soft voice speak from behind him.
"You're more cautious than I expected."
Lin Yuan turned.
A young woman stood several paces away, dressed in plain outer disciple robes. Her appearance was unremarkable at first glance, but her eyes were sharp and calm, completely unlike those of ordinary disciples. She neither flattered nor feared him.
"State your purpose," Lin Yuan said evenly.
The woman studied him for a moment before inclining her head slightly. "My name is Yu Yan. I've been observing you since the third round of the trial."
Most people would have been alarmed by such an admission. Lin Yuan was not.
"You hide your cultivation," he said. "Poorly."
Yu Yan's lips curved faintly. "So the rumors are true. You really can see through disguises."
The system chimed softly.
[Analysis Update: Yu Yan – Bloodline concealed, cultivation suppressed deliberately, intelligence high]
[Recommendation: Do not antagonize prematurely]
"I don't enjoy being watched," Lin Yuan said.
"Neither do I," Yu Yan replied. "Which is why I usually do the watching."
Silence stretched between them. The bamboo leaves rustled in the wind, filling the gap with soft whispers.
Finally, Yu Yan spoke again. "You're not like the others. Your growth rate doesn't follow logic. It doesn't follow talent either."
"And?" Lin Yuan asked.
"And that makes you dangerous," she said calmly. "To them. And useful to me."
Lin Yuan's gaze sharpened. "Explain."
Yu Yan stepped closer, stopping just short of his personal space. "The Inner Sect Trial isn't what most people think. It's not just about strength. It's about elimination. Political factions. Bloodline suppression. Silent deaths."
Her words were precise, devoid of exaggeration.
"Outer disciples see promotion," she continued. "Inner elders see resources. Pawns. Threats."
Lin Yuan already suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed was useful.
"What does this have to do with you?" he asked.
Yu Yan met his eyes. "I need someone strong enough to disrupt their expectations. Someone unpredictable."
"And you think that's me."
"I know it is," she said.
The system reacted immediately.
[Hidden Opportunity Detected]
[Alliance Probability: High Reward, Moderate Risk]
Lin Yuan considered her carefully. She had not threatened him. She had not flattered him. She had approached him directly, after he had already proven his dominance.
"You want an alliance," he said.
Yu Yan nodded. "Temporary. Strategic. We don't interfere with each other's goals, but we share information. That alone increases survival chances by over fifty percent."
"Survival?" Lin Yuan asked, amused.
She smiled faintly. "You think everyone who enters the Inner Sect Trial survives it?"
Lin Yuan did not answer immediately.
He remembered the attempted betrayal. The silent malice behind polite faces. The way certain elders had watched him during the finals—not with pride, but calculation.
Finally, he spoke. "What do you gain?"
Yu Yan did not hesitate. "Access to whatever is protecting you. Not directly. Just proximity."
That was honest enough.
The system chimed again.
[Decision Advisory: Alliance beneficial for early inner sect arc]
[Warning: Do not reveal system existence]
Lin Yuan nodded slowly. "Fine. Temporary alliance."
Yu Yan exhaled quietly, as if releasing a tension she had kept hidden. "Good. Then I'll give you something useful in return."
She reached into her sleeve and produced a thin jade slip, placing it gently on a nearby stone.
"Names," she said. "The ones most likely to target you during the Inner Sect Trial. Their backgrounds. Their patrons."
Lin Yuan picked it up. The moment his spiritual sense brushed against it, information flooded his mind.
Three inner disciples.
Two outer elders.
One inner elder faction leader.
He smiled faintly.
"This is worth more than you realize," he said.
Yu Yan tilted her head. "Then we understand each other."
She turned to leave, pausing only once. "One more thing. During the Inner Sect Trial… don't trust the rules."
Lin Yuan watched her disappear into the bamboo grove.
The system finally spoke again.
[New Status: Temporary Alliance Established]
[Bonus: Information Advantage +20%]
Lin Yuan tucked the jade slip into his robes and looked toward the inner sect peaks rising above the clouds.
Enemies in the open were easy.
Enemies hidden behind authority were more interesting.
With allies like this—and the Eternal Dao System guiding him—he would not merely survive the Inner Sect Trial.
He would tear it apart and rebuild it in his own image.