The Outer Sect dormitories were a sprawling complex of wooden huts and stone courtyards. At this hour, silence reigned, broken only by the chirping of crickets and the snoring of exhausted disciples.
Mo Tian moved through the shadows. He didn't go to Wang Er's assigned room. That would be foolish; roommates would notice the difference in behavior immediately.
Instead, he headed for the Medicine Hall's waste disposal area.
He knew that the Outer Sect disciples often discarded "failed" pills and spirit herbs there. To a normal cultivator, they were toxic trash. To the Heaven-Devouring System, energy was energy.
As he skirted the edge of the training grounds, a voice called out from the shadows.
"You there! Stop!"
Mo Tian halted. His hand drifted to the hilt of the black iron sword.
A figure emerged from the gloom—a patrol enforcer. Blue robes. Inner Sect disciple. Qi Condensation Stage 8.
Trouble, Mo Tian calculated. Stage 8 is too high to insta-kill without noise. I must deceive.
"Identity token," the enforcer demanded, his hand resting on a fine steel scabbard. He looked suspicious. "Why are you wandering during curfew?"
Mo Tian bowed, perfectly mimicking the submissive posture of a terrified outer disciple. He held out Wang Er's token with shaking hands.
"Reporting to Senior Brother," Mo Tian stammered, pitching his voice higher. "I... I had a stomach ache. The spirit rice didn't agree with me. I was heading to the latrines."
The enforcer snatched the token, scanning it with his spiritual sense.
"Wang Er. Qi Condensation Stage 3. Hmph. Waste." The enforcer tossed the token back. It clattered on the ground. "Pick it up and get back to your hole. If I see you again, I'll break your legs."
"Thank you for your mercy, Senior Brother!" Mo Tian groveled, dropping to his knees to retrieve the token.
As he bowed his head, his eyes were hidden from the enforcer. The Eye of Truth flashed.
Name: Liu Feng Identity: Inner Sect Disciple Inventory: Medium-grade Spirit Stone x10, Spirit Gathering Pill x1 bottle. Current Status: Distracted, Arrogant.
Mo Tian licked his lips. Ten medium-grade stones. That is enough to push me to Stage 4.
But he held back. Killing an Inner Sect disciple now would trigger an investigation before the Exam. The risk outweighed the reward.
"Mercy is inefficiency," Mo Tian reminded himself. "But patience is strategy."
He stood up and scurried away, acting the part of the coward perfectly.
The enforcer watched him go, sneering. "Trash like that clutters the sect. I hope he dies in the exam tomorrow."
If Liu Feng had known that the "trash" had mentally marked the coordinates of his vitals for future harvesting, he would not have turned his back.
Mo Tian found a secluded spot behind the Medicine Hall. It was a dumping ground for alchemical slag. The fumes were noxious to normal humans, causing dizziness and Qi deviation.
Mo Tian sat directly in the toxic sludge.
"Devour."
The toxins were sucked into his pores. The poisonous fire of the failed pills, the rotting spiritual energy of the withered herbs—it all rushed into the black vortex of his dantian.
[Consuming Toxic Waste...] [Converting to Villain Qi...] [Constitution Improving...]
It wasn't as potent as human essence, but it was consistent.
As the sun began to rise, painting the sky in hues of blood and gold, Mo Tian opened his eyes. The grey pupils had a faint, vertical slit for a split second before returning to normal.
[Breakthrough Successful] [Current Realm: Qi Condensation - Stage 3]
A horn blasted across the mountain range.
The Outer Sect Examination begins.
Mo Tian stood up, shaking the dust from his stolen robes. A cruel smile played on his lips.
"Time to go to work."