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Chapter 24: The Beast Trial

  Li Yun’s eyes fluttered open once again, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling of the wooden house he now called home. No matter how many times he woke up here, the feeling of displacement never faded. He belonged here now, but he couldn’t quite accept it.

  His thoughts drifted back to his friends, to the sect, to the life he had before everything changed. He could still remember their voices—laughing, arguing, teasing. He could almost hear the steady clatter of training swords, the scent of incense lingering all around the sect coliseum. Those days felt like a lifetime ago, yet they remained vivid in his mind, as if mocking his solitude.

  A cold ache settled in his chest. He had never been truly alone before. There had always been someone by his side, even if it was just a fellow examinee complaining about how hard the next exam was. Now, silence greeted him at every turn, stretching endlessly with no one to fill the void. He hadn’t realized how much he had taken their presence for granted until it was ripped away from him.

  He sighed, rubbing his face. He was alone again.

  Well, not entirely. At least he had Stellar Core to keep him company.

  Sighing, he sat up and stretched, trying to shake off the lingering weight in his chest. Today, he wanted to do something different. He needed to familiarize himself with the land.

  “The forest is vast. Not knowing its layout could mean the difference between survival and death,” he murmured, his mind quickly assessing the situation. If he were to stay here long-term, he needed to understand the terrain, locate safe zones, identify natural water sources, and pinpoint areas teeming with dangerous beasts. Without knowledge of the land, he was vulnerable.

  He needed to approach this strategically. Instead of wandering aimlessly, he would first survey the outer perimeter, mapping key landmarks and memorizing potential escape routes. From there, he could gradually extend his exploration, ensuring he always had a path to retreat if necessary.

  With a firm plan in mind, he readied himself to set out. But just as he was about to step outside, the system chimed.

  [Congratulations, Host. You have levelled up!]

  A window appeared before him, displaying his new level.

  Level: 15

  Skills:

  


      


  •   Shadow Step (Intermediate): Enhances movement speed and agility.

      


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  •   Blade Art - Crescent Blade (Advanced): A quick, precise blade technique designed for rapid strikes formed from the celestial energy embedded in the users hand.

      


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  •   Qi Control (Intermediate): Allows the user to manipulate internal energy with improved efficiency.

      


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  •   Endurance Training (Advanced): Increases stamina and resilience to physical damage.

      


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  •   Fallen Leaf Sword Arts (Intermediate): Grants the user the ability to see red threads that efficiently lead the user to the best course of elimination.

      


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  •   Forged Titan Physique (Beginner): Grants the user an extraordinarily sturdy body, enhancing the muscle fibers with every strand of qi available.

      


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  Stats:

  


      


  •   Strength: 23

      


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  •   Agility: 25

      


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  •   Endurance: 22

      


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  •   Qi Reserves: 100

      


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  •   Perception: 20

      


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  Titles:

  


      


  •   Celestial Descendant: A mysterious title linked to an unknown lineage.

      


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  •   Survivor of the Abyss: Granted for enduring near-fatal encounters.

      


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  •   Heaven’s Child: The one and only child that is favored by the heavens but is greatly watched by them.

      


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  Click to View More.

  [Additionally, Host has discovered a Celestial Art within your body.]

  Li Yun frowned. “A Celestial Art? Does it have something to do with this crescent mark on my hand?” He had speculated about its significance before, but there had never been an answer.

  The system remained silent for a moment before responding.

  [A Celestial Art is linked to the path of ERROR -- ERROR -- ERROR ^&^%(&**!*??. I hope this helped the Host.]

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  The moment the words left the system, something shifted. A shrill, high-pitched screech rang out in his mind, like metal scraping against metal. The system’s usual crisp voice fractured, distorting into something unrecognizable.

  [ACCESS DENIED. SYSTEM RESTRICTED. WARNING: INTRUSION DETECTED—] The message cut off into static, replaced by an eerie, whispering murmur—like a chorus of voices speaking over one another, their words unintelligible but laced with something sinister.

  Li Yun clutched his head as a wave of nausea rolled through him. The air around him felt heavy, oppressive, as if an unseen force had descended upon the space.

  Then, for the briefest moment, his system window flickered, its usual text replaced by garbled symbols and corrupted data. Within the mess, a single phrase stood out, written in jagged, crimson letters:

  “DO NOT SEEK THE TRUTH.”

  And just as suddenly as it began, everything returned to normal.

  Li Yun staggered back, his breath uneven. “What the hell was that?! System, are you okay?”

  [I’m sorry, Host. It seems I have been prevented from revealing this information. Your access authority is not high enough for this classified data.]

  Li Yun clenched his fists. Someone—something—was restricting the system’s knowledge. If there was an entity that could do that, then surely they knew why he had the system, why he was reincarnated into a world of cultivation. Was it some divine being playing with him? A cosmic joke?

  He paced back and forth, his mind a tempest of speculation, trying to piece together the implications of what had just happened. Who—or what—was interfering with his system? Was it a divine force? A remnant of his past life? The more he thought, the more the unease in his chest grew, an oppressive weight pressing down on his every breath. He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. There were too many unknowns, too many gaps in his understanding, and chasing after elusive answers would only lead him in circles. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to focus on what was tangible, what he could control. If there was a force working against him, then the only solution was to get stronger—strong enough that nothing could stand in his way, not even the unseen hand manipulating his fate.

  Returning to his original plan, he prepared for his exploration. He fashioned a small green-leaf pouch from the nearby trees and stored some grain pills inside—just in case. Once ready, he stepped out into the dense jungle.

  At first, the forest was serene. The chirping of birds echoed through the towering trees, the vibrant colors of flora a stark contrast to the sterile white halls of the sect. The scenery was beautiful. Peaceful.

  But peace never lasted long.

  As he ventured deeper, slicing away obstructing vines with his blades, he paused near the base of a towering tree, reaching into his makeshift pouch to retrieve a grain pill. The moment he sat down, the forest seemed to breathe around him—the distant hum of insects, the rustling of unseen creatures, the occasional flutter of a bird taking flight. The dense canopy above filtered the sunlight into fragmented patterns on the ground, casting shifting shadows that danced around him as he chewed absentmindedly.

  He wouldn’t have stopped otherwise. He wouldn’t have noticed.

  But in the moment of stillness, a faint sound reached him. At first, it was so distant, so fragile, that he almost dismissed it as the creak of swaying branches. But as he held his breath, straining his ears, it became clearer—a cry, thin and wavering, lost amidst the whispering leaves. It was almost as if the forest itself was mourning. A sound so subtle, so easy to miss, yet so profoundly out of place. His pulse quickened. If he had kept walking, if he had pushed forward just a little faster, he would have never heard it.

  Something—someone—was in distress.

  Heart pounding, he followed the sound, his every step slow and deliberate as the weight of an unseen dread settled over him. When he reached the clearing, the sight before him made his breath hitch.

  A massive beast, resembling a panda yet grotesquely altered, lay sprawled across the ground, its body covered in jagged iron scales that glistened menacingly under the fractured sunlight. A single, twisted horn jutted from its forehead, cracked and oozing dark blood. Its heaving breaths were ragged, laboured, its limbs twitching as it clung desperately to life.

  Standing over it was a horror beyond words—a monstrous serpent-like creature, its elongated body covered in thick, armoured hide that pulsed with a sickly sheen. Coiling muscles flexed beneath its scaled surface, each movement exuding terrifying strength. But it was the legs that unnerved Li Yun the most—thick, powerful avian limbs, ending in razor-sharp talons that dug deep into the earth, cracking the ground beneath its weight.

  The creature’s maw opened, revealing jagged fangs slick with fresh blood, and from its throat erupted a sound that was neither hiss nor roar, but a horrifying amalgamation of both, like the screech of metal grating against bone. The air itself seemed to shudder under its fury.

  Li Yun felt a chill crawl down his spine. He had seen beasts before, but nothing like this. This was a predator born from nightmares, a force of raw destruction. And it was still hungry.

  Li Yun’s eyes widened as he took in the tragic scene before him. The massive panda-like beast, its once-pristine fur now matted with thick, dark blood, lay sprawled across the forest floor. Its iron-scaled body shuddered with shallow, laboured breaths, each exhale accompanied by a wet, gurgling sound that sent chills down Li Yun’s spine. Its limbs twitched, futilely grasping at the air as though it were trying to fight against the inevitable pull of death.

  But it wasn’t just fighting for itself.

  Nestled within its massive embrace, barely visible beneath the weight of its protective arms, was a small cub. The tiny creature trembled violently, its round eyes wide with terror as it whimpered softly, nuzzling desperately against its parent’s unmoving form. The frail cries were heartbreakingly weak, a desperate plea for comfort, for warmth, for something that would never come.

  The parent’s broken eyes flickered toward Li Yun, its gaze filled with unspoken sorrow and desperation. With the last ounce of its strength, it raised a trembling claw—reaching out, beckoning him forward. It wasn’t a gesture of aggression, nor a plea for its own salvation.

  It was a final, silent request.

  Please I beg of you please save my child.

  His breath hitched. He couldn’t. But he so desperately wanted to help. He knew he couldn’t. No he knew he cant.

  This beast—this monstrous lizard-serpent—was beyond anything he had ever encountered at the sect. He had no hope of challenging it. Even the system was screaming inside his head, blaring warning alerts.

  [WARNING! WARNING! THREAT LEVEL: MORTAL PERIL. HOST IS ADVISED TO EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!]

  Li Yun swallowed hard and took a step back.

  But the moment he moved, the lizard beast’s reptilian eyes snapped toward him. Its pupils narrowed into slits as its long neck stretched forward. And then, it charged.

  Darkness.

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