At dawn, the skies above the Sect turned crimson — not from sunrise, but from the rising pressure of killing intent.
Disciples gathered around the Trial Stone Arena, where fresh blood still stained the cracked marble tiles from yesterday's combat duels.
This time, however, the elders didn't smile.
A white-robed instructor stood beside the stone platform, brows furrowed.
"Three inner disciples… vanished last night."
His voice was calm, but the undercurrent of qi in his words made it clear: This was not a mystery. It was a message.
A few disciples shifted uncomfortably. Some sneered, pretending indifference. Others were already whispering a single name behind clenched teeth.
"Kai Lin."
Kai Lin stepped into the arena, dressed in simple gray robes. No emblem. No inner disciple crest. Just a loose black sash and an aura colder than steel.
The Sect Master himself, Bai Shun, had taken a rare seat at the observation balcony. His presence quieted the air around the entire arena.
"Kai Lin of the Outer Sect… now of the Inner Sect. Step forward."
Kai Lin did not bow. He walked slowly, eyes unfocused — as if the world itself didn't deserve his attention.
His shadow stretched long behind him, yet made no sound when it passed over the cracked stone.
"You're accused of violating sect law. Murder of fellow disciples. Speak."
Kai Lin raised his head. His voice was as quiet as snowfall.
"No law was broken."
"Only silence maintained."
A few gasps echoed from the crowd.
One of the Liu branch family disciples snarled. "He admits it!"
Elder Guan narrowed his eyes.
"You tread a path that defies tradition, boy."
"Tradition is just noise," Kai Lin replied. "And I silence what needs silencing."
The Trial Stone pulsed with faint light. It did not detect a lie.
Suddenly, the jade bell rang out.
Ding!
Trial Combat Approved: Kai Lin vs. Inner Disciple Liu Fen (Iron Blood Realm, Stage Three)
Liu Fen stepped onto the platform, a broad saber drawn from his back. His qi was aggressive — flowing with fire essence, visible like red mist.
"You killed my cousin."
Kai Lin didn't respond.
"I'll shatter your bones and make your blood scream."
The audience tensed.
"Begin."
Liu Fen shot forward. Fire qi erupted beneath his feet, propelling him like a flaming arrow. His saber whistled through the air, aimed straight for Kai Lin's neck.
Kai Lin didn't move.
Not until the blade was less than an inch from his skin.
Then, silence fell.
Kai Lin's body vanished — no shift of wind, no step, no sound.
He appeared behind Liu Fen and tapped two fingers against his lower back.
Vein-Shattering Finger.
Liu Fen's body locked up mid-air. His saber dropped. His legs buckled.
Then, Kai Lin struck again — three precise hits along the spine and left shoulder.
Crack. Snap.
The sounds came not from impact, but from within Liu Fen's body. His qi reversed, rebounded, and burst his left arm's meridian from the inside.
He dropped to his knees, screaming.
But no sound came out.
Kai Lin had struck the throat's qi node first.
A soundless defeat.
Ding!
Hidden Quest Completed: Trial Combat – Defeat Inner Disciple Above Your Realm Without Drawing Weapon
Reward: Third Silent Saber Page + Blood Echo Cloak (Mystic Tier Item)
Bai Shun leaned forward in his seat. He didn't smile, but a flicker of interest crossed his ageless face.
"He cultivates… through severance."
"And he's doing it willingly."
Kai Lin turned without a word. The crowd parted before him.
Even the arrogant disciples who once mocked him stepped back.
There was no applause.
Only fear.
"They'll stop speaking soon," Kai Lin thought.
"Because I won't stop silencing them."
And high above, the third page of the black scroll bloomed inside his dantian:
"Sever pain."