C55 - The Second Night

The forest grew darker as the sun disappeared behind the western mountains.

Ye Chen and Lin Xu continued walking without speaking. Behind them, the ravine slowly disappeared into the trees.

Neither looked back.

The encounter with the Black-Horned Earthscale Python had changed the atmosphere of the trial. Before today, the forest had felt like a battlefield. Now it felt like a cage. Every distant roar reminded them that something far stronger might be watching from the shadows.

Lin Xu finally broke the silence.

"How many points do we have?"

Ye Chen checked his jade token. The numbers slowly appeared.

Spirit Beasts: 10 points.

Hidden Mission: 10 points.

Mission Markers: 9 points.

Total: 29 points.

Lin Xu looked at his own token.

"Twenty-nine."

He smiled.

"That's actually not bad."

Ye Chen nodded.

"But we don't know how many the others have."

"Gu Lie probably has more."

"Probably."

They continued.

The forest floor gradually became flatter. After another hour, Ye Chen found a suitable place to rest. A large tree had fallen between two boulders, creating a natural shelter. He inspected the surrounding ground carefully.

No fresh tracks. No unusual plants. No signs of another group.

"Here."

Lin Xu dropped his bag.

"This is better than yesterday."

Ye Chen nodded. They didn't light a fire. Instead, they ate cold rations. The silence of the forest made every movement seem loud.

Lin Xu leaned against the tree.

"Do you think the injured disciple will be alright?"

"The sect should retrieve him."

"That's not what I meant."

Ye Chen looked at him. Lin Xu was staring into the darkness.

"He was still alive when we left."

"He'll probably survive."

"Probably."

Neither said anything more. After dinner, Ye Chen took out his sword. Lin Xu looked at him.

"You're training now?"

"Not training."

Ye Chen examined the blade.

"Checking it."

The sword had suffered several impacts during the day's battles. A small crack had appeared near the edge. Ye Chen ran his finger along it.

"It won't last much longer."

Lin Xu examined his own weapon. His sword was in slightly better condition.

"Do we need to find replacements?"

"Eventually."

"Where?"

"The trial has supply caches."

Lin Xu remembered the rules.

"Hidden ones?"

"Probably."

Ye Chen had noticed several symbols carved into trees during the previous day. At the time, he had assumed they were natural marks. Now he wasn't so sure.

He closed his eyes.

The previous day's events replayed in his mind.

The bronze markers. The hidden mission. The Spirit Spring. The Phantom Silk Spider. The Black-Horned Earthscale Python. Something connected them. He simply didn't know what.

A faint vibration suddenly passed through the ground. Ye Chen opened his eyes. Lin Xu immediately sat upright.

"You felt that?"

"Yes."

They waited.

Nothing happened.

Then another vibration.

This one was stronger.

The ground trembled beneath them. Leaves fell from the branches. Lin Xu stood.

"What is happening?"

Ye Chen looked toward the east.

The direction of the Spirit Spring.

"The python."

"You think it's still there?"

"Probably."

Another tremor passed through the earth. Then silence returned. Ye Chen frowned. The sensation had not felt like a beast moving. It had felt deeper. As though something beneath the ground had shifted. He decided not to investigate. Whatever had awakened near the Spirit Spring was beyond their current strength.

Survival came first.

"Sleep," he said.

Lin Xu stared at him.

"You can sleep after that?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Practice."

Ye Chen closed his eyes. His breathing slowly became steady. Lin Xu watched him for a moment before shaking his head.

"You're strange."

But eventually, he slept as well. Hours passed. The forest became completely dark. Clouds covered the moon. Then, somewhere in the distance...

A bell rang.

Dong.

Ye Chen's eyes opened.

The sound had come from the direction of the sect. The trial signal. One day had ended. Another six remained. The jade token around his waist glowed faintly.

A message appeared.

Day One Complete.

Participants Remaining: 187.

Ye Chen's expression changed slightly. They had started with over two hundred. Already, several disciples had been eliminated. Some had been injured. Some had voluntarily withdrawn. Others had probably been unable to survive. Lin Xu woke.

"What happened?"

"Day One is over."

He checked his token. The same message appeared. Then another line appeared beneath it.

Ranking will be announced at dawn. Lin Xu smiled.

"Now I'm curious."

Ye Chen didn't answer. He closed his eyes again. He didn't care about the ranking yet. There were still six days remaining. A single day's success meant nothing. But just before sleep returned, another message appeared on the jade token.

This one was different. The letters were faint.

Almost hidden.

Unregistered spiritual disturbance detected. Ye Chen's eyes opened immediately. He stared at the message.

Then it disappeared. No explanation. No warning. Nothing.

Ye Chen remained motionless. He didn't wake Lin Xu. Instead, he looked toward the eastern horizon. Somewhere far away, beneath the Emerald Spirit Forest...

something had changed.

And for reasons he couldn't explain, the Infinite Dao System inside his soul had reacted.

A faint sensation passed through his consciousness.

Not a voice. Not a message. Just recognition.

As though the system had noticed something familiar. Ye Chen's expression became solemn.

"What are you?"

The forest gave no answer. Only the distant wind moved through the trees. Ye Chen slowly closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, he would continue the trial. But now he had another question. What exactly had the sect buried beneath the Emerald Spirit Forest?

And why had the Infinite Dao System noticed it?