Li Yun’s feet pounded against the forest floor, his senses on high alert as he and Jiu Tang sprinted through the dense jungle. Behind them, the chaotic shouts of their pursuers echoed through the trees, growing fainter as the pair widened the distance. Jiu Tang clutched the blue flag tightly, his breath coming in ragged gasps, while Li Yun’s expression remained cold and calculating.

“They’re persistent,” Jiu Tang muttered between gulps of air, glancing over his shoulder. “But we’ve got the lead.”

“Not for long,” Li Yun said sharply, his crimson eyes narrowing. They glowed faintly in the dim light, like embers smoldering in a dying fire, holding an intensity that seemed to pierce through the dense jungle. “Their attack team isn’t far behind. I can hear them closing in.”

The distant rustling grew louder, accompanied by heavy footsteps and shouted orders. The enemy’s attack team was gaining ground. Li Yun clenched his jaw, his mind racing for a solution. Suddenly, the dense canopy of trees broke, revealing an open clearing up ahead. The terrain shifted abruptly to flat grassland, the bright sunlight blinding after the shadowed jungle.

“This is bad,” Jiu Tang hissed, realizing the lack of cover made them vulnerable. “They’ll catch us here.”

Li Yun slowed his pace, his eyes scanning the clearing with a calculating gaze. “Good,” he muttered under his breath. “Let them.”

Jiu Tang hesitated, confusion flickering across his face, but before he could question Li Yun’s intent, the enemy burst into the clearing. Fourteen figures, led by a tall, sharp-eyed young man wielding a silver-edged glaive, emerged from the treeline. His regal demeanor and arrogant smirk marked him as their leader.

“Stop running and hand over the flag,” the leader demanded, his voice dripping with authority. “Or I’ll cripple you both where you stand.”

Li Yun stopped in his tracks, his swords glinting faintly in the sunlight as he turned to face the enemy. His calm demeanor only seemed to enrage the leader further.

“You’re bold for a commoner,” the leader sneered, raising his glaive. “Do you even know who I am? I’m Xue Han, son of the illustrious Xue family, whose reach and power extend far beyond what a lowly peasant like you could comprehend. To stand before me with such audacity... it’s laughable. Defy me, and I’ll make sure your families are wiped from existence, their names forgotten.”

At this, Jiu Tang stiffened. A flicker of fear crossed his face, but it quickly turned to defiance. “You must not know who you’re threatening,” he said, his tone mocking. “This here is Li Yun.”

Xue Han faltered for a moment, glancing at Li Yun. His gaze hardened again, though, as he scoffed. “I don’t care who he is. Both of you will fall here unless you surrender.”

Li Yun chuckled, his laughter low and menacing. “Your life was over the moment you were matched against me.” His tone was icy, his words cutting deeper than any blade. “If I were you, I’d pick a god and start praying. I don’t give second chances.”

The tension in the air was palpable. Xue Han’s confident façade wavered as Li Yun’s bloodlust began to seep into the clearing like an oppressive fog. The atmosphere grew heavy, and even the enemy’s strongest fighters felt an involuntary chill run down their spines. Jiu Tang, standing beside Li Yun, took a cautious step back, his earlier contempt for the commoner replaced by a deep unease.

“Enough of this!” Xue Han barked, his voice cracking slightly. “Take them down!”

As the enemy team surged forward, Li Yun’s lips curved into a devilish smirk. “Watch closely,” he murmured to Jiu Tang. “This is how you hunt prey.”

With a burst of speed, Li Yun launched himself at the oncoming attackers, his movements a blur. His first strike was devastating—a clean slash to the leg of the nearest opponent, the blade slicing through muscle and sinew with terrifying precision. Blood sprayed across the grass as the boy crumpled to the ground, screaming in agony.

Another enemy swung a heavy mace toward Li Yun’s side, but he sidestepped effortlessly, driving the hilt of his sword into the attacker’s throat. The sound of cartilage crunching was sickening, and the boy dropped his weapon, clutching his neck as he collapsed.

“You’re all talk,” Li Yun taunted, his voice calm and controlled even as chaos unfolded around him. “Where’s that noble strength you were bragging about?”

A third attacker lunged at him with twin daggers, their movements fast but unrefined. Li Yun parried both strikes with one sword, his other blade carving a deep gash across the boy’s arm. The dagger wielder stumbled back, blood pouring from the wound as he howled in pain.

The grass beneath them was soon slick with blood as Li Yun systematically dismantled his opponents. Each strike was deliberate, each movement calculated to incapacitate without killing. Yet the sheer brutality of his attacks left no doubt—he was sending a message.

Xue Han watched in horror as his team fell one by one. “Stop him!” he shouted desperately, his grip tightening on his glaive. “Don’t let him—”

Before he could finish, Li Yun closed the distance between them. Xue Han barely managed to raise his weapon in time to block the first strike, but the force of the blow sent him stumbling backward. Li Yun pressed the attack, his relentless assault leaving no room for Xue Han to recover.

With a final, bone-shattering strike, Li Yun drove the pommel of his sword into Xue Han’s chest, sending him crashing to the ground. Blood dripped from Xue Han’s mouth as he struggled to breathe, his glaive lying uselessly beside him.

Li Yun knelt beside the defeated leader, his voice low and menacing. “You walked into a tiger’s mouth head first,” he whispered, his crimson eyes glowing faintly. “And you didn’t even realize it.”

Xue Han’s face twisted in fear and pain, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he struggled to draw breath. His trembling hands clenched the dirt beneath him, but the fight had long since left his body. Li Yun stood over him, his swords still glinting with fresh blood. The aura of menace that radiated from him was palpable, suffocating.

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Li Yun’s gaze swept across the battlefield. The broken and bloodied bodies of Xue Han’s team were scattered like fallen leaves, their groans of pain mingling with the stillness of the jungle. The once-proud group of ‘geniuses’ had been reduced to trembling wrecks, unable to even meet Li Yun’s eyes.

From the treeline, Li Yun’s own team emerged cautiously. Their expressions were a mixture of awe, disbelief, and unease as they took in the scene before them. Jiu Tang, who had fought alongside Li Yun earlier, stopped short, his face pale as he looked at the carnage. Bai Meixian clutched her sleeves tightly, her usual composed demeanor faltering as she stared wide-eyed at the blood-soaked ground. Even Xu Shuang, normally brash and cocky, stood frozen, his mouth slightly agape as he processed the overwhelming display of power.

“Li Yun!” Bai Meixian’s voice was unsteady as she called out, the hesitation in her tone betraying the fear that lingered beneath her admiration. “Are you… alright?”

Li Yun didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he bent down and wiped the blood from his blades on Xue Han’s tunic, his movements deliberate and unhurried. He sheathed his swords with a practiced motion, his crimson eyes still blazing with an otherworldly intensity. Finally, he turned to face his teammates, his expression unreadable.

“I told you,” he said coolly, his voice carrying a chilling finality. “Only I am enough.”

The group moved quickly, Li Yun leading the way through the jungle with his usual confidence. When they reached their base, they were greeted by the sight of Fang Zhen and Lin Ya standing guard. Fang Zhen waved them over, a wide grin splitting his face.

“We held the line!” Fang Zhen shouted. “The enemy couldn’t get through us!”

Li Yun smirked, a rare moment of warmth breaking through his cold exterior. He planted the enemy’s flag beside their own, signaling their victory. The system chimed softly in his mind:

“Congratulations, Host. You have gained the sect leader’s temporary acknowledgment.”

The announcement didn’t faze him. He knew the real challenge lay ahead.

The illusion formation shimmered and dissolved, transporting the examinees back to the coliseum in an instant. The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers, their voices rising in waves of excitement that echoed across the grand arena. The sound was almost deafening, a cacophony of admiration and awe directed toward the victorious team.

Li Yun stepped onto the smooth white stone platform, his swords still sheathed but radiating a quiet menace. His crimson eyes darted briefly to the audience before settling on the elevated booth at the far end of the coliseum. The sect leader sat there, his regal demeanor amplified by the intricate silver embroidery of his robes. His eyes, sharp and calculating, met Li Yun’s with a knowing glint, as though he had already discerned the depths of the young man’s potential.

The sect leader’s lips curled into a faint, almost imperceptible smile—a gesture not of amusement but of interest. To him, Li Yun wasn’t just another examinee. There was something about the boy’s unwavering gaze, his sheer ferocity on the battlefield, that spoke of untapped greatness. Li Yun didn’t waver under the leader’s scrutiny; instead, he stood tall, exuding an air of quiet defiance.

The elders seated beside the sect leader murmured amongst themselves, their expressions ranging from impressed to intrigued. One of them, an elderly man with a long, snow-white beard, leaned closer to the sect leader.

“That boy,” he said, his voice low but tinged with excitement. “Li Yun, was it? He’s… remarkable. The way he dismantled those attackers was…” The elder trailed off, searching for the right word.

“Savage,” another elder interjected, his tone a mixture of respect and unease. “Yet controlled. He fought as though he had nothing to lose, but every strike was calculated. Dangerous potential, to say the least.”

The sect leader raised a hand, silencing their murmurs. As he did, the coliseum fell quiet, the cheers of the crowd dying down to an expectant hush. His voice rang out, clear and commanding, cutting through the tension like a blade.

“Congratulations to those who have passed the first exam,” he began, his tone measured yet authoritative. “Your determination and skill have been noted. But remember, this is merely the beginning. A true disciple of the Heavenly Cloud Sect does not rest on a single victory. You must prove yourselves time and time again, for only through hardship can true strength be forged.”

The crowd remained silent, hanging onto his every word.

The sect leader’s gaze returned to Li Yun, his expression unreadable. “Rest well, all of you. For tomorrow, the second exam will commence. It is then we shall see who truly has the potential to ascend within our ranks.”

Li Yun tightened his grip on the hilts of his swords as the sect leader’s eyes lingered on him for a moment longer. It was as though a silent challenge had passed between them, one that Li Yun fully intended to meet. He exhaled slowly, letting the weight of the moment settle before turning to rejoin his team.

The roar of the crowd resumed, but it was a distant hum to Li Yun now. His focus was sharp, his thoughts already racing ahead to the trials yet to come. Whatever awaited him in the next exam, he would be ready.

The sect leader raised a hand, commanding instant silence across the coliseum. His voice, steady yet brimming with authority, resonated through the massive arena, capturing the attention of every soul present. “Congratulations to those who have passed the first exam,” he began, his tone measured but firm, each word striking like a hammer on an anvil. “Your determination and skill have been observed, and they speak of promise. But let me remind you—this is merely the beginning.”

His gaze swept over the crowd, lingering for a moment on Li Yun, whose crimson eyes glimmered faintly even under the bright sunlight.

“The true test lies ahead,” the sect leader continued, his voice growing more intense. “What you have achieved today is but the foundation of what is expected of a disciple of the Heavenly Cloud Sect. To stand among us is to shoulder the weight of excellence. You must prove, time and time again, that you are worthy of ascending the ranks of this sacred institution.”

A hush fell over the coliseum as his words sank in. The crowd, initially buzzing with cheers, now watched with bated breath, captivated by the gravity of the speech.

“Rest well,” he concluded, his voice softer but no less commanding. “For tomorrow, the second exam will test the very essence of your resolve. Only then shall we see who truly has the potential to rise and endure in the Heavenly Cloud Sect.”

His eyes once again found Li Yun in the sea of candidates, the faintest hint of curiosity flickering across his otherwise composed face. It was as if the sect leader saw more in him than even Li Yun himself understood. Li Yun, unfazed, returned the gaze, his grip tightening on the hilts of his swords. It wasn’t just acknowledgment he sought; it was to leave no doubt in anyone’s mind that he belonged here.

Li Yun’s eyes met the sect leader’s, a silent challenge passing between them. He tightened his grip on his swords, determination burning in his gaze. Whatever the next exam held, he would be ready.

As the crowd began to disperse, murmurs rippled through the arena. Many whispered about Li Yun—the mysterious examinee who had single-handedly turned the tide of the first exam. To the spectators, he was no longer just another participant but a force to be reckoned with.

Li Yun turned back toward the coliseum’s exit, his bloodied crimson eyes glinting in the fading light. His team followed him in silence, their earlier awe now mingling with unease. Fang Zhen and Lin Ya exchanged wary glances, while Bai Meixian walked a few paces behind, her gaze fixed on the swords strapped to his back.

The system’s voice echoed in Li Yun’s mind as he stepped into the open air outside the coliseum.

“Host, your actions have left a lasting impression. The sect leader's acknowledgment is progressing. Continue to demonstrate your worth to secure your goal.”

Li Yun smirked to himself. “Progressing, huh?” he muttered under his breath. “Guess I’ll just have to make sure there’s no room for doubt.”

The sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows over the Heavenly Cloud Sect. In the distance, the towering peaks of the sect’s mountain range seemed to glow faintly under the encroaching twilight. Li Yun paused for a moment, staring up at the lofty spires. His fists clenched tightly at his sides.

“Tomorrow,” he whispered, the word carrying both resolve and challenge.