The results were announced at dawn.
No banners. No ceremony. Only a stone tablet placed at the center of the outer court.
Names appeared one by one, carved by spiritual light.
Every disciple stood in silence.
Li Fan did not move.
He already knew.
Chen Yu stood beside him, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.
Zhao Min sat on the ground a short distance away, still pale from exhaustion. He had woken late in the night, confused but alive.
The girl stood quietly near the edge of the crowd. Her posture was straight, but her hands trembled slightly.
The first name appeared.
A cheer broke out somewhere.
Then another.
Then another.
The crowd shifted, restless.
When the name Chen Yu appeared, Chen Yu inhaled sharply.
"It's real," he said under his breath. "I passed."
Li Fan nodded. "Of course you did."
Chen Yu looked at him. "You say that like there was no doubt."
"There was none," Li Fan replied.
Chen Yu laughed once, breathless. "You really are terrifying."
Li Fan did not respond.
The tablet glowed again.
Zhao Min.
Zhao Min stared at it in disbelief.
"That's… that's me," he whispered.
Someone nearby scoffed. "He barely survived."
Another voice replied, "But he survived."
Zhao Min looked at Li Fan, eyes wide.
"I passed," he said. "Senior, I passed."
Li Fan looked at him. "You earned it."
Zhao Min swallowed hard and nodded repeatedly.
The tablet glowed once more.
The courtyard fell completely silent.
Li Fan.
No cheers followed.
Instead, whispers erupted like sparks.
"That name again."
"He was involved in every stage."
"I heard he controlled the Boundary Trial."
"That's exaggeration."
"Is it?"
An elder standing near the tablet glanced toward Li Fan, then looked away.
Chen Yu exhaled slowly. "They're watching you now."
"They already were," Li Fan said.
---
After the announcement, the elders began assigning new statuses.
Those who passed were ordered to remain.
The rest were dismissed.
The crowd thinned quickly.
Li Fan stayed still.
The girl hesitated, then approached.
"Li Fan," she said softly.
He turned slightly. "Yes."
"I passed too," she said.
He looked at her. "I know."
She paused. "You are not surprised?"
"No."
Her lips pressed together. "You always speak like that."
"It is more efficient," Li Fan replied.
She almost smiled, then stopped herself.
An elder approached them.
"Li Fan," the elder said, voice neutral, "follow me."
Chen Yu stiffened. "Senior?"
Li Fan raised a hand. "Wait."
The girl took a step forward. "Is something wrong?"
The elder glanced at her briefly. "This does not concern you."
Li Fan followed without protest.
---
They walked through a side corridor into a quiet hall.
Three elders were already seated inside.
The pressure in the room was subtle but unmistakable.
Li Fan bowed properly.
"Outer disciple Li Fan greets the elders."
One elder leaned forward. "You may sit."
Li Fan did.
Another elder spoke. "Your performance was… irregular."
Li Fan listened.
"You showed restraint where others rushed," the elder continued. "You supported weaker disciples at cost to yourself."
Li Fan replied calmly. "That cost was temporary."
The third elder narrowed his eyes. "You suppressed your cultivation."
"Yes," Li Fan said.
"Why?"
Li Fan did not hesitate. "Advancing too quickly draws attention without foundation."
The first elder tapped the arm of his chair. "You speak as if attention is a danger."
"It is," Li Fan replied. "When one is not ready to manage it."
Silence followed.
The elders exchanged glances.
Finally, the second elder said, "You are currently Qi Condensation Level Two, nearing Level Three."
"Yes."
"You could have broken through during the trial."
"Yes."
"Why did you not?"
Li Fan met his gaze. "Because my qi was not yet aligned."
The third elder frowned. "That answer is vague."
Li Fan remained calm. "Then I will be clear. Breaking through under unstable pressure creates flaws. I prefer to avoid flaws."
The elders studied him carefully now.
"You are young," the first elder said. "But your thinking is… old."
Li Fan lowered his gaze slightly. "Experience does not always match age."
The elder nodded slowly. "We will remember that."
After a moment, he added, "You are promoted to inner courtyard candidate. Training resources will be allocated accordingly."
Chen Yu would have shouted in joy.
Li Fan only bowed. "Understood."
"Go," the elder said. "But know this. Eyes are on you now."
Li Fan stood. "I expected no less."
---
Outside, Chen Yu was pacing.
When he saw Li Fan emerge, he rushed over.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Promotion," Li Fan said.
Chen Yu froze. "That's it?"
"Yes."
"You're impossible," Chen Yu muttered.
Zhao Min overheard and laughed weakly. "Senior Li always speaks like everything is normal."
Li Fan looked at Zhao Min. "How do you feel?"
"Tired," Zhao Min admitted. "But… proud."
"You should be," Li Fan said.
Zhao Min straightened slightly.
The girl approached more cautiously this time.
"They called your name inside," she said. "I was worried."
"There was no reason," Li Fan replied.
She hesitated. "You always sound certain."
"Certainty reduces waste," Li Fan said.
She looked at him for a long moment.
"Can I ask you something?" she said.
"Yes."
"Why did you help me?" she asked quietly. "You did not gain much from it."
Li Fan answered immediately. "That is incorrect."
She blinked. "What did you gain?"
Li Fan looked at her. "Potential."
Her breath caught.
"Mine?" she asked.
"Yes."
She lowered her gaze. "I do not feel very strong."
"You do not need to feel it," Li Fan said. "It exists regardless."
She did not know how to respond.
Chen Yu watched the exchange, eyebrows raised, but said nothing.
---
That night, Li Fan returned to his quarters.
He closed the door and sat cross-legged.
The room was silent.
He breathed once.
Twice.
His qi circulated smoothly now.
Stable.
Aligned.
He did not rush.
Only when the flow completed its full cycle did he allow it.
A soft pressure surged within him.
Meridians opened.
Qi condensed further.
Qi Condensation Level Three.
Li Fan opened his eyes slowly.
No reaction. No excess movement.
He simply adjusted his breathing.
"System," he said quietly.
The familiar presence responded.
[Evaluation Complete]
[Performance Rating: High Efficiency]
[Reward Adjustment Applied]
Li Fan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Adjustment?"
[Future Opportunities Increased]
[Hidden Variables Detected]
Li Fan considered this.
"So the system is watching others now," he said.
[Correct]
"Good," Li Fan replied. "That will be useful."
---
The next morning, training assignments were distributed.
Li Fan received a sealed jade slip.
Chen Yu leaned over. "What did you get?"
Li Fan glanced at it. "Access."
"To what?"
"Restricted manuals," Li Fan said.
Chen Yu's eyes widened. "Already?"
"Yes."
Zhao Min approached nervously. "Senior, they moved me to a different dormitory."
Li Fan nodded. "Closer to inner courtyard?"
"Yes."
"That is intentional," Li Fan said. "Observe more. Speak less."
Zhao Min nodded seriously.
The girl stood a short distance away, watching Li Fan.
When he noticed, she stepped closer.
"They assigned me to assist in the archives," she said.
Li Fan looked at her. "That is valuable."
She tilted her head. "You sound pleased."
"I am," Li Fan replied.
She hesitated. "Then… if I find anything useful…"
"Bring it to me," Li Fan said. "Discreetly."
Her eyes brightened. "I will."
---
From a distance, an inner disciple watched them.
Beside him, another whispered, "That Li Fan. He is gathering people."
The first replied quietly, "Not gathering. Aligning."
Above them, the sect remained unaware of the true shape forming beneath its foundation.
Li Fan walked forward, calm and precise.
The evaluation was over.
The game had shifted.
And this time, the board was his.
(Chapter Ended)