Lin Yuan was the first to feel it.
Not danger—he knew that sensation well by now. This was… wrong. Subtle. Like the valley itself had just inhaled and forgotten to exhale.
The mist ahead thinned unnaturally, revealing a small clearing surrounded by ancient stone pillars half-swallowed by roots. Runes—old, worn, and unmistakably powerful—were carved into their surfaces. The spiritual qi here wasn't wild like the rest of the Whispering Valley. It was condensed. Refined. Almost disciplined.
Ji Han slowed, frowning. "This place feels… off."
Mei Lian's hand hovered near her blade. "Formation remnants," she said quietly. "Ancient. And incomplete."
Lin Yuan didn't answer. His attention had turned inward.
Because for the first time in five months—
The system reacted on its own.
[System anomaly detected.]
[Scanning surrounding environment…]
[Unregistered structure discovered.]
Lin Yuan stopped walking.
That alone was enough to make Ji Han glance back. "Something wrong?"
"Wait," Lin Yuan said. Just one word. Calm. Controlled. The kind of tone that made people listen without realizing why.
Inside his mind, the system continued.
[Structure identified: Ancient Cultivation Trial Node (Incomplete)]
[Status: Dormant]
[Cause: Lack of compatible energy and mastery thresholds]
[Evaluating Host compatibility…]
Lin Yuan's heartbeat slowed—not from fear, but from instinct. This wasn't a dungeon. This wasn't some crude construct meant for grinding. This was old. Older than the sect. Older than most recorded cultivation methods.
This was the kind of thing Heaven forgot about.
[Compatibility confirmed.]
[Reason: All active skills at Complete Mastery.]
[Thunder-aligned spirit root detected.]
[Initiating secondary scan…]
Mei Lian narrowed her eyes. "Lin Yuan?"
He raised a hand slightly. "There's something here. Beneath the ground. Not hostile."
Ji Han blinked. "You can tell that?"
Lin Yuan didn't answer. Because at that moment—
[Hidden function unlocked: Trial Resonance]
[Trial Resonance allows Host to interact with ancient cultivation remnants through skill mastery rather than realm.]
[Warning: Activation may attract attention.]
[Do you wish to proceed?]
Lin Yuan almost laughed.
Of course it would.
The system wouldn't let him break through realms yet. Wouldn't let him brute-force power. But it would let him walk paths forgotten by cultivators who relied too much on levels and not enough on understanding.
He stepped forward.
The moment Lin Yuan placed his hand against the central stone pillar, the runes ignited.
Thunder didn't explode outward. It flowed inward—into him.
The clearing trembled as the ancient structure awakened. The mist was pushed back violently, spiritual qi spiraling downward like a vortex. Ji Han staggered, planting his spear into the ground. Mei Lian's eyes widened, her blade half-drawn.
"What did you just do?" Ji Han demanded.
Lin Yuan's expression was calm. Focused. His body hummed—not with raw power, but with recognition.
[Trial Node partially reactivated.]
[Function restored: Skill Tempering Ground]
[Effect: Accelerated refinement of mastered skills beyond conventional limits.]
[Restriction: No realm advancement permitted within trial.]
Lin Yuan understood instantly.
This place wasn't meant to raise cultivators.
It was meant to perfect them.
A phantom appeared in the center of the clearing—humanoid, featureless, formed entirely of condensed lightning. Its movements were slow, deliberate, flawless.
A mirror.
Not of Lin Yuan's strength—
—but of his technique.
Mei Lian exhaled sharply. "This… this is an ancient trial ground."
Ji Han swallowed. "Those were supposed to be myths."
Lin Yuan stepped forward, lightning flickering faintly around his feet. "Then let's treat it like one."
The phantom moved.
So did Lin Yuan.
Thunder Slash met Thunder Slash. Lightning Body mirrored Lightning Body. Every strike, every movement, every timing flaw was reflected back at him with merciless precision.
This wasn't a battle.
It was a lesson.
Inside, the system observed silently.
[Skill deviation detected: Thunder Barrage – micro inefficiency (0.3%)]
[Correcting…]
Lin Yuan felt it instantly. The adjustment was subtle—but profound. Like straightening a blade that had always been almost perfect.
Minutes passed.
Then an hour.
Then more.
When the phantom finally dispersed, the clearing fell silent once more.
Lin Yuan stood alone at the center, breathing evenly.
No breakthrough. No explosion. No flashy reward.
Just something far more dangerous.
Perfection sharpened a little further.
Above the clouds, something shifted.
Not anger. Not wrath.
Recognition.
And Heaven felt the faintest sting—
like something small had just learned how to bite.