Night had fallen, and the Xuantian Sect lay under a blanket of silence, broken only by the faint rustle of wind and the occasional crackle of torches. Ye Chen sat on a boulder near his quarters, his sword resting across his knees. He had spent hours refining his techniques, but his mind was elsewhere, haunted by the ominous words of Lin Yue and the veiled threats of Li Haotian.
The Bloodshade Hall's involvement was a storm cloud that refused to dissipate. Ye Chen knew his path forward would only become more treacherous.
"Can't sleep?" Lin Yue's voice broke through the quiet, startling him slightly. She approached, her steps light but deliberate.
"No," Ye Chen admitted, looking at her. "Too much to think about."
She sat down beside him, her expression unreadable. "You know they won't stop. Li Haotian and Sun Liang are more than just rivals—they're desperate. People like that are the most dangerous."
Ye Chen's hand tightened around his sword. "Then I'll stop them first."
"You can't face this alone," Lin Yue said softly. "Even the strongest sword needs an ally to watch its back."
He glanced at her, surprised by the genuine concern in her tone. "I'm not used to relying on others."
"Maybe it's time you learned," she replied, standing. "You have allies, Ye Chen. Don't forget that."
The following morning, the competition resumed with a new challenge: a survival match in the Blackmist Forest, a dangerous terrain filled with both natural perils and hidden traps set by the organizers. Each team was given a map and tasked with retrieving a golden token from the forest's center, fighting off both rival teams and the forest's creatures along the way.
As Ye Chen's team gathered, Luo Yan cracked his knuckles with a grin. "This is going to be fun. Haven't had a good brawl in the wild for a while."
Lin Yue rolled her eyes. "Focus, Luo Yan. The forest isn't just about brute force. We'll need strategy to get through this."
Ye Chen studied the map silently, his mind already formulating a plan. The central location of the token would be the most contested area, making a direct approach suicidal.
"We take the long route," he said finally, pointing to a less obvious path on the map. "It's slower, but it'll give us cover and avoid most of the fighting until we're ready."
Lin Yue nodded in agreement. "Smart. We conserve our energy and strike when the others have worn each other out."
Luo Yan sighed. "Fine, but if we get ambushed, I'm blaming you, Ye Chen."
The Blackmist Forest lived up to its name. A thick, unnatural fog blanketed the area, obscuring vision and making even the simplest movements treacherous. Twisted roots and thorny vines snaked across the ground, and the distant howls of unknown beasts sent chills down their spines.
"Stay close," Ye Chen ordered, his voice low. "The fog makes it easy to get separated."
As they moved through the forest, Lin Yue suddenly raised her hand, signaling them to stop. "There's something up ahead."
Ye Chen strained his senses, and a faint rustling sound reached his ears. A moment later, a group of disciples from another team emerged from the fog, their weapons drawn.
"Well, well," the leader of the group sneered. "Looks like we've got some competition."
Ye Chen stepped forward, his sword gleaming faintly in the dim light. "You can leave now, or you can regret staying."
The leader laughed. "Tough talk, but there are more of us than you. Do the math."
Ye Chen didn't answer. In the blink of an eye, he moved, his sword cutting through the air with deadly precision. The leader barely had time to react before his weapon was knocked from his hands, and a shallow cut appeared on his cheek.
The rest of the group hesitated, clearly unnerved by Ye Chen's speed and skill.
"Leave," Ye Chen repeated, his tone cold.
This time, they didn't argue. The group retreated into the fog, their leader throwing a glare over his shoulder.
"Impressive as always," Luo Yan said with a grin.
Lin Yue, however, looked uneasy. "That was too easy. They didn't even put up a real fight."
Ye Chen frowned. "You're right. They were stalling us."
Before he could say more, the ground beneath them trembled. A moment later, a massive beast burst through the trees—a Blackmist Tiger, its glowing red eyes fixed on them.
"Get back!" Ye Chen shouted, pushing Lin Yue aside as the tiger lunged.
The beast's claws scraped against his sword as he blocked its attack, the force of the blow sending him skidding back. Luo Yan charged in, his axe swinging in a wide arc, but the tiger dodged with surprising agility, its tail whipping around to strike him.
Lin Yue quickly activated a defensive talisman, creating a barrier to protect them from the tiger's next attack.
"This thing's not normal," she said, her voice tense. "It's been enhanced by the organizers to make the challenge harder."
"Great," Luo Yan muttered, picking himself up. "As if this place wasn't bad enough."
Ye Chen narrowed his eyes, focusing on the tiger's movements. Despite its size, it was fast and unpredictable, its attacks leaving little room for error.
"We take it down together," he said. "Luo Yan, distract it. Lin Yue, use your talismans to weaken it. I'll go for the kill."
The plan worked. Luo Yan kept the tiger occupied with powerful but deliberate attacks, forcing it to focus on him. Meanwhile, Lin Yue used a series of binding talismans to slow its movements, creating an opening for Ye Chen.
With a final, decisive strike, Ye Chen's sword pierced the tiger's heart. The beast let out a deafening roar before collapsing, its body dissolving into dark mist.
The team barely had time to catch their breath before they heard the sounds of approaching footsteps.
"Another team," Lin Yue warned.
Ye Chen wiped the sweat from his brow, his grip tightening on his sword. "Then let's finish this quickly."
Elsewhere in the forest, Li Haotian and Sun Liang watched the scene unfold through a magical projection.
"He's tougher than I thought," Sun Liang admitted, a scowl on his face.
Li Haotian smirked. "It doesn't matter. The longer he survives, the more enemies he makes. Sooner or later, even he won't be able to handle it."
"Do you think he'll make it to the token?"
"Oh, he'll make it," Li Haotian said, his smirk widening. "But he won't leave with it."
As the two schemed, the competition continued, the Blackmist Forest becoming a battlefield where alliances were tested, betrayals were made, and survival hung by a thread. For Ye Chen and his team, the token was just within reach—but so were the shadows of deception closing in around them.