After the corpses are removed, Merin sits cross-legged and sinks into meditation.

His awareness flows inward, reaching the acupoint space within his liver.

There, a low-rank wooden spiritual stone rotates slowly, its light dim yet steady.

He places two intermediate spirit stones on his palms and draws in their energy.

Streams of spiritual power pour into him, mixing with the wooden aura in the air before funnelling into his liver.

The low-ranked stone trembles as he channels the gathered energy into it.

Step by step, he reshapes its structure, altering its composition until its essence shifts.

At last, the stone erupts in emerald light. A green wave spreads outward, washing through his body.

His liver surges with vitality, and a deep, almost intoxicating pleasure fills every vein.

When the wave recedes, his flesh feels denser, his strength sharper—his body power has risen by nearly ten per cent.

The process takes five days, leaving only two before the fifth stage of the competition begins.

There is not enough time to advance another spiritual stone.

So, closing his eyes once more, Merin begins to comprehend the law of storms.

Time passes, and the day of the fifth stage arrives.

Merin enters, competes, and after overcoming the trial, his cultivation surges forward—he advances to Rank-18.

Without seeking out any family or force, he quietly returns to his room.

A week of rest is granted before the sixth stage begins.

During this time, Merin starts the advancement of the low-ranked earth spiritual stone. Three days later, the transformation is complete.

A brown wave pulses through his body, his spleen strengthening as its performance subtly improves.

He immediately begins work on the low-ranked metal spiritual stone.

Two days pass before golden light bursts from within, spreading through his body.

His lungs transform, becoming more refined, their function sharper and stronger.

With only two days left, Merin knows there is not enough time to advance the water spiritual stone.

Instead, he sits in stillness, continuing his comprehension of the storm law.

When the sixth stage of the competition comes, he attends once more. The trial ends with only seven participants remaining, Merin among them. His ranking rises to second place.

Another week of rest is announced before the seventh and final stage begins.

During this time, Merin advances both the low-ranked water and fire spiritual stones.

When all five elemental stones rise to the intermediate level, a glow bursts from his organs. His body undergoes a sweeping transformation as spiritual energy funnels madly through his meridians.

When the process ends, he feels renewed strength and senses his lifespan extends by fifty years—bringing his total to fourteen hundred and fifty.

Merin then stands with six participants, his gaze steady on the ten judges and the lone figure beside them.

From the stands, Xiao Yun’s hand clenches into a fist the moment he sees that figure.

Beside him, Meng Ji narrows his eyes. “What is Huang Zhen doing here?”

Huang Zhen, the young master of the Huang Family, stands calmly beside the judges, his presence alone stirring murmurs across the stands.

Elder Ji Xuan steps forward. “The seventh stage of the competition will take place in another place.”

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The crowd groans, uncertain if they will even be able to watch.

Elder Ji Xuan continues, his voice carrying. “Young master Huang Zhen presents us with an unprecedented opportunity.”

He lifts his palm, and an illusion unfolds—mist rolling over a vast mountain, its silhouette hidden beneath layers of fog.

“This mountain is the station of a long-lost sect,” Elder Ji Xuan says. “Hundreds of arrays protect it. Whoever reaches the peak first will be the winner.”

He waves his hand, tearing open a shimmering space passage. One by one, the participants step through.

Merin follows, this time only slightly dizzy as his feet touch the damp earth at the foot of the mountain.

Elder Ji Xuan emerges after them, the portal closing behind with a dull hum.

“Now, all of you—enter the mountain.”

Merin walks forward into the fog. His senses sharpen as the veil of mist reveals the faint outlines of an array.

He studies its flow, grasps its weakness, and with a quiet thought, dissolves the pattern before him.

Taking a step forward, he climbs a few stone stairs.

Then another array rises to block his path.

All around the mountain, participants press forward, unravelling one array after another.

In the arena, the illusion array projects its progress, showing Merin steadily pulling ahead, ranked first.

Inside the VIP room, a man and woman watch closely.

The man, Gao Ji, leans forward. “Why did your nephew arrange this for our son to win the competition?”

The woman, Huang Qi, replies coldly, “How would I know? But I can guarantee our son will win.”

On the mountain, Merin cannot tell how far he has climbed.

He resolves the array before him, and the fog thins just enough to reveal three men standing in his way.

Without warning, they attack.

The arena erupts in shock as the illusion shows the sudden ambush.

An elder snaps, “Huang Zhen, what is going on?”

Huang Zhen spreads his hands, his voice smooth and even. “How could I know? Did you not check the mountain before the competition started?”

Merin raises an ice shield, blocking the surge of green energy.

Lightning coils in his palm, weaving into a whip.

He snaps it toward the attackers, its crack splitting the fog.

The foul stench rolling from the three men tells him enough.

They are evil cultivators.

Though three attack together, Merin cuts them down with ease, lightning tearing through their bodies until silence returns to the fog.

The same cannot be said for the others.

Screams echo across the mountain. Among the five remaining participants, three collapse with serious injuries, one staggers with only minor wounds, and one lies dead.

In the arena, murmurs turn into sharp whispers. Everyone now understands what the Huang family is plotting.

An elder slams his hand on the railing. “Your Huang family goes too far! Do you think we will crown Gao Jifu the winner if he simply reaches the peak?”

Huang Zhen, expression calm but eyes gleaming, replies smoothly, “Why not? Gao Jifu is not responsible for the ambush. He was simply fortunate no one attacked him.”

But minutes later, Huang Zhen’s face tightens.

The illusion shows waves of evil cultivators hurling themselves at Lin Ye, yet he cuts through them unharmed, still leading the climb.

Then, in front of Gao Jifu, another young man appears.

Before Gao Jifu can react, a single strike ends him.

The arena erupts—many cheer at the sight. Gao Jifu’s “victory” through deceit shatters in blood.

The young man who killed him continues climbing. The arrays vanish before his steps, as if the mountain itself yields to him.

At last, he reaches the summit and stands tall at the peak.

When Merin finally clears the last veil of fog, the mountain peak comes into view.

And there, waiting ahead, stands the young man.

The young man smiles faintly, voice dripping with mockery.

“My beautiful bird. How are you?”

Merin frowns, not recognising him.

“Do I know you?”

The young man clutches his chest dramatically, stepping back as though wounded.

“You forgot me so soon? You wound me.”

Merin’s frown deepens.

The young man smirks.

“You may recognise me in this form.”

Bones crack and twist, skin ripples, and the youth shifts into a black goat-man with iron rings hanging from his horns.

Merin’s eyes narrow.

“You… you should be dead.”

The goat-man grins, his sharp teeth glinting.

“What can I say? I am blessed by god.”

Merin’s aura erupts like a storm.

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll kill you again.”

The goat-man’s expression hardens.

“And this time, I’ll capture you. I’ve prepared a beautiful cage just for you.”

His aura bursts forth, surging past five turns of Dao Casting until it presses at half-step Saint Rank.

The arena crowd gasps, tension gripping their hearts as they watch the illusion array.

Elders try to rush to the mountain to pull Merin out, but the space around the peak is sealed tight.

From the stands, Huang Zhen narrows his eyes, already calculating.

The loss of his family looms heavy, yet his gaze lingers on Merin.

What could he offer to lure such a genius?

He doesn’t believe Merin will die—not when he’s the sole survivor to reach the peak.

The Array Association cannot afford to lose him.

They will intervene, even if it means the Great Elder himself steps forward.

That would be ideal. Huang Zhen wants to measure exactly how much lifespan the Great Elder has left.

Meanwhile, Merin clashes with the goat-man.

Their blows shake the mountain, strength against strength, yet Merin’s mastery far outstrips his foe. Each exchange leaves the goat-man bleeding, his body cracking as though glass under pressure.

A sound like shattering mirrors fills the air.

The goat-man realises he cannot win. As the elders tear through the seal, his body fades, retreating into nothingness.

Moments later, three elders descend upon the peak.

Merin walks back into the arena, where the announcement is made—he is the champion of the competition.

He is swiftly taken into the Array Association, where the elders explain the rights and duties of a core member.

They reward him with one thousand contribution points, usable to exchange for treasures within the association’s treasury. Without hesitation, Merin selects a top-rank spiritual stone.

He then enters a closed-door retreat, beginning the advancement of his intermediate elemental spiritual stones within his acupoint space.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep