Location: The Gravity-Lift – Transit between Lower and Upper Districts

  Time: Morning of the Selection Trials

  ?The elevator was a disc of white jade, floating inside a tube of transparent glass that pierced the clouds.

  ?Aris stood near the edge, looking down. The Lower District—the grime, the neon lights, the smell of sulfur—was shrinking into a chaotic smudge of grey. Above them, the clouds parted to reveal the Upper District.

  ?It was blinding.

  ?The Upper District wasn't just a city; it was a terraformed paradise. Islands floated on magnetic currents, connected by waterfalls that flowed endlessly into the void. The buildings were made of spirit-gold and singing crystal.

  ?[System Analysis: Environmental Scan]

  [Qi Density: 300% above baseline.]

  [Ambient Laws: Wind, Fire, and Metal (Stabilized).]

  ?"Breathe it in, Mo," Aris whispered, though his face maintained the terrified expression of Han Xiao. "That's the smell of resources we haven't stolen yet."

  ?Around them on the lift were other candidates. Most were dressed in silk robes embroidered with clan insignias. They held swords that glowed with enchantments. They looked at Aris—wearing his patchy grey robes and clutching his servant's arm—like he was a cockroach that had crawled onto a banquet table.

  ?"Hey, trash," a voice sneered from behind.

  ?Aris flinched (deliberately exaggerated). He turned to see a young man with flowing blue hair, fanning himself with a fan made of razor-feathers.

  ?[Target Scan]

  ?Name: Feng Yu (Young Master of the Gale-Blade Clan). ?Level: 48 (Peak Core Formation). ?Threat Level: Low. ?Loot Table: High-Grade Spirit Sword, Spatial Ring (contents unknown), Ego.

  ?"Y-yes, Young Master?" Aris stuttered, bowing low.

  ?"Did you get lost?" Feng Yu laughed, his entourage joining in. "The servant entrance is in the cargo hold. This lift is for cultivators."

  ?"I... I have a Token!" Aris pulled out the jade tablet he had bought from the auction. "I am a participant!"

  ?Feng Yu snatched the token from Aris's hand. He inspected it, then tossed it back, letting it clatter onto the floor. Aris scrambled to pick it up.

  ?"A Sponsor Token from the slums," Feng Yu scoffed. "Pathetic. The Myriad Beasts Sect really has lowered its standards. Try not to die in the first five minutes, trash. My sword doesn't like the taste of dirty blood."

  ?Aris clutched the token to his chest, nodding furiously. "I... I will try to hide! Thank you for the advice!"

  ?As Feng Yu turned away, Aris's internal monologue was cold as ice.

  ?"Marked. Feng Yu. Priority Target 1. Wait until we are out of the safe zone."

  ?Mo stood silently, his fist clenching slightly. Aris sent a sharp telepathic command: "Relax. Let them laugh. The louder they laugh now, the sweeter their screams later."

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  ?Location: The Grand Plaza – The Gate of Trials

  Time: Noon

  ?Ten thousand hopefuls stood in the massive square paved with dragon scales.

  ?At the center of the plaza, a massive holographic projection appeared. It was an old man with a beard that seemed to flow like water.

  ?[Scan Complete]

  ?Name: Elder Void-Whisper. ?Cultivation: Dao Severing (Level 85). ?Role: Proctor of the Outer Sect.

  ?The pressure descending from the projection was immense. Thousands of weaker candidates fell to their knees, gasping for air.

  ?Aris felt the pressure. It was heavy—like gravity increasing tenfold.

  ?He wants us to kneel, Aris realized. A dominance display.

  ?Aris could have stood. His Abyssal Sovereign Body could eat this pressure for breakfast. But Han Xiao couldn't.

  ?Aris immediately collapsed to the ground, grabbing his chest and wheezing theatrically. Mo, following the cue, dropped to one knee, pretending to struggle.

  ?"Listen well!" The Elder's voice boomed, echoing in their souls. "The Myriad Beasts Sect does not raise sheep. We raise wolves!"

  ?"The trial is simple. Behind me lies the Savage Wilds Pocket Dimension. It is a world of beasts, traps, and death."

  ?"Rules:"

  ?Survive for 7 Days. ?Collect 10 Beast Cores. ?Killing other participants is... permitted.

  ?A ripple of fear and excitement went through the crowd.

  ?"However," the Elder continued, a cruel smile touching his lips. "There are 10,000 of you. There are only 100 spots in the Outer Sect. Do the math."

  ?"The portal opens in one minute. Good hunting."

  ?The holographic image vanished. A massive swirling vortex of blue energy tore open in the sky above the plaza.

  ?"Go!"

  ?The crowd erupted. Thousands of cultivators flew into the air, riding swords, beasts, or clouds, charging into the portal like a swarm of locusts.

  ?"Mo," Aris whispered, standing up and dusting off his knees. "Grab me."

  ?Mo grabbed Aris by the back of his robes.

  ?"Jump."

  ?Mo leaped. He didn't fly—he used raw leg strength. He launched them into the air like a cannonball, straight into the swirling blue vortex.

  ?Location: The Savage Wilds (Pocket Dimension) – Sector F (Jungle Zone)

  Time: Day 1 of the Trial

  ?The transition was nauseating. Space twisted, then snapped back into place.

  ?They hit the ground hard, crashing through a canopy of thick green leaves. They landed in a muddy clearing surrounded by trees as tall as skyscrapers. The air was thick with humidity and the roar of distant monsters.

  ?[System Alert: Entered Instance Dungeon.]

  [Map Data: 10% Loaded.]

  [Objective: Collect 10 Beast Cores.]

  ?Aris stood up and immediately scanned the perimeter.

  ?"Stealth Mode," Aris ordered. "We are not hunting beasts. We are hunting hunters."

  ?"Why?" Mo asked, activating his Shadow-Veil.

  ?"Beasts drop cores," Aris explained, climbing a tree with the agility of a spider. "Cultivators drop cores and wallets."

  ?He perched on a high branch, looking down.

  ?"We wait. Let the idiots exhaust themselves fighting the monsters. Then we enact the 'Vulture Strategy'."

  ?Ten minutes passed.

  ?Crunch.

  ?Footsteps.

  ?A team of three cultivators entered the clearing. They were wearing red armor—disciples of the "Flame-Fist Dojo."

  ?"Did you see where that trash and his servant landed?" one of them asked, scanning the bushes. "Feng Yu put a bounty on them. 100 Spirit Stones for the Alchemist's head."

  ?Aris smiled in the shadows.

  ?"A bounty?" Aris projected to Mo. "How thoughtful. He's organizing the loot delivery for us."

  ?The three cultivators moved to the center of the clearing.

  ?"Hey!" one shouted. "Han Xiao! Come out! We know you're here! Hand over your supplies and we might just break your legs instead of killing you!"

  ?Aris looked at Mo. He pointed a finger at the cultivator on the left. Then he made a 'cutting' motion across his throat.

  ?"Mo. You're up. Remember: No Qi. Just brute force. Make it look like a beast attack."

  ?Mo dropped from the canopy.

  ?He didn't make a sound. He hit the ground behind the last cultivator like a shadow.

  ?Before the man could turn, Mo's prosthetic hand punched through the back of his armor.

  ?CRUNCH.

  ?The cultivator folded. Mo tossed the body into the bushes before the other two even realized their friend was gone.

  ?"Where did Liu go?" the leader asked, turning around.

  ?"Help..." a voice whimpered from the bushes (Aris, throwing his voice).

  ?"Liu!" The two remaining cultivators charged into the brush.

  ?Aris watched from above, his violet eyes glowing. He pulled out a small, empty vial.

  ?[Skill: Soul Harvest - Passive]

  ?As Mo silently dismantled the team in the bushes, faint wisps of white light drifted up from the carnage, drawn into Aris's vial.

  ?"Three souls," Aris whispered. "Experience points acquired. Level 70 (99%)."

  ?He looked at the progress bar.

  ?"Just a little more. I need something bigger."