Eternal Night Mansion…

Inside Mo Han's stone house, the faint blue glow of a spirit lamp illuminated the tidy room. Scrolls, ink, and small beast bones lay neatly arranged on a table, the faint hum of runic energy rippling from them.

Mo Han sat cross-legged, reviewing his notes on the Inner Beast Spirit Art when a frantic pounding shattered the calm.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

He looked up, brow furrowing slightly. "Fatty…" he murmured.

Sure enough, the door burst open before he could rise, and Fatty Lambu stumbled in, red-faced, drenched in sweat, and grinning like a triumphant merchant. Behind him, two exhausted spirit mules tugged a small wooden cart stacked with sealed spirit pouches.

"Brother Mo!" Fatty panted, hands on his knees. "Your… your list... completed!"

Mo Han's brows rose slightly. "All of it?"

"Every single one!" Fatty declared proudly, pulling a pouch from his sleeve and tossing it onto the table. "Spirit Hawk feathers, Blood Horned Viper scales, Earth Python gall, and that ridiculous Shadow Wolf marrow — do you know how much that cost? I nearly sold my robe! But thanks to the Wood family's young lady — bless her gentle heart — everything became smooth. She handled the black market permits and even scared off the greedy merchants."

He wiped his forehead, clearly expecting praise. Dambu, the little fire chicken on his shoulder, chirped triumphantly.

Mo Han rose, examining the pouches carefully. Each was sealed with a thin layer of aura to prevent decay. "You did well, Fatty. Better than I expected."

Fatty puffed up his chest. "Heh, of course! You think this body is just for eating? I can work miracles when inspired by desperation!"

Mo Han gave a faint smile. "Good. Rest now. Tomorrow, the real work begins."

Fatty blinked. "The real work? You mean… I just spent a fortune for things you're not even using tonight?"

Mo Han calmly began arranging the materials in a neat circle. "These things will be in perfect use during forest trial."

"Forest trial?" Fatty asked, scratching his head.

Mo Han's gaze turned distant, his tone quiet. "The Inner Herbal Forest opens the day after tomorrow. The elders are using it to select who will represent the sect in the upcoming tournament."

Fatty's grin faded. "You mean… the one that'll decide the fate of the dual cultivators?"

"Yes."

After a long pause, Fatty sighed, rubbing his belly. "Then I suppose I should pray you don't die in there, brother."

Mo Han didn't respond. His hands moved deftly, mixing herbs, beast blood, and fragments of bone to prepare talismans. His calm expression betrayed nothing, but the faint tension in his aura told a different story.

When Fatty finally collapsed on the couch, snoring softly, Mo Han looked once more at the table.

—

Next Day Morning…

Dawn came with a pale gold glow spilling over the mountains. The mist curled low, and the Eternal Night Mansion stirred with activity. Disciples hurried along the walkways, carrying weapons and supplies, their faces tense with anticipation.

Mo Han stood before the Elders' Pavilion, his robe plain but his bearing steady. When he entered, Elder Mei was already waiting.

She stood near a table covered in scrolls, her silver hair tied neatly, her expression grave yet composed. When she saw him, a rare warmth softened her eyes. "You came early."

"I heard the Inner Herbal Forest will open at noon," Mo Han said. "I wanted to understand what awaits inside."

Elder Mei nodded slowly. "You're wise to ask. Most young ones only rush in with their swords." She unfurled a scroll, revealing an intricate map. "The forest covers two hundred miles within the sect's inner barrier. It is both a cultivation zone and a danger zone. Spirit beasts roam freely, and the air itself holds medicinal essence that enhances healing and endurance — if you survive it."

Her finger traced a spot on the parchment — a shimmering lake at the forest's heart. "Here lies the Spirit Well. Its waters are infused with primal energy from ancient roots buried deep below the mountains. Bathing or meditating within can strengthen your body's physique beyond normal limits."

Mo Han's eyes narrowed slightly. "The Spirit Well…"

Elder Mei met his gaze. "It only opens once during each forest awakening. It will appear for one hour when the moon reaches its zenith. If you find it, you may advance your Inner Beast Spirit Art faster than years of closed-door training."

That caught his attention.

"However," she continued, "others will be seeking it too. Remember — this trial is not only about survival. It is about dominance. Those who wish to represent the Eternal Night Mansion must claim the rarest herb within — and survive the competition."

Mo Han bowed slightly. "Understood."

Elder Mei studied him for a moment, then sighed. "I know your temperament, Mo Han. You dislike politics, but this tournament may decide our future. Do not hold back."

A faint smile ghosted across his lips. "I never do, Elder."

When he left the pavilion, the morning mist parted around him. His path was clear, but the air seemed to hum faintly with coming storms.

—

Across the sect, within the lush gardens of Elder Park, another conversation was unfolding — one that carried poison beneath its courtesy.

Tang Zin knelt before the matured lady seated beneath a flowering cherry tree. Elder Park, her eyes sharp and unreadable.

Tang Zin's expression was respectful, but her tone trembled with suppressed rage. "Master, I beg you — allow me to enter the Inner Herbal Forest."

Elder Park looked up slowly from her scroll. "You? The forest is for core disciples only. You've only recently reached Elder Rank. Why risk your cultivation?"

She bowed lower, her voice strained. "It's not risk, Master. It's… justice. Mo Han humiliated me. He destroyed my opportunity and insulted my lineage. I cannot let him walk unharmed while I stand here."

Elder Park's brow creased. "You speak of revenge, I like it."

Tang Zin's eyes glistened with a dangerous gleam. "Then call it what it is. He must pay. The forest will open, and accidents happen often there. No one will question it."

Silence followed. The elder's fingers tapped once on the armrest. "You would stain your cultivation with blood over pride?"

Her voice broke, though her eyes burned with cold fury. "He's more than a wound to my pride, Master. He's a threat — to our sect, to everything we've built. The Golden Crow Syndicate watches him. If he rises too high, we all fall lower."

The lady sighed, closing his eyes. "Your ambition will destroy you one day, Zin. But I like what you are going to do."

"Then let it destroy him first."

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