Heaven’s Forsaken System

Chapter 7: Shadows in the Hall

The night air was thick with tension as Yu Xinyi's silver eyes bore into Shen Liang. A lesser man might have faltered under her penetrating gaze, but he held firm, a smirk tugging at his lips. Her presence at his doorstep was unexpected, yet not entirely unwelcome.

"You ask as if I'm someone worth knowing," Shen Liang mused, leaning lazily against the wooden frame of his door. His voice carried an edge of amusement, but beneath it lay caution.

"A cripple does not suddenly defeat Bai Cheng and awaken a powerful technique overnight." Her voice was calm, measured, but there was an undercurrent of curiosity—perhaps even something deeper.

Shen Liang's expression remained unreadable. He had anticipated whispers, suspicion, but for Yu Xinyi, of all people, to come seeking answers meant the situation had escalated faster than he'd planned. He would need to tread carefully.

"What do you really want?" he asked, watching her intently.

She exhaled, her features betraying nothing. "To understand."

A silence stretched between them, tense yet strangely charged. Then, taking a measured step forward, she lowered her voice. "The elders are watching you, Shen Liang. Some see you as an anomaly. Others see you as a threat."

His smirk widened. "A cripple suddenly worth fearing? Now that's a first."

"You're not taking this seriously."

"Oh, but I am." He tilted his head. "Tell me, Priestess—why are you warning me?"

Yu Xinyi's hesitation was infinitesimal, but Shen Liang caught it. When she finally answered, her voice was softer, almost introspective. "Because I want to see where your path leads."

Shen Liang studied her. Yu Xinyi was no ordinary disciple. As a celestial priestess, she stood far above him in rank and prestige. Her interest in him was as dangerous as it was intriguing. He had no illusions—if the elders truly deemed him a threat, it would not be long before whispers turned to action.

He took a step back into his quarters, allowing the candlelight from within to cast long shadows across the walls. "Then watch closely," he said. "I have no intention of stopping."

Yu Xinyi didn't reply immediately. Instead, she regarded him for a lingering moment before turning away, disappearing into the darkness of the corridor.

Only when she was gone did Shen Liang exhale, his smirk fading into something more thoughtful. The game had changed. The elders were aware of him, and now so was Yu Xinyi. He could no longer afford to remain a silent force lurking in the shadows. If they sought to test him, he would make sure they never forgot the results.

A familiar chime echoed in his mind.

[System Notification: New Hidden Quest Unlocked.]

[Shadows in the Hall – Survive the Sect's Growing Suspicion.]

A quest. Proof that the world itself was shifting around him.

Shen Liang closed his eyes, feeling the pulse of his stolen Qi, the weight of destiny pressing against his skin. If the sect wanted a spectacle, he would deliver one.

With a slow breath, he turned his gaze toward the heavens.

"Let them watch."

The next morning, the sect's inner sanctum was abuzz with whispers. In a secluded chamber, the elders convened once more, their expressions grim. Shen Liang's sudden rise was no longer a matter of gossip—it was a disturbance to the sect's delicate balance of power.

Elder Han, the eldest among them, sighed deeply. "The boy is an anomaly. If left unchecked, he could disrupt everything we have built."

Elder Wu scoffed, his fingers tapping against the table. "Then we should eliminate him before it is too late."

Elder Rong, the only woman among them, narrowed her eyes. "Fools. Do you not see the potential here? If he possesses such power, should we not make use of it instead of fearing it?"

A tense silence followed. The sect had always adhered to the doctrine of strength. If Shen Liang could prove himself useful, perhaps there was another path besides elimination.

"Let us test him," Elder Han proposed. "Push him beyond his limits. If he survives, he may yet earn his place among us. If he fails, fate will decide the rest."

The decision was made.

That evening, a summons arrived at Shen Liang's door.

[New System Notification: Sect Trial Initiated.]

[Trial of the Forsaken – Survive, or perish.]

Shen Liang read the message, a slow grin spreading across his face.

"They finally took the bait."

The game had begun in earnest.