A Waste of Time-Chapter 141: Cold Radiance

One thousand followed Elder Cuifen toward the Assembly Arena.
They moved through the Inner-Circle of the Mountain — not as Outer Disciples, Applicants, or Slaves heading toward the Assignment Office in search of Contribution Points, nor as men and women dragging themselves toward duties in the Sect’s facilities.
Had it been any other day, their heads would have been lowered, their presence muted. To draw the eye of someone stronger was to invite trouble, mockery, or harassment. But today, none of that mattered. Today, they were challengers. They had earned the right to be here.
The halls and bridges beneath their feet, the trees and gardens lining the streets, the cloudy sky above, even the animals perched in branches or flitting between rooftops — all bore witness to the swelling confidence that burned in their steps.
That fire carried them until they reached the Assembly Arena: a vast open square before the Main Hall. There, seated high upon a grand stage, a group of green-robed Elders waited to observe this stage of the Sect-Competition. Below the stairs of the Main Hall stood hundreds of grey-robed Outer Elders — not caretakers of the Outer-Circle like Cuifen, but instructors of the Inner-Circle. These were the ones who guided Inner Disciples, refined their techniques, and elevated their Cultivation Bases.
Yet the heaviest weight came not from the Elders. It came from the thousands of Inner Disciples whose eyes locked on the newcomers. Their gazes carried disdain, impatience, even hostility. How dare these upstarts march into their domain? How dare they keep them waiting?
“Elders. I’ve brought the ones who passed the Mountain-Sunder Trial.” Cuifen cupped her fist and bowed politely to the green-robed Elders, then gave a respectful nod to the grey-robed instructors — a gesture they returned in kind.
Daemon’s sharp eyes picked Bai Sui out from the middle ranks of the Elders. He also noticed the gazes that landed on him from every direction. Some gleamed with interest, some with greed, others with false kindness and smiling faces eager to curry favor.
“Good job.” One of the nine Elders in green, an old man with a long silky goatee, spoke first. His eyes swept across the thousand. “I see quite a few former Slaves among you. And more Applicants than usual as well. Been a while since we’ve seen that.” He tugged absently at his beard, and the smirk at the corners of his mouth deepened when he caught the darkening faces of the newcomers.
“But don’t get conceited. This time, there are frightening young ones among the Inner Disciples.”
Another voice followed, this one from a beautiful woman whose poise barely concealed her true age. “Before you enter the Thousand-Blows Cycle Array, remember this: stubbornness and stupidity share a fine line. You risk grave injuries if you don’t know when to quit. Do not hesitate to activate the Jade Talisman if you must. These instructors will not save you unless your life itself hangs by a thread.
“Still — endure as long as you can. Those who place high will avoid the challenges of these hungry newcomers. Those who place low will risk both Demotion and elimination from the Sect-Competition.”
As she spoke, Daemon felt a piercing gaze upon him. He turned, and there she was — Han Ruyue. Her phoenix eyes burned with fighting spirit, her aura already far beyond the Peak-Perfection Qi Gathering Realm where he had last seen her. She now stood at Foundation Establishment, her power comparable to Cuifen and the instructors themselves.
So you did break through,
he thought, smiling faintly. He raised a hand, waving at her as though greeting an old friend.
His gaze swept further, catching familiar faces: Liu Yuying, Yu Tianwu, Zhan Lei, Zhao Wei, Chu Ren, Xue Lian, Yue Lan, Lin Qinghai, Shen Li. Some ignored him. Some glared. Liu Yuying in particular looked ready to pounce, her eyes sharp with the thirst for revenge.
Then Daemon raised his hand.
The Elders all turned to him at once.
“Don’t cause trouble, or I’ll throw you back into the Azure Lock Chamber,” Bai Sui warned coldly. The moment Daemon drew attention, the entire Assembly had fixed on him.
Su An and the boy’s followers tensed, dread flashing across their faces. Whatever he was about to do, it could drag them down with him.
But Daemon remained cool — ice in his veins, unbothered by the threat. His lips curved faintly as he looked at Bai Sui, the man who thought himself clever enough to deceive him.
“I’m not a Spirit Cultivator,” Daemon said plainly. “I asked because I don’t know how to activate a Jade Talisman. This lady just said the Thousand-Blows Cycle Array is dangerous. I won’t enter it without some measure of safety.
“I’m only here to sightsee until this Sect-Competition ends — because I promised to behave, until you give me the name of whoever killed my servants and my Beast-Companion.”
His tone sharpened, every word like a blade.
“After that, I’ll seek vengeance as long as I draw breath. And if I die… I’ll hunt as a ghost.”
Silence fell.
The Assembly Arena turned deathly still as Daemon’s Killing Intent erupted — cold, vast, merciless — spreading outward in waves that swallowed the square whole.
Su An’s eyes brimmed with guilt, so heavy it nearly spilled into helpless tears. She knew the truth. Her lips, however, remained sealed. What she dreaded most was not the deception itself, but how the boy would look at her once he discovered it.
Among the Inner Disciples who had once accepted the mission to capture him and failed — Han Ruyue, Liu Yuying, and others — the truth was no secret. They all knew that every word Daemon had just spoken was false.
Some frowned, baffled by the Elders’ decision to deceive the boy at all. Others smirked in ridicule, savoring the irony. Perhaps, at last, a flaw had been revealed in him. A weakness. And if so… maybe it was something to exploit in the battles ahead.
The Elders themselves showed no such concern. Their thoughts lay elsewhere. This outcome had been decided from the very start, sanctioned by the Disciplinary Chief and approved in the presence of Grand Elder Mo.
The old woman who had explained the rules earlier stiffened as Daemon’s Killing Intent flooded the arena. Her brows creased, and for the briefest moment, pity flickered in her eyes.
So young. Practically a child… and already stripped of innocence.
She thought of the s. There was no mention of him slaughtering mortals, nor of him butchering countless beasts in the Myriad Beast Forest. Then how had his Killing Intent grown so sharp, so dense, so heavy?
Hate. It must be hate. His grief over those companions of his — it clouded his heart, stained his Soul. Yet… his eyes remain clear. No sign of deviation from the orthodox path. How can that be?
She drew in a steady breath, setting her doubts aside.
“All you need to do as a Body-Refiner,” she said, her voice firm yet even, “is crush the Jade Talisman whenever you wish to be transported out of the Array.” She did not acknowledge the weight of the Killing Intent he had dared to flaunt in front of them all. Instead, she gave him space. “Anything else?”
“Thank you.” Daemon cupped his fist in salute, his tone calm, his face unreadable. Then he swept his gaze across the Elders — the nine in the front, the ranks behind them — and bowed once more.
“Apologies.”
The Elders in green all nodded in approval. The boy had not forgotten to give them face before the entire assembly — a gesture they demanded from every Junior in their presence. Especially after his earlier show of audacity, when he had dared to unleash Killing Intent in front of them.
Around him, the effect of that intent still lingered. A heavy blanket of cold malice had swept across the arena, terrifying all who stood within its reach. The pressure had thinned as it spread across so many bodies at once, but even diluted it left disciples shivering, jaws rattling until their teeth clattered against one another.
“Start the Array.”
The command came from the Elder seated at the centermost chair of the foremost row.
At once, the Instructors scattered with practiced precision, each taking position around the Assembly Arena. They drew jade slips from their sleeves, pressed them in hand, and poured their Qi into the talismans.
“Open!” they shouted in unison.
The entire arena blazed with light. Shimmering curtains unfolded, enclosing the space. Runes swam across the air like schools of fish, glyphs burned in countless colors, and the veil of the Array rippled like a living sea.
From within, the Inner Disciples cast one final glance back at the newcomers — a silent challenge burning in their eyes, layered with threat, disdain, and the promise of battle.
Then they stepped into the light.
One by one, their figures vanished into the Array, leaving behind only the echo of their confidence and the glow of runes drifting in the air.
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