The fifth Trial Space collapsed completely as the Wailing Banshee faded away.
Sword Master in the Snow, Evergreen, Water God, and the others returned to the council hall.
A faint, mysterious aura surrounded each of them. It was the nascent form of their own path, rapidly merging with their bodies.
"I can feel it..." Sword Master in the Snow clenched his fist. The long blade in his hand had returned to normal, but its edge seemed to carry an invisible sharpness. "That barrier is about to break."
He was talking about the bottleneck everyone present could feel.
The bottleneck to godhood.
Once they broke through it, they could be transformed like Dawn, Mirror, and the other three, stepping into an entirely new level of existence.
Holy Light flowed gently around Evergreen. It was no longer mere healing energy; it now carried the quality of a concept.
Around Water God, the water elements in the air danced with joy, as though they had come alive.
They had found the key. Now they only needed to find the lock and open the door.
"Now!"
Sword Master in the Snow was the first to act.
He closed his eyes and focused inward, trying to condense the newborn will of the Sword Dao into a true godhead core.
Guided by his will, the energy within him surged toward a single point, gathering and compressing.
But just before it could take shape, it shuddered, then collapsed and scattered back through his body.
Pfft.
Sword Master in the Snow grunted. His face turned pale, and a trickle of blood escaped his lips.
The attempt had failed, and the backlash had left him with a serious internal injury.
"What happened?" He opened his eyes, baffled.
He was not alone. Evergreen, Water God, Senior Brother En-En, and the