"Was that... the Trial Gate?"
Song Qingxing was intimately familiar with that gate. He had entered the Five Elements Trial through it before, sinking into this boundless bitter sea for several decades.
Now, had he finally reached the other shore?
He strode firmly toward the gate shrouded in radiance. As he advanced, his body, which had been completely submerged in the bitter sea, slowly began to rise, gradually emerging from the water.
It was clear to see that wherever the bitter water had touched, his skin and flesh had been corroded away completely. Even his skeleton was mottled, its surface pitted and scarred.
Every step through the bitter sea required him to endure agony and torment unbearable to ordinary people. After more than twenty years, he had long since grown accustomed to it.
Once he left the bitter water, his flesh regrew, as though everything before had been nothing but an illusion.
Watching that gate, Song Qingxing drew closer step by step. He cautiously extended a hand, and only after confirming there was no danger did he step inside. The space around him twisted beneath an invisible force, and his figure vanished with the vortex.
"Xi'er, I'm back..."
After passing through the Trial Gate, Song Qingxing appeared in a deep, silent valley. The stone walls on either side were steep and smooth, faintly bearing the traces of lightning's rampage, while the valley floor was utterly scorched earth.
Above the valley stood a white-robed cultivator with a treasured sword on his back. Looking down from above, his eyes carried the innate arrogance of a disciple from a great sect. In a resounding voice, he said, "Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on passing the Five Elements Trial and clearing the ultimate test of the Trial Road.
"Now, you may reap your rewards to your