Meeting with Those You Hate

In the darkness, the Black-Robed Figure watched Tang Ruowei frantically shattering the Illusion Realm of the [Separation from Loved Ones] trial within the light screen, and muttered to himself, "What kind of people are these Cultivators from later generations?"

He stared at Tang Ruowei, who had severed the head of the Shangxuan Emperor created from the Illusion Realm with a single sword stroke, and muttered, "Are you kidding me? Even though it's an entity created by Formation, it's still your father! Your own father!"

The Skull lying in the darkness beside it also watched the scene, its eyes flickering with an uncertain light, concealing its merit and fame.

"Oh, you're back."

Standing beside the Stone Stele, Li Jinyao looked at Tang Ruowei, who had safely returned from the Trial Area, and asked, "Junior Sister Ruowei, how are you feeling?"

"What else could it be? You saw her expression."

Bai Qiuran looked at his disciple's sour face and said leisurely, "Hmph, he probably got his sore spot touched in the Illusion Realm... This trial is really asking for death and a 'book'."

Due to the spatial distortion, Bai Qiuran and Li Jinyao could only see all sorts of people appearing around Tang Ruowei. Then, they watched as Tang Ruowei suddenly went berserk and launched attacks on everything around her. Her True Essence, enhanced by the Primordial Magnetism Power, shattered the ground around her, making it uneven. However, neither of them knew exactly what happened in the Illusion Realm.

Tang Ruowei walked to the Stone Stele, reached out and touched it. As she watched the words on the Stone Stele gradually fade, she suddenly raised her hand and slapped the Stone Stele.

With a loud slap, the girl covered her bright red palm and squatted down on the spot.

"Pfft!"

Li Jinyao couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "Junior Sister Ruowei can be really... adorably silly sometimes."

"Yes, this is the state of rage after being placed on a hot plate."

Bai Qiuran and said, "Attack power, defense power, and speed all increased by 200%, while intelligence decreased by 100%."

All three had successfully completed their trials. Bai Qiuran walked over, pulled her disciple up from the ground, and applied Plaster to her palm. Just then, a hazy mist suddenly appeared at the edge of the plain—this should be the exit leading to the cliff space.

The three of them left the trial space together. After entering the mist, Li Jinyao very proactively put her hand into Bai Qiuran's palm.

Seeing Bai Qiuran looking at her strangely, Li Jinyao playfully explained, "This is so we don't get separated, Sword Ancestor."

Seeing that she also took Tang Ruowei's hand, Bai Qiuran didn't say anything. The three of them passed through the fog together and returned to the misaligned cliff.

Li Jinyao looked up and down and asked, "Ruowei, do you think the mountaintop is 750 zhang away now?"

Tang Ruowei's anger had subsided considerably. Upon hearing this, she looked up and replied, "Yes."

"So this is the pattern. By the way, Sword Ancestor, how many trials have you completed?"

Li Jinyao asked curiously.

"That's the sixth one."

Bai Qiuran replied, "I've gone through the eight sufferings in order: birth, Birth, Aging, Sickness, and Death, death, Separation from Loved Ones. Thinking about it that way, the next one should be Meeting with Those You Hate."

"Perfect timing, neither Junior Sister Ruowei nor I have gotten past this hurdle yet."

Li Jinyao nodded.

"It seems we can continue on this journey."

Once again emerging from the mist, Bai Qiuran and her companions found themselves in front of an ancient building that resembled a gladiatorial arena.

The three stood on a platform connected to the building by a bridge. The platform, the bridge, and the arena all floated in a black Void.

A Stone Stele stood beside the bridge. After the three people walked over, the Stone Stele, as always, displayed text twice.

Vows of eternal love eventually come to an end; even enemies are destined to meet.

[Sixth (Fourth) (Third) Suffering: Meeting with Those You Hate.]

"Following this pattern, if we continue forward, we'll encounter our enemies."

After guessing for a moment, Li Jinyao asked, "Does Junior Sister Ruowei have any enemies?"

"Enemies?"

Tang Ruowei pondered for a moment, then hesitated and said, "If there is anyone, it would probably be my ancestor Tang Zhouxie, whom I intend to Shangxuan, and his followers and worshippers... However, Tang Zhouxie only has the cultivation of the Foundation Establishment Stage, and his followers are just a group of Qi Refinement."

At this point, Tang Ruowei cautiously glanced at her master, but Bai Qiuran was lost in thought while looking at the Stone Stele and ignored her.

"Then you can go first, Junior Sister Ruowei."

Li Jinyao suggested, "You shouldn't be in any danger this time. Sword Ancestor and I will stay here to cover for you."

"Good."

With her master present, Tang Ruowei felt very reassured. After nodding, the girl crossed the bridge and entered the arena.

Standing still, Li Jinyao and Bai Qiuran saw through some gaps in the arena the people Tang Ruowei had encountered inside. They were Tang Zhouxie of the Shangxuan Martial Sect, who had previously practiced half-baked evil techniques of the Blood God Sect, and a group of retainers led by Sima Yingbo.

Tang Ruowei quickly engaged in a fight with them, putting on a good show for Li Jinyao and Bai Qiuran of a novice bullying an even weaker group of chickens. The light of her True Essence burst out from within, occasionally emitting loud bangs.

Watching the battle in the arena, Li Jinyao asked, "Does Sword Ancestor have any enemies?"

Bai Qiuran pondered for a moment, then shook her head somewhat blankly.

"I can't think of any enemies I might have..."

Li Jinyao also looked bewildered and said, "The Heavenly Demon Sect's motto is to avenge any wrongs on the spot... It's just that Master is rather unlucky; his enemy is the sect Sect Master of the Azure Nether Sword Sect, and he hasn't been able to get revenge yet."

They looked at each other, Li Jinyao said, "What kind of people do you think we'll run into when we go in later?"

God knows.

Bai Qiuran shrugged.

The battle on Tang Ruowei's side ended quickly. A Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivators followed unorthodox methods was no match for a Virtual Core Cultivators trained by an old monster from a prestigious sect. Even with a group of late- Qi Refining Stage followers, Tang Ruowei was quickly wiped out.

When Tang Ruowei came out, her clothes were not even slightly disheveled.

She crossed the bridge and arrived at the Stone Stele. Watching the inscriptions gradually fade, she looked at Bai Qiuran and Li Jinyao, their faces thoughtful, and asked, "Master, Sister Li, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

Bai Qiuran shook her head.

"I was just thinking about who my enemies were."

"Me too."

Even Li Jinyao, who had always appeared exceptionally intelligent, was somewhat confused.

"I really can't think of anyone who could be called an [enemy]."

"Thinking about it here won't do any good; we'll know once we go in and see for ourselves."

Tang Ruowei suggested.

"Yes, I'll go in first then."

Bai Qiuran said to Li Jinyao.

Li Jinyao nodded, and then, with mixed feelings, Bai Qiuran crossed the bridge and entered the arena.