This Is a Gift, but Not from Second Brother

Upon seeing this, Elder Liang's tense expression suddenly relaxed, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

The surrounding disciples also began to whisper among themselves:

"Qin Wangchuan is also going to undergo the trial?"

"That seems to be the case. Wasn't he specially recruited?"

"Let's forget about that for now. Do you think he'll get his name on the Stone Tablet?"

"Absolutely! He's Qin Wangchuan!"

Elder Liang stroked his long beard and muttered to himself, "It seems he's still just a young man after all."

Qin Wangchuan was, of course, specially recruited and was admitted to the hospital without having to go through these tests.

He naturally assumed that Qin Wangchuan wanted to compete with Chu Wujiu and others by leaving his name on the Stone Tablet to prove himself.

After all, this is one of the most popular "competitions" among young Prodigy.

However, this is not the case.

Qin Wangchuan thought to himself, "My Second Brother sent me on this trial; I hope it's not a trap."

That's right.

This was all Qin Xuanji's instruction; he insisted that Qin Xuanji make him go through the trials, especially the third one— the Heavenly Ladder.

He said, "There's a gift."

The problem is that not all of my Second Brother's gifts are good.

Thinking this, Qin Wangchuan had already embarked on his first trial— the Heart Demon Road.

With each step, the surrounding scenery instantly distorted, creating a mirage.

There were no sinister whispers, no twisted shadows.

Only absolute silence.

Qin Wangchuan stood on nothingness and found himself standing in the center of a row of figures that stretched to the horizon.

Subconsciously, I turned my head to the left—and was met with countless familiar eyes, countless "Qin Wangchuan".

They were dressed in different clothes, and their expressions ranged from icy indifference to arrogant arrogance to compassion for all living beings.

But they were all like reflections on countless fragments, silently and uniformly gazing at him at the center.

Turning to the right, there were rows of "themselves," some dressed in imperial robes, others wielding Heaven-Opening weapons.

They had different eye colors and wore different clothes, but their appearances were similar.

It is indeed him, but it should be "him" derived from countless possibilities.

The key was not the strange illusion, but their gazes—no matter which way they looked, all of Qin Wangchuan's eyes were focused on him.

His gaze was filled with hope, like that of a pilgrim, or perhaps a judge.

It was extremely eerie, yet it exuded an indescribable feeling.

With another step taken, those "selves" shattered like bubbles and vanished completely.

Returning to reality, we are still on the Heart Demon Road.

"Is this an inner demon, or perhaps, a gift from my Second Brother?"

Qin Wangchuan muttered to himself, deciding not to waste any more time on this path.

Without stopping, they traversed the Heart Demon Road.

Just as I was about to face the second test, a mechanical and abrupt notification suddenly sounded in my mind:

[Urgent mission issued!]

[Mission Summary: As someone from a humble background, you must seize every opportunity to become stronger. The Wandao Academy is currently recruiting disciples. Although the host's aptitude is poor and comprehension mediocre, destined to fail all tests, it is still recommended that the host attempt the first trial to hone their skills.]

[Mission Objective: Step into the first test of the Wandao Academy — the Heart Demon Road —and endure it for ten seconds. (Extremely Difficult)]

[Task Reward: Your next sign-in will guarantee a reward of tier 5 or higher.]

(Note: This mission is extremely difficult and may result in you being consumed by your inner demons, putting your life in danger. Please decide for yourself whether to accept it.)

Qin Wangchuan abruptly stopped in his tracks.

"The first test?"

He slowly turned around and glanced at the Heart Demon Road he had already traversed, then sighed helplessly, realizing he was completely at a loss with this system.

"Endure the Heart Demon Road for ten seconds? Extremely difficult?"

This system is not only stupid, but it also always makes hindsight judgments!

It only issues the task after everyone has finished walking around.

And you can't complain, because if you do, it'll just say, "Everything's normal~"

Normal my foot!

Shaking his head, Qin Wangchuan turned back again, embarking once more on the Heart Demon Road.

His actions immediately attracted the attention of those around him.

Everyone looked at him with puzzled expressions, wondering why Qin Wangchuan wanted to turn back.

"What is Divine Son Qin doing?" someone asked in a low voice.

"Could it be... that there's something special Profound Mystery about the Heart Demon Road that requires a second comprehension?"

"It doesn't seem like it... Could it be that they've discovered some secret we haven't found out?"

In the crowd, Chu Wujiu and Ji Wuchen watched this scene, their expressions instantly turning serious.

Chu Wujiu gritted his teeth inwardly: 'Damn it, I went through too quickly and didn't notice if there was Profound Mystery about the Heart Demon Road. What he did must have a purpose. I'll go stand there for a while later!'

Ji Wuchen's heart sank as well: ' Qin Wangchuan would never do anything meaningless. Is he implying that the key to the Heart Demon Road lies not in passing through, but in "persistence"? It seems I must follow suit.'

Qin Wangchuan completely ignored the gazes and speculations around him and stood there in place.

One second, two seconds...

He stood there for a full ten seconds before finally stepping out.

[Ding! Emergency mission completed!]

[You're guaranteed a Tier 5 or higher reward on your next sign-in.]

"It's a pity I already signed it today. Let's see what I get in return tomorrow."

Qin Wangchuan thought to himself that although this system was stupid, the occasional rewards were still quite useful.

He stepped towards the second test— the True Self Mirror.

Qin Wangchuan placed his hand on the frame of the mirror, and the mirror surface immediately rippled like water.

As the ripples subsided, his image appeared in the mirror.

However, the figure did not linger and quickly blurred and disappeared.

Immediately afterwards, the mirror surface rippled again, revealing another unfamiliar figure.

The Shadow Mask was obscured by the clouds and mist, making it indistinct, but one could vaguely discern that its outline resembled his own.

This figure did not last forever; it too quickly vanished.

This cycle repeats itself, with unfamiliar figures constantly appearing and disappearing in the mirror.

Although the faces of the people in the mirror were obscured by clouds and mist, making their features unclear, one could still sense that they were opening their mouths, as if whispering something.

At first, it was blurry and indistinct, as if separated by countless mountains and rivers, and only fragmented syllables could be discerned:

"... stop."

"... Don't..."

"... Don't stop."

The voice repeated itself endlessly, carrying an indescribable persistence and entrustment.

Finally, all the images and sounds in the mirror fell silent, leaving only those two words, like a whisper from another time and space, clearly entering Qin Wangchuan's mind, carrying a deafening power:

"Don't stop!"

Upon hearing those two words, Qin Wangchuan was momentarily dazed.

He had said similar things to many people, but those were meant as encouragement.

Despite the pain, don't stop moving forward.

Hearing this through the mirror now feels incredibly strange.

Qin Wangchuan simply took it as a gift from his Second Brother, laughed it off, and didn't investigate further.

Withdrawing his hand, he headed straight for the Third Trial — the Heavenly Ladder.

On the other side of the square, Elder Liang, along with several elders from the Wandao Academy, stood together, observing Qin Wangchuan's progress.

They watched as Qin Wangchuan easily passed the second test— the True Self Mirror. Although they weren't surprised, a hint of confusion lingered in their expressions.

Did you see him open his mouth to answer?

One of the elders, with white hair and beard, asked, his voice filled with inquiry.

The second test, the "True Self Mirror," is about introspection, testing one's Dao heart and Origin Source; therefore, the sound will not actually be heard.

But whether they open their mouths or not is still noticeable.

You should answer at least three times if asked a question.

Another elder, dressed in Green Robe, nodded, his brow furrowed.

"I did see him open his mouth, but it seems he only said two words?"

The third elder was equally astonished. "No matter how many words are used, this only answers one question at most. What about the remaining two?"

The elders exchanged glances and fell silent.

I can't understand or explain what's going on.

Two words certainly cannot encompass the answers to all three questions.

But the truth is, Qin Wangchuan seemed to have only answered with two words, Three Talisman Stones were destroyed.

Finally, Elder Liang spoke up, breaking the eerie silence.

He stroked his long beard, a thoughtful glint in his eyes, but outwardly remained calm.

"Perhaps the True Self Mirror is malfunctioning. After all, it has been passed down since High Antiquity times, so problems are bound to occur," Elder Liang said slowly. "Let's send someone to check it after the trial is over."

Although he said that, Elder Liang knew in his heart that the True Self Mirror was the most precious treasure of the Wandao Academy and would never be easily damaged.

They turned their attention to the Third Trial — the Heavenly Ladder.

"Judging from his performance, reaching the Hundredth Tier should be a sure thing," an elder murmured.

Qin Wangchuan had already taken a step, stepping onto the First Tier of the Heavenly Ladder.