An Attempt

Source Planet Calendar, September 30, 3035, 2:25 a.m.

Lu Yan'an began practicing the Entry Level of the Illusion Martial Artist Secret Manual 312 Forms.

His intense desire to survive drove him to devote himself to it completely. The assessment chamber provided an immense supply of cosmic energy at all times, so the inheritors could go without food or water. In this ideal cultivation environment, Lu Yan'an was entirely immersed in training with the secret manual!

But once he began cultivating the Illusion Martial Artist Secret Manual, he finally understood just how profound and vast it was. Traditional Source Qi cultivation was simple and straightforward: control the energy of heaven and earth again and again to wash over the body. By contrast, cultivating the Illusion Martial Artist Secret Manual was like performing high-precision surgery while walking a tightrope thousands of feet in the air!

It emphasized the complete unity of the cultivator's mind and body. While carrying out a physical attack, the cultivator also had to construct and launch an illusion with spiritual power at that very same moment. Put simply, every physical attack had to carry a spell attack, and the spell's construction, execution, and fusion with the physical strike all had to happen in an instant!

Doing several things at once was practically impossible in the eyes of outsiders, yet it was the entry requirement for every Illusion Martial Artist. That was why, throughout the universe, every powerhouse who had made great strides along the path of the Illusion Martial Artist was a prodigy, exceptionally gifted in both martial arts and illusion.

Before he began practicing the secret manual, Lu Yan'an's progress had always been limited. But as he studied the Illusion Martial Artist Secret Manual 312 Forms, his offensive ability as a martial artist and his ability to wield and construct illusions both improved rapidly. The pace of his progress left him stunned. It was as absurd as someone going from elementary-school math to mastering the foundations of advanced mathematics overnight.

"Boom!"

"My attack still falls far short." In the chamber, Lu Yan'an, his face covered in scruffy stubble, stared at the metal wall. It had no cracks, but a fist-shaped dent had begun to appear. The impression was very shallow, and the wall was slowly repairing itself, but there was no denying that his attack was vastly stronger than the day before.

After combining his spiritual power with his physical attacks, Lu Yan'an's strikes were at least ten times stronger than when he had first entered the assessment chamber. But even after becoming so much stronger, he was still nowhere near enough.

"Again!"

Lu Yan'an once more immersed himself in the Illusion Martial Artist Secret Manual.

In the main meeting hall of the Lu Family estate.

"It's been half a month already!"

Lu Zhong, Lu Yan'an's adoptive father, shook his head and sighed. "An'er still hasn't come out after a whole half month. Could he have been given a Special-Class assessment inheritance too?"

"Tell everyone outside that An'er left the Lu Family to train on his own!" Lu Zhong began giving orders to the clan members.

The many members of the Lu Clan residence promptly agreed.

"Come out alive, An'er..." In his youth, Lu Zhong had also entered the Heritage Tower. After passing the Elite Disciple Inheritance Assessment, he had become head of the Lu Family. Having governed the entire Lu Clan for many years, he had also learned a great deal about the Heritage Tower.

The Lu Clan had flourished for more than three thousand years, and countless family members had entered the Heritage Tower. They knew of only two types of assessment: "Ordinary" and "Elite." The former posed no danger to life, and those who passed received some knowledge about the universe and a Light Brain. The latter carried a certain degree of danger, but those who passed received an Inheritance Secret Technique in addition to the rewards of the ordinary assessment.

Lu Zhong had passed the Elite assessment and obtained an ordinary secret technique, Wind Derivation Force. After reaching Entry Level in the technique, he had become invincible throughout the Feng Kingdom and was hailed as a hero of his generation. He had thought the Elite assessment was the most difficult kind—until his eldest son came out of the tower two years ago and told him about the Special-Class assessment above it.

The Special-Class assessment was practically a death trial, with a mortality rate of about seventy percent. It also didn't take long, usually no more than half a month. But anyone who passed would no longer be confined to the Source Planet; they would become a heaven-sent prodigy capable of contending across the universe! After narrowly passing the Elite assessment, Lu Kunwu had gained more than a simple ordinary secret technique. He had obtained a Peak Secret Technique coveted even by Ordinary Immortals!

Although Lu Kunwu couldn't yet reach Entry Level in the Peak Secret Technique, even a superficial understanding of it was enough to make him nearly unmatched among Planetary Levels! And the secret technique wasn't the only reward. Those who passed the Special-Class assessment also received all the resources needed to advance from Planetary Level to Star Level. So, when Lu Kunwu returned to the Lu Family after passing the assessment, he was granted the same status as Lu Zhong, the clan head!

What no one could have imagined was that Lu Yan'an had undergone an assessment even more deadly than the Special-Class one: the "Named Disciple Inheritance Assessment," a trial with almost no chance of survival. Worse, it lasted eleven years. This enormous gap in what each side knew had led Lu Zhong to make the wrong assumption and begin a series of arrangements for what came next...

Deep inside the Heritage Tower, in the assessment chamber.

Lu Yan'an's face was a mess of unruly stubble, but his eyes shone like stars. The illusionary spiritual power that seemed to spill faintly from his gaze was enough to make anyone's heart tremble.

"Three years. A full three years, and I've finally mastered the Illusion Martial Artist Secret Manual."

"I've been trapped in this death trial for three whole years." With a thought, Lu Yan'an unleashed an invisible yet powerful spiritual illusion that enveloped the entire chamber, stirring up gusts of air. The illusion's boundary met the metal walls, and then the spherical illusion compressed into a single point on Lu Yan'an's fist. He struck, concentrating all of it against the metal wall!

"Rumble..." The entire chamber shook.

The all-out strike, imbued with every ounce of Lu Yan'an's physical and spiritual strength, smashed straight through the wall, leaving a fist-sized hole.

But before Lu Yan'an could even celebrate, the metal wall began repairing itself! In the blink of an eye, it was back to normal.

"Without the power of a Domain to suppress this special metal's ability to repair itself, even my strength—which far exceeds that of an ordinary Planetary Level—can't get me out."

By now, Lu Yan'an had already advanced beyond Planetary Level. A casual punch from him could produce more than a thousand tons of force. Add the Force Amplitude of over 20 from the Illusion Martial Artist Secret Manual, along with the severalfold boost from his illusionary spiritual power, and a single punch could deliver over a hundred thousand tons of impact! This strength far surpassed that of anyone who had only just advanced to Planetary Level.

It could even threaten an advanced Planetary Level powerhouse.

But—

It still wasn't enough!

"I didn't expect to break through to Planetary Level naturally while practicing the Illusion Martial Artist Secret Manual. And once I fully master it, I'll form the rudiments of a Domain on my own. At least this damned inheritance left me a sliver of hope."

When he broke through to Planetary Level, an introduction to the special ability he had gained appeared on the chamber's smooth metal wall.

"The Light-attribute Dark Radiance Body. It's the finest special ability, and the one best suited to me. It'll be a great help in comprehending a Domain."

At Apprentice Level, Spirit Readers held a huge advantage, and martial artists of the same level were no match for them. But once they reached Planetary Level, martial artists gained abilities of their own: special abilities. Across the universe, special abilities were generally grouped into eight categories: metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, lightning, and light.

Lu Yan'an had gained the rarest Light-attribute ability of them all: the "Dark Radiance Body." It was known as a ticket to the Origin Law of Light. The Dark Radiance Body passively and greatly reduced the difficulty of comprehending the Law of Light. Across the universe, those with this special ability were known as "darlings of the Origin Law of Light." But even such a powerful ability had its drawbacks—it offered no attack or defense capabilities and could only help its owner comprehend the Law of Light.

In a universe where Domain Lords comprehended Domains and World Lords comprehended laws, anyone with the Dark Radiance Body who avoided an early death could become a Domain Lord at the very least. With a little more effort, becoming a World Lord would be within reach! Under those circumstances, lacking offensive and defensive abilities was a minor drawback.

"I'll make it out alive!"

As the introduction to the Dark Radiance Body appeared on the chamber wall, Lu Yan'an encouraged himself silently. "Now I just have to see whether this special ability really works as well for comprehending it as the description claims!"

"Damn inheritance, just you wait!" Lu Yan'an closed his eyes, and two tears slid down his cheeks. When he opened them again, the resolve in his gaze was enough to make anyone look twice.