The Eighth Trial

That night.

Ye Xinglan sat alone by the window, watching the starlight in the sky flicker.

Most of the lights in Heaven Dou City had already gone out. The chaos brought about by the Panda Burning Incense was like a silent plague, causing the entire city to fall asleep two hours earlier than usual.

Only the rooftops of a few Federation offices in the distance still shone faintly, like fragments of gold dropped into an ink bottle.

A breeze slipped in through the half-open window, carrying the cool scent of the late night, and ruffled the strands of hair that fell over her shoulders.

She didn't move, but simply gazed quietly at the night sky.

Occasionally, a few stars would peek through the gaps in the clouds, flash briefly, and then fade away.

She suddenly remembered Shrek's Sea God Lake.

On nights like this in the past, a very faint Moonlight would float on the lake.

She hadn't seen that kind of light in a long time.

She glanced behind her; Yun Jingheng had already entered a meditative state.

He sat cross-legged on the moonlit floor, his hands forming a mudra on his knees, his back ramrod straight.

Moonlight streamed in through the window, bathing him in its glow, making his eyelashes and fingertips shimmer.

His breathing was extremely light and long, and his chest barely rose and fell.

She glanced at it only once before looking away and holding the Stargod Sword horizontally in front of her.

The Heaven Dou City outside the window seemed to have been silenced; the chirping of insects and the sounds of carriages and horses were almost distant and nonexistent.

Only the wind blew in strands through the cracks in the window, lifting the ends of her hair.

At this moment, Yun Jingheng had already sunk into another sea.

That was his Sea of Spirit.

"You've come."

The sound came from all directions, yet it seemed to echo only in his heart.

"The Eighth Trial, are you sure you want to start now?" The voice rang out again, this time much closer, but its location was still impossible to discern.

The voice of Lunar Primordial Sovereign was like a whole ray of moonlight speaking to him.

Yun Jingheng stopped under the moonlight and looked up.

He took a deep breath, which was cold.

Something that had been taut in his chest slowly sank down at that moment.

"I'm ready."

He said the sound traveled out in the moonlit sea, circling around and around.

"Bring it on."

[The Nine Trials of the Lunar Moon God, Eighth Trial: The Cold Toad Fiend Pass: Slaying Evil Thoughts.]

Frost and snow dance wildly, and the spirit toad will breathe in and out the cold, conjuring up enemies, inner demons, and a murderous illusion, amplifying its malevolent energy and bloodlust.

All evil thoughts and murderous intent must be stripped from the body, and the Evil Corpse must be entrusted to a three-legged spirit toad, transforming into a killing clone. This Evil Corpse will wield the Moon Palace's punishments and guard its forbidden areas.

[Now, let's begin.]

The first night was longer than Ye Xinglan had imagined.

After the moon rose, the whole room was bathed in silvery light.

Yun Jingheng sat behind her, his breathing so light it was almost inaudible.

She sat by the window, where a breeze occasionally blew through, causing the scattered lights of Heaven Dou City to flicker.

She didn't turn around, because there was no need to. His presence, like the moonlight itself, shone quietly and firmly on her back.

As dawn approached, Yun Jingheng's breathing suddenly changed.

Extremely light and short, like being pushed by something in the deep sea.

Ye Xinglan tightened her grip, listened intently for a moment, and then her breathing calmed down, like the tide receding back onto the sea.

She let out a soft breath.

The first night has passed.

The next day at noon, Tang Wulin knocked on the door, his voice very soft, as if he were leaving food at the door.

Ye Xinglan didn't respond, only managing to squeeze out a very low, muffled sentence from her throat. "Leave it there."

After a while, Tang Wulin said softly again, "Xing Lan, eat a little something." Ye Xinglan did not reply.

She listened as the footsteps outside the door gradually faded into the distance before turning her head to glance at Yun Jingheng quickly, then abruptly looked away, as if afraid that looking at him any longer would distract her.

On the third night, there was light moving in Heaven Dou City.

It wasn't a lamplight, but the searchlights of Federation patrol vehicle. Several beams of light seemed to be swept up from the ground, repeatedly cutting between several buildings in the distance.

Ye Xinglan suddenly straightened her back.

Fortunately, the car noise didn't get any closer; it only lingered for about half an hour before heading towards West Street.

She slowly relaxed her stiff shoulders and found that the back of her neck was covered in sweat.

On the fourth day, the moonlight emanating from Yun Jingheng began to become unstable.

Sometimes it would suddenly light up, illuminating him almost transparently; other times it would darken, blurring even his outline.

Ye Xinglan dared not sit any longer and instead knelt down, ready to deal with any unexpected events at any time.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, sliding down his brow bone and turning into a faint light before reaching his clothes.

She didn't know what had happened in the God Trial; she only saw his body tremble violently in the moonlight, then as if something had pressed him back to the ground from mid-air, and his breathing regained its steady.

On the fifth day, Tang Wulin came again.

He stood outside the door for a long time this time, and finally whispered, "Xie Xie and Yuan En are back." Ye Xinglan did not move.

She cannot move.

She only heard her own voice, so soft it seemed to come from a great distance. "Let's ask the Sea God Pavilion."

Tang Wulin stood silently outside the door for a while, then left.

The seventh day, early morning.

Ye Xinglan finally stood up, walked to the table, and moistened her lips with the now-cold tea.

She turned to look at Yun Jingheng.

He remained seated cross-legged, his eyes gently closed.

She walked over, picked up the food she hadn't eaten yesterday, and slowly took a couple of bites.

A bird landed on the windowsill and tilted its head to look at her.

Sunlight streamed in from behind it, warming the entire room.

"Zhen Hua, are you serious?" Mu Ye looked at his friend in disbelief.

Zhen Hua and Mu Ye stood on the terrace at the top of the association's main tower.

A night breeze swept across the sky above Heaven Dou City, causing the hems of their clothes to flutter loudly.

The lights of the Federation Provisional Command were still on in the distance.

Mu Ye placed the flask of wine he was carrying on the stone railing, glanced at Zhen Hua, then at the occasional military vehicle passing by below, and lowered his voice. "Are you sure the people over there saw him?"

"It can't be wrong."

Zhen Hua's voice was very low, almost swallowed by the wind, "This morning, Wulin came back from the West Market and was followed by two plainclothes officers for three alleys at the entrance of the secondhand market. Although he shook them off, the officers shouted at the end, 'Hey you, stop!' That sounded like a lie; they recognized something."

Mu Ye cursed a very vulgar phrase, then forcefully suppressed his words: "Then what are we waiting for? Send him away. Leave tonight."

I know you're anxious. I'm anxious too.

Zhen Hua looked up at the sky. The clouds completely obscured the moon, with only a few faint stars appearing and disappearing through the gaps in the clouds.

"But Heaven Dou City is now under constant surveillance. Troops are stationed at the North Gate, East Gate, West Market, and even the old warehouses along the city walls. We need to choose the safest route and send them out all at once."

Mu Ye slammed the wine jug against the railing, making a dull thud.

He looked at Zhen Hua, his eyes burning like two flames. "You mean, the Far North?"

Zhen Hua nodded slowly. "Yes. The Federation's tentacles can't reach into the Far North. It's a vacuum there now, perfect for hiding him."

"Only that place can accommodate the current Shrek members."

Mu Ye remained silent for a few seconds.

He looked up, his eyes gleaming with a deep intensity. "I'll deliver it. My Red-Grade Mecha is newly modified; when it's running, they won't even see its exhaust."

"No. Red-Grade Mecha are too conspicuous and would only attract the Federation's attention."

Zhen Hua shook his head. "I'll have Wulin go underground and leave the city first. There will be someone to meet him outside the city; I'll personally escort him."

"You stay here, guard the association, and also guard Jing Heng. We don't know what Jing Heng is doing, but only Ye Xinglan is watching over him. The outside world can't be without you."

"Then Wulin..." Mu Ye opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't say the rest of the sentence.

They all knew that with Tang Wulin gone, only Yun Jingheng and Ye Xinglan remained in Heaven Dou City.

Ye Xinglan will not leave Yun Jingheng.

If the Federation takes another step forward, the Association will be the last barrier.

As if knowing what he was thinking, Zhen Hua reached out and patted him heavily on the shoulder. "You and I aren't so old that we can't protect a few juniors. After Wulin arrives in the Far North, he will contact the Blood God Legion. As long as we can get through these three months, the situation won't be too dire."