Three-Gate Trial, One Thread of Life Amid Nine Deaths

Zhao You's attitude changed noticeably. He lowered his stance and adopted an attitude of equality. The jealousy and anger that had filled his eyes had dissipated.

"I have offended you in the past, please forgive me, Brother Qiu. It is not that I, Zhao You, am narrow-minded, but that I have been trapped for hundreds of years and have difficulty contacting the Mortal Realm. I am inevitably irritable and have lost my normal nature. Please do not take it to heart."

He spoke sincerely, looking regretful, as if he were truly reflecting on his actions and wanted to clear up the misunderstanding with Qiu Yan.

However, Qiu Yan Heart Demon Body his foundation. Although he did not release the Heart Demon Fragment at this moment, he was able to see through the emotions of others. He knew that Zhao You had calmed down after experiencing the shock and had completely suppressed his emotions, not revealing a trace of them. This is why his anger and jealousy disappeared.

However, this does not mean that the other party has let go of his malice. On the contrary, this behavior shows that Zhao You has control over his emotions and State of Mind, indicating that his malice towards Qiu Yan has not only not disappeared, but has become even stronger.

If one didn't have a guilty conscience, how could one completely suppress their emotions?

It should be understood that the emotional fluctuations emitted by a soul are not only malicious but also benevolent. Such restraint is clearly for the purpose of concealment. If ordinary people do not think of these things, they will be deceived.

Qiu Yan didn't point it out, going with the flow, but all sorts of thoughts were brewing in his mind.

"Zhao You's previous actions have already made him my enemy, and he understands this, so he won't let it go easily. He probably has other plans. However, if I want revenge, there's no need to do anything to him. This man is trapped here, and his mind has already become twisted. For him, being trapped here forever is more terrifying than any revenge or punishment!"

Qiu Yan had grasped Zhao You's deepest fears and terrors, and naturally knew how to deal with them.

Walking and talking, the two re-entered the bamboo forest. Zhao You harbored ulterior motives, while Qiu Yan went with the flow, subtly probing the situation to gather information.

As they chatted, Qiu Yan casually asked, "May I ask about the background of the old gentleman in that house?"

Zhao You shook his head and said, "I have been here for nearly three hundred years. When I arrived, you were already sitting in the house. You have never left the house in all these hundreds of years. You are also not very talkative, so no one knows your origins. However, you are very learned and talented, and we often receive your teachings. If you were to leave this place, no matter which country you come from, we would treat you as an honored guest."

"Oh? It seems you and your colleagues have benefited greatly here," Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes and continued, "However, this hill is not large. Have you all been confined to this one corner for hundreds of years?"

Zhao You shook his head and replied, "No, there is a cave at the top of this mountain, Grotto-Heaven. It is no different from the Mortal World, but it is an illusion. It can relieve one's worries for a while, but it cannot calm the unease in one's heart."

"An illusion no different from the Mortal World? That's just a dream world. Dream worlds are constructed by the mind and can confuse the intellect. But if you know beforehand that it's a construct of the mind, no matter how wonderful your life is within it, it's nothing but self-deception."

After thinking for a while, Qiu Yan nodded and then asked, "Speaking of which, you have been trapped for a long time. Have you ever thought about how to escape? And if so, do you have any ideas on how to do so?"

Upon hearing this question, Zhao You's State of Mind fluctuated violently. He couldn't even completely suppress his emotions, and a little bit leaked out, but he quickly regained control.

However, this fleeting emotional fluctuation was enough for Qiu Yan to detect and glean some clues from it—

Zhao You's emotions were a mixture of anger and jealousy, but also a suppressed elation, and a barely contained urge to take action.

This alerted Qiu Yan.

At the same time, Zhao You revealed a desolate expression, sighed, and adopted a weathered look, saying in a low voice, "This is also fate. Trapped here, if nothing unexpected happens, we probably won't be able to leave until our souls perish. Besides, even if we did leave, hundreds of years would have passed, and our physical bodies would have long since decayed, leaving us only the underworld..."

As he spoke, he shook his head and glanced at Qiu Yan: "We are no match for Brother Qiu. You have not been assimilated by the Scholar Forest. You have come here like the Grand Confucian of ancient times to explore the true meaning of the Scholar Forest. Once you pass the Three Passes, you can return immediately." As he spoke, he revealed a look of envy.

Qiu Yan narrowed his eyes slightly, analyzing the truthfulness of the other party's words, and said at the same time, "That's true, but passing the Three Passes won't be easy."

"Of course, I've only heard of the Three Passes, but I don't know their True Intention. I've heard that out of ten people who enter the pass, less than one or two survive, but at least they have something to look forward to. Unlike us!" He shook his head again as he said this.

Qiu Yan fell silent, analyzed and summarized, and gradually came up with a general outline.

"Zhao You doesn't know that I came here by accident and have no concept or understanding of the so-called 'Three-Gate Trial,' so there's a high chance that what he said wasn't a lie. In other words, the Three-Gate Trial I don't know the details of should be able to let me leave this place. However, the emotional fluctuations that Zhao You just revealed also revealed other information."

As he pondered this, Qiu Yan glanced at Zhao You.

"This person's joy might stem from the belief that he can teach me a lesson, or from the thought that he has found an opportunity to leave this place. Either way, it concerns me, and I must be careful."

As he pondered this, the thatched hut came into view, and Zhao You fell silent.

Qiu Yan then pieced together a plan. "The situation is becoming clearer. Since there's a way to leave, let's try the so-called 'Three-Gate Trial' first. If the Divine Soul of our Fleshly Body is trapped here, that's just fate, but the Essentials try. If we can learn more secrets through this, it will also help our other two bodies. Besides that, we must be careful of Zhao You..."

With this thought in mind, Qiu Yan came to the thatched hut again. However, this time, under Zhao You's gaze, he was invited into the house and sat opposite the old man. As for Zhao You, he bowed and then turned and left without a trace.

Upon closer inspection, Qiu Yan noticed that the old man was actually much older than he had imagined.

"Well? Have you thought it through?"

After Qiu Yan sat down, the old man closed his eyes and asked, but before Qiu Yan could answer, he waved his hand and said, "Yes, it's been too long, I almost forgot the rules. Before you make a decision, I need to explain the dangers of the Three Passes to you clearly, so that you are aware of them."

This answer was somewhat unexpected by Qiu Yan, but he naturally wouldn't stop him. At this stage, the more things related to Three-Gate Trial, the better.

"I cannot tell you the specifics of the Three Passes, but I can tell you the dangers they involve."

He paused, lowered his voice, and said, "The first danger of the Three Passes is that there is no turning back; you can only move forward and cannot retreat. Once you decide to pass the pass, there is no turning back. If you don't advance, you will lose!"

As the old man spoke, the surrounding Literary Thought converged, echoing his words and creating an atmosphere of urgency, terror, and the unknown. This atmosphere gradually filled the surroundings, seeping into people's hearts, making Qiu Yan realize the danger lurking within.

Then, the old man continued, "The Three Passes trials are extremely difficult, not in that they are impossible to pass, but in that they are unpredictable. You may go through great hardships, only to fail because of a single careless move. And the consequences of failure are far more tragic than ordinary people can imagine."

Corresponding to these words, a chilling aura rose from the ground and spread over Qiu Yan. Qiu Yan immediately realized that this was a wisp of thought that constituted the thatched hut, containing fear of the unknown and dread of failure.

Fear and dread, like seeds, took root in his heart and continued to grow, taut Qiu Yan's heartstrings to the limit. He tried to dispel them, but found it difficult to do so!

On the other side, the old man spoke, then suddenly pointed outside. "You have already seen this place. These many Confucian scholars have been assimilated by the Scholar Forest. Their consciousness and will should have been shattered by the entire Scholar Forest World, turning into countless fragments, merging into it, and losing themselves. But there is always a glimmer of hope. This hill where I am is the place where their souls remain, that glimmer of hope."

Qiu Yan didn't interrupt, waiting quietly to the side. He knew the old man wouldn't bring these things up without a reason.

Sure enough, the old man continued, "If you give up trying the trials, you can stay here and avoid the near-death experience in the Three Passes. Although it will be difficult to get out, you can preserve your soul. There is Illusory World in this mountain, which is no different from the Mortal Realm. In the mortal world, truth and falsehood, reality and illusion, are actually no different."

His words, spoken with a peculiar rhythm and a slight tremor in his voice, possessed a subtle and pervasive quality.

Although Qiu Yan remained vigilant, he still couldn't avoid the thought of seeking peace and tranquility rising in his State of Mind. Furthermore, from a conversation about the truth and falsehood of the mortal world, he tasted the principles of Human Path and gained some insights!

"In this mortal world, truth and falsehood, reality and illusion, are all determined by the heart..."

In that instant, he seemed to see a gentle embrace, feel the warmth of home, and see his uncle, aunt, and a host of relatives calling out to him. Even his long-deceased father, Qiu Zonglin, and mother Liu-shi, appeared and walked toward him.

The old man's description of the Three Passes brought tension, fear, and dread, but the kinship and warmth before her eyes soothed her State of Mind. In contrast, they seemed especially precious. Even knowing that they were all illusions, Qiu Yan still felt a little attached to them.

But deep down, a sense of enlightenment gradually emerged, as if I was about to understand the true meaning of reality and illusion!

"All things in the world, though seemingly existent, are actually illusory. Their meaning lies only in generating corresponding emotions, consciousness, and memories in people's hearts. They only have meaning to you when you look at them and contemplate them. When you don't look at them and don't have the corresponding concept in your mind, they are as if they don't exist. This is the truth, this is all there is to it. Why be so particular?" Although the old man's eyes were closed, he seemed to be able to see Qiu Yan's expression and nodded with a smile.

But at that moment, Qiu Yan suddenly trembled, shook his head, and a determined look appeared in his eyes. His will condensed and gathered into a sword in his soul!

Wisdom Sword!

The sword gleamed coldly, its blade resilient.

The old man's smile froze instantly.

ps:

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