Trial

"Buzz--!!!"

Amidst the deafening hum, a dazzling pillar of light shot out from the rift, piercing straight into the sky!

Within the pillar of light, a colossal bronze gateway slowly materialized, covered in ancient runes.

"The secret realm's gate has opened!"

Someone shouted, and everyone moved instantly!

The bronze gateway slowly opened, and a terrifying suction erupted from within, sweeping everyone below the rift into it!

Qin Yuan felt a flash before his eyes as his body was uncontrollably pulled into the gate.

When he opened his eyes again, Qin Yuan found himself standing on a vast expanse of crimson earth.

The sky was burning flames, the ground was scalding lava, and the air was filled with the scent of sulfur.

Ahead, a river of lava about thirty feet wide cut across the land. The only exit was on the other side.

There was no bridge over the river, only a few black stone slabs floating and bobbing in the lava.

"First trial, the Flame Trial," an ancient voice echoed through the heavens and earth. "Cross the river by stepping on the stone slabs. Those who fall are eliminated."

Qin Yuan looked around and saw many familiar faces—Chu Wuyue, Yun Qingyao, Zi Ling, Kong Ming, and disciples from various sects. Everyone was scattered along the banks of the lava river, far apart from each other.

Some attempted to fly across, but as soon as they were three feet off the ground, an invisible force pressed them back down—flying was forbidden here.

"We can only cross by stepping on the stone slabs!"

A burly man from the Vajra Sect roared and was the first to leap onto the first stone slab. The slab sank slightly but was still stable. He breathed a sigh of relief and was about to leap to the second—

"Boom!"

A pillar of fire suddenly shot up from the lava river, directly at the burly man!

The burly man's face changed drastically. He fully activated his protective cultivation technique, and his body glowed golden. The pillar of fire struck him, the golden light flickering violently. He grunted and almost fell into the lava.

"The stone slabs trigger fire pillar attacks!" someone exclaimed.

For a moment, everyone hesitated.

Qin Yuan looked at the river surface and extended his Spiritual Sense.

The black stone slabs, though seemingly randomly distributed, actually contained a hidden pattern. Each stone slab corresponded to a safe time point; missing it would trigger a fire pillar.

He moved and leaped onto the first stone slab.

As expected, the slab sank slightly, but there was no fire pillar.

Three breaths later, he leaped to the second.

Also safe.

The third, fourth, fifth…

Qin Yuan's movements were fluid and seamless, each jump precise, as if he knew exactly where it was safe and when to jump.

On the opposite bank, people from other sects watched in astonishment as he crossed the lava river as if walking on solid ground.

"Who is that person?!"

"From the Xuan Yuan Sect?! How is that possible!"

Kong Ming's eyes narrowed. He clasped his hands together, and Buddhist light appeared beneath his feet as he also began to cross.

Although he wasn't as composed as Qin Yuan, he advanced steadily.

Zi Ling gritted her teeth and followed, her movement technique agile, narrowly dodging several fire pillars.

Chu Wuyue, on the other hand, simply tanked the fire pillars with his physical body, his white pupils burning with fighting intent as he charged straight ahead.

Yun Qingyao was surrounded by swirling mist. When the fire pillars approached, the mist automatically condensed into ice shields to block them.

Han Bing and Ye Guying also displayed their unique skills, advancing with difficulty.

But more people fell victim to the fire pillar attacks, screaming as they plunged into the lava, vanishing into white light—they had been teleported out of the secret realm.

Qin Yuan was the first to reach the opposite bank.

Looking back, fewer than fifty people remained on the lava river.

The scene for the second trial was a void of starry sky.

Everyone stood on a floating platform, facing a bottomless abyss. On the other side of the abyss was the entrance to the next trial.

"Second trial, the Consciousness Trial," the ancient voice announced again. "Condense a staircase with your Spiritual Sense and step on it to cross the abyss. Those with insufficient Spiritual Sense will fall."

This trial tested the strength of one's Spiritual Sense.

Those with insufficient Spiritual Sense would be unable to condense a complete staircase and would fall into the abyss halfway.

"I'll go first!" a disciple from the Spirit Sword Sect snorted, and light flashed between his eyebrows. His Spiritual Sense formed a transparent staircase about three feet wide, extending towards the opposite side of the abyss.

He stepped onto the staircase and proceeded cautiously.

When he reached one-third of the way, the staircase began to shake. When he reached the halfway point, the edges of the staircase started to crumble. His face turned pale, and he desperately urged his Spiritual Sense, but in the end, he couldn't hold on. The staircase completely shattered, and he fell into the abyss with a scream.

One more person was eliminated.

Next, disciples from various sects took their turns one after another.

The Spiritual Sense of Vajra Sect cultivators was generally weak, with most failing halfway through. The Spirit Sword Sect fared slightly better, but only a few managed to pass. Zi Ling of the Zi Xiao Sect barely made it, while her two junior brothers both failed.

Kong Ming of the Dust Temple performed exceptionally well, his Spiritual Sense staircase solid and stable, allowing him to walk steadily to the other side.

It was the Xuan Yuan Sect's turn.

Chu Wuyue's Spiritual Sense was powerful. Although his staircase was not as solid as Kong Ming's, he also passed smoothly.

Yun Qingyao's Spiritual Sense was ethereal, her staircase condensing like clouds and mist, and she also passed.

Han Bing and Ye Guying had a much harder time. By the time they reached three-quarters of the way, they were already swaying precariously, but they gritted their teeth and pushed through in the end.

Finally, it was Qin Yuan's turn.

He didn't act immediately but observed the width of the abyss—about a hundred zhang.

For ordinary Golden Core cultivators, Spiritual Sense could only extend outward up to thirty zhang. To condense a hundred-zhang staircase, one would need at least peak Golden Core stage and exceptional Spiritual Sense talent.

Qin Yuan slowly closed his eyes.

A faint golden light lit up between his brows.

The next moment, a staircase, a full zhang wide and as solid as white jade, extended from the edge of the platform, firmly bridging the abyss to the other side!

The surface of the staircase even displayed subtle patterns, as if it were truly carved from jade.

The entire place fell silent.

"This... what kind of Spiritual Sense strength is this?!"

"How can a Golden Core stage cultivator have such solid Spiritual Sense?!"

For the first time, a look of shock appeared in Kong Ming's eyes.

Qin Yuan stepped onto the staircase, his pace steady, as if walking on level ground. When he reached the other side, he even had enough energy to look back—the staircase remained stable, showing no signs of collapse.

The second trial eliminated more than half the participants again.

Only twenty people remained.

The third trial was a mirror space.

In front of each person stood a figure identical to themselves.

"The third trial is a self-trial," the ancient voice declared. "Only by defeating your mirror image can you pass."

The mirror image possessed the same cultivation, techniques, and combat awareness as the original, with the only difference being that it was a pure combat machine, devoid of emotions and flaws.

Almost the instant the voice fell, the mirror image moved!

"Bang!"

Chu Wuyue and his mirror image exchanged a punch, both retreating. The battle intent burned in his white pupils: "Interesting! Fighting myself is the most exhilarating!"

On the other side, Yun Qingyao and her mirror image simultaneously unleashed cloud and mist techniques, engulfing the entire space in fog.

Han Bing and his mirror image engaged in an ice-elemental confrontation, with cold air radiating outwards.

Ye Guying and his mirror image turned into two black shadows, chasing and fighting wildly in the space.

Zi Ling and her mirror image clashed with daggers, purple light flashing, narrowly avoiding disaster.

Kong Ming and his mirror image exchanged Buddhist divine abilities, bathing the space in golden light.

Everyone was locked in a fierce battle.

The mirror image knew them too well; every attack was anticipated, and every defense was broken. This was a war of attrition, a test of who would make the first mistake or succumb to exhaustion.

Qin Yuan looked at the mirror image before him.

The mirror image also looked at him, its eyes hollow but filled with cold killing intent.

"You can copy techniques, you can copy cultivation," Qin Yuan said slowly, "but there are some things you cannot copy."

As his voice fell, he moved.

No fancy moves, no probing, just a simple punch.

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