Outside Ling Yuan Hall, Lin Zhang, Ding Qiongwei, and Ning Qianxue were still waiting.
Lin Zhang's eyes lit up when Qin Hao and the Cloudwing Beast emerged. "Qin Hao, how did it go? What did Master tell you?"
Ding Qiongwei and Ning Qianxue looked at Qin Hao curiously too.
Qin Hao turned his hand and produced the face-sized Black Mirror. "Senior Ling Yuan told me to complete the Black Mirror Trial. Otherwise, he won't allow me to go to Central Continent."
"The Black Mirror Trial?" Lin Zhang's eyes widened. "Damn, Master's brutal! You've barely been at Cultivation, and you're only at the Saint Martial Realm Fourth Layer. He wants you to complete the Black Mirror Trial? Isn't that just another way of saying you can't enter the Azure Flame Grand Tournament?"
"Lin Zhang, don't talk about Master like that." Ding Qiongwei smacked the back of Lin Zhang's head.
"Serves you right," Ning Qianxue said with a gleeful grin.
Lin Zhang grimaced. "I know, Senior Sister Ding. I was just shocked by how hard a task Master gave Qin Hao."
Ding Qiongwei ignored him and turned to Qin Hao, sounding surprised herself. "Did Teacher really say that? The Black Mirror Trial has nine stages, and it's extremely difficult. To complete it, you'd have to master a ninth-rank Domain and use it perfectly."
"Teacher has eighteen Personal Disciples, but only Eldest Senior Brother has barely managed it so far. Even he took five years."
Ning Qianxue nodded her little head repeatedly. "Exactly! Qin Hao, the Black Mirror Trial is really hard. Lin Zhang does have a point. It looks like you have no hope of entering this year's Azure Flame Grand Tournament."
Ning Qianxue looked at him with pity. She had long known that Qin Hao's ultimate reason for going to Central