"Qin Hao?!"
"Qin Hao!"
Lin Zhang and Ning Qianxue both jumped at the sight of Qin Hao. Ning Qianxue hurriedly let go of Lin Zhang's hair and gazed at Qin Hao with wide, innocent eyes, looking perfectly well-behaved.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought Ning Qianxue was the picture of ladylike grace.
Lin Zhang's face lit up. He shot Ning Qianxue a fierce glare, hastily straightened his clothes, then said with delight, "Qin Hao, you came out of seclusion at just the right time. Heh, the Black Mirror Ninefold Trial is tough, isn't it?"
"It certainly is." Qin Hao thought back on the months of grueling cultivation, which had drained a tremendous amount of his mental energy.
In particular, the difficulty soared from the Black Mirror Trial's Sixth Layer to its Eighth Layer.
"It took me over half a year to clear the Eighth Layer. As for the Ninth Layer... I don't have the slightest confidence right now."
Qin Hao sighed. Cultivation knew no passage of time; in the blink of an eye, he had been here for over half a year.
"Of course it's hard! Qin Hao, do you know how long it took our Eldest Senior Brother to clear all nine? Five years. Five whole years!" Lin Zhang said as though it went without saying.
"Wait..."
"Qin Hao, what did you say?"
Ding Qiongwei caught the crucial point in Qin Hao's words at once. "You've already cleared the first eight trials and are challenging the Ninth Layer?"
Ning Qianxue and Lin Zhang froze. They stared at Qin Hao as though they had seen something impossible.
"I cleared the Eighth Trial three months ago. I'm working on the Ninth Trial now." Qin Hao shook his head.
"Hiss!"
The three of them sucked in a cold breath and