The Trial

The finish line was right before his eyes. Yan gritted his teeth, leaped forward, and, just before capture, dove into the teleportation array bound for the next trial.

A swirl of mist enveloped him. Yan felt slightly dizzy, then found himself in an open space. Clouds churned underfoot, mountains bowed their heads around him, and the sky met the summit above.

"This place..." Yan's worldview shattered once more. He stared at his surroundings, mouth agape.

"Get out of the way, country bumpkin!" A woman's sharp voice scolded from behind. He hadn't even noticed her arrival.

Yan was bewildered. He turned to look. "Who are you? How can you be so rude?"

The woman gave a contemptuous smile. "I am the examiner for your group this time. Any other questions?"

Yan instantly fell silent and obediently stepped aside.

"I much preferred your earlier arrogance, you piece of filth!" She shot him a disdainful glance before striding to the field's center.

"Listen up, everyone! I am Mu Han, the examiner for this session. I suggest you behave. I won't make things difficult!" With a sweeping gesture, the mist dispersed, revealing the black-and-gold floor. The surrounding mountains contracted, sealing the space completely.

Mu Han formed a hand seal, pressed a palm to the ground, and activated the space. A barrier appeared around her. Then, attacks corresponding to "metal, wood, water, fire, earth" erupted from the surroundings in a fixed sequence.

Watching the others counter each assault with appropriate artifacts or defenses, Yan grew increasingly frustrated. Dodging desperately, he was inevitably grazed by an attack.

"I'm done for!" As the next wave rushed toward him, he clenched his teeth, reached into his robes, and channeled energy into the jade pendant hidden there.

An intangible force of Mind Force enveloped him, shielding him from all attacks.

A surge of joy washed over Yan. *So the pendant really is a treasure!* He immediately forgot his recent humiliation, his confidence swelling again.

"Examiner! Aren't you getting tired in there?" Under the shocked gazes of the others, Yan strolled leisurely toward the center and stepped into Mu Han's area.

Her spellcasting couldn't be interrupted, and she was immobilized during the process.

"Well, well. I underestimated you. But what do you think you're doing in here?" Though immobile, her tongue remained sharp. She stared at Yan calmly.

"Oh, nothing much. Just here to... interrupt you a little!" Yan replied, smiling with ill intent.

"You brat! Don't you dare touch me!" Mu Han shouted angrily. The onlookers perked up, watching intently.

"What are you thinking? I'm just not proficient in formal techniques. But being this close... I can still disrupt your spell!" Yan placed a hand on Mu Han's shoulder. As his energy circulated, the force of Mind Force shrouded her jade-like hand. The spell was severed, and Mu Han found herself temporarily trapped.

The surrounding examinees caught their breath, looking at Yan with newfound respect.

Yan swaggered out, head held high, completely unaware the Mind Force shielding him was depleting rapidly. By the time he realized it, the Mind Force was exhausted. Inside the barrier, Mu Han broke free of her restraints.

"Excellent! You're quite brave, kid! What about now?" Fury surged in Mu Han's heart. Her bottled-up frustration now found an outlet. The surrounding space was partitioned by elemental forces, each section a vortex of its own element. Spells and artifacts became useless here.

Yan sensed the danger. He wanted to flee, but his previous actions had earned him Mu Han's special attention. The attacks targeting him grew fiercer and more numerous.

In a panic, Yan repeatedly channeled his qi into the jade slip, but there was no response.

"I'll never get cocky again! Please, have mercy!" Yan couldn't outrun the attacks or fight back. Tears and snot streamed down his face as he begged for forgiveness.

"As expected, one lesson is often enough to teach a person." A faint, almost imperceptible voice emanated from the jade slip. "Little one, would you be willing to lend me your body for a while? No harm will come to anyone."

Without a moment's hesitation, Yan relinquished control. "Hurry up already!" The voice sighed with a hint of helplessness before seizing dominance over Yan's form.

"Oh, Five Elements magic! How amusing." He seemed intimately familiar with this art, not only dodging the onslaught as if on a stroll but also casually aiding those on the verge of collapse.

"Kid, what kind of sorcery is this?!" Mu Han watched as the previously hapless young man suddenly became suffused with an immortal aura, his presence transformed as if by possession.

The man turned his gaze toward Mu Han. His eyes were soul-piercing, causing Mu Han's heart to quake as she coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Little miss, you're not from around here, are you?" He walked slowly toward Mu Han, scrutinizing her carefully.

"Many people here aren't locals!" Mu Han was inwardly stunned, but on the surface, she forced herself to remain composed—a facade the man saw right through.

"Drop the act. I know you aren't constrained by this spell. It's been a long time since I stretched my limbs; you'll help me warm up!" With a wave of his hand, the barrier around Mu Han vanished. "Little miss, we can't cut loose down here. Let's take it upstairs!"

Realizing she had no choice but to fight, and considering this powerful entity might be only a soul—his physical form still Yan's, with less than Foundation Establishment cultivation—Mu Han figured she could exploit that weakness to win.

"There, solid ground under our feet." As the man spoke, his words made it so; a firm surface materialized beneath him, and he stood upon it steadily. "You have the first move."

Standing on this illusory "ground" suspended in air, Mu Han was utterly shaken. At his words, she snorted and dove toward him in a furious descent.

"Little miss, your movement technique could use more unpredictability." The man said unhurriedly, casually sidestepping. He ignored Mu Han's diving charge, instead evading the attack from a duplicate she had secretly released earlier.

"Little miss, watch closely. Like this!" His figure blurred, and countless shockwaves erupted around him. His image multiplied, appearing everywhere at once—seemingly real yet illusory.

To her horror, Mu Han found her spiritual sense blocked. Alert, she scanned her surroundings and released two duplicates who stood back-to-back, guarding against the encircling threats.

Suddenly, countless figures resembling the man surged from all directions. It was impossible to tell which was real; perhaps none of them were.

Mu Han and her duplicates began weaving hand seals together, but she faintly heard a cry: "Dodge!" Without time to think, she leaped upward. The agonized shrieks of her duplicates being shattered echoed from below.

Before Mu Han could feel relief, a white blade came to rest against her neck.

"Little miss, you lose!" As the dust settled, Mu Han saw that while she had scattered her duplicate shadows across the sky, every single one now had a sharp blade pressed against it.

Witnessing this, Mu Han merely smirked disdainfully. "A person mirrors the nature of the one who chooses them!" Her true body hadn't been caught; on the contrary, she had pinpointed the man's true form during their earlier exchange.

"Let's see how arrogant you are now!" Mu Han threw a punch directly at him.

The man shook his head, standing perfectly still. Mu Han's fist, impossibly, struck the air beside him.

"Little miss, look around you again." The man's figure dissipated like mist.

Mu Han rubbed her eyes, finally realizing everything from moments before had vanished. The man was still standing right where he started.

"You could try learning that movement art. My imitation was a bit lacking, but it captured the essentials. With your Demigod cultivation, you should be able to use it to fight a True God, perhaps even ascend to True God yourself." The man stamped his foot, and they both descended to the ground. Then, he returned control of the body to Yan.

Mu Han was still replaying the details of their spar in her mind, having lost all interest in continuing the trial. She shot Yan a glare, nodded with a cold smile, announced everyone had passed, and then retreated into seclusion.