When Chen Xuan had first reached the second floor and come into contact with the Law Furnace, he had already realized there was no way to access the third level.
Ever since then, he had been wondering what the requirements were.
Now, he finally understood.
’So, reaching the Soul Formation realm is the prerequisite...’
As the realization surfaced in his mind, Chen Xuan couldn’t help but feel a surge of anticipation.
The Myriad Myths Cauldron on the first floor had allowed him to advance through the Nascent Soul realm at an astonishing pace.
The Law Furnace on the second floor had drastically shortened the years of accumulation normally required to comprehend Laws, allowing him to establish his own Law Mark and break through successfully.
Now that the entrance to the third floor had finally opened, Chen Xuan couldn’t help but wonder:
Would another heaven-defying treasure await him there? One capable of assisting his cultivation throughout the Soul Formation realm?
The thought alone was enough to quicken his heartbeat.
Without wasting another moment, Chen Xuan acted.
After confirming that Luan Yi would not awaken anytime soon, he rose into the dark sky of the second floor and flew toward the radiant gate.
The moment he stepped through it, his figure disappeared completely.
--
When Chen Xuan opened his eyes again, the endless dark void had vanished.
Unlike the first two floors, the third trial was not located within a boundless darkness. Instead, an endless grassland stretched as far as the eye could see.
A gentle breeze swept across the emerald plains, causing countless blades of grass to sway in unison like rolling waves.
The scenery was peaceful, yet somewhat empty.
Apart from the endless sea of grass, only a single object existed.
A gate.
It towered over the entire grassland, countless times larger than the one Chen Xuan had just passed through.
Its entire body was forged from brilliant golden light, radiating an indescribable majesty.
Faint white mist drifted around it like immortal qi, making it resemble the legendary gateway to the Immortal World.
Even from several miles away, Chen Xuan could clearly feel its influence.
Standing before it felt as though an invisible mountain had been placed upon his shoulders.
An overwhelming pressure descended simultaneously upon both body and soul, forcing anyone who approached to bow their head in submission.
Even Chen Xuan, despite having already entered the Soul Formation realm, immediately felt his breathing become heavier.
Simply standing upright required effort. Almost instantly, he understood.
This pressure was the third trial.
Unlike the second floor, whose conditions had merely required him to reach the Late Stage of the Nascent Soul realm within a certain period of time, this trial was far more straightforward.
He simply had to walk to the gate.
Such a task seemed simple, but as Chen Xuan lifted his foot and attempted to move forward, he immediately understood why this floor had remained inaccessible until now.
’No wonder entering the Soul Formation realm is required before this floor opens.’
’Had I come here earlier, I wouldn’t have even been able to move.’
’In fact... my consciousness might have collapsed the moment I stepped inside.’
Without hesitation, Chen Xuan activated his Yin-Yang Law Mark.
Black and white light quietly flowed across his body, resisting part of the terrifying pressure.
Instantly, the burden upon him lessened. At last, he managed to take several steps forward.
Unfortunately, after raising his head and measuring the remaining distance, Chen Xuan couldn’t help but sigh.
The enormous gate was still several miles away.
At his current strength, completing this trial was simply impossible. Whether physically or mentally, he still fell short of the required standard.
Even so, Chen Xuan had no intention of giving up.
He knew that this tower was given to him by Mu Xuanyin, and everything now pointed to this being her creation.
If so, she would never deliberately leave behind a trial that could truly kill him.
At worst, it would probably hurt a little.
’...Right?’ Chen Xuan suddenly hesitated.
For some reason, Mu Xuanyin’s various "pranks" throughout the years surfaced one after another in his mind. A faint sense of foreboding quietly appeared.
Nevertheless, he gritted his teeth and stepped forward.
After all, he was now a dignified Soul Formation expert.
How painful could a mere trial possibly be?
With that thought, Chen Xuan began walking.
One step. Ten steps.
Fifty steps.
Ninety steps.
His pace gradually slowed as the pressure continued increasing, every additional step heavier than the last.
Still, he persisted.
Soon, Chen Xuan reached the hundredth step.
Yet just as he raised his foot and was about to take the 101st...
"AAAAARGH!"
A miserable scream instantly echoed throughout the endless grassland.
It began as a single cry. Within moments, however, it reverberated across the entire third floor.
More importantly, it showed absolutely no sign of stopping.
Even as seconds passed and they turned into minutes, the scream continued without interruption, carrying enough grief to make anyone hearing it wonder whether someone was being tortured for all eternity.
--
More than an hour later, Chen Xuan finally emerged from the Seven Trials Tower.
"Emerged" was perhaps too gentle a description.
Judging from the frantic speed at which he rushed out, it looked far more like he had escaped for his life.
Even after returning to the Myriad Souls Sect, his body continued trembling uncontrollably. One corner of his eye twitched incessantly.
Without even looking around, Chen Xuan slowly raised his head toward the sky.
His eyes were vacant. Hollow like that of a puppet.
It took several long minutes before the light gradually returned to his pupils.
When it finally did, an explosion of curses erupted.
"Damn it! You old hag! I knew I shouldn’t have trusted you!"
"You’re such a powerful cultivator! Don’t tell me you couldn’t have left behind a way to remove me from the trial after I reached my limit!"
"Even if you didn’t, the least you could’ve done was warn me that the pain multiplies tenfold after the hundredth step!"
Chen Xuan’s face was filled with indignation.
At that very moment, if Mu Xuanyin had somehow appeared before him, he would have rushed over and attacked her.
He had suffered far too much.
Never in his wildest dreams had he expected such a vicious trap to be hidden within the third floor.
The pain had surpassed everything he had ever experienced before. Worse still, desperately struggling to retreat after crossing the hundred-step threshold had only prolonged his suffering.
The little goodwill he had recently developed due to Mu Xuanyin giving him the Law Furnace and informing him about the Immortal Law Mark instantly evaporated.
If life was a game, Chen Xuan could imagine the prompt "-5 Favorability" floating on top of his head.
Mu Xuanyin’s relationship status had probably fallen all the way from "Master" to "Sworn Enemy".
Only after venting for several minutes did Chen Xuan finally calm himself. The ridiculous thoughts slowly disappeared as well.
Taking one last glance at the devastated garden, Chen Xuan no longer lingered.
With a single step, his figure blurred before appearing outside Luan Yi’s palace. Another step later, he had already crossed the Myriad Souls Sect itself.
Within only a few breaths, Chen Xuan had arrived beyond the sect’s borders.
Throughout the entire process, not a single disciple or Elder noticed anything unusual, much less realized that their Sect Master had quietly been "kidnapped."
Chen Xuan did not immediately continue toward the righteous territories.
While concealing his presence, he stood quietly atop a mountain peak and gazed into the distance.
He appeared to be waiting.
A moment later, what he was waiting for finally arrived.
Another Chen Xuan.
Or more precisely, his righteous clone.
In the clone’s arms rested the unconscious figure of a woman.
Luan Yi.
More accurately, it was the incarnation she had used to deceive him all this time.
Watching his righteous clone arrive safely, Chen Xuan couldn’t help but smile.
A trace of schadenfreude surfaced within his heart.
For some reason, he suddenly felt that he and Luan Yi were actually rather alike.
Both had relied on their clones and incarnations to trick each other.
After retrieving Luan Yi’s incarnation, Chen Xuan dismissed the righteous clone, allowing it to return to the Nine Origins Seas.
The more he reflected upon everything that had happened, the more satisfied he became with his Vision.
Had he not awakened such an ability, infiltrating the Myriad Souls Sect—even if everything had ultimately been Luan Yi’s carefully prepared trap—would have been nearly impossible.
’I wonder how the Jade Pure Sect is doing... and Tang Yuechen as well.’
’Thankfully, I’ve only been away for a few days. Besides, before leaving, I had already dealt with most of the demonic armies in the righteous territory.’
’Nothing major should have happened.’
Even if something unexpected had occurred, Chen Xuan no longer felt the slightest concern.
Now that he had stepped into the Soul Formation realm, his confidence had reached an entirely different level.
Even if there were any other freaks like Luan Yi staying behind, he was fully confident in suppressing them.
With that thought, Chen Xuan leisurely headed toward the righteous territories.
Although he made no effort to rush, his current speed was vastly different from before.
It took only several minutes for him to leave the demonic territories entirely.
Just as the familiar atmosphere of the righteous path entered his senses and a faint smile appeared on his face, however, Chen Xuan’s expression changed.
Something had happened. Not in the Tianxuan Domain, but in the Nine Origins Seas.
Without hesitation, his vision shifted.
The sound of crashing waves echoed beside his ears.
Then, before he even had time to observe his surroundings, a soft yet resolute female voice entered his hearing.
"Immortal... I beg you... Please accept me as your disciple!"