Lin Jiu raised an eyebrow slightly and flashed a subtle smile in Qin Yunxi’s direction. She didn’t need to get close to Wang Weizhi—just sticking by his side would make Qin Yunxi hesitant to act rashly.
Sure enough, Qin Yunxi silently withdrew his gaze, no longer watching over her like a hawk. Lin Jiu knew what he was planning. Now was not the time to stir up trouble—if he killed her and got transported out of the secret realm, the Wang family might choose to sacrifice one of their own to send Liu Qingyin out as well. He needed to stay and protect Liu Qingyin until most of the Wang family members were eliminated. Only then would he make his move again.
‘His plan isn’t bad, but once we’re inside… it’s hard to say who would outsmart whom.’ Lin Jiu smiled slightly. Even if Qin Yunxi was the reincarnation of Wei Liang, he had never experienced the Huang Chuan Secret Realm. He had only heard about it from Liu Qingyin, who would never willingly share how she had skillfully manipulated the Wang family members, using their subtle admiration for her to eliminate them one by one.
Liu Qingyin’s actions were understandable. If she hadn’t been quick-witted and adaptable, the Wang family would have joined forces to throw her out early on, and she wouldn’t have had a chance to claim the final prize. However, these details weren’t something she could easily explain to her Dao companion, so she kept them vague.
Qin Yunxi was oblivious, but Lin Jiu, armed with her spoiler cheat, knew every detail.
Just as Lin Jiu was feeling pleased with herself, a black shadow suddenly dropped from the sky, landing heavily on her shoulder. Before she could react, a cold, mocking “caw!” echoed near her ear. A black crow flapped its wings over her head, knocking her off balance and causing her to stumble several steps away from Wang Weizhi.
‘What the heck?’ Lin Jiu was stunned. ‘How on earth did a crow break into this secret realm?!’
But this small intrusion went unnoticed by the Wang family members. After some deliberation, they decided to ignore the three outsiders for the time being, preferring to observe the situation first.
The crowd slowly gathered at the edge of the white jade platform, where a stone tablet stood, inscribed with two lines of ancient script that none of them could understand. Lin Jiu knew, however, that it said: Fear not, walk straight ahead.
The jade platform was located at the outermost edge of the Huang Chuan secret realm and only by passing the first test could one enter the true secret realm. However, while the instruction was simple, beyond the platform was nothing but an endless, pitch-black void.
“What does it say?” When Wang Weizhi made his way toward the stone tablet, the crowded Wang family members instinctively moved aside, clearing a path for him. With a slight squint, he examined the inscription for a moment. “Fear not, walk straight ahead,” he slowly recited.
‘Well, this Wang Weizhi indeed has some skill.’ Tailing behind him, Lin Jiu secretly clicked her tongue in mild admiration.
“So what does that mean?” someone asked.
Wang Weizhi gave a cold sneer, squinting his eyes as he carefully surveyed the surroundings. After a moment’s thought, he gathered a thread of blue spiritual aura at his fingertip and flicked it eastward. The aura flew through the dark void like a tiny lantern, illuminating a massive bronze wall a few dozen meters away, its edges stretching beyond sight. At the center of the wall was a bronze platform about three meters wide, atop which stood an ancient, unadorned bronze gate, seemingly the entrance.
One of his clansmen, unable to hold back, immediately summoned his sword and dashed forward! However, as soon as he left the white jade platform, a strange cry escaped his lips, and after hovering slightly in midair, he abruptly disappeared.
“No flying allowed!”
Including Wang Hanling and Wang Weizhi, sixteen Wang family members had entered the secret realm. With two already eliminated, fourteen remained.
All eyes turned toward Wang Weizhi, who had now become the group’s backbone. He stroked his chin lightly and said, “The meaning is straightforward. Don’t be afraid, just walk straight ahead.”
The young woman who had been reprimanded earlier rolled her eyes and spoke up again, “We can’t fly, and there’s no path. How are we supposed to walk across?”
Wang Weizhi chuckled lightly, crossed his arms, and began walking toward the void steadily, step by step.
The crowd anxiously watched, holding their breath.
The pair of black boots moved forward. To everyone’s astonishment, the empty void solidly supported his every step!
Wang Weizhi showed not the slightest sign of hesitation as he proceeded forward at a calm pace. After a few more steps, he was completely suspended above the void.
“There’s a path!” a young man exclaimed in excitement. Eagerly, he rushed forward. But when he reached the edge of the jade platform and peered down, all he saw was a bottomless dark abyss, and a wave of fear immediately gripped him.
“There’s no path,” he muttered as he reached out, trying to feel where Wang Weizhi had walked. Turning back helplessly, he added, “I can’t feel anything.”
“Ha!” From a distance, Wang Weizhi turned his handsome face slightly and coldly remarked, “All those years of cultivating your mind—did you throw them away to feed your dog?”
“Well…”
A wave of embarrassment washed over the remaining Wang family members. Wang Weizhi had clearly demonstrated that there was indeed a path, and all they needed was the courage to step forward, yet they remained hesitant and fearful. It was no wonder he looked down on them.
An older Nascent Soul cultivator gritted his teeth and boldly stepped out. He took two steps, and nothing happened. Having endured years of rigorous cultivation and passed through a heart tribulation1 to form his Nascent Soul, his resilience was much stronger than most. Understanding the phrase “fear not, walk straight ahead,” he knew what to do.
“It works!” he called out joyfully, beckoning to his fellow clansmen, “Come on, just don’t look down and you’ll be fine.” As he spoke, he subconsciously glanced downward—
“Ahh…!”
The group watched helplessly as he plummeted several meters before vanishing into thin air.
“…”
The next contender was more crafty, creating a bridge of spiritual aura ahead of him before stepping forward. However, he didn’t last a second before disappearing as well.
Everyone: “…”
“Watch me!” Another young man strode forward confidently, condensing spiritual aura to form a pair of wings on his back. He then started to glide across, but the moment he left the white jade platform, he let out a cry and was instantly ejected from the secret realm.
Everyone: “…”
Flying swords didn’t work, aura manipulation didn’t work, and fake wings didn’t work either. The only way forward was to walk, trusting that a path existed in the void. This trial was a test of inner resolve and mental fortitude.
In Lin Jiu’s view, this trial was all about deceiving oneself. If you could trick your subconscious, you would pass through smoothly.
“Wang Hanling, you go next,” an older Wang family member ordered. While his voice was calm, his gloomy eyes belied him.
‘Wang Hanling’ had been standing at the back of the group, reattaching his broken leg. It wasn’t until someone grabbed his arm and dragged him forward that he realized what was happening. He looked up at Wang Weizhi, who had already crossed the void, and a crooked smile crept across his lips as he boldly stepped forward.
To everyone’s astonishment, despite his awkward movements and damaged limbs, Wang Hanling smoothly caught up with Wang Weizhi.
With their confidence restored, the others began stepping into the void one by one. However, some were still overwhelmed by their primal fear and every so often, someone would cry out and plummet, instantly eliminated from the trial.
Qin Yunxi and Liu Qingyin’s mental fortitudes were not ordinary. They briefly exchanged glances before quickly walking forward without hesitation.
Soon, only Lin Jiu and two Wang family members remained on the white jade platform. One of them was the young woman who had exchanged barbs with Lin Jiu earlier. “Go on!” she sneered. “I want to see how a toad falls into the water.”
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