"So what do you think? How will you fare against them?" Lucia asked, her tone light but her gaze sharp. There was an unmistakable curiosity in her eyes. "I can tell you are a very competitive person, and I wonder how you will do against them."
Max let out a slow breath before answering. He did not rush to respond, nor did he allow pride to color his words. The presence of Isabella and Zain had shifted the atmosphere of the entire do. It was no longer rely a trial for outer disciples. It felt like the quiet prelude to sothing much greater.
"Honestly," Max said calmly, "I have co here to obtain strong inheritance techniques and to secure a seat as a true disciple. That is my primary goal. As for how I will do against them, I suppose only ti will tell."
His voice carried neither insecurity nor arrogance. It was simply honest. Competing with monsters of that caliber would not be determined by words exchanged before a trial. It would be decided on the golden path that radiated with scorching intent at the center of the do.
Lucia studied him for a mont, her eyes narrowing slightly as though searching for hidden ambition beneath his composed exterior. After a brief pause, she nodded.
"I see," she said thoughtfully. "The position of true disciple is the most important of them all. In less than ten years, the Divine Realm's most prestigious occasion will be held. It is called the Cosmic Ascension Conference - Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Star Systems. Only true disciples from major powers are eligible to participate. If you truly aim high, then securing that position should be your focus for now."
The na lingered in the air.
Cosmic Ascension Conference - Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Star Systems.
Max was about to ask what such a grand title represented when a familiar voice interrupted their conversation.
"So, are you ready, Max?"
Lady Virelila had stepped closer without either of them noticing. Her presence was calm yet commanding, her eyes carrying both expectation and quiet confidence.
Max turned toward her and nodded without hesitation. "I am."
"Good," Lady Virelila replied with a faint, approving smile. Her gaze shifted from Max to the golden path at the center of the do, and her expression turned serious. "The second trial, Path to Eternal Flas, will be conducted soon. Before it begins, you should understand what this trial truly represents."
She allowed a brief silence to settle between them, as though ensuring that Max absorbed her words with the attention they deserved.
"The Path to Eternal Flas consists of thirty six layers of escalating difficulty," she began. "Each layer is known as a Pillar of Eternal Flas. Every pillar stretches for one thousand miles in length. To pass a single pillar, a disciple must traverse the entire one thousand miles under the influence of its unique fla pressure and trials."
Max's eyes narrowed slightly as he processed the scale of it. One thousand miles under fla pressure was not rely a test of endurance. It was a prolonged confrontation with overwhelming elental force.
Lady Virelila continued in a calm yet authoritative tone. "The primary evaluation for outer disciples is determined by how many pillars they can ascend. Reaching all the way to the thirty sixth pillar is beyond the capability of outer disciples. That level of difficulty is reserved for core disciples, whose cultivation and foundation far exceed yours. For outer disciples, crossing the fifth pillar is considered sufficient to pass the trial."
Her gaze sharpened slightly.
"However, passing is not the sa as excelling. If you desire substantial rewards, greater recognition, and access to high grade inheritance techniques, you must aim beyond the fifth pillar. The further you advance, the greater the rewards you may obtain."
Max listened without interrupting, his attention unwavering.
"As you progress deeper into the path," Lady Virelila explained, "the trials will beco increasingly complex. It is not a simple walk through flas. Within each pillar, various fla based beasts will manifest. These beasts are ford from condensed black fire and ancestral will. They will attack relentlessly, testing both your combat ability and your control over fla energy."
Her voice lowered slightly as she added, "At the sa ti, the path contains opportunities. Throughout the pillars, inheritance tablets left behind by past ancestors of the Black Dragon Palace are embedded within certain regions. These tablets contain fragnts of techniques, insights into fla manipulation, and even partial comprehension of advanced draconic abilities. Those who are fortunate or perceptive enough may discover and inherit these treasures."
The golden light from the path reflected faintly in her eyes as she continued.
"However, the most profound purpose of the Path to Eternal Flas is not rely to test endurance or provide inheritance techniques. Its true value lies in the foundation it provides for comprehending the Cosmic Path."
Max's expression shifted slightly at the ntion of those words.
"This entire path was constructed by one of the ancient ancestors of the Black Dragon Clan," Lady Virelila said. "That ancestor had already stepped onto his own Cosmic Path and reached extraordinary heights. Before he departed from the clan, he embedded fragnts of his comprehension into this very path. The fla pressure, the formation of beasts, the arrangent of inheritance tablets, all of it reflects aspects of his Cosmic Path."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"Core disciples use this place to refine their understanding of their own path. There have been many who began grasping the outline of their Cosmic Path within these pillars. However, such comprehension requires one to stand at the threshold of the Divine Lord Realm. You are still far from that stage."
Her gaze softened slightly, though her tone remained firm.
"For you, this trial is an opportunity to accumulate experience. Even if you cannot comprehend a Cosmic Path now, exposure to the residual will of that ancestor will plant seeds in your understanding. When you eventually reach the Divine Lord Realm and begin shaping your own Cosmic Path, you will not be walking blindly. The impressions you gather here will serve as a guide."
Lady Virelila concluded, "Approach this trial with both caution and ambition. Survive it. Learn from it. And if possible, push beyond what others expect of you."
Her words lingered in the air as the first hall disciples began stepping toward the entrance of the golden path.
Max's gaze fixed upon the shimring flas before nodding to Lady Virelia. "I will not disappoint you."
User Comments
0 comments from readers