Chapter 273: The Second Trial: The Heart’s Ordeal

Dun! The bell’s chime detonated with a sound that shattered everything.

Spring rain was violently blasted apart by two successive resonating bell-like waves.

The shockwaves spread in circular ripples, as if wrinkling the very air around.

“The Second Trial – The Test of Heart and Spirit begins!”

Elder Jiao Shaoqiu, the chief elder presiding over the sect master’s personal trial, announced solemnly.

Clad in a simple, ancient robe that swayed in the spring breeze, he spoke in a tone of grave authority.

Crack, crack!

Above the Heavenly Dome, just as the clouds had settled, a muffled spring thunder rattled the sky once again.

However, the rain’s strength had lessened, no longer a torrential downpour.

Beneath the White Jade Cosmic Archway.

Seated calmly in a chair was Lü Taibai, his eyes sparkling with a mysterious light. With a flourish of his white robe and a snap of his fingers, a sword energy surged upward.

The sword light shattered midair, splitting into ten parts like ten agile, coursing dragons of energy that dove into the Tiny Cosmic Niche.

Inside the Cosmic Niche, it was as if endless electric currents roared and intertwined ferociously!

The sword light transformed into lightning streaks, as if summoning rain from the clouds.

Within the swirling mist, a blue dragon’s head emerged, its whiskers dancing wildly in the wind.

Meanwhile, deep inside the Tiny Cosmic Niche…

A white jade staircase, seemingly stretching ten thousand steps into the heavens, twisted and trembled as if it were a living dragon’s spine.

Then, it morphed into a sinuous, skeletal dragon, emerging from the netherworld to soar upward in a display of once-glorious aerial prowess.

High in the midair, the form coalesced into a circle – dragon head biting its tail, a colossal loop suspended in the sky.

And the Ancestor Shen Diao, the revered founding master, had leapt from his pinnacle position to hover at the exact center of the grand dragon ring.

Ten prodigies sat in meditative posture on the white jade steps.

They formed a circle on the ground as if seating themselves in unison.

Directly facing one another, even young XiXi sat cross-legged. Her long lashes trembled as she slowly opened her eyes – this hour-long trial was an indulgence of ease for her.

The nine-foot Dao energy cascaded over her, reflecting within the Mud Pellet’s inner vista, continuously purifying her indestructible Lotus Core – a sacred core reminiscent of a demonic lotus, which shone ever brighter.

Within the Tiny Cosmic Niche, divine energy was ravenously absorbed by her, bolstering her Lotus Core’s power.

Bathed in the towering columns of Dao energy, XiXi felt her comprehension soar. Even the most puzzling aspects of the Eight-Armed Three-Faced Lotus Core Technique suddenly made sense.

It was an elevation of innate talent!

With Dao energy swirling around her as if aided by a divine force, she unraveled the very essence of heaven and earth.

Her foundation had reached the final realm!

XiXi was overjoyed, sensing that her cultivation was advancing at a promising pace.

Normally, mastering the profound Three Pure Divine Technique like the Eight-Armed Three-Faced Lotus Core method is never swift.

Yet within a single year, XiXi had ascended her technique to its utmost foundation.

Of course, much credit belonged to the blessing of that Dao energy cascade which refined her with its potent force!

A broad smile lit up XiXi’s face – pure happiness.

After savoring a Tea Egg, her cultivation broke through once again!

Young XiXi, the sovereign of her destiny, grew even stronger—

Sitting cross-legged on the ground, XiXi clutched her feet as she rocked on the white jade steps like an untoppled tumbler.

Unyielding – she simply could not fall!

XiXi was ecstatic.

As for the so-called Test of Heart, XiXi wasn’t troubled by it at all – or rather,

she had not yet grasped the true gravity of the situation.

Beside her, not far off and sitting with crossed legs was young Ao Qingqing, who now eyed XiXi timidly.

She hadn’t expected XiXi to dominate the Talent Trial’s first stage and boldly seize first place.

That little girl was such an oddity!

The young aunt had ordered her to strive with all her might to outdo Li Nuǎnxi.

Ao Qingqing felt that perhaps her talent had been overestimated by her aunt.

But as for the Test of Heart—

Gathering her courage, Ao Qingqing contemplated before her spirit deflated completely.

Her heart simply couldn’t compare to Li Nuǎnxi’s, could it?

In the Dragon God Clan, Ao Qingqing had lived a life of luxury since childhood, with every comfort provided in the Dragon Palace and nothing for her to fret about.

Her father and stepmother would handle everything without hesitation.

Thus, Ao Qingqing admitted that her temperament could hardly surpass that of five-year-old Li Nuǎnxi – both were young and prone to bursts of uncontrolled emotion.

A short distance beside Ao Qingqing lay the Da Li Wangting, where the descendant of the great bloodline, Jin Taisui, resided.

His head of purple hair whipped wildly in the wind as he glared at XiXi with eerie, unfathomable eyes. It was this little girl who had caught him utterly off guard.

He had assumed she was an ordinary talent – a prodigy struggling even to surmount the ten levels of the white jade steps in Daocheng.

Yet, unexpectedly, she unleashed a terrifying upper limit to her potential, pulling her skills to an almost perfect peak atop the white jade steps, astonishing even the founding master of Qianyuan Divine Sect.

The founding master’s eyes were opened – while Jin Taisui’s had been deceived.

And then, the girl’s explosive temper, the promise of ruthless retribution – all he had was a single flame from his purple bell, intended to fling XiXi off the white jade stairs like trash.

Yet, to his disbelief, the small girl erupted in a furious assault!

The six rotating metal pipes that ejected their terrifying explosive mechanism left Jin Taisui visibly shaken.

The Gongshu and Tang families of Great Jing Court were masters of intricate mechanisms, and Jin Taisui was no stranger to their deadly contraptions.

After all, the unspeakably lethal mechanical beasts guarding the secret paths of the Great Jing Court were unstoppable weapons in warfare!

Jin Taisui dared not underestimate them, but aside from the mechanical beasts, did Great Jing Court possess such a fearsome single-device mechanism?

His eyes darkened as he fixed his gaze on XiXi. For the second trial of the heart, he prided himself on a distinct advantage – his lineage of great spirit cultivators, forged through relentless tempering of the heart.

Thus, Jin Taisui was confident he would secure first place!

One prodigy after another sat cross-legged, their eyes flickering with varied emotions.

They formed a circle, reminiscent of children playing a game of catch in a cheerful kindergarten.

Names echoed: Gongshu Wéntian, Gu He, Xuan Yue, Lü Qingxuan, Ning Caihe, Yang Yi, Yun’e, Zhou Peng, Tie Shancai, Lu Chi, Yue Linghu, Su Li, Ao Qingqing…

Plus XiXi and Jin Taisui.

In total, fifteen prodigies.

In the next moment…

The majestic chimes resounded as the floating sword energy rippled through the air, as if an ancient bell had been struck.

It spread like the eerie mist filling the Bizarre Temple.

From beneath the base of the white jade archway, the Ancestor Shen Diao’s manifestation surged forth like billowing smoke.

The swirling mists rushed in like a monstrous predator selecting its prey, engulfing all the prodigies seated on the white jade steps.

Beneath the White Jade Archway,

spring thunder boomed behind the clouds while interlaced electric serpents, like sudden spiderwebs, flickered across the heavens.

Li Che’s body trembled slightly – the Thunder Magnetic Conduit within him had been subtly lured by the celestial thunder.

Yet he forced it back into submission, his brows knitting as he stared at the circular disk woven of sword energy, absorbing the images within.

Within that image…

A haze of swirling clouds and smoke, ethereal and elusive.

After the first round of the Talent Trial, the remaining fifteen prodigies sat on the white jade steps fashioned like a dragon’s spine.

Each closed their eyes, sinking into a deep slumber.

Some furrowed brows in silent agony, some beamed with forced smiles, while others wept bitterly…

Li Che did not divert his gaze; his eyes locked onto XiXi’s trembling form.

There she sat on the ground, her expression blank and dazed, as if utterly lost in her trial.

What challenge had the Test of Heart thrown her into such torment?

The heart trial was a dreamlike ordeal – even the Feilei Chess Piece Li Che had once placed on her could not penetrate her inner vision.

Everything now depended solely on XiXi herself.

This was why Li Che understood that he could not aid XiXi in this second trial of the heart.

His fingers lightly drummed on the armrest of his chair as nervous tension crept over him.

XiXi opened her eyes slowly, rubbing them as confusion and bewilderment danced across her face.

She glanced upward at the dilapidated beam overhead…

Faint memories from before the age of three recalled a time when each morning, the first sight was that ragged beam.

Feeling a pang of hunger, XiXi opened her mouth, but out came only the sound of a feeble cry.

Startled by the sound, she realized it was the cry of an infant.

Her five-year-old self, though precociously gifted, felt a sudden fear – for she understood that she was undergoing the second trial, personally administered by the sect master of Qianyuan Divine Sect.

Yet inexplicably, panic welled up inside her. Being just a child, every moment of fear sent her calling for her Father and Mother.

But her cries only morphed into the bellowing wail of an infant.

The piercing sound startled those nearby, and as someone quickly scooped her up, a warm, soothing flavor filled her mouth.

XiXi devoured the comforting taste hungrily as warmth flooded her belly and quelled her inner unease.

It was her Mother’s scent.

In a moment, XiXi accepted that she had returned to the reality of her childhood.

Days passed monotonously – every day spent swaddled, eating then sleeping, sleeping then eating.

Whenever boredom struck, she would giggle and play with her chubby little hands.

Her tiny feet kicked about, and from time to time, she’d call out for her Mother while tugging playfully at her hair.

The creaking of the old wooden door announced the arrival of chilly wind and a sorrowful flurry of snow, which plunged the warmth of the charcoal stove into a sudden coldness.

XiXi suddenly found herself being lifted up as a sharp whiff of wood smoke invaded her nose – and then she saw her “Father”!

Compared to the Father she remembered, this Father appeared much older, with a scruffy beard, disheveled hair, and eyes brimming with lingering fatigue.

Yet the affectionate glimmer in his eyes was unmistakable.

“This is my daughter!”

“Give your dear old Dad a smile, XiXi!”

Instantly, XiXi giggled.

“Wifey, here’s the money I earned helping several masters move wood carvings. Keep it safe and spend without hesitation if you need anything.”

Inside the modest house,

Father munched on a bowl of steaming noodles prepared by Mother while carefully handing over his earnings.

XiXi, lying in her swaddling clothes, blinked in wonder at this heartwarming scene – so unfamiliar yet strangely reminiscent.

Time in the swaddle passed swiftly,

and before long, XiXi neared her first birthday. She had learned to walk independently with surprising agility.

The neighbors began calling her the Prodigy.

But XiXi was more than just a prodigy – she was a formidable genius!

Though XiXi felt odd not seeing Grandpa Chen or Uncle Xu from her memories…

Where had they gone? Weren’t they supposed to attend her first birthday celebration?

In a sudden flash, memories flooded back; something wasn’t right.

One day, Father burst in panicked, covered in unshaken wood shavings and snowflakes as large as his hand. His face, frozen and pale, frantically searched for XiXi.

“Wifey, where’s XiXi?”

Father cried out, his eyes wide with incredulous terror.

Mother emerged from the kitchen cradling XiXi, a puzzled look on her face. “Honey, what’s wrong?”

In a frenzy, Father rushed over, wrapping XiXi tightly. Sensing his anxiety, little XiXi instinctively patted his back.

“Don’t worry, Dad – I’m here.”

Mimicking Father’s usual reassuring words, XiXi burst into joyful giggles.

“As long as you’re safe, that’s all that matters…”

“The Lingying Sect is abducting children –” Father and Mother explained in hushed, grave tones. XiXi, listening from behind, caught every word.

“I heard the evil force that was once wiped out by Master Niu Niu of the Lingying Sect…”

XiXi pondered quietly.

“Wifey, once we save enough money, we’ll move out – we simply can’t stay in Feilei City any longer,” Father’s voice carried a heavy, defeated timbre.

In the days that followed, the long-anticipated first birthday feast never came. XiXi was confined indoors; even the courtyard was off-limits.

Perched on the window, she felt utterly bored. All she craved was a taste of freedom and something delicious to eat –

this trial was so dull and pointless!

Everything felt like a sham – Father was formidable, an elder of Qianyuan Divine Sect!

XiXi had Master Niu Niu and many little companions…

Yet in this trial, everything was stripped away.

Little XiXi rested her hand on her chin, watching the clouds float by in the sky, feeling that a kid’s life was just too tedious.

Night fell and snowflakes danced in the air.

Inside, the charcoal stove warmed the room.

XiXi curled up in bed, nestled in Mother’s arms. Mother’s hands, now rougher from long hours washing clothes in the bitter cold, spoke silently of hardship.

XiXi despised this life.

She pouted, yearning to return home!

She knew it was all an illusion – merely the second trial, the Test of Heart, devised by the sect master of Qianyuan Divine Sect.

It was just a test of her spirit.

Though XiXi knew it wasn’t real, she couldn’t yet prove it to herself…

And so, pain and sorrow began to creep into her heart.

After Father and Mother had exhausted themselves and dozed off, their soft snores filled the quiet night.

Unable to sleep, XiXi climbed out of bed and sat by the window. Outside, the howling wind and whistling snow battered the night.

With wide, shining eyes, she stared at the papered window.

There –

a hunched, dark figure stood outside.

Someone had punctured the paper, revealing a single dark, watchful eye.

After a moment of rotation inside the room,

that dark eye fixed its gaze upon XiXi, who had now sat upright in bed.

“Hehe—”

“Be a good child, Grandma’s here—”

In a lavish palace, blood flowed everywhere.

Lu Chi’s eyes were cold and indifferent. Drenched in blood, he wielded a sword as he defiantly looked up at the statuesque man on the roaring Golden Dragon Throne.

This man, the most powerful in the Great Jing Court,

sat beside him, while the cold, unyielding gaze of his mother consort—who had scolded him since he could remember—was fixed in silent reprimand.

Lu Chi’s gaze now mirrored theirs, yet in their eyes he detected a spark of approval, as if his ruthless, unfeeling nature was exactly what they desired.

Biting his lip, Lu Chi, in front of both of them, sliced into his own flesh. Though he knew it was but an illusion, the searing pain blurred the line between fantasy and reality.

Perhaps this was the only authentic moment?

In reality, he was in Feilei City, sitting in a small yard, merrily spinning a Twisty Car as he raced against XiXi in a playful contest… or was that just another mirage?

Was happiness itself merely an illusion?!

Lu Chi gritted his teeth. Though he felt as if he’d long since ceased to shed tears, with every cut of flesh his heart seemed to die anew as tears streamed uncontrollably.

High atop the Golden Dragon Throne, a dignified man looked on with quiet admiration, clapping his hands softly.

The consort showed no pity, only a look of satisfaction.

Their expressions were mirrored in Lu Chi’s blood-splattered eyes.

He couldn’t tell if his tears were really blood.

After all,

why else would he be smiling?

“Yun’e, my child—”

“Mother, once I’m gone, how can you possibly protect yourself in this perilous world?”

Lying in a sickbed, Mother tenderly stroked little Yun’e’s cheek as the child’s eyes shimmered with quiet contentment.

Struggling to rise from the bed, Mother took Yun’e’s hand and, coughing blood into a white cloth, led her past the towering walls of the Yun Family.

It was Yun’e’s first glimpse of the outside world – arriving at a mysterious temple.

The Bizarre Temple of Yu Kong Qiong Lou Guanghan Immortal.

Inside, it seemed as though an unseen gaze settled upon her.

Beneath the White Jade Archway,

Li Che’s long fingers paused their gentle tapping on the chair with a sharp clatter.

Crack, crack—

Spring thunder exploded, its terrifying roar sounding as if heaven itself were enraged.

Li Che slowly looked up.

And he wasn’t the only one; many elders seated beneath the White Jade Archway raised their heads, their eyes filled with strange wonder.

“A celestial anomaly?”

“The Test of Heart… has it unleashed an otherworldly phenomenon?”

Inner Sect Elder Fang Han Shu closed the book in his hands and, gazing at the web of spring thunder crisscrossing the sky, murmured,

“Only pure souls or those destined to kill could provoke this…”

“Who might that be?”

Li Che’s gaze returned to the images reflected in the sword-energy disk.

In the vision, the silhouettes of the children, shrouded in mist, convulsed and twisted as if wracked by profound agony.

“This Test of Heart is forged upon the power of the Ancestor’s Dao energy, an illusion so real that even an ordinary divine fetus could be led astray.

“What the children must do is persevere – endure until the mirage wrought by Dao energy dissipates, and thus pass the trial.”

Lü Taibai, seated in his chair, spoke softly as if explaining to Li Che.

“Sect Master, what visions will these children face?” Li Che couldn’t help but ask.

“It’s unclear. Their visions are born from secrets deep within their hearts and souls—

“each unique.”

Lü Taibai glanced at Li Che, his silver hair ruffling in the spring breeze, and softly remarked,

“The temperament of a child can be made into such a grand test…”

Li Che managed a wry smile.

Lü Taibai added kindly, “Some are naturally pure, while others are destined for ruthlessness—

“I simply wish to discern what kind of spirit my disciple possesses, and then teach accordingly.”

Understanding his words, Li Che remained silent, his head lowered as he observed XiXi trembling on the white jade steps of the Tiny Cosmic Niche, her small face etched with pain.

His fingers tapped softly against his chair.

In the next moment, his mind projected itself onto the Cosmic Chessboard of Heaven and Earth.

Raising all five fingers,

the Pure Heart Dao Fruit in his chest pounded fervently.

“XiXi, don’t burden yourself with despair. All I wish is for you to grow happily, safely and with joy.”

“Rest assured, any hardship will be shielded by me – you have nothing to fear.”

Li Che’s eyes shone with gentle warmth.

“So, don’t let the pain overwhelm you.”

“I am always here for you.”

“Father is always by your side.”

Murmuring softly, Li Che’s raised hand suddenly produced a Feilei Chess Piece, which now rested in his palm.

Without any teleportation or flashy display, Li Che simply held the chess piece tightly.

It was as if he were transmitting his warmth and whispered reassurance through it,

conveying a father’s steadfast protection to his daughter.

One by one, bean-sized raindrops tumbled from the leaden clouds and shattered into fragments upon impact.

Startled awake from a deep slumber, Big Black Dog’s eyes widened in surprise as it gazed at the sky.

The languid Boss, who had mysteriously risen, also beheld the celestial phenomenon with a complex glimmer in his eyes.

“She’s coming back,” he murmured.

Big Black Dog barked once. Shaking the droplets off his fur, he sighed before settling down once again.

The Boss rose up straight, retrieved a sheet of cigarette paper, and fished some tobacco from a worn pouch. With a snap, he lit a match that set the rolled cigarette ablaze.

Hiss, hiss, hiss—

The cigarette paper burned away, curling the tobacco inside as thick smoke billowed out.

Two smoky tendrils shot out from his nostrils.

Clutching the cigarette, the Boss returned to his chair.

He flicked away the ash, crossed his legs casually.

BAM!!!

In an instant, the window was torn open!

One dark figure after another leapt into the room, shattering the tenuous warmth.

Ruthless energy, mingled with icy wind and snow, whirled violently inside.

XiXi’s eyes narrowed, sweat prickling her skin.

At that moment, her sleeping Mother and Father awoke abruptly.

Father bellowed in anger, seizing a kitchen knife and swinging it wildly.

“Get out of here!”

“You thieving gang of the Lingying Sect! Begone!” he roared.

Amid the chaos, Zhang Ya clutched XiXi tightly, her face twisted in fear as her entire body trembled. All she could do was hold the child close.

XiXi stared in blank disbelief as she witnessed Father clashing with the intruders—quickly overpowering them, only to be struck down by a long blade that spewed blood throughout the room.

XiXi was frozen. Mother shielded her desperately, but the intruders forcibly dragged XiXi away, one of them indiscriminately slashing at Mother.

Blood spattered in a fountain, streaking across XiXi’s face.

XiXi’s whole body shook violently as untamed anger and sorrow burst from her core.

A fierce demonic Lotus Pattern blazed between her brows.

Jet-black flames erupted all around her.

The assailant clutching a bloodied long knife suddenly felt the scorching heat, and was forcefully slammed by XiXi’s open palm, sending his head flying sideways.

XiXi hovered in midair, her eyes like a churning, inky pool trembling with fury.

“How dare you harm my Father and Mother?!”

“How dare you?!”

“My beloved Father and Mother—how dare you?!”

The tiny, one-year-old XiXi floated, tearfully weeping as her form was twisted and seared by the scorching black flames.

“Kill them! Kill everyone!”

A cold, emotionless command echoed in her mind.

It was utterly void of feeling – as if a long-dormant soul from a previous life had been awakened to impose an ultimate will.

The blazing Lotus Fire roared uncontrollably, defying all efforts to restrain its spread.

Somehow, beneath XiXi’s feet, a dark, inky pool materialized. Its waters churned noisily.

Strands of water crawled out from the pool, forming bizarre patterns that clung to XiXi’s face.

The Lotus Pattern between her brows pulsated wildly…

Then, with a sound like a fading sigh, the pattern extinguished completely, its fierce glow snuffed out.

The raging heat of the flames dissipated into cold darkness.

With arms crossed, XiXi swept her gaze across the room strewn with corpses.

Upon seeing the lifeless forms of Father and Mother, she closed her eyes.

When she opened them again, her expression was as cold and unyielding as an ancient glacier.

Sitting with her arms folded and the dark pool writhing at her feet, she stepped out of the building.

The charcoal stove toppled over, sparks flying as the dilapidated house burst into flames. Amid swirling snow, the inferno roared.

Within the blazing fire, a defiant XiXi emerged, as if a sovereign ruler of ice and shadow.

She floated upward.

Thunderous uproar echoed behind as Old Lei A-Po fled in terror across the snow.

XiXi flicked her finger, and almost instantly, a Serpent Spear of Fire-Tipped Spear blazed forth, piercing Lei A-Po without hesitation.

XiXi stepped forward, and in the very next moment, reappeared somewhere in the city.

The Fire-Tipped Spear, wrapped in dark flames that writhed like a venomous snake, struck with a wet sound as it ended a life.

Blood flowed unendingly.

XiXi raised her youthful yet icy face.

She carved a bloody path toward the City Lord’s Residence, leaving devastation in her wake.

When all was finished, XiXi straddled the pile of corpses and blood-stained ruins of the City Lord’s Residence.

“XiXi… without Father and Mother…”

Her eyes turned icy, mirroring endless darkness.

Ominous, twisted patterns writhed over her body, threatening to engulf her small frame completely.

Suddenly,

from the boundless darkness, a pale white light slowly began to emerge.

A white chess piece drifted away from XiXi’s body, flying out into the distance.

It buzzed like countless falling stars, scattering specks of dust in its wake.

XiXi looked on contentedly.

Her dark eyes, now illuminated with the glow of hope, shimmered with newfound brightness.

“If you want to kill, then kill along with me.”

“Don’t let your pain consume you.”

“Father is always here.”

The white chess piece buzzed softly.

A gentle, familiar voice, like a caress of cool wind, arrived.

Slowly, the white chess piece transformed into a familiar silhouette – that of XiXi herself.

Seated amid a sea of corpses and blood, XiXi looked up resolutely.

And Li Che’s radiant figure, bathed in brilliant white light, knelt down and smiled tenderly.

Reaching out, he gently ruffled XiXi’s hair.

A father’s silent promise echoed through the tumult.