Chapter 009: You're Done For

It was Lin Zhan’s turn. Like a maiden about to board her wedding sedan, he unexpectedly felt a surge of nervousness!

Standing beneath the stone gate, Lin Zhan was struck by a sensation of transcendence, as if he were about to ascend beyond the mundane. The atmosphere here was richer and more potent than the very first breath he’d taken upon entering this world, brimming with energy—could this be the so-called spiritual essence?

He felt himself undergoing a cleansing that penetrated to his very marrow; his thoughts, in that instant, seemed to relinquish all desire. It was as if his mind had emptied, yet he sensed countless eyes fixed upon his soul, leaving nothing hidden.

This stone gate must be a miniature spirit-gathering array; several luminous white crystals were embedded in its surface.

Feeling slightly lightheaded, Lin Zhan waited expectantly for the appearance of the pale blue mist, eager to discover the measure of his first test.

Yet, after waiting a long while, he glanced down—his feet were still firmly planted on the ground.

What was happening? There wasn’t the slightest reaction. Even the ones who had failed before him could at least rise three inches off the earth, and the blue light always appeared, every time. Why, when it was his turn, did the spirit-gathering array seem to go on strike?

“Uh, this…” Even the white-bearded elder was surprised. The stone gate’s lack of response was unprecedented.

Lin Zhan grew anxious and gestured frantically, requesting another attempt.

Without waiting for the elder’s reply, he retreated from the gate, took several deep breaths, and cautiously stepped forward once more.

Inside the gate, Qin Qingxuan and Tong Feng, among others, watched him with concern.

Only Fan Ning curled his lips in a cold sneer, gloating at Lin Zhan’s misfortune.

Cleansing… emptying… reaching the soul…

He went through the same process again, but the result was unchanged. Had he really failed?

His gaze fixed on the elder’s lips, certain he was about to hear the verdict of his defeat.

Unwilling to accept this outcome! Having crossed into this world, how could he not even pass the first trial? Was he truly destined to be a tragic cannon fodder?

Lin Zhan felt indignant—this was the cruelest joke fate could play. He clenched his fists in frustration.

Suddenly, the circular pattern in his palm grew hot; a powerful energy began to spin within, and had Lin Zhan looked down, he would have seen the light in the pattern straining to break free.

His sleeve hissed, then his entire robe rustled violently, as the light in the pattern spun rapidly, stirring the air around him like a tornado, the whirling currents enveloping his body and washing over the crystals in the stone gate.

Whoosh!

The lingering spiritual energy in the crystals was swept up—one, two, until all were affected.

All the energy poured into the pattern, the light became a golden dragon, finally bursting forth, beginning to snake along Lin Zhan’s arm…

Ah…

The searing pain forced Lin Zhan to throw his head back and cry out to the sky.

Then, something utterly astonishing happened: the crystals on the testing gate faded and shattered, falling to the ground with a soft crackling.

Even more shocking, the entire stone gate seemed to succumb to tremendous force, collapsing in pieces!

“Impossible, oh, this is impossible!” The white-bearded elder’s face turned crimson with rage.

The destruction of the gate was no trivial matter; he stamped his feet furiously. “You wretch! How dare you destroy the Gate of Ice Peaks—you, you, you, are doomed!”

Lin Zhan spread his arms and shrugged. “I truly have no idea how this happened. If I must take the blame, then so be it!”

He’d already had the misfortune of being dragged here—now this? Who could he reason with?

The elder moved with blinding speed, appearing before Lin Zhan and binding him with a gesture.

The air around Lin Zhan seemed compressed, his thoughts stalling, death approaching.

Staring at the elder’s looming face, Lin Zhan held firm, stubborn as a boiled duck refusing to surrender.

“You’re not afraid of death? Then let me oblige you!” The elder swept his sleeve, enveloping Lin Zhan and lifting him toward the peak.

A long, resounding voice echoed through the air: “Today’s talent trial is over. Come early tomorrow!”

Immediately, light and shadow shimmered at the mountain gate before settling into calm. The mountain’s protective array had activated, barring entry to outsiders.

Inside the ruined gate, Qin Qingxuan, Lian Ming, Fan Ning, Tong Feng, and the others were led up the mountain by two young attendants.

Fan Ning, grinning mischievously, sidled up to Qin Qingxuan. “Beauty, let’s ascend together—it’s fate, isn’t it? Qin Qingxuan, what a lovely name. How about becoming cultivation partners, and sharing some passionate dual cultivation…”

Worried for Lin Zhan, Qin Qingxuan bit her lip in silent anger, smacking Fan Ning with her sword’s scabbard.

Fan Ning dodged, laughing. “Ha! Fiery—I like it!”

The two attendants led the way, paying little heed to the antics behind them, as if such scenes were commonplace.

In reality, they were quietly chatting through secret transmission.

“Hehe, Third Uncle’s beard nearly flew right off this time!”

“Yeah, I’ve never seen him so furious. That Lin Zhan is in real trouble.”

“At least a year of hard labor.”

“I say more—three years, at minimum!”

At that moment, the unlucky Lin Zhan discussed by the attendants was being whisked away in the elder’s sleeve, completely immobilized, with only his ears exposed to the shrill wind.

Yet his mind was astonishingly clear, acutely aware of the changes within him.

The spiritual energy he’d inadvertently absorbed from the gate’s crystals, through the mysterious workings of the emblem’s pattern, had transformed into a restless dragon within him, still flowing, forging new paths.

So comfortable! The initial agony had given way to an indescribable euphoria, a sensation Lin Zhan could hardly articulate.

Had he not been suspended in midair, unable to call out, he would surely have cried out in delight…

His bodily comfort accompanied the exhilarating experience of being flown through the air, which soon ended.

Firstly, the spiritual energy was limited; secondly, the elder had reached his destination.

“This brat destroyed the talent-testing gate—an unforgivable crime! Five years of hard labor!”

“Farewell, Elder Huang!” The wind howled overhead, and someone saluted the elder—a patrolling disciple of the Snow Peak.

These events happened simultaneously; Lin Zhan found himself released from the sleeve, dropping freely from midair to land with a thud, making intimate contact with the ground.

“Damn you, old man, that’s too much! Damn it, my butt… ow…”