The staircase seemed endless as Liu Yun descended into the heart of the mountain. The Imperial Jade Seal floated beside him, providing soft golden light that mingled with the green glow of the formation marks on the walls. Behind him, Lin Fei and Jiang Tao followed at a distance.
"The trial is yours alone," Jiang Tao had explained. "We accompany you only to witness, not to aid."
Finally, the stairs opened into a vast circular chamber. Ancient pillars rose to a ceiling so high it was lost in darkness. At the center stood a simple stone platform with a sword embedded in its surface—not a weapon, but a symbol carved from the same stone as the mountain itself.
"The Trial of Endurance begins when you step onto the platform," Jiang Tao called from the stairway. "Once started, it cannot be stopped until completion or failure."
Liu Yun approached cautiously. "What must I endure?"
"That depends on what you fear most," the Earth Vein guardian replied. "The trial reveals the burdens you carry in your heart."
Lin Fei stepped forward despite Jiang Tao's warning hand. "Liu Yun, you don't have to do this now. We could gather the other bloodlines first, find another way."
Liu Yun appreciated her concern but shook his head. "We don't have that luxury. The Protocol Administrators grow stronger every day we delay."
With determined steps, he walked to the platform and placed his hand on the stone sword. Immediately, the formation marks on the floor blazed with green light. Energy surged through Liu Yun's body, and he felt the chamber dissolving around him.
When his vision cleared, he stood in a familiar place—the imperial training grounds where he had first practiced his father's sword techniques. But something was wrong. The sky above was blood red, and the palace in the distance lay in ruins.
A figure approached from the shadows. Liu Yun's heart constricted when he recognized his father.
"You failed," his father said, his voice hollow with disappointment. "You mastered the techniques but lost control of their power. Look around you at what remains."
Liu Yun turned slowly, taking in the devastation. "This isn't real," he whispered. "This is the trial."
"Is it?" his father questioned. "Or is it a vision of what will come? The Sword Sovereign's power has always been too great for one person to control."
More figures emerged from the ruins—the Emperor, Commissioner Zhao, Lin Fei, Wei Chen, all bearing terrible wounds.
"You did this," the Emperor accused. "Your reckless pursuit of power doomed us all."
Lin Fei's apparition stepped closer. "We trusted you, followed you. This is how you repaid that trust."
Liu Yun closed his eyes, centering himself. "The trial tests my fears. This is what I fear most—failing those who depend on me."
When he opened his eyes, the scene had changed. He now stood before the Protocol Council, seven hooded figures seated on high thrones.
"Liu Yun of the Imperial Bloodline," the central figure intoned. "We offer you freedom from your burden. Join us, and the sacrifice will not be required."
Another figure extended a hand. "The covenant was a mistake from the beginning. The Protocol brings order. Without it, cultivation would collapse into chaos."
"We can modify the restrictions," a third offered. "Make them less severe while maintaining stability. All you need do is surrender the techniques you've mastered."
Liu Yun felt a weight pressing down on him—the physical manifestation of his doubt. The offer was tempting. If the Protocol could truly be reformed rather than reset...
"No," he said firmly. "The ancestors created the covenant for a reason. The Protocol was meant to be temporary, not eternal."
The Council members rose as one. "Then endure the consequences of your choice."
Pain erupted through Liu Yun's body as invisible forces pressed against him from all sides. He fell to his knees, gasping as the pressure increased.
"This is but a fraction of the burden you'll bear as Sword Sovereign," the Council leader stated. "Surrender now or be crushed beneath it."
Liu Yun struggled to breathe as the weight continued to increase. His cultivation core pulsed erratically, fighting against the overwhelming pressure. This was more than a test of physical endurance—it was testing his resolve.
Through the pain, he remembered his father's true teachings, not the trial's false version. "The sword path is not about power," his father had told him. "It's about responsibility."
With tremendous effort, Liu Yun forced himself to stand, accepting the weight rather than fighting it.
"I will endure," he declared. "Not for power, but for restoration. Not for myself, but for all cultivators."
Something shifted in the trial space. The pressure remained, but Liu Yun found he could bear it more easily by accepting rather than resisting.
"The burden of the Sword Sovereign is not meant to be escaped," he realized aloud. "It's meant to be transformed."
As the words left his mouth, the Council chamber dissolved. Liu Yun found himself back on the stone platform, his hand still on the carved sword. But now the sword glowed with the same green light as the formation marks.
Slowly, the stone sword transformed into a real weapon—simple in design but radiating ancient power. As Liu Yun grasped its hilt, knowledge flooded his mind: the Sixth Technique, Earth Shattering Sword.
Jiang Tao stepped forward, his stern expression replaced by respect. "You have passed the Trial of Endurance by understanding its true purpose. Many seek to escape their burdens. The worthy learn to transform them."
Lin Fei rushed to Liu Yun's side as he stepped off the platform, supporting him as his legs threatened to give way. "You did it," she whispered. "What did you see?"
Liu Yun looked at the sword in his hand, then back to her concerned face. "I saw what I feared, and what I must become."
Jiang Tao nodded approvingly. "The Earth Vein stands with the covenant. My power is yours to command in the coming battle."
The Imperial Jade Seal rose higher, pulsing with bright golden light. "Four bloodlines now confirmed. Earth Vein connection established. Covenant strength increases."