"So urgent?" Jian Dan murmured, but she wasted no time. She closed the cultivation array, opened her cave's door, and dashed toward the sect plaza like a gust of wind.
All around her, fellow disciples sprinted as well—flying swords forbidden within the sect. Jian Dan infused her legs with spiritual energy, treading swift steps that made her appear ethereal. But the pleasant flight was short-lived. Suddenly, attacks rained down from above.
Fireballs, golden arrows, vine whips, water dragons and earth spikes fell in continuous barrage—targeting any cultivator in sight. Jian Dan sidestepped a fireball, but a floral vine twisted around her ankle. She flicked her wrist, summoned a blade of flame, cut the vine clean, and resumed her sprint toward the plaza.
Still less than a hundred meters ahead, she was surrounded by golden arrows. The hail threatened to pierce her like quills. Jian Dan channeled power to her toes, touched them to the stone, and launched upward like a released arrow, bursting through their formation. With a hand seal, she cast a thick Earth Barrier that blocked all the incoming arrows.
Freed from the arrows, she raced forward for several hundred meters, only to be met with a towering wave of water. Several disciples had already been swallowed by the torrent, their cries of alarm echoing.
Jian Dan wove a flame shield around herself, mixed with a touch of Verdant Flame. She plunged into the shifting waters. The protective fire instantly vaporized the wave, creating a dry tunnel through which she passed. Moments later, the waters closed. She emerged unscathed on the other side.
Next, boulders rained from above. Some disciples were crushed outright, others tried sprinting through gaps in vain, only to be struck again. Jian Dan recognized the pattern immediately. She summoned her Twin Moon Flood Dragon Sword, charging into the stonefall. Both blades glowed with golden energy, cleaving the path through the falling rocks. Without pause, she emerged from the barrage zone.
Just beyond the rockfall, countless sword beams flew toward her. Jian Dan narrowed her brilliant eyes and summoned both swords brimming with spiritual power. Rotating her wrists, she spun the swords into a luminous wheel, shattering the blades before dashing through the remaining sword rain.
She broke free into the open plaza, only to momentarily hesitate. A line of disciples blocked her way, some wielding spirit swords, others weeping, some howling toward the sky. A few stepped onto the plaza with feral expressions, only to collapse, utterly drained, and sit limply on their meditation cushions.
Jian Dan realized this was a trial illusion. She walked onto the raised platform amid the plaza. The moment the illusory environment clashed with her spirit, her eyes glowed bright blue. Before her, mounds of spirit stones and crystals piled sky-high. Beyond the stones lay rows of spirit swords, treasured weapons, even legendary artifacts and divine implements. Jian Dan paused, taking it all in. Though she knew it was false, she couldn't resist admiring the sights.
In the distance, a handsome male cultivator beckoned. Then another group appeared: ethereal men in white, martial types in armor, and sinister figures in black robes. Jian Dan felt a drop of sweat. It was blatant provocation, but having learned discipline in low-tier domains, she maintained her composure.
The scene shifted again. Jian Dan now found herself at the peak of cultivation with millions gazing up at her. She stood on the verge of ascension, at the height of Mahayana, her power and influence unmatched. This was what every cultivator sought, but Jian Dan did not.
She directed a simple horizontal slash with her sword. The illusion dissolved like ripples across water. It vanished completely, and Jian Dan stepped fully onto the plaza. She sheathed her swords, found an unoccupied meditation cushion, and resumed restoring her spiritual energy.
Hidden in the air above, Jian Jun Zhēnzūn fanned himself and whispered to Jian Wu Zhēnjūn: "There are many participants this year, but their strength worries me. Half were eliminated before they even reached the first trial."
"Your worries didn't make you mercy earlier" Jian Wu Zhēnjūn thought, but nodded seriously.
On the top floor of the library, Jian Zhen Zhēnzūn watched the plaza via a water mirror and noticed Jian Dan had entered. He nodded gently.
Jian Jun glanced at the sky. Jian Wu nudged him. "The assembly time has arrived."
"So let's proceed."
When Jian Jun Zhēnzūn descended to the high platform, every cultivator present rose and bowed in unison. Thousands of them—from both inner and outer peaks—stood in disciplined rows.
"Congratulations to all who arrived on time."
He gestured, and a crimson ring of light fell from the sky, enveloping one-fifth of the crowd.