Inside the middle pavilion, situated between the inner and outer pavilions, the air was thick with anticipation as candidates prepared to face the trials that would determine who could advance to the main peak of the Celestial Phoenix Order.
The crowd that once numbered in the hundreds had dwindled to a mere forty-six, a testament to the challenges they had encountered.
"Hm, has he failed?" Yao Lian remarked, drawing closer to Esme. Her gaze followed Esme's toward the portal through which the young master, who had tormented her mentally for so long, had yet to emerge. Yao Lian couldn't help but wonder if his absence signaled his failure in the trial.
"Express your concern for him once more, and I might just conclude that you have some feelings for my man," Esme replied, her tone impassive as she positioned herself toward the portal. Her white dress fluttered gently around her, reminiscent of butterfly wings, while her hair danced in the energy-infused breeze that enveloped the entire area.
Before them lay a dark forest, looming ominously, which they would need to traverse to access the second portal located on the far side.
Entering the middle pavilion made it abundantly clear that this was no ordinary test.
To succeed, they would have to navigate the dangers of the forest—a treacherous expanse stretching seven miles, filled with dense energy signatures that hinted at lurking monsters.
Esme could sense the imminent threats.
"What? What nonsense is this?!" Yao Lian stammered, directing a fierce glare towards Esme. Her clenched fists betrayed her deep dissatisfaction, fueled by the woman's outrageous implication that she had any interest in that uncivilized, manipulative, and prideful man.
To Yao Lian, those were the exact images that came to mind when she thought of Young Master Rui Ke: uncivilized because he had threatened her, and had even taken advantage of her by using her as a guide.
Moreover, he had manipulated everyone in the Wei family into treating him as the favored young master of the patriarch, despite the clear reality that he was stronger than the patriarch himself.
As for his pride, it was evident every time he looked at her—or rather, failed to look at her. His gaze seemed to pass right through her, as if she were completely inconsequential in his eyes.
"If it's rubbish, then keep your mouth shut," Esme said dismissively, gesturing with her hand.
Yao Lian felt her teeth grind in frustration; here was this woman humiliating her again, especially after demonstrating her incredible ability to break the trial slab into dust using her fire Qi. Despite that display of power, Yao Lian was still seen as little more than a beggar.
"No, it was that fox woman," Esme replied, shaking her head as memories flooded back. She recalled how the fox woman had drawn her swords with such intensity that a single strike had carved out a ditch over seven miles, creating hills in its wake and obliterating every monster in the way.
Although she and Lucas had managed to pass through that path, other cultivators had hesitated to follow. Fearful of provoking the fox woman, they chose instead to walk through the forest, maintaining an air of pride as they avoided the shortcut.
"Hmm," Ryuk murmured, narrowing his gaze as he contemplated the melted trail. He could sense a clean sword intent lingering in the air, reminiscent of Regina's—a sharp sword intent that had flattened everything in its path, incinerating trees like a relentless, indestructible wall.
[Host, do you want to fight monsters too?]
'Why waste energy?' Ryuk thought decisively. He stood from his seat, despite initially planning to wait for Yao Lian.
Instead, he resolved to continue onward, leaving her to fend for herself. Given that she was still focused on her breathing, he figured that if a monster were to attack, she would likely find herself in dire straits anyway. Leaving her to her luck seemed the more prudent choice.
"Are we leaving her?" Esme asked, observing Ryuk's swift change of mind. It had barely been a minute since he had declared their intention to wait, and now he seemed ready to move on. Her curiosity bubbled up with questions:
Why was he late?
Why had the illusion she cast on the slab to allow him to pass broken?
And why was he dressed in a suit instead of his black robe?
'Analyze this area,' Ryuk instructed, ignoring Esme as he made his way towards that path. The main reason was that he had detected someone's presence nearby, and this presence seemed to hold the same energy and feeling as that woman he had met at the age of five.
It was most likely not possible for him to remember the energy signature of that woman.
However, the type of energy used by that woman contained a distinct feeling that was evident in this place right now.
This made it clear that whoever he was, it was either that woman herself or someone practicing the same technique as her.