"Hmm... I don't have time for vague illusions," Khalid muttered.
Without hesitation, he unsheathed his sword and swiftly slashed down all the familiar faces that had appeared before him. The moment he eliminated the illusions, he stepped forward without the slightest burden, just as before.
I just need to get through all this nonsense and reach the general's position. Once I do, Yinzhou Xiexian and that artifact will be ours.
With that cold resolve, Khalid vanished up the stairway, leaving nothing but silence behind.
*
Meanwhile, in a different corner of the trial domain, Elysia faced an illusion of her own...
Elysia faced only two figures, one male and one female whose faces she couldn't even make out clearly.
Are they supposed to be precious to me? But I can't even remember their faces. I shouldn't add more people I care about. I don't want anyone to worry or suffer because of me. My goal lies ahead at that place.
Because Elysia only encountered two figures in her illusion, the mental burden was relatively light. Still, she wasn't content with simply enduring. She wanted to outperform the other candidates at this level.
"Spirit Resonance. Physical Enchant."
As she chanted, a tiny orb of light shaped like a spirit hovered around her, casting a spell akin to enhancement magic. With its help, Elysia found it easier and faster to climb the steps than before.
*
To a stranger, Luo Jin might appear cold, temperamental, and emotionless. But there was a reason behind that demeanor.
He had been forced to become the head of the Luo family at a young age after his father the patriarch vanished. Surrounded by opportunists eager to exploit the situation, Luo Jin had no choice but to be stern, rational, and detached. It was the only way to protect his mother and younger siblings.
Fortunately, Luo Jin was blessed with exceptional talent. Despite lacking an ether skill, he was born with a rare and powerful constitution, one that surpassed ether abilities in value to a martial artist.
The Heavenly Battle Physique. A body forged for war, battle, and domination. Thanks to this constitution, Luo Jin was able to learn and master martial arts rapidly, reaching the level of a top-ranker while still young and eventually securing his current position.
Now, before him stood illusions of his lost father, his mother, siblings, and various members of his clan.
"Killing them to lighten my burden, huh?" Luo Jin scoffed sarcastically.
"Don't make me laugh. Not once have I ever thought of them as burdens," he growled, his expression filled with fury, as if insulted.
As if responding to his emotions, an intense burst of qi erupted from Luo Jin's body. Though the domain's authority dispersed it immediately, more and more qi continued to surge out like a flooding spring.
And then something unexpected happened, the qi that had dispersed into the air slowly began gathering again, as if drawn back by an invisible magnetic force.
Like a warrior who would never retreat, Luo Jin advanced at a steady, unshakable pace. Not fast, not slow, just stable. As if the weight on his shoulders was no burden at all.
*
"As expected, spirit magic seems unaffected by the domain's energy dispersion authority," General Melfina commented as she observed Elysia on the screen.
"I'm more impressed by Vice General Luo Jin," General Tian Fang added. "As expected from someone with the Heavenly Battle Physique. Truly extraordinary."
"It seems only Candidate Khalid chose to cut down his illusions and advance unburdened," General Chu commented, folding his arms thoughtfully.
He glanced sideways. "General Lin Feng, was that martial art Lin An used one of your clan's techniques? I don't recognize it."
"Don't ask me about that kid," Lin Feng replied with a resigned sigh. "Lin An has always been the oddest one in the clan. His martial arts are sometimes... unorthodox, and he has his own quirks. I suspect it's due to his ether skill. His skill is undeniable, sometimes I feel like he might already be able to defeat me in a one-on-one match."
The other generals were visibly surprised by Lin Feng's admission. It seemed they would have to reevaluate their assessment of Vice General Lin An.
Although the generals occasionally focused only on the screens showing their favored candidates, there was one screen they never failed to monitor.
The one showing the person closest to reaching the general's seat the one whose power had been acknowledged as equal to theirs from the moment they first met:
Gaia Matera.
To be honest, I'm very confident in my ability to control mana and internal energy. But once that energy leaves my body, it's nearly impossible to control unless specific conditions are met.
For example, if I used a magic ritual to control all the mana within a domain, that would work. But such a ritual requires time and preparation. It's not feasible right now.
What if I created a small domain with myself as the center? That could work if I had done it before entering this one. After all, creating a personal domain requires releasing energy from the body.
What else can I use? Magic? Ether? Curses? Necromancy? Sword arts… of course. Martial arts!
One technique came to mind, one used by Ryu Ryeon, the Supreme Heavenly Demon. A foundational technique for his entire martial art:
Heavenly Step.
How could I forget? I just practiced at the Jiang residence not long ago.
This technique is just a footstep, but that's what makes it special.
It required no energy to leave the body, instead it manipulated energy within the mana veins.
The key was internal resonance between mana, the physical body, and the spiritual gravitational field surrounding the user, also known as Heaven's Pull.
Even top-tier martial artists couldn't master this technique without a teacher and manual. And even then, mana users had virtually no chance of succeeding.
But I remember. I remember because I was Ryu Ryeon.
His memories, combined with my absolute control over internal energy, make it possible. Still, I had to retrain and calibrate it for this body. And now... it's ready
Fortunately, we're in a domain rich in energy, and these steps are no ordinary stairs.
I calmed my breath and focused.
I began to rotate the mana within my heart before channeling it into my mana veins. I carefully controlled its acceleration fast, but calm. Once the mana flowed, I compressed it and stored it in key points around my knees and feet.
I stepped onto the first stair.
No sound. No shockwave.
Instead, my body felt lighter. Smoother. Like a shadow leaving no trace. I wasn't resisting gravity, I was flowing with it, resonating with the spiritual rhythm emanating from each stair.
I synchronized my energy with the domain's rhythm. At that moment, it wasn't stepping. It was more like dancing.
Each step triggered a burst of mana from the soles of my feet just enough force to stabilize and push forward. Though the energy was ultimately dispersed, like a climber planting anchors into an illusory cliff, I continued to ascend unshaken.
I didn't blink. My breath matched the heartbeat of this domain. The chains of burden created by illusions of those I held dear no longer held me down because with every step, I was locking them into place.
Heavenly Step.
A step that makes the heavens kneel not through force, but through harmony.