The moment the image appeared, Yun Jin's pupils contracted sharply.
It was the same Yin-Yang Wheel.
But this land…
A blood moon hung high, the earth was scorched for a thousand li. A black-clad woman raised her head to stare at the rotating wheel. She seemed to have just come through a battle, her black robes stained with streaks of blood.
This was… a Demon clan cultivator!
Yun Jin narrowed her eyes slightly. It made sense. If people from the South Central Continent and the Boundless Seas had come, how could the Demon clan possibly be absent?
The next moment, a vortex opened.
That black-robed woman stepped into the space. Her expression was cold and stern, her gaze swept across everyone, and finally settled on Yun Jin.
"Yun Jin." She recognized Yun Jin at a glance, and a smile tugged at her lips. "This trip is already worth it."
Yun Jin also smiled. "And where is the profit in that?"
The woman chuckled. "In my Demon clan, you are ranked first on the wanted list, even higher than Ji Wusi. If I can kill you, the rewards will be enough to let me soar in a single step. Tell me, is that not a gain?"
As she spoke, the expressions of Bai Yiran and the others shifted slightly. Among the nine of them, only Yun Jin and Cang Li were at the Tribulation stage. At first, none of them had paid much attention to the two juniors.
But this Demon clan woman had just said that on their wanted list, Yun Jin ranked above Ji Wusi?
They might not know Yun Jin's background, but Ji Wusi's name… even the distant South Central Continent and the Boundless Seas had heard of him.
After all, the Human race was the strongest in this world, and Ji Wusi was the number one Human!
How could Yun Jin possibly outrank him?
"Then take a guess." Yun Jin's eyes sparkled with amusement. "With such rich rewards, why do you think no one in your Demon clan has ever managed to claim them? Is it because they don't want to?"
The black-clad woman's eyes narrowed, then she sneered. "Perhaps your fine head has simply been waiting for me."
As soon as her words fell, a pitch-black insect shot from her sleeve, darting straight for Yun Jin's face!
"Junior Sister!" Cang Li's heart tightened. He instinctively drew his sword and stepped in front of Yun Jin.
But in the next instant, the black insect turned to ash in midair. The black-clad woman screamed in pain and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Cang Li was stunned.
He turned to Yun Jin. "Junior Sister, was that you?"
Yun Jin shook her head. "No."
"Then who—" Cang Li was still hesitating when a mechanical voice rang out:
[Combat between trial-takers is forbidden within the safe zone. First violation detected. Punishment applied.]
The woman's expression darkened. She immediately sat cross-legged and began adjusting her breath.
Yun Jin's eyes flickered with thought.
A trial ground.
Trial-takers.
This secret realm was selecting for something. If combat was forbidden in the safe zone, then did that mean… there were areas outside the safe zone as well?
And if the final reward was truly the Pearl of the Palace… then only one person could claim it. What of the other eight? Were they destined to be eliminated?
The mechanical voice sounded again.
[Nine trial-takers have assembled. Trial space officially begins.]
As the words fell, the nine roads hidden by mist gradually revealed their true form. Half of them burned beneath the blazing sun, the other half glowed under the hanging moon. The road at the very center shone with both sun and moon.
[This round of trial: time limit thirty days. Failure to clear results in elimination.]
If they failed within thirty days, they would be eliminated.
Everyone's expressions grew heavy.
Bai Yiran was the first to speak. "Everyone, forgive my boldness, but may I ask a question? Did you all once see the Yin-Yang Wheel, and gain some form of enlightenment from it?"
"Indeed." Yu Shiyi answered bluntly.
There was no need to hide it. The vision had shown everyone their images as they were brought here.
"The Yin-Yang Wheel… it was a long, long time ago that I first saw it." Lan Xi's face softened with nostalgia.
At that time, he had only just gained sentience as a small fish, yet he had been fortunate enough to glimpse the Yin-Yang Wheel once. That sight gave him a clear goal in cultivation.
The fact that he had reached this level today owed much to it. In the Boundless Seas, he had asked countless others, but none had even heard of such a thing. He had once believed it was his unique, heaven-given opportunity.
But now it seemed otherwise.
At least here, all nine of them had seen the Yin-Yang Wheel.
Yun Jin blinked, then sent a voice transmission to Di Xiao. "Senior Di, have you ever seen the Yin-Yang Wheel?"
Di Xiao frowned. "Never."
When the others appeared, their visions had shown them gazing at the Yin-Yang Wheel.
Only Di Xiao and Yun Jin had entered the trial directly, without that process.
Of the two, Yun Jin had seen the Wheel before.
Only Di Xiao…
He had once heard of it while drinking tea with Wan Dao Saint, but to claim he had personally seen it—that he had not.
Yun Jin also grew thoughtful.
Including her and Cang Li, all the others had seen the Wheel. Only Di Xiao was an exception. Was it because he was one of the initiators, unrestricted by the rules?
Or… was there another reason?
She recalled the true forms of Di Xiao and Di Ying.
The Taiyang Zhuozhao, the Taiying Youying.
One born of extreme yang, the other of extreme yin.
Perhaps they were innately tied to the Dao of Yin and Yang.
That Di Xiao had never seen the Wheel, neither he nor Yun Jin would ever volunteer that detail.
Bai Yiran's eyes lit up. "It seems my guess was correct. The reason this trial space chose us is because of the Yin-Yang Wheel!"
Her voice trembled with excitement.
To her, the Yin-Yang Wheel was the greatest opportunity of her life. And now, this trial was linked to it. That meant this was surely the highest of fortunes. If she could clear the trial to the end…
Her gaze burned with longing.
The others' breathing also grew heavy.
They looked at the nine roads.
Sun, moon. The attributes were laid bare.
All of them knew the perfect state was the unity of yin and yang.
But because of their insights and cultivation, each had leanings. Some toward the blazing yang, others toward the quiet yin. If they could choose the road most suited to them, their chances of clearing the trial would be much greater.
As for the central road, the path of both sun and moon… that demanded simultaneous mastery of both attributes. It was surely the hardest. Unless someone had extraordinary confidence, none would dare to take it.
The question was…
Who would choose first? Who would be forced to choose last?
What if the later ones were left with a road they could not handle?
The nine exchanged wary glances, and the atmosphere grew tense.
This was fortune before their very eyes.
None of them could afford to give way.