Everyone grew tenser by the second.
The lower the rank, the fewer choices left. Especially for the last person. That basically meant the only thing waiting for them was the first path.
The first path offered the highest trial points, but its difficulty was just as obvious—it was terrifyingly high.
The trial points were tempting, sure, but that only mattered if you could actually pass the trial. The Laws of Yin and Yang were infinitely profound. Being able to master even one side was already rare enough.
Cultivating both Yin and Yang together? That was madness.
Whoever picked the first path was almost guaranteed to fail.
[Third place: Bai Yiran.]
The ranking continued. Everyone glanced at the woman in white. Since her arrival, she had been subtly guiding the atmosphere. They all noticed, but since her maneuvering wasn't excessive, no one bothered to argue.
That she actually ranked third was not surprising, but it was notable.
[Fourth place: An.]
An let out a long sigh of relief. Though he wasn't the first as he had imagined, fourth place was still relatively safe.
[Fifth place: Cang Li.]
[Sixth place: Lan Xi.]
[Seventh place: Na Jia.]
[Eighth place: Yu Shiyi.]
[Ninth place: Man Sen.]
The rankings were finalized.
Man Sen's face was the ugliest. Among the nine, his comprehension of the Yin-Yang Law was the lowest. Yet the two juniors in the Tribulation stage were first and fifth!
For a moment, Man Sen felt a profound sense of powerlessness. So this was talent?
Even with centuries of accumulation, one could not surpass true innate talent. For him, this first round might already mean elimination.
Man Sen sighed softly. Ever since leaving Xuandan Gate, he had wandered the world, seeking an opportunity to break through to a higher realm. Now, looking at this ranking, his heart grew dim. Once he was eliminated here, perhaps he should return to the sect. Return to Xuandan Gate, and pass down his self-created method of the battle alchemist. Alchemists need not only hide behind others—they too could wield astonishing combat power.
Yun Jin glanced at the black-clad demon clanswoman.
This trial space had directly revealed everyone's real names.
So that was it—her true name was Na Jia.
[Rankings are complete.]
The mechanical voice echoed again: [Next, the one ranked first will select their path.]
Everyone's gaze turned to Yun Jin.
They were all curious—what would she choose?
"Everyone, this junior will take the first step. I hope we can meet again in the next stage." Yun Jin arched her brow.
Without the slightest hesitation, she strode directly toward the first path. The path where sun and moon hung suspended—the most difficult of all.
Watching Yun Jin's stride, many still believed there would be a twist at the last moment. Yet when she truly stepped into the first path, their expressions shifted slightly. Was she brave because her skills were strong, or just arrogant beyond reason?
She had the right to choose first, yet she directly picked the hardest road.
Whatever the case—
Man Sen actually breathed a sigh of relief. With Yun Jin taking the most difficult path, even if he was last, at least it wouldn't be completely hopeless.
Once Yun Jin made her choice, the first path was again swallowed in heavy fog, its interior completely obscured.
Next was Di Xiao. As the second to choose, he unhesitatingly selected the second path, one worth five trial points.
The second and third paths had equal value, but one bore blazing sun, the other a hanging moon. Their attributes differed. Naturally, Di Xiao chose the path of yang.
With the Xuan Yin Crystal in his body, he could theoretically tread the yin path as well. But as one born with the body of extreme yang, the yang path was his truest resonance. The moment Di Xiao entered, the second path also filled with dense mist.
Immediately after, Bai Yiran smiled faintly and chose the third path—the yin counterpart of equal value.
The selections proceeded in turn.
An and Cang Li chose the yang path.
Lan Xi, Yu Shiyi, and Na Jia all chose the yin path.
The only one left in the end—
Was the eighth path, a yang path worth only a single point. Being last, Man Sen was automatically assigned to it. He felt both relief and conflict.
Relief because—
The yang path was exactly his strength.
Conflict because—
Even if he passed, he would only gain one trial point.
The voice had made it clear.
The ultimate treasure would go to whoever had the most trial points. If Yun Jin truly earned ten points at once, catching up would be near impossible.
Still—
The first path doubled the reward compared to the second and third, meaning its difficulty was unimaginable. Yun Jin might not succeed.
Man Sen steadied his mood and stepped into the eighth path.
When all had entered their paths—
The mist deepened, shrouding the entire trial space in thick haze.
Within the fog, a round-headed Automaton bounced into view. On its head, two antennae swayed with every hop. If Yue Zhao had been present, he would have recognized this creation as nearly identical to the robots of his previous world.
The Automaton halted, staring into the mist, its voice tinged with faint expectation.
"After ten small worlds, after hundreds of thousands of years… will someone finally succeed this time?"
No reply came.
Its head swiveled, then its gaze fixed on the first path. Within its pupils, a red light flickered.
Yun Jin.
He remembered this human. Through so many worlds, after waiting for countless lives, Yun Jin was the only one whose comprehension of the Yin-Yang Law had surpassed the limits of his detection.
This human—
She hadn't merely brushed against the surface of Yin-Yang. She had already walked a significant distance down this great Law. Among the nine, if anyone could complete the final trial, he would bet on Yun Jin.
"Do not… make me wait again…"
The robot's red eyes glimmered with hope. He clanged together a table and chair for himself, placed a massive screen in front, and switched the display to Channel One. Instantly, Yun Jin's trial appeared.
She was the one he anticipated most.
The first path.
Yun Jin had only taken two steps when—
A fierce cold wind swept over. The world around her shifted into a vast, endless snowfield. The extreme cold bit into her. Instinctively, she tried to resist with spiritual power. But it was useless. The chill ignored spiritual energy. Frost swiftly gathered on her brows.
She stood still for a moment, then her eyes glimmered with thought. A faint Dao rhythm flowed over her body. She took another step forward.
"Excellent. Excellent. She realized it so quickly." The robot nodded in satisfaction.
Everything in existence held both Yin and Yang.
Only by finding balance between them, letting Yin and Yang merge and flow as one, could one escape this deadly snowfield.
The robot considered a moment, then switched his screen to the second channel.
===
The Author write it as 机械造物 (Jīxiè Zàowù) literally translate as Mechanical Construct, and I decide to use Automaton for it.
机械 (Jīxiè): "Mechanical," "machine-like"
造物 (Zàowù): "Creation," "constructed thing," "artifact"
I personally think that "Automaton" specifically refers to a self-operating machine, often designed to imitate a living being. This fits the concept of a 造物 (creation) that is 机械 (mechanical).