The tournament was now a strategic necessity. But Li Yao's official status was "in seclusion," and his recorded talent was "Dust," the lowest of the low. He needed a way to publicly demonstrate enough value to be included without revealing the true nature of his power.
His chance came with the "Trials of the Earth Vein," a monthly sect event where disciples entered a natural cave system rich with Earth energy to temper their bodies and comprehension. It was dangerous; the energy was wild, and the cave itself was a labyrinth. But it was also one of the few events where even a disciple in seclusion could reasonably participate, as it was considered a personal, introspective challenge.
Elder Guo was hesitant. "Your method is... unstable, Li Yao. The Earth Vein is volatile. Introducing your 'emptiness' could cause a catastrophic reaction."
"Respectfully, Elder," Li Yao replied, "if my path is to have any practical use, it must be tested against the world's chaos, not just the controlled anger of a fellow disciple. I will be cautious. I seek not to dominate the vein, but to understand its pressures by being unmoved by them."
The old man sighed, seeing the unyielding resolve in the boy's deep eyes. "Very well. But you will carry a Resonance Stone. If the energy fluctuations become critical, it will alert me, and I will pull you out."
The day of the trial, Li Yao stood at the cave entrance alongside two dozen other disciples, including Zhang Fan and Liu Mei. Zhang Fan shot him a contemptuous look. "Come to watch, Dust-Talent? The energy in there would shred your feeble foundations."
"I am here to observe the nature of pressure," Li Yao said mildly. "I find I learn best under it."
The cave mouth exhaled a breath of damp, mineral-rich air, thick with spiritual power. Disciples surged inside, their auras flaring as they immediately began to resist the oppressive energy, using it to temper their bodies.
Li Yao walked in last. The moment he crossed the threshold, the wild Earth energy pressed in on him from all sides, a crushing, chaotic weight that sought to grind his bones to dust and scatter his spirit. A normal first-realm cultivator would have been immobilized instantly.
Li Yao breathed in, and enacted the First Verse of the Void Scripture. He became the vessel. He did not resist the pressure. He allowed it to flow into him, into the waiting emptiness of his dantian.
The effect was immediate. The crushing force simply... vanished. Where other disciples strained and grunted, their muscles bulging, Li Yao felt nothing. He stood in the epicenter of the storm, in a perfect circle of calm. The wild energy poured into the void and was placated, neutralized into that same inert, grey "ash" of nonexistence.
He began to walk, his steps echoing softly in the roaring cavern. He was a hole in the world, moving through solid energy as if it were air. He passed disciples kneeling in meditation, their faces tight with concentration. He passed others practicing forms, their movements sluggish against the pressure.
He saw Zhang Fan ahead, his body glowing with a fierce, orange light as he actively fought the energy, trying to bend it to his will. He was making progress, but it was a violent, wasteful struggle.
As Li Yao drew near, Zhang Fan sensed the unnatural calm around him. He opened his eyes, his concentration broken. "You! How are you just... walking?"
"The mountain does not fight the wind," Li Yao quoted an old saying. "It endures."
"This isn't endurance! This is... cheating!" Zhang Fan snarled, and in a fit of pique, he did something incredibly foolish. He gathered a ball of the wild, unrefined Earth energy and hurled it directly at Li Yao.
It was a dangerous act, forbidden in the trials. The unstable energy ball crackled, threatening to detonate.
Li Yao didn't flinch. He simply looked at it. As it entered the three-foot radius of his "Warding Emptiness," the chaotic ball of energy unraveled. It didn't explode. It deflated, its violent potential dissipating into a harmless, dusty sigh that brushed against his robes.
The display, however, had consequences. The sudden, localized nullification of such a large amount of wild energy created a violent vacuum. The surrounding energy rushed in to fill the void Li Yao had created, colliding with itself in a thunderous BOOM.
The cave shuddered. Stalactites rained down from the ceiling. Disciples were thrown off their feet by the shockwave.
"Fool!" Elder Guo's voice roared from the entrance, the Resonance Stone in his hand flashing brightly. He surged into the cave, his powerful aura stabilizing the raging energies.
Zhang Fan was pale, realizing the scale of his mistake. But Elder Guo's eyes were fixed on Li Yao, who stood unscathed in the center of the chaos, a look of mild surprise on his face.
"You see, Elder," Li Yao said, his voice cutting through the din. "Unstable."
The other disciples stared, not at Zhang Fan, but at Li Yao. He had not caused the explosion, but he had been its epicenter and emerged untouched. His calm in the face of the pressure, his nullification of Zhang Fan's attack—it was no longer a trick. It was a formidable, if bizarre, ability.
Later, in Elder Guo's chamber, the verdict was delivered.
"Zhang Fan is suspended from the tournament team for reckless endangerment,"the Elder stated. "Li Yao... your method is dangerous and unpredictable. But it is also potent. You have shown a form of defense we cannot ignore. You will take Zhang Fan's place. You will go to the Intersect Tournament."
Li Yao bowed. "Thank you, Elder."
"You will not," the Elder added, his voice grave, "use that... unraveling... on another disciple unless your life is in immediate danger. Is that understood?"
"Perfectly," Li Yao said. He had gotten what he wanted. A path to the resources and exposure he needed. And he had learned a valuable lesson: his void was not just a shield. It was a destabilizing force. Using it carelessly could cause collateral damage.
He had gained his ticket to the wider world. Now, he just had to ensure he didn't accidentally unmake it on the way.