The Sky Sovereign's Tomb trembled.
Deep within the Golden Palace, the Heart of the World sensed the intruders. It sensed the escalating conflict and decided that the "training wheels" were no longer necessary.
CRACK.
A sound like a breaking spine echoed across the entire dimension.
The blood-red sky turned a blinding white.
The Laws of Restriction—the ancient rules that capped everyone's cultivation at the Spirit Severing Realm—shattered.
[System Alert: Planar Instability Detected.]
[The Level Cap has been removed.]
[All Entities restored to Peak State.]
The Arrival of the Old Monsters
Outside the portal, the Sect Leaders felt their true power return. But before they could celebrate, the sky above the Small World tore open.
From the void, massive black warships emerged, flying flags made of flayed human skin.
The Blood Soul Sect Reinforcements.
Two new figures leaped from the ships, radiating terrifying pressure.
Demon Commander Gui (Void Treading Level 6 - The Puppet Master).
Demon Commander Sha (Void Treading Level 6 - The Blood Shark).
"The seal is broken," Commander Gui boomed. "Commander Xie needs backup. Slaughter the Righteous!"
"Do you think my Righteous Alliance has no foundation?!" Sect Leader Jian roared. He crushed a jade talisman in his hand. "Ancestors! Please descend!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The clouds on the opposite side shattered. Three beams of golden light descended from the heavens, blocking the Demon Commanders' path.
Three ancient figures stepped out of the light. They smelled of dust and time, but their eyes burned like stars.
Sword Ancestor Wuji (Heavenly Sword Sect - Void Treading Level 7). An old man with a wooden sword and a gourd of wine.
Grandma Venom (Violet Mist Pavilion - Void Treading Level 6). A hunchbacked woman surrounded by invisible, melting space.
Monk Bujie (Vajra Temple - Void Treading Level 6). A fat monk with a smile that hid terrifying killing intent.
"Demons," Sword Ancestor Wuji spat. "You dare invade our trial? Today, this old man will add your skulls to his collection."
"Old ghosts," Commander Gui sneered. "You should have stayed in your coffins."
The balance of power was restored.
Righteous Ancestors vs. Demon Commanders.
It was a standoff of nuclear proportions.
The Convergence at the Second Gate
While the titans squared off in the sky, they all realized the main prize—the Heart of the World—was inside the Tomb.
"Prioritize the Legacy!" Commander Gui ordered.
"Secure the Tomb!" Sword Ancestor Wuji commanded.
Both sides stopped fighting and rushed toward the Hall of Reflection.
At the entrance, Jiang Chen was sitting in his golden sedan chair, peeling an orange. His disciples stood guard.
Xie Molin (Demon Commander) had just arrived, looking disheveled from the Gravity Walk.
Suddenly, the platform was flooded with "Old Monsters."
The three Demon Commanders landed on the left.
The three Righteous Ancestors landed on the right.
The Sect Leaders and surviving disciples huddled behind their respective Ancestors.
The air crackled. The pressure was suffocating.
Spirit Severing cultivators found it hard to breathe. Nascent Soul disciples were fainting.
Only one person seemed unaffected.
"A bit crowded, isn't it?" Jiang Chen wiped orange juice from his fingers with a silk napkin.
Sword Ancestor Wuji glanced at Jiang Chen. He frowned. He couldn't see through this young man's cultivation, but he assumed Jiang Chen was just a junior using a treasure to hide his aura.
"Junior," Wuji said coldly. "Step aside. This is a battlefield for Ancestors now."
Jiang Chen smiled. "After you, Old Man."
RUMBLE.
The massive silver gates of the Hall of Reflection swung open.
The voice of the Sovereign boomed.
"The weak have gathered with the strong."
"It matters not. In the face of yourself, all are equal."
"Enter."
A massive suction force erupted from the gate.
It dragged everyone in.
Ancestors. Commanders. Elders. Disciples. And Jiang Chen.
Test 2: The War of Reflections
They landed in the infinite world of silver mirrors.
The moment they landed, the mirrors rippled.
For every entity, a perfect copy emerged.
Sword Ancestor Wuji faced a Shadow Wuji holding a wooden sword.
Commander Gui faced a Shadow Gui controlling shadow puppets.
Xie Molin faced a Shadow Xie radiating Void Treading Level 9 pressure.
"Kill!" The Shadows roared in unison.
The Hall of Mirrors instantly turned into the most high-level battlefield this world had ever seen.
BOOM!
Sword Ancestor Wuji slashed his sword. A beam of sword light cut through reality, shattering a thousand mirrors. His Shadow parried with the exact same move.
ROAR!
Commander Gui summoned a bone dragon. His Shadow summoned a shadow bone dragon. The two behemoths crashed into each other, creating a shockwave that vaporized nearby unlucky disciples.
"They copy our Dao!" Grandma Venom screamed, melting the floor with acid. "They know our secrets! They know our old wounds!"
The "Old Monsters" were struggling the most. The older you are, the more regrets and weaknesses you have. The Shadows exploited every single one.
The Eye of the Storm
In the middle of this apocalyptic battle of Void Treading experts, one corner was strangely quiet.
Jiang Chen stood there.
His Shadow stepped out of the mirror.
Shadow Jiang Chen looked at the chaotic warzone. He saw Ancestors bleeding, Demons screaming, and reality fracturing.
"This looks dangerous," Shadow Jiang Chen noted, dusting off his white robes.
"Agreed," Real Jiang Chen nodded. "If we fight, we might get sweat on our silk."
"So," Shadow Jiang Chen crossed his arms. "Do we fight? I know you have the Orbital Strike. I know you have the Void Treading Level 9 cultivation hidden under that seal. If we go all out, we wipe out everyone in this room, including ourselves."
"Mutually Assured Destruction is bad business," Jiang Chen agreed.
He reached into his storage ring.
Nearby, Sword Ancestor Wuji was being pushed back by his Shadow. "Impossible! How does it know the flaw in my 7th Form?!"
Commander Gui was losing puppets rapidly. "Damn this mirror!"
Jiang Chen ignored the gods fighting around him. He pulled out a heavy bag.
"10 Million Spirit Stones," Jiang Chen whispered. "And a Grade 5 Spirit Fruit."
Shadow Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. "You are bribing me? I am you. I have your greed."
"Exactly," Jiang Chen smiled. "You know that fighting me yields zero profit. Taking the money yields 100% profit. We are businessmen, not barbarians. What is the logical choice?"
Shadow Jiang Chen looked at the bag.
He looked at the sweaty, bleeding Ancestors around them.
He looked at the exit door.
"You make a compelling argument," Shadow Jiang Chen took the bag.
He opened it, checked the glow of the stones, and nodded with satisfaction.
"Pleasure doing business," Shadow Jiang Chen bowed.
Then, the Shadow turned to the exit door (which was currently locked).
"I yield."
CRACK.
The mirror behind Shadow Jiang Chen shattered.
The Trial System registered the "Defeat." It didn't care how the Shadow lost, only that it conceded.
[Trial 2: Passed.]
The Departure
"He... he bribed it?"
Xie Molin, who was currently being strangled by his own Shadow, saw Jiang Chen walking toward the exit.
"HE BRIBED HIS SHADOW?!"
The shout caught the attention of Sword Ancestor Wuji.
The Old Sword Demon risked a glance. He saw the young man in white walking calmly toward the door, while his Shadow waved goodbye with a bag of money.
"What kind of Dao is that?!" Wuji nearly spat blood. "The Dao of Corruption?!"
Jiang Chen stopped at the exit door.
He looked back at the chaotic battlefield where the strongest beings of the region were fighting for their lives.
"Ye Kai! Su Ling! Wei Wu!" Jiang Chen shouted over the noise of exploding Qi. "Stop playing! Finish up and meet me in the garden! I'm going to get a head start on the snacks!"
He pushed the door open and walked into the Third Test.
"That variable..." Grandma Venom hissed, dodging a poison strike. "He is the most dangerous one here."
"Focus!" Sword Ancestor Wuji roared. "If we don't beat these Shadows, we die here! Ignore the boy!"
The War of Reflections raged on.
But the winner had already left the building.