"Great job clearing the trials, Master." Tian'er congratulated him upon his return to the platform.
"Was that the last trial?" Yuan asked.
He was sure there would be more since it would've been called the 'final' trial if it were the last one.
Tian'er shook her head and calmly responded, "No, there is one more trial."
"I figured. Then you must be here to give me my reward for clearing the previous trial."
However, Tian'er shook her head again and said, "Master, I am here to warn you about the final trial."
"Warn me…?" Yuan swallowed nervously, as this had never happened before.
Tian'er continued, "Although you haven't cleared all of the trials, you have already received the qualifications to enter the Ninth Heaven. The next trial will be the last one, and it'll be unlike any trial you've experienced before."
"If I can enter the Ninth Heaven without clearing the final trial… what's the point of the trial?"
"I don't know."
"What?" "Not only is the trial unique, but it has never been challenged before, so you'll be the first one to challenge it."
"I don't understand… why didn't my previous incarnations challenge it?" "Because the trial is time-restricted and cannot be accessed until a certain amount of time has passed. However, that restriction ended while you were still in the third trial."
"In other words, it was prepared specifically for this life…" Yuan muttered.
"Anyway," Tian'er continued, "If you wish, you may head to the Ninth Heaven right now and return to challenge the trial at a later date, but you may also choose to do the trial now."
"Does it matter if I do the trial now or later? What changes?" Yuan asked.
"Nothing changes. The reward… the difficulty… everything will remain the same regardless of when you challenge it."
"The difficulty will remain the same? Even if I were to challenge it after I become a Cultivation God?" Yuan inquired with a puzzled face.
Tian'er quietly nodded.
"In that case, I might as well do it now."
"I understand. Here is your reward for clearing the third trial."
With a gentle gesture toward the void, Tian'er drew forth a radiant crystal orb. Inside it, a strange liquid churned and sparkled, its motion reminiscent of glitter drifting through oil.
Yuan knew at a glance what this item was, as it radiated with immense Eternal Essence. It was the essence of the final Eternal he defeated.
"Since you've technically cleared the Stairway to Heaven, you can start the next trial whenever you want," Tian'er said.
Yuan nodded as he accepted the item.
"Then I'll start once I finish absorbing this."
He seated himself and wasted no time drawing the Eternal Essence out of the crystal orb.
Several days passed before he refined every last drop, and when he did, the orb crumbled into nothingness.
Yuan inspected his new prowess with a smile on his face.
"At my current level, even Saaruk at 20 percent of his prowess would be powerless before me."
Some time later, Yuan spoke out loud, "Tian'er, I should've asked this earlier, but how long will the final trial take? An estimate is fine."
"It's impossible to estimate," Tian'er's voice resounded the next moment. "It could take days… weeks… even years. It all depends on how you proceed with the trial. That said, time will feel and flow differently in the final trial, and it will be much faster than reality."
"How much faster?"
"A year in the trial will only be a minute in reality."
"That much?" Yuan swallowed nervously. The implication was clear. He would likely spend many years in the final trial.
"Whenever you are ready, Master."
Yuan closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"Let me speak with the others first."
"Okay."
Before Yuan could even blink, he was teleported to the spectators' room, where Xiao Hua and the others were waiting.
"I wouldn't be surprised if I spend a few years in this trial, so I won't blame any of you if you wish to head to the Ninth Heaven ahead of me," Yuan said.
"Why would we do that?" Feng Yuxiang shook her head. "We've spent much longer watching you do nothing—like when you spent 20 years cultivating in White Hell."
Yuan chuckled, "You're right, but I also want you to do something for me."
"What do you need our help with?" Xiao Hua asked, seemingly eager to be of help.
"I want all of you to get stronger," he said.
"Stronger…?" Lan Yingying mumbled.
"From this point on, everything will only become more chaotic. We'll be facing experts who stand at the peak of the cultivation world… and beyond. That's why I want all of you to grow strong—strong enough to protect yourselves, should there ever come a time when I can't be there for you," he said gently.
"At the moment, the two of you are far too lacking when compared to Xiao Hua," Yuan continued, his gaze settling on Lan Yingying and Feng Yuxiang.
"..."
Lan Yingying and Feng Yuxiang had no response and could only lower their heads, feeling somewhat ashamed. They already knew this truth, even without Yuan pointing it out.
"Therefore, instead of wasting your time waiting for me, you should do something that will actually benefit you." Yuan continued.
"With your talents, I'm sure you'll be able to show significant progress by the time I finish my trial."
Lan Yingying and Feng Yuxiang exchanged defeated looks with each other.
"I get it, Young Master." Feng Yuxiang turned to face him and sighed with a bitter smile on her face, "Even though we're supposed to be the new generation of Divine Supremes, we're nothing but useless luggage at this moment."
"I possess the strongest phoenix bloodline in existence, but I am still at the Immortal Realm. If I am going to be your number one servant, I will need more than just a powerful bloodline."
Feng Yuxiang stared at Yuan in the eyes with a resolute face and declared, "I promise I'll be more useful the next time you see me, Young Master!" Yuan shook his head and said, "It's not about your usefulness. I just want you to be able to protect yourself whenever you're away from me. After all, I don't expect you to stay by my side all the time, and I don't want what happened with Bai Xutao to repeat itself."
==