Yun Lintian's eyes snapped open. The serpent's mocking laughter filled his ears.
"Pathetic!" it hissed. "You couldn't even save yourself, yet you tried to save a mere ant?" Its golden eyes gleamed with amusement. "Do you want to know the solution? Beg me, and perhaps I'll tell you."
Yun Lintian ignored the taunt, his expression calm.
"Big Brother Yun!" Linlin and Qingqing rushed to his side, their tiny faces filled with worry. "Are you okay?"
Yun Lintian patted their heads. "I'm fine."
He closed his eyes, replaying the events in his mind.
Three deaths. Three failures.
Each time, he had tried something different—observing, intervening, fleeing. Yet none had worked.
This time, he would change his approach.
If I can't save others... then I'll focus solely on surviving.
With renewed determination, Yun Lintian reached out and touched the wooden box once more.
The familiar scene unfolded before him—the towering World Tree, the bustling streets, Old Man Li's warning.
This time, Yun Lintian didn't linger.
"Elder, this junior must take his leave," he said with a quick bow before turning away.
Old Man Li blinked in surprise but didn't stop him.
Yun Lintian didn't waste time. He sprinted through the city, heading straight for the gates.
If I can escape before the attack begins...
But just as he neared the city's edge, a deafening BOOM shook the heavens.
The sky split open. Golden-armored warriors descended.
Before Yun Lintian could react, the city gates slammed shut with a thunderous crash. A barrier of golden light sealed the exits.
A voice boomed across the city:
"By decree of Heaven, none shall leave!"
"F*ck!" Yun Lintian cursed under his breath.
But he didn't panic. This time, his goal was clear—survive at all costs.
He ducked into an alley, avoiding the main streets where the battle would be fiercest.
Above, the golden-armored general clashed with the city's defenders. Each collision of their weapons sent shockwaves ripping through the air. Buildings crumbled. Streets shattered.
Yun Lintian moved carefully, sticking to the shadows.
Stay away from the center. Observe. Endure.
He watched as the True Gods fought, their techniques devastating yet precise. The golden-armored general wielded his halberd with terrifying efficiency, each swing carving through space itself.
But Yun Lintian noticed something—a pattern.
The general always attacked in threes. Three strikes, then a brief pause to reposition.
A stray blast of energy vaporized a nearby building. Yun Lintian barely dodged the debris, his mortal body aching from the strain.
Then, he saw her again—the little girl, crying amidst the ruins.
His instincts screamed at him to help.
But this time, he clenched his fists and stayed still.
I can't save her. Not .
The girl's cries were cut short as another blast struck.
Yun Lintian forced himself to turn away.
Survive. That's the goal.
He kept moving, using the general's attack pattern to predict safe zones. Three strikes—duck behind cover. Pause—move forward.
Minutes passed like hours. The city burned around him, but Yun Lintian endured.
Yun Lintian had no idea how long he had gone through this hellish situation. He tried his best to stay alive.
Hours passed by then a shift occurred.
The World Tree's leaves trembled. A single silver leaf broke free and drifted downward.
It landed at Yun Lintian's feet.
The serpent's voice whispered in his mind:
"To survive is to understand. To understand is to transcend."
Yun Lintian opened his eyes. The box glowed faintly, floating in front of him.
The silver serpent coiled around the ancient pillar, its golden eyes gleaming with rare approval.
"Congratulations," it hissed, its voice less mocking than before. "You passed the first step. Staying alive was the correct choice—because only the living can defy fate."
Yun Lintian frowned slightly. He didn't fully understand, but he sensed there was deeper meaning to these trials.
The serpent continued, "If you're ready, the second trial awaits."
Without hesitation, Yun Lintian reached out and touched the wooden box again.
When his vision cleared, Yun Lintian found himself standing amidst devastation.
The once-glorious Sacred City of Origin was now a wasteland of smoke and ruin. Buildings had collapsed into rubble. Fires burned unchecked. The air reeked of blood and charred flesh.
Countless corpses littered the streets—gods and mortals alike, their bodies broken and lifeless. A handful of survivors crawled through the wreckage, their eyes hollow with despair.
Yun Lintian's chest tightened. The suffering around him was suffocating.
His gaze was drawn to the World Tree in the distance. Though its leaves had lost their luster, it still glowed faintly, struggling to protect what remained of the city.
What am I supposed to do here?
He had no plan, no direction. The first trial had been about survival—but this?
A battle erupted nearby. The golden-armored general from before was locked in combat with the city's defenders, but now he was being forced to retreat.
Yun Lintian watched carefully, analyzing the flow of battle—
A blade pierced through his back.
Yun Lintian gasped as searing pain erupted in his chest. He tried to turn, but his mortal body was too weak.
A sneering cultivator stood behind him, twisting the sword deeper. "Pathetic. Even a cripple like me can kill you."
Yun Lintian collapsed, blood pooling beneath him. Darkness swallowed his vision.
"HAHAHA!" The serpent's laughter echoed through the ruins. "You just learned to stay alive, yet died so easily to a mere ant!"
Yun Lintian sat up, his expression dark.
The serpent continued, amused. "Did you think the second trial would be the same? Foolish. The rules have changed."
Yun Lintian ignored the taunts, replaying the events in his mind.
He had assumed observation was enough—but this trial demanded something else.
The serpent's golden eyes gleamed. "Shall I tell you the secret?"
Yun Lintian didn't answer. Instead, he reached for the box again.
The serpent hissed in surprise. "You—!"
But it was too late. The world dissolved.
This time, Yun Lintian didn't hesitate.
The moment he appeared in the ruined city, he moved—not to observe, but to act.
He scavenged a dagger from a corpse and hid it in his sleeve.
When the battle erupted, he didn't just watch. He positioned himself near the golden-armored general's retreat path.
The sneering cultivator appeared again, creeping up behind him.
"It won't work for the second time, you know?"
Yun Lintian spun and buried the dagger in the man's throat.