“We can only pick one? How stingy. Let’s take one of the three pearls on top then,” Eggy said.

Chu Feng took a huge leap, passing by the first, second, and third steps to land on the fourth one. It was already a conservative move since his final goal was the seventh step. He had only landed on the fourth step to get a gauge of how tough the trial was.

As soon as his feet landed on the fourth step, he realized that he had underestimated the trial.

Boom!

Flames burst out, instantaneously devouring Chu Feng.

These flames burned not Chu Feng’s body but his soul. The heat was so overwhelming that Chu Feng frowned, clenched his jaws, and took a deep breath of cold air.

To make things worse, he found his movements restricted. He could make small movements, but he couldn’t leave the step.

“What’s wrong, Chu Feng?” Eggy anxiously asked, sensing something was amiss.

It was a while later before Chu Feng replied, “I underestimated this place, but it’s not an issue.”

But Eggy could tell from Chu Feng’s voice that he was in a feeble state.

“This is only the fourth step, and you need to at least reach the sixth step to have a 50% chance of activating the main entrance. Is this place that dangerous?” Eggy grimly asked.

Chu Feng’s resilience and tolerance level were at an inhuman level, yet the pain was still intolerable for him. This showed how dangerous the trial was.

Fortunately, the flames only lasted for an incense stick’s time.

As the flames dissipated, Chu Feng regained his freedom. Instead of advancing, he quickly sat down and channeled his spirit power to heal the damage his soul had just sustained.

To his astonishment, he couldn’t release his spirit power.

So, he reached into his Cosmos Sack to retrieve a pill, only to find his Cosmos Sack sealed.

“Isn’t this too much?” Chu Feng was speechless.

“What’s wrong?” Eggy asked.

Chu Feng told Eggy what happened.

“This trial doesn’t allow you to heal up? This… Chu Feng, we only came here in search of a fortuitous encounter. Retreating is also an option if the trial gets too difficult. It isn't worthwhile to lose your life over a fortuitous encounter,” Eggy advised.

“I’m still fine for now. I’ll give it another try.”

𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Chu Feng leaped onto the fifth step.

“AHHH!!!”

Chu Feng howled in pain, but his scream only lasted for seconds. He clenched his jaws so tightly that his teeth were grating against one another.

“What’s wrong, Chu Feng? You must give up if you can’t hold on!” Eggy anxiously urged.

But Chu Feng didn’t say a word.

What made this situation even more peculiar was that Eggy couldn’t see what was attacking Chu Feng, and that made her even more worried.

“What’s going on, Chu Feng? Let me out. I might be able to help you,” Eggy anxiously asked.

But Chu Feng remained silent.

Two incense stick’s time later, Chu Feng finally spoke up, “Don’t worry, Eggy. I am fine.”

He had a smile on his face, but his voice sounded extremely feeble.

“What happened?” Eggy asked.

“It was a powerful mental attack. A misstep could have resulted in me losing consciousness, and the consequences of that would have been dire. Fortunately, I gathered my attention and held on,” Chu Feng replied. �

“Why is this darned place so dangerous? Let’s just pick up a pearl and give up,” Eggy advised.

But Chu Feng raised his head to look at the sixth step.

“Chu Feng, it’s not worth risking your life. Remember what you said to the others earlier? There’s nothing more important than staying alive. Your priority should be self-preservation, and there is a thin line between courage and foolishness. It was a grandiose speech, so why are you acting foolishly now?”

Eggy realized Chu Feng was reluctant to give up, so she tried to dissuade him from taking on more danger.

“Trust me, Eggy. I should be able to clear the sixth step,” Chu Feng said.

Upon realizing that she couldn’t dissuade Chu Feng, she said, “Open the gate and let me out. I’ll help you.”

“I can’t open it. I can’t even channel my spirit power,” Chu Feng replied.

“This accursed place! You rest for a while then. Wait till you are feeling better before moving on to the next step. Let the sixth step be your last challenge here. No matter if you succeed or fail, you aren’t to advance any further,” Eggy instructed.

“Understood, Milady Queen.”

Chu Feng took a brief rest, though there was not much point doing so without recovery means.

Soon, he leaped onto the sixth step.

Flames, lightning, and a gale simultaneously appeared.

The frenzied wind cut like a blade. The lightning pierced like countless needles. The flames roared fervently.

These three forces gushed through Chu Feng’s clothes to attack him.

The attack didn’t damage Chu Feng’s clothes, but his flesh split open and blood seeped out. His body was being ravaged.

Chu Feng felt like he was being sliced apart, torn into shreds, and crushed into powder.

Even so, he still gritted his teeth and withheld his scream, not wanting Eggy to worry. The pain was so great that Chu Feng’s eyes were widened to the limit.

Eggy didn’t say a word.

Through Chu Feng’s gaze, she saw he was already kneeling on the ground. He tried his best to hold it in, but his body was convulsing so much that his sweat was being swung everywhere.

Eggy knew Chu Feng was undergoing a difficult challenge, and the best way she could help him was to not disturb him.

Meanwhile, Long Chengyu and the others were staring at the entrance.

A light suddenly surged from the spirit formation gate and landed not too far away from them. When the light dissipated, Little Fishy appeared.

Ouyang Kuangfei nervously rushed forward as he asked, “Miss, what’s wrong?”

Long Chengyu and Long Muxi looked worried too.

Little Fishy’s complexion was as pale as a sheet of paper, and she was drenched in cold sweat. She quickly took out a recovery pill and swallowed it. While healing up, she looked at the crowd and said, “My apologies. I couldn’t open the main entrance.”

She explained the situation to the crowd.

She had to reach the sixth level for there to be a 50% chance of opening the main entrance, but the mental assault from the fifth level nearly got her. She knew it was too dangerous to advance any further.

“What’s important is that you’re safe and sound,” Long Muxi said.

“That’s right. It’s as Chu Feng said—our safety comes first,” Ouyang Kuangfei added.

“Is big brother not out yet?” Little Fishy looked around as she asked.

“Chu Feng isn’t out yet,” Long Chengyu replied.

Little Fishy immediately looked at the spirit formation gate with anxious eyes.

Having undergone many trials from a young age to temper herself, her resilience far surpassed her peers. She believed she had reached the highest level in that aspect, but the energy she felt from the step frightened her so much that she dared not challenge it again.

She was worried something might happen to Chu Feng.

It was not that she didn’t trust him but that the trial was truly frightening.

…

Sometime later, the flames, lightning, and gale torturing Chu Feng dissipated.

Chu Feng lay exhausted on the ground. He said with an extremely weakened and hoarse voice, “Eggy, I held on,”

He sounded like a dying old man.

“You have already put your life on the line for a 50% chance. Whether the main entrance opens or not is up to fate. Take a rest. We’ll leave this accursed place afterward,” Eggy said.

“All right.” Chu Feng agreed.

He had no intention of continuing. Having nearly succumbed to the sixth step, he didn’t want to risk advancing to the seventh step… though he felt conflicted looking at the three pearls on the seventh step.

He had always excelled in trials, achieving feats others couldn’t. He hadn’t expected to face a setback here.

All of a sudden, a voice echoed from his world spirit space, “Chu Feng, get the center pearl on the seventh step for this king.”