Tang Dynasty Demon Suppression Division

He didn't give up, throwing punches again and again until the skin and flesh of his fists were worn through, revealing the bare white bone. Finally, he smashed the stone golem's chest with a single punch.

Xuan Tian stood before a frozen lake, where a blurry figure was reflected on the surface.

The figure's face was obscured, yet it exuded an aura remarkably similar to Xuan Tian's. He gazed at the figure for a long time before whispering, "You've finally returned."

The Azure Lotus Demon Saint strolled through a sea of ​​azure flowers, flowers he had never seen before, yet they felt strangely familiar.

He bent down and plucked a flower. The petals turned into specks of blue light at his fingertips and dissipated into the air. He paused for a moment, then smiled, a smile tinged with relief.

The Xuanbing Demon Emperor found a long, transparent spear on an ice field.

The spear was stuck in the ice, its shaft radiating a chilling aura. He gripped the shaft, the ice shattered, and he slowly pulled the spear out, its tip reflecting a dazzling, cold light in the sunlight.

……

Atop the temple tower, the Grand Elder stood before the light screen, his gaze fixed on the desert.

Li Yuan opened his eyes from his seated meditation and instantly traversed thousands of miles to arrive before the seal. The Grand Elder's hands trembled slightly, and an extremely complex expression appeared on his aged face.

"The peak of forgetting the moment..."

He murmured to himself, "In just one day, he leaped from the initial state of ecstasy to the peak. He truly is the chosen one."

Chen Su stood beside him, looking at the light screen. After a moment of silence, he whispered, "Elder, there's no spiritual energy inside. How did he advance?"

The Grand Elder did not answer, gazing at the figure sitting cross-legged and meditating on the light screen. After a long while, he slowly exhaled:

"If he can truly break the seal on his own, then let him in."

"Oh? This is a divine seal. Are you sure he can break it?" Chen Su raised an eyebrow.

"If he can't break this seal, even if he goes in, he won't be able to come out alive."

The Grand Elder's expression somber. "That space is about to collapse. This is our last hope, otherwise..."

He didn't continue, but just let out a long sigh.

A dozen days later, the remaining eleven people passed the first test.

The first to emerge was Luo Xuan, covered in blood, his left hand almost useless, and his eyes filled with ferocity.

Next was Qing Cang, who sheathed his broken sword back at his waist, his aura more composed than before entering the pass.

Next came the Azure Lotus Demon Saint, whose expression was calm and unreadable.

As the Xuanbing Demon Emperor stepped out of the stone gate with his spear, the spear was still humming slightly, like a newborn spirit beast groaning.

Mo Ming was the fifth to come out. His eyes were sinister, but his expression had returned to calm.

Later, the retired emperor, the imperial advisor, Langhuan, and Xuantian also appeared one after another.

The Emperor Emeritus's aura was much more refined than before he entered the pass. The Imperial Preceptor held a tattered bamboo scroll in his hand, carefully tucking it into his sleeve, his expression thoughtful.

When Langhuan came out, she had several wounds on her body and was holding a black stone tablet in her hand.

Xuan Tian took his last step out of the stone gate, his expression calm and composed. The Grand Elder noticed a scorch mark on the hem of his robe.

Leng Ningshuang was the second to last to emerge. When she stepped out of the stone gate, her face was as cold as ice, and her breathing was somewhat disordered.

Chen Su stepped forward and used his spiritual power to smooth her meridians, saying gently, "The first trial is over. Everyone should rest well. We will begin the second trial once everyone has arrived."

Leng Ning Shuang looked around, a sense of unease rising in her heart: "Where are Junior Sister Ji and Senior Brother Li? Haven't they come out yet?"

Before she could finish speaking, Ji Fanghua stepped out from inside with a sullen face, looked around, and a hint of surprise flashed across her face.

"Senior Brother Li hasn't come out yet?"

"Don't worry, he's not in any danger right now. It's just that the checkpoint he fell into is a bit unusual. Please go back to the inn and rest."

Chen Su replied with a smile.

Leng Ning Shuang hesitated for a moment, nodded, said nothing, and turned to walk towards her residence.

Ji Fanghua did not leave.

She stood on the stone steps, arms crossed, her gaze fixed on the dark stone door.

Chen Su glanced at her and stepped forward, saying, "Miss Ji, Fellow Daoist Li is still undergoing trials. The first trial is different for everyone; some people's trials are long, while others' are short. You don't need to wait here..."

"I know," Ji Fanghua said in a flat tone, without much inflection. "I just want to wait for him."

Chen Su looked at her for a moment, didn't try to persuade her further, nodded and left.

The evening breeze swept across the sacred ground, swirling a few white petals around Ji Fanghua's feet.

Her shadow lay alone on the stone steps, like a frozen stone statue.

Leng Ningshuang stopped halfway there, looked back with a complicated expression, remained silent for a long time, and finally turned around and walked back to her residence.

In the desert, Li Yuan had tried hundreds of methods to break the seal, but each time he failed.

The runes on the seal's surface seemed to possess sentience, setting up a counter-trap before his spiritual power could even touch it, silently deflecting all his power back.

On his final attempt, a dark gold rune lit up, transforming into a heavy hammer that slammed into his chest, sending him flying another hundred feet before crashing onto the sand. The blood he coughed up stained a large patch of sand red.

He lay on the sand, staring at the gray dome above him, his chest heaving violently.

At this moment, he finally realized that with his current strength, there was no way he could break the seal.

After all, it was laid down by the ancient gods with their lives. Unless one breaks through to a higher realm, trying a thousand more times would be in vain.

He closed his eyes and finally made a decision. He sat up cross-legged, sank his consciousness into his sea of ​​consciousness, and swam into the depths of darkness.

An ancient bronze palace appeared before him, and he easily pushed open the door and went inside.

An ancient, indifferent voice echoed in his mind: "You've come."

Li's figure slowly appeared, his cold, golden vertical pupils staring at him.

"You said that the Myriad Realms Palace could break all restrictions in the world," Li Yuan said calmly. "Now, I need your help to break the seal."

Li remained silent for a while.

"I won't help you, and you should know that."

"I know, but I need your help." Li Yuan's tone remained unchanged. "Not to do it for me, but to assist me."

This time, after a long silence, Li finally said slowly, "In that case, come with me."

The next moment, Li Yuan appeared in a vast sea of ​​books.

An endless space, with countless huge bookshelves standing like mountains, stretching from your feet to the far distance, each bookshelf piled high with all kinds of books.

Some of the scrolls gleamed with golden light, some exuded a profound aura, and others were covered with a thin layer of dust, filling the air with an ancient and timeless atmosphere.

"This is the library of the Myriad Realms Palace," Li's voice sounded behind him. "It contains the classics preserved by various worlds since the beginning of time."

"From fragments of ancient people's knotted rope record-keeping to extremely complex immortal magic, I have granted you access to browse any book at will."

"Any book?" Li Yuan was shocked.

"Anything," Li said, "but you only have three years. In this dimension, time flows differently than outside; three years is equivalent to three days outside."

"The deadline will be in three days. If you cannot find a solution, you will be expelled."