"Mm, not bad. You actually found a way to break the situation and defeat yourself in such a short time. Little fellow, what's your name?"
As Li Xuan felt the dizziness disappear and before he opened his eyes, an ancient and hoarse voice entered his mind. Li Xuan opened his eyes and saw that the figure before him was Elder Qing Xuan.
"Junior Li Xuan, greets Elder Qing Xuan." Li Xuan bowed to Elder Qing Xuan and then replied with a serious expression.
Elder Qing Xuan nodded and said, "In this trial space, defeating oneself is not an easy feat. Even these fellows took quite some effort back then, and it took them much longer than you. I am curious, how did you manage to find a way to break through in such a short time?"
Li Xuan then understood why Elder Qing Xuan had suddenly appeared before him, and he smiled slightly, "Defeating oneself is indeed not an easy matter, especially under that formation where everyone is completely exposed. However, no matter how real an existence is, it has its flaws. It can simulate divine abilities, but it cannot simulate the true self. To find this, external objects are naturally the simplest and most effective method."
"External objects?" Elder Qing Xuan looked at Li Xuan with a hint of curiosity.
"Senior, I realized that all divine abilities could be simulated, so I thought only by finding something that could not be simulated could I defeat the enemy. With the might of the spiritual weapon, I was able to break through," Li Xuan explained his method of breaking through.
"Ordinary external objects probably wouldn't break the formation either. I am somewhat familiar with the Heavenly Mystery Formation," Elder Qing Xuan said with a slight frown.
Li Xuan gave a bitter smile, then with a thought, he took out his master's sword and said, "To tell you the truth, senior, this sword was forged by my master for me."
"This sword... no wonder you could break through. This sword is extraordinary." Elder Qing Xuan took it and sensed it, his heart immediately trembled. He then handed it back to Li Xuan.
"All of this can be considered external objects. As spiritual masters, we must naturally prioritize ourselves," Li Xuan said with a bitter smile.
Elder Qing Xuan nodded and then slowly said, "To have cultivated to this stage at your age, you wish to join my Xuan Sect. Can you tell me your purpose?"
"Senior, I wish to improve myself. Joining the Xuan Sect is naturally for better resources," Li Xuan replied.
"Is that all?" Elder Qing Xuan smiled and looked at Li Xuan meaningfully.
Li Xuan nodded and said, "That is all."
"Heh heh, interesting little fellow. Although you've passed the first trial, you don't yet have the qualifications to choose a peak. However, I believe with your strength, it shouldn't be difficult to pass the second trial. Alright, rest first."
Elder Qing Xuan smiled, looked at Li Xuan with a hint of satisfaction, and then slowly disappeared.
As Elder Qing Xuan vanished, a flicker of surprise flashed in Li Xuan's eyes. Given Elder Qing Xuan's status, he would not casually chat with a spiritual master who had not yet joined the sect. The fact that Elder Qing Xuan appeared before Li Xuan and conversed with him was truly puzzling.
"I wonder how Brother Chu Yun is doing." Li Xuan glanced around, murmured to himself, and then sat down cross-legged.
"A person of destiny, this child does have some background. And judging by his bone age, he is certainly no more than a hundred years old. So young, yet already cultivated to the intermediate Dao Yuan realm. No wonder he was the first to break through. However, this Heavenly Mystery Formation needs some repairs."
Returning to the void, Elder Qing Xuan murmured to himself, and spiritual light began to flash in his hands.
Time slowly passed, and more and more spiritual masters began to appear on the summit of Peak Mountain. Most of these spiritual masters were heavily injured, clearly having experienced brutal battles in the trial space.
As everyone emerged, Li Xuan, who had been meditating with his eyes closed, also opened them. Seeing that Xi Chu Yun was not among the surrounding spiritual masters, a hint of worry gradually appeared in his eyes.
The trial space was simple yet extremely difficult. If one couldn't find a way to break through, they would eventually be exhausted of their spiritual power and fail.
"With Brother Chu Yun's intelligence and resourcefulness, he should be able to find a way to defeat the enemy. It's just that so much time has passed, I wonder how he is doing."
Li Xuan felt a hint of annoyance. Just then, several buzzing sounds echoed in the sky again.
Li Xuan looked up, and his emotions immediately dissipated, because Xi Chu Yun was among the figures that appeared.
"Brother Chu Yun." Li Xuan moved and instantly appeared before Xi Chu Yun. Seeing that Li Xuan had already broken through, a sense of relief also appeared in Xi Chu Yun's eyes.
"So, Brother Chu Yun, your method of breaking through was the same as mine. However, this trial space truly lives up to its reputation. Those who can find a way to break through will undoubtedly have great achievements in the future."
After some questioning, Li Xuan understood Xi Chu Yun's method of breaking through. Xi Chu Yun had actually defeated the simulator through sheer force. Li Xuan could tell from Xi Chu Yun's somewhat disordered aura that he must have gone through a fierce battle.
After they chatted, Xi Chu Yun immediately sat down cross-legged to recuperate. After all, the consumption in the trial space was immense. With Li Xuan guarding him, Xi Chu Yun quickly entered a state of recovery.
Time flew by, and two hours had passed in the blink of an eye. As more and more spiritual masters appeared on the summit, Li Xuan knew that the first stage of the trial space was nearing its end. As for the defeated spiritual masters, they had likely been teleported out.
Buzz.
As several more people appeared, Elder Qing Xuan's figure reappeared in the sky.
"The trial space has concluded. Congratulations to you for passing the first stage and defeating yourselves. In this world, defeating others is easy, even if they are far stronger than you. As long as you endure the test of time, you will eventually be able to break through yourself and defeat your opponent.
However, to defeat oneself, one not only needs to understand oneself comprehensively and identify one's shortcomings but also needs to possess extraordinary wisdom to truly improve oneself.
You now only need to pass the second trial to choose your respective peaks and undergo the assessment for the sacred sons of each peak. Those who meet the sixty percent requirement I mentioned earlier can join. Of course, the assessments of each peak are different, and the spots are limited, so you should act within your means."
After Elder Qing Xuan finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a large beam of light appeared on the summit once more.
"The second trial, Spirit Road Gold Seizing."
As Elder Qing Xuan's words fell, everyone present was instantly enveloped by the light and disappeared from their original positions.