The throne room disappeared.
Ao Longtian opened his eyes.
He was standing in a field.
Golden grass stretched beneath an endless blue sky. Mountains surrounded the valley on every side, their snow-covered peaks shining beneath the sun.
There were no enemies.
No treasures.
No mysterious woman.
No throne.
Longtian looked around.
"That was anticlimactic."
The treasure answered.
"Seventh trial."
"Let me guess."
Longtian sighed.
"I have to build another civilization."
"No."
"Fight an army?"
"No."
"Choose who lives?"
"No."
Longtian waited.
The voice spoke.
"You must lose."
His expression changed.
"Excuse me?"
"You must lose something you cannot replace."
The valley became silent.
Longtian stared toward the mountains.
"That's vague."
"It is intended to be."
He laughed.
"You're getting worse at these explanations."
Then a bell rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
The sky darkened.
A city appeared in the distance.
Longtian recognized it immediately.
The Ao Clan.
Not as it currently existed.
As it had been before his transformation.
The massive gates stood open.
Servants moved through the courtyards.
Clan disciples practiced beneath ancient trees.
Merchants entered through the outer gates.
His sister was standing on the main staircase.
Ao Lian.
She looked exactly as Longtian remembered her.
Young.
Sharp-tongued.
Proud.
And alive.
Longtian stopped walking.
"This isn't real."
"Correct."
"Then why show me?"
"Continue."
Longtian walked toward the clan.
The guards bowed.
Servants greeted him.
He entered the main hall.
Ao Lian looked up.
"You're late."
Longtian smiled.
"Apparently that's a recurring complaint."
She frowned.
"What?"
"Nothing."
She stood.
"I need to speak with you."
Longtian followed her.
They entered a quiet courtyard.
Ao Lian sat beneath a tree.
"You've been acting strangely."
Longtian looked at her.
"Have I?"
"You disappear for days."
"I've been busy."
"You refuse to explain."
"Would you believe me?"
"No."
"Then why ask?"
Ao Lian rolled her eyes.
"Because you're my brother."
Longtian smiled.
The illusion was perfect.
Too perfect.
He could hear the birds.
Smell the flowers.
Feel the wind.
Then Ao Lian said something that made him freeze.
"I'm afraid."
Longtian looked at her.
She lowered her head.
"I don't know what's happening to you."
Longtian's smile disappeared.
"You don't need to be afraid."
"That's what you always say."
She looked up.
"But you never tell me the truth."
Longtian was silent.
Ao Lian reached toward him.
"Stay."
One word.
Simple.
Yet it struck harder than any attack.
Longtian looked at her hand.
Then he looked at the clan.
The courtyard.
The people.
Everything he had once known.
He understood.
The trial wasn't showing him what he had.
It was showing him what he could lose.
The voice spoke.
"You may remain."
Longtian looked upward.
"What?"
"Stay here."
The world brightened.
The wounds disappeared.
His cultivation returned.
His bloodline awakened.
His treasures reappeared.
The fan appeared at his waist.
His strength returned completely.
Even the mysterious pressure inside his demonic core returned.
Longtian stared at his hands.
He could feel everything.
Power.
Security.
Family.
A life.
A normal life.
The voice continued.
"You may remain in this world."
Longtian looked at Ao Lian.
"What is the price?"
"Nothing."
Longtian frowned.
"Nothing?"
"You will never leave."
He laughed.
"So that's the catch."
"You will have everything you desire."
Longtian looked around.
Everything he had wanted was here.
His clan.
His treasures.
His cultivation.
His power.
His sister.
No heavenly guards.
No enemies.
No betrayal.
No pain.
No mysterious trials.
No need to build anything.
He could simply remain.
Longtian walked toward Ao Lian.
She smiled.
"You're staying?"
Longtian stared at her.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he reached out.
And placed his hand on her shoulder.
Ao Lian looked at him.
"What's wrong?"
Longtian smiled.
"I've been thinking."
"About?"
"What I actually want."
"And?"
He looked toward the clan.
"I don't want this."
Her smile faded.
"Why?"
"Because it's too easy."
The entire world trembled.
Ao Lian stared at him.
"You're choosing to leave?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Longtian turned toward the distant mountains.
"Because if this is the only place where I can have everything…"
He smiled.
"…then none of it is real."
The illusion shattered.
Ao Lian disappeared.
The clan disappeared.
The mountains disappeared.
The golden sky broke apart like glass.
Longtian stood alone in darkness.
The treasure spoke.
"Seventh stage complete."
Longtian exhaled.
"That one was cruel."
"You hesitated."
"Of course I did."
"Why?"
Longtian looked into the darkness.
"Because some things are worth hesitating over."
The treasure said nothing.
Longtian smiled.
"Was that the answer you wanted?"
"No."
"Then what was?"
"There was no correct answer."
Longtian frowned.
"What?"
"The trial was not measuring your decision."
"Then what was it measuring?"
"Whether you understood the difference between desire and purpose."
Longtian stared ahead.
For once, he didn't make a joke.
Outside the treasure, Ao Lian stood beside Longtian's body.
The seventh seal was glowing.
But something was different.
Longtian's face had changed.
His expression was calm.
Too calm.
Gu Ren approached.
"Miss."
"What?"
"There's someone at the outer gate."
"Who?"
"A woman."
Ao Lian turned.
"Description?"
"Red robes."
Ao Lian's eyes narrowed.
"Scar?"
Gu Ren nodded.
"She says her name is Lin Yue."
Ao Lian immediately looked toward Longtian.
"Bring her here."
Gu Ren hesitated.
"She refused to enter."
"Why?"
"She said she only came to deliver a message."
Ao Lian walked toward the gate.
Lin Yue stood outside the Ao Clan.
The courtyard guards surrounded her.
She didn't appear concerned.
Ao Lian approached.
"You know my brother."
Lin Yue smiled.
"I know of him."
"Don't play games."
Lin Yue's smile disappeared.
"Your brother is inside something he doesn't understand."
"So are you."
"True."
Lin Yue glanced at the golden treasure.
"How many seals?"
"Seven."
Lin Yue's expression changed.
"Already?"
Ao Lian nodded.
Lin Yue looked genuinely worried.
"He should have taken longer."
"Why?"
"Because the faster he passes, the faster it notices him."
Ao Lian stepped closer.
"What notices him?"
Lin Yue looked toward the sky.
"The thing behind the treasure."
Before Ao Lian could respond, a thunderous sound shook the heavens.
Everyone looked upward.
A crack appeared in the sky.
Not a cloud.
Not lightning.
A literal crack.
Something was pushing against the fabric of the world.
Lin Yue's face became pale.
"It's early."
Ao Lian looked at her.
"What is early?"
"The hunters."
High above the planet, twelve armored figures stood inside a massive formation.
They weren't ordinary heavenly guards.
Their armor was black.
Their helmets concealed their faces.
Each carried a weapon forged from white heavenly metal.
At their center stood a woman.
Unlike the others, she wore no armor.
She wore a simple white robe.
Her long silver hair floated around her.
One of the armored soldiers bowed.
"Lady Yue."
The woman looked down.
"Report."
"The treasure has reached the seventh seal."
Her eyes narrowed.
"Too soon."
"Should we descend?"
"No."
"Why?"
She smiled.
"Because the treasure is doing exactly what we wanted."
The soldier looked confused.
Lady Yue continued.
"We don't need to kill Ao Longtian."
"What?"
"We need him to open the door."
"And then?"
Her smile disappeared.
"We take what is inside."
Longtian opened his eyes.
He was back inside the trial.
A massive staircase stretched before him.
At the top stood the eighth gate.
It was covered in thousands of eyes.
He approached.
Then a voice came from behind him.
"You shouldn't have passed."
Longtian stopped.
He turned.
A man stood there.
Tall.
Thin.
Dressed in black robes.
His face was handsome.
Almost unnaturally so.
He smiled politely.
"My apologies."
Longtian studied him.
"Who are you?"
"My name is Mo Chen."
"Are you part of the trial?"
Mo Chen laughed.
"No."
That answer immediately caught Longtian's attention.
"Then how are you here?"
Mo Chen stepped closer.
"I was invited."
"By whom?"
Mo Chen pointed upward.
Longtian followed his finger.
Nothing.
Mo Chen smiled.
"Not everything needs to be seen."
Longtian's eyes narrowed.
"You've been here before."
"Yes."
"How many trials?"
"All of them."
Longtian's expression became serious.
"And you passed?"
Mo Chen smiled.
"No."
"Then why are you still here?"
The smile vanished.
"Because I failed differently."
Longtian waited.
Mo Chen continued.
"I conquered every trial."
"Then why did you fail?"
"I thought the treasure wanted a ruler."
Longtian looked at the eighth gate.
"And it wanted?"
"A successor."
Longtian's eyes narrowed.
Mo Chen suddenly attacked.
His fist struck Longtian's chest.
Longtian flew backward.
He crashed into the ground.
Blood filled his mouth.
He stood slowly.
"You hit hard."
Mo Chen smiled.
"I was once like you."
Longtian wiped his mouth.
"Then you should know I'm about to become annoying."
Mo Chen laughed.
"Good."
The eighth gate opened.
Inside was an ocean of eyes.
Thousands.
Millions.
All watching him.
The treasure spoke.
"Eighth trial."
Longtian looked at Mo Chen.
"What is it?"
Mo Chen answered.
"Truth."
Longtian frowned.
"What kind?"
Mo Chen smiled.
"The kind that destroys people."
Then he stepped into the sea of eyes.
Longtian followed.
Behind them, the eighth gate closed.
And every eye turned toward Ao Longtian.