Facing Zhao Xing's inquiry, Yuan Qiusheng remained humble. He cupped his hands and said, "I dare not presume to instruct Dao Brother. I can only share my shallow understanding of the trial."
Zhao Xing immediately returned the gesture. Among the Shennongs of the Self School, the farming-focused Shennongs and the combat-oriented Shennongs had vastly different temperaments.
The former were close to nature, unambitious, and generally peaceful.
To them, all life was equal.
Yuan Qiusheng explained, "The Era Envoy Zuo Qiyu set up the first trial in his Tai Chu City, named 'Boundary Surge River.' It's the moat surrounding the city."
"You can only enter using Straw Puppets, and you're forbidden from carrying any artifacts or charms."
"The environment of Boundary Surge River is similar to that of the Primordial Ocean's regions beyond 100,000 li, where attacks are highly varied and layered."
"As you cross the river, you will be assaulted by physical attacks, mental attacks, soul attacks, and Dao law attacks."
"Brother Han and I have assessed it— to cross Boundary Surge River, a Straw Puppet must at least possess Peak Five Elements Dao Domain strength, and it must excel in defense."
Han Qianye nodded slightly, agreeing with Yuan Qiusheng's assessment.
Zhao Xing pondered, "If that's the extent of the challenge, it shouldn't be enough to stop so many people at this stage. Why can't anyone even get through the city gate?"
"Yuan Brother, is there another obstacle?"
Hearing this, Yuan Qiusheng, Han Qianye, Fairy Youling, and Daoist Miaosong were all a bit surprised.
Straw Puppet Techniques were notoriously difficult to master in the Self School.
Despite the sheer number of prodigies gathered here, only two individuals—Yuan Qiusheng and Han Qianye—had managed to refine their Straw Puppets to reach Peak Five Elements Dao Domain level.
Only these two had passed the first trial.
For Zhao Xing to make such a statement, did it mean that his Straw Puppet Techniques had already reached this level?
The group couldn't tell whether Zhao Xing was showing off or simply making a casual remark about the trial.
After a brief pause, Yuan Qiusheng continued, "On its own, this stage is difficult, but it wouldn't be enough to stop so many geniuses."
"The issue is that once a Straw Puppet crosses Boundary Surge River, it inevitably suffers damage. But afterward, you can't retrieve the puppet to repair or resupply it."
"So even if you manage to clear the first trial, you'll be stopped at the second trial—'Void Barrier' inside the city gate."
Zhao Xing frowned. "What is the Void Barrier?"
"I don't know much about the second trial," Yuan Qiusheng admitted. "Brother Han would be the better one to explain it."
Everyone turned to Han Qianye, who pondered for a moment before saying:
"Void Barrier— the moment you step inside, you're swallowed by a Void Rift."
"So far, no one has escaped from it."
"The experience varies for different challengers. Some say they appeared in a Thunder Prison with no spiritual energy as soon as they entered."
"Others claim they fell into an endless illusion, experiencing what felt like multiple reincarnations."
"Some say they were torn apart by rampaging void currents immediately upon entry."
"In short, nobody has figured out exactly what is being tested in the Void Barrier trial."
"Without understanding the rules, there has been no successful challenger."
Zhao Xing nodded. So everyone had failed at the second trial.
The best record so far was merely crossing Boundary Surge River.
Yuan Qiusheng and Han Qianye didn't provide any further details, indicating that they had shared all they knew.
Zhao Xing didn't ask any more questions and instead began contemplating.
"As expected, it's the same as in my past life. Zuo Qiyu's trials are still Boundary Surge River and Void Barrier."
"But I don't know if the content has changed, since I entered the Primordial Realm much earlier this time. Zuo Qiyu also later reached the Half-God Realm."
Zhao Xing actually didn't know much about Zuo Qiyu.
In his past life, he never even met the real person.
Zuo Qiyu was elusive and mysterious.
Back then, Zhao Xing never managed to learn any Void Ancestor Straw Puppet Techniques from him.
To Zhao Xing's knowledge, Zuo Qiyu never took in disciples. But at this point in time, he wasn't as strong or as detached as he would later become.
At least for now, Zuo Qiyu still bore the title of Era Envoy, meaning he was still involved in actual affairs.
Even Five Venom Emperor had successfully angered him once.
"Getting angry means he still has human emotions," Zhao Xing thought.
"If Zuo Qiyu had already reached the state of indifference, then learning Straw Puppet Techniques from him would be impossible. His exclusive techniques would have become lost forever."
In Zhao Xing's past life, players had seen Straw Puppet Techniques in their detection panels when scanning Zuo Qiyu.
But he was like a display item in a store, a non-sellable product—just there for show.
No matter how hard players tried, they could never learn them.
Even if they maxed out their favorability with Zuo Qiyu, it wouldn't increase any further. Eventually, they had to accept that his techniques were simply unobtainable.
"Whatever the case, I should at least give it a try," Zhao Xing decided.
"There's always a way to overcome challenges."
Since he was already here, he wouldn't back down. He had to at least attempt it.
And he wasn't the only one with this mindset.
Soon, Han Qianye stood up first. "Everyone, I've gained some insights. I want to go to Void Barrier to test them."
"Anyone willing to join me?"
Daoist Miaosong opened his eyes and immediately responded, "I also had some insights. Let's go together."
"I haven't gained anything new yet, so going would be a waste. I'll stay here and wait for good news from you both," Yuan Qiusheng said.
"Same here," Han Chuchen nodded.
As for Fairy Youling, she was already meditating and hadn't opened her eyes once.
Clearly, she had no intention of attempting the trial just yet.
"I'll give it a try as well," Zhao Xing spoke up. "I haven't taken the trial before, so I should at least see it for myself."
Thus, Zhao Xing, Han Qianye, and Daoist Miaosong left the pavilion together, flying toward the moat outside the city walls.
Though the number of people was small, the number of Straw Puppets was enormous.
Regardless of whether one was from the Self School or not, Straw Puppet Techniques were an essential skill.
Even if not used for combat, they were useful for menial tasks or scouting.
At this moment, the banks of Boundary Surge River were filled with all kinds of Straw Puppets, attempting to cross.
"There are even more people here than before," Daoist Miaosong clicked his tongue.
"There are no points to be gained here, yet so many people are attempting the trial in Tai Chu City."
"Anyone who enters the Primordial Realm is a remarkable individual," Han Qianye said.
"Besides, the prodigies of this era far surpass those of previous generations. They all enjoy challenging the most difficult obstacles—to prove themselves."
Zhao Xing fully agreed. This era was filled with far too many reincarnated experts. In their previous lifetimes, they had been rulers of nations or founders of powerful clans.
In their respective eras, they had once stood invincible, creating miracles and accomplishing feats that others couldn't even dream of.
A trial set by Zuo Qiyu? Everyone said it was difficult? That no one could pass?
If anything, such claims only fueled their determination.
"Brother Han, Brother Zhao, which Straw Puppets will you use this time?" Daoist Miaosong asked as the three landed on a reef at the riverbank.
"I'll try Giant Cauldron Straw Puppet and Primordial Yang Straw Puppet," Han Qianye said.
"I'll use Heavenly Demon Straw Puppet and Antarctic Straw Puppet," Daoist Miaosong replied.
The Straw Puppets they mentioned were fusion models, corresponding to the lower three inheritances of the Void Ancestor series—Pure Yang, Heavenly Yang, and Juyang.
"I've cultivated the Juyang Straw Puppet, but I haven't performed many multi-technique fusions yet," Zhao Xing said.
Daoist Miaosong and Han Qianye didn't ask further. They simply nodded and began casting their techniques.
Before long, multiple Straw Puppets appeared around them, each beginning to merge in different ways.
The reason Straw Puppet Techniques were so widely loved was their high degree of flexibility. With multi-technique fusion and various material combinations, the Straw Puppets could take on unique, highly personalized forms.
As Daoist Miaosong and Han Qianye cast their techniques, strange phenomena emerged around them. Some Straw Puppets were surrounded by a layer of treasure light, others were enveloped in Antarctic radiance with crescent moons circling them, and some transformed into demonic heads on human bodies.
By comparison, Zhao Xing's Juyang Straw Puppet looked completely ordinary.
The three of them entered at different times.
Zhao Xing started first, Daoist Miaosong was the last, and Han Qianye was in the middle.
But once they started crossing the river, the situation changed.
Zhao Xing moved the slowest, while Han Qianye quickly caught up and became the fastest.
By the time Daoist Miaosong overtook Zhao Xing, Han Qianye was already nearing the shore.
"Clang! Clang!"
At the center of the river, Zhao Xing's body was struck by the waves. The Straw Puppet's core resonated, emitting deep, bell-like chimes.
The sound echoed throughout his body, and his vision started to warp.
To his perception, the waves seemed to be crawling with countless tiny insects, burrowing into his body.
"Interesting," Zhao Xing murmured, stopping to analyze the phenomenon.
Seeing Zhao Xing pause, Daoist Miaosong thought to himself,
"Looks like this Half-God disciple lacks talent in Straw Puppet Techniques. He's only halfway through and already struggling."
"His earlier words must have been exaggerated. How did he even get chosen?"
Pausing midway meant he would likely fail the first trial.
"Splash!"
A powerful wave surged forward.
"Not good!"
Daoist Miaosong immediately focused. He had planned to clear the first trial without damage, so he poured all his attention into controlling his Straw Puppets.
"Swoosh!"
The waves passed through one of his lightly glowing Straw Puppets, one that was surrounded by a moon and had the head of a dragon. Its radiance instantly faded, leaving it motionless on the water's surface.
His Antarctic Straw Puppet, however, stepped gracefully on the water, moving with incredible agility. It was about to ride the tide across—
But just as it leaped, thunder erupted over Boundary Surge River, striking down with absolute precision as if it had been locked on.
"Boom!"
The Heavenly Demon Straw Puppet was soaked by the waves and froze in place.
The Antarctic Straw Puppet was scorched black by the lightning.
"Antarctic Rebirth, Reforging the Self!"
"Heavenly Demon Protection, Unbreakable by Ten Thousand Arts!"
From within the Antarctic Straw Puppet, a smaller puppet emerged, reborn. Meanwhile, the Heavenly Demon Straw Puppet shook its body, expelling the water droplets clinging to it.
Zhao Xing, who had been analyzing, took note of Daoist Miaosong's techniques.
"Not bad. Antarctic Rebirth and Heavenly Demon Protection aren't easy divine abilities to master."
Daoist Miaosong had a flashy way of using Straw Puppet Techniques. At least on the surface, Zhao Xing thought he was quite skilled.
"But he's already lost 20% of his spiritual energy, and his divine sense has weakened by a level. I wonder if his Straw Puppet's body is still intact?"
If Daoist Miaosong had been aiming for a flawless pass, then he had already failed—he might as well start over.
But clearly, he wasn't as perfectionist as Zhao Xing. After shaking off Boundary Surge River's heavy waves, he pressed on, reaching the shore and entering the city.
Meanwhile, Han Qianye's Straw Puppets split into sixty-four copies, each one stepping into the city gates separately.
"That's an advanced Straw Puppet Technique. Han Qianye has strong mastery in this field."
"Looking back at previous Primordial Assemblies, there weren't nearly this many people proficient in Straw Puppet Techniques. But now, everyone's gotten really good at them."
On Boundary Surge River, countless Straw Puppets displayed their skills.
Some repelled water, some flew low above the surface, and others leapt between waves.
But Zhao Xing?
He enlarged his Straw Puppet and walked across the river.
His approach was simple, brute force, with zero technique—just a straightforward push through.
"Splash!"
His Juyang Straw Puppet swung its arm and stepped forward again.
Zhao Xing moved slowly, like a turtle crawling.
The people around him saw this and dismissed him entirely.
What kind of stupid crossing method was this?
It didn't match his reputation as an Ancient God disciple at all.
"Zhao Xing's method is… very sturdy," Yuan Qiusheng observed, feeling a bit puzzled.
It was like watching a top martial artist suddenly start rolling on the ground like a donkey during a fight—completely out of sync with their expectations of him.
"Mm, Brother Zhao definitely walks an unconventional path," Han Chuchen nodded.
"Daoist Miaosong has gone through twice now, and Han Qianye is already on his third attempt. But Zhao Xing… he still hasn't reached the shore," Fairy Youling said, gazing toward the river.
By now, half a year had passed.
And yet, Zhao Xing had only just reached the shore.
"Splash! Boom!"
His Juyang Straw Puppet finally stepped onto land.
At the same time, Han Qianye and Daoist Miaosong also reached the shore.
But this time, they no longer dared to underestimate Zhao Xing's method.
Because through their spiritual perception, they could tell—
Zhao Xing's Juyang Straw Puppet had lost no energy, its structure was intact, and its spell materials were completely unchanged.
The only difference?
His divine sense had slightly weakened.
But compared to half a year ago?
It was almost exactly the same.
"Passing the first trial unscathed?"
"The defense of his Juyang Straw Puppet has actually reached this level?" Daoist Miaosong was utterly astonished.
"What incredible control," Han Qianye observed from a different perspective. "It's impossible for spiritual energy to remain unconsumed. Yet by crossing the river at this slow, deliberate pace, he manages to recapture the spent energy and absorb it back into his body."
"If no spells are cast, the spiritual energy won't dissipate rapidly into the waves… No, that's not it. There must be something more."
"I can feel an overwhelming life force emanating from his Straw Puppet."
Han Qianye observed Zhao Xing for a long while before finally suppressing the urge to inquire further.
After all, they weren't particularly close, and this likely involved Zhao Xing's cultivation secrets. Asking too much would be inappropriate. Instead, he simply greeted him,
"Brother Zhao, your strength is truly impressive."
Previously, Han Qianye had ranked tenth in the final trial, while Zhao Xing had only won a single round, barely ranking at the 80th level. But now, Han Qianye fully acknowledged that Zhao Xing was on the same tier as him.
"You flatter me, Brother Han." Zhao Xing cupped his hands politely. Instead of rushing into the city, he began examining his Juyang Straw Puppet.
Meanwhile, Daoist Miaosong and Han Qianye entered the city once more.
"The spiritual energy consumption wasn't excessive, but the washing force of the Boundary Surge River still inflicted minor internal damage to the Straw Puppet's body," Zhao Xing noted.
He attempted to absorb spiritual energy from the soil beneath him to repair the damages. However, no energy could be replenished.
"If I can't absorb spiritual energy, I can't repair it. Forget it. The damage isn't severe. Since this is just my first attempt, I'll explore first."
As soon as he stepped into Primordial City, a black rift in space-time suddenly appeared before him. In the next moment, he found himself transported into an enclosed space.
"I couldn't resist. Everything happened too quickly."
"My soul strength only allows me to perceive events occurring within one-thousandth of a second. Anything beyond that, I can't sense. However, Zuo Qiyu's setup far surpasses my reaction limit."
"Looks like dodging the spatial rift won't work."
When one's cultivation of the Great Dao reaches a certain level, their soul naturally develops a sensitivity to time.
It was said that the birth of the Primordial Realm happened within sixty-eight fractions of Infinite Time—which meant it took one divided by ten to the power of sixty-eight seconds to form.
Zhao Xing's current comprehension of the Dao of Time only allowed him to perceive events occurring within three fractions of Infinite Time, meaning he could react to things happening within one-thousandth of a second.
If something happened faster than that—compressed into one-ten-thousandth of a second—that would be considered four fractions of Infinite Time. At that level, even a simple punch would already be touching upon the Dao of Time, making it impossible for an opponent to react.
"Only Reincarnation Emperors can cultivate the Dao of Time. Their souls are powerful enough that within seven fractions of Infinite Time, they can complete spellcasting or movement."
Zhao Xing stretched his body and found that after being swallowed by the black rift, his body remained unharmed. He began examining his surroundings.
"Above, below, left, right, front, back—all six directions are sealed by gray walls."
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Zhao Xing activated Heavenly Sight of the Soul and quickly discovered that he was trapped in a completely enclosed space measuring 10,000 kilometers in length, width, and height.
The walls emitted a constant gray mist.
"Boom!"
Zhao Xing punched the ground. As soon as his fist neared the gray mist, he encountered resistance, as if he were punching into water.
By the time his fist touched the surface, its force had been completely neutralized.
"It seems… there's no solid object underneath."
Zhao Xing quickly moved around the sealed space, attacking in multiple directions.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Punches rained down like a storm, but nothing changed.
"It's the same everywhere. Brute force won't work."
After his tests, Zhao Xing sat down cross-legged, contemplating his next move. Meanwhile, his true body outside was also analyzing the situation.
"There's a time disparity between my true body and my clone in this space. Zuo Qiyu's Void Trial changes its content every time. It looks like I've encountered the classic 'Temporal Cage' trial."
"Breaking out is extremely difficult. Anyone below the Reincarnation Realm absolutely can't escape."
"No need to waste time."
Zhao Xing dispersed his clone voluntarily.
Having foresight had its advantages—he could tell which paths were dead ends.
The Temporal Cage could even trap Reincarnation Emperors. Let alone geniuses like himself, even Reincarnation Emperors would have a 99.9% chance of being unable to escape. Only those who had also cultivated the Dao of Time stood a chance at breaking free.
Outside, countless challengers were still attempting the trials, but Zuo Qiyu himself was not in Primordial City.
At that moment, he stood in the Ancient Dao Layer of Hundred Fathoms Void, alongside Gu Luohe.
"Qiyu, your Primordial City is currently flooded with challengers, some of whom are truly extraordinary. Have any caught your eye?" Gu Luohe asked.
"No matter how talented they are, I won't even glance at them," Zuo Qiyu shook his head.
"Taking in disciples isn't the point," Gu Luohe said. "I just hope that you can move on. Don't dwell on what Five Venom Emperor said."
"Gu Senior, this has nothing to do with Five Venom Emperor," Zuo Qiyu replied, shaking his head. "That matter was just a competition between us. Even if that Zhao Xing were to truly worship me as a master, I wouldn't care to compete over him."
"There's no need to convince me. The rules we established are still in place." Zuo Qiyu continued, "Primordial City has two trials in total. The second trial has 800,000,001 possible solutions. Out of those, 800 million are at the Reincarnation Level of difficulty, and only one is theoretically possible for a lower realm cultivator to pass."
"If someone can persist without giving up, attempting all 800,000,001 solutions, finding that single sliver of hope, and passing successfully—that would be fate. I may not take them as a disciple, but I could pass down the Straw Puppet Techniques to them."
"And don't worry, neither you nor the Emperor have leaked any secrets."
Gu Luohe fell silent, then chose not to press further.
Back at Boundary Surge River, atop a reef—
"Boom!"
After dispersing his clone, Zhao Xing's true body opened his eyes by Boundary Surge River.
"Try again."
Another Juyang Clone strode toward Primordial City.
"Zuo Qiyu refuses to take in disciples."
"But he hasn't completely closed the path to passing down his techniques. Back then, he agreed with Emperor Red Star and Gu Luohe to set up this trial—the first test is not too difficult, but the second is unimaginably hard."
"It is said that the second trial has a total of 800,000,001 variations, but only one of them is theoretically passable for a cultivator of the Origin Realm."
"As for the rest? Impossible to pass."
No one, not even Gu Luohe or Emperor Red Star, knew exactly which variation was the right one. But since Zuo Qiyu had laid down the rules, he wouldn't be lying.
Zhao Xing had heard this legend before, so he decided to attempt the 800,000,001st time.
"800,000,001 attempts... Even if there's just a sliver of hope, Zuo Qiyu's Straw Puppet Techniques are absolutely worth my time."
The Straw Puppet Techniques, now considered a lost art, held an irresistible appeal to Zhao Xing.
On his second attempt, after his clone entered Primordial City, his vision went dark, and he suddenly found himself standing on a grayish-yellow planet.
As soon as he landed, his life force and spiritual energy began to drain rapidly.
"Whoooosh!"
An endless sandstorm swept in from all directions.
His body was quickly corroded by intense deathly aura, and soon, he faded into the desolation of this world.
"Silent Death Star... No, this isn't right."
Zhao Xing's true body shook his head.
For the third attempt, a Straw Puppet Clone appeared in the bustling streets of a town.
Merchants called out their wares, and above a grand archway, the sign read 'Anping Square'.
However, the people around him all had the exact same aura and appearance as himself.
"Damn it... Self Illusion Realm—and it even recreated my old hometown in Nanyang County, Gu City... This is sick. Explode!"
Realizing the trick, Zhao Xing instantly detonated himself.
Fourth attempt—BOOM!
Fifth attempt—BOOM!
1,800th attempt—BOOM!
Time passed, and the number of geniuses still attempting the trial in Primordial City dwindled.
50 years later, only a handful remained.
Because no one could clear the second trial.
Not a single person had even figured out how to pass it.
Though many geniuses loved challenging difficult trials, no one wanted to waste time on a completely hopeless task.
By now, everyone had come to accept the rumor:
"No one has ever passed Zuo Qiyu's trial."
"I'm done."
Han Qianye shook his head and walked away from the pavilion.
"Zuo Qiyu never had any intention of passing down his techniques or taking in disciples. This is just an excuse."
"Exactly," Daoist Miaosong also gave up. "This trial is ridiculous. The difficulty is at the level of a Reincarnation Emperor, and even they might fail."
Those who had reincarnated and retained their wisdom were able to judge that Zuo Qiyu's second trial had a maximum difficulty reaching the Reincarnation Emperor level.
It wasn't even something a Seaweed-tier cultivator could pass. Even a Coral-tier cultivator would be dreaming to succeed.
"But at least I didn't leave empty-handed. My mastery of clones has advanced," Yuan Qiusheng said optimistically. "If I succeed, it's a blessing. If I don't, then it simply wasn't meant to be."
"You actually believe in fate?" Fairy Gong Ling smiled.
"Don't you?" Yuan Qiusheng asked curiously.
"A little, but not much. I only show respect to my Fate Master friends," Fairy Gong Ling lazily replied. "But personally, I believe more in human effort. Don't you think so, Zhao Xing?"
"Fairy Gong Ling is absolutely right," Zhao Xing nodded.
"Brother Zhao, you're not leaving?" Han Chuchen noticed Zhao Xing was still seated, continuously sending out clones.
"Hmm. I'm going to try a few more times." Zhao Xing responded. "Like Daoist Miaosong said—even if I can't clear the trial, there's still something to gain from the experience."
"I was just making light of it," Daoist Miaosong smiled bitterly. "There are so many other treasures in the Primordial Realm, why waste time here?"
"Hahaha!"
"I still want to try." Zhao Xing said.
"Then I wish you success. We'll be on our way."
Han Chuchen and the others stopped trying to persuade him.
They believed that, given enough time, Zhao Xing would eventually lose patience.
After all, the training period in the Primordial Realm only lasted 2,400 years. Sooner or later, Zhao Xing would realize the trial was a waste of time and abandon it.
Even without their persuasion, Gu Luohe likely wouldn't allow his disciple to waste his years here.
Time continued to pass.
In the blink of an eye, 500 years had gone by.
By now, it had been 658 years since Zhao Xing entered the Primordial Realm.
And he had been challenging Primordial City's trial for 500 years.
"BOOM!"
After yet another self-destruction, Zhao Xing, still at the Primordial Dao Repository, sent out another clone to challenge the trial once more.
At this point, Zhao Xing's true body no longer waited in Primordial City. Instead, he had started splitting his focus on other tasks.
Because he had realized—trying all 800,000,001 variations was simply too difficult.
"There are too many repeating trials. In terms of raw attempts, I've already surpassed 8 billion tries, yet I've only managed to encounter 4 million unique ones."
"Zuo Qiyu really is ruthless... Even Fortune-level fate manipulation doesn't work here. Everything just keeps shifting randomly."
Zhao Xing shook his head.
"But in these 500 years, my Juyang Clones have improved significantly. I no longer need special Void Ancestor materials to clear the first trial unharmed."
"The Ten Thousand Particle Merging Technique and Five-Finger Meridian have both been refined into Grand Divine Abilities of the Sixth Stage. Now, even a casually created Juyang Clone, using only subpar Dao Soldier-grade materials, would be strong enough to flatten Baguer in a fight."
"My extreme material efficiency approach has actually taken my Juyang Clone development to a new level—cost reduction."
Zhao Xing couldn't help but chuckle.
At first, crafting a single Juyang Clone had cost him over 2 billion Red Star Coins.
But through practice and material substitutions, by the time of the Primordial Assembly, Zhao Xing had already managed to reduce the cost to roughly 1 billion—without significantly weakening the clone's effectiveness.
Over the past 500 years, in order to pass the Primordial City Trial, Zhao Xing had no choice but to grow his own materials and use mutation techniques such as Stem Battle Divine Ability and Essence Stripping Divine Ability to find cheaper substitutes.
Eventually, he achieved a balance between preserving strength and reducing costs.
By using only his own funds, without outsourcing labor, he managed to reduce the material cost of a Juyang Clone to around one million Red Star Coins.
Converted into Primordial Realm points, it was now within a reasonable range that Zhao Xing could accept.
It wouldn't significantly hinder his cultivation in other areas.
"Even if Zuo Qiyu insists that challengers must try every possible outcome, at my current speed, I estimate that within another 500 years, I should be able to test them all."
"If the rumors are true, then eventually, I will find that one sliver of hope."
Zhao Xing encouraged himself.
For 500 years straight, he persisted, sending out thousands of clones daily to challenge the trial. Before long, he had gained recognition in the Primordial Realm.
At first, many people suspected that Zhao Xing had discovered a secret method, so they imitated him, sending their own clones to attempt the trial.
His persistence even reignited a new wave of challengers rushing to Primordial City.
However, in the end, they all gave up, and only a few observers remained.
Zhao Xing's reputation took on a different meaning.
"Spending 500 years of prime cultivation time in Primordial City, is the Mushroom King an idiot or a genius?"
"The cost of creating clones is one thing, but the real issue is the wasted effort. Zhao Xing is still only at Seaweed Fifth-Tier."
"Meanwhile, Tuo Sen and Pu Guangrui have already accumulated enough points to approach Coral-Tier."
"The Self School Shennong is truly insane. His reputation for madness is well deserved."
"Tsk, tsk."
500 years may not seem long, but given the limited time frame in the Primordial Realm, this period was golden cultivation time. Many found it incomprehensible that Zhao Xing wasted it on the trial.
Time continued flowing, and another 508 years passed.
As usual, Zhao Xing sent another clone to Primordial City, while his true body remained in Gu Luohe's inner world, meditating at his second training site.
Suddenly—
"Hmm?"
As he was comprehending the Second Path of Life, Zhao Xing's eyes snapped open.
"I found it!"
"The 800,000,001st possibility!"
"After 1,008 years, I finally encountered it!"
Zhao Xing was overjoyed.
At that moment, one of his clones had entered the second trial of Primordial City—a peculiar realm filled with gray mist, starlight, and floating landmasses.
"Compared to the other 800 million trials, this one is far weaker in every aspect!"
Zhao Xing was certain that he had finally found the one true path because he had endured countless trials at the Reincarnation-Level difficulty.
Now, he had suddenly entered a trial at the Origin Realm's difficulty level—the contrast was too obvious.
"The rumors were true. This place actually exists."
Without hesitation, Zhao Xing took out Gu Luohe's token and vanished from his inner world.
At the same time, across the entire Primordial Realm, every single one of his clones stopped moving. His true body appeared by the Boundary Surge River.
With absolute focus, he concentrated all his mental energy on the Juyang Clone inside the trial.
Gu Luohe lifted his head, glancing toward Primordial City's outskirts. He immediately spotted Zhao Xing and also noticed Zuo Qiyu's figure appearing atop the city walls.
"I wasn't the one who taught him." Gu Luohe sent a mental transmission.
Zuo Qiyu nodded slightly. He naturally trusted Gu Luohe's character.
If Gu Luohe didn't teach him, then this kid truly had the perseverance and obsession for the art of Straw Puppetry.
Inside Primordial City's second trial space, beneath the starry sky, Zhao Xing's clone heard a calm voice.
"Zhao Xing, you have spent 1,008 years. Each day, you sent at least 10,000 clones to challenge this trial. To sacrifice so much golden cultivation time in the Primordial Realm is truly remarkable."
"Senior Zuo." Zhao Xing immediately lowered his head in a respectful bow.
"It seems you are indeed obsessed with Straw Puppet techniques. Very well, I will be direct with you," Zuo Qiyu said.
"This trial is the true Void Trial."
"In theory, it is the only trial that an Origin Realm cultivator can clear."
"However, even so, its difficulty remains incredibly high, which is why no one has ever attempted it before."
"From what I can see, your chances of passing on the first attempt are infinitesimally small. You will likely need to try thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of times."
Zhao Xing listened quietly.
"And if you fail this time, you will need to spend another thousand years cycling through all the other trials before you get another chance at the true Void Trial."
"Think carefully about how much time you will have to invest in this."
Zhao Xing's heart tightened.
If he needed 10,000 attempts to succeed, that would require millions of years! Nearly eight full eras!
That was truly insane!
But Zhao Xing didn't hesitate.
"Senior Zuo, I am willing to spend my entire lifetime trying!"
Hearing Zhao Xing's firm and resolute tone, Zuo Qiyu fell silent.
For a fleeting moment, it felt as though he was looking at a young man from the past, one who had once told him the same thing—that he was willing to spend his whole life studying the art of Straw Puppetry.
"Your entire life?" Zuo Qiyu's expression suddenly turned cold, and his voice grew indifferent.
"I cannot grant you that much time. The moment you break through to the Dao Domain Realm, you will never be able to attempt this trial again."
"Don't say I didn't warn you—if you waste too much time here and it ruins your cultivation path, you will have only yourself to blame!"
"I have no regrets and no complaints," Zhao Xing responded, cupping his hands in a respectful bow toward the empty void.
Seeing that Zuo Qiyu remained silent, Zhao Xing finally turned his full attention to studying the true Void Trial.