The final trial gate stood tall and silent ahead of him.
No guards. No fanfare. Just ancient stone, carved with dragons and cloud-fire patterns lost to time.
Wang Lin stared at it quietly, the wind rustling through his hair.
The temperature had dropped, though the sun was still out.
But it wasn't the cold making him shiver.
It was memory.
This was the same gate he had never passed in his previous life. The one that blocked him, mocked him — not with words, but with indifference. As if the heavens themselves had said, "You're not worth the climb."
Now he stood before it again.
But something was different.
He wasn't hoping.
He wasn't begging.
He was deciding.
"Long Shan," he said calmly, eyes locked forward.
"Right here."
"Do you think I'm ready?"
A pause.
"No."
"But you will be… before you reach the top."
Wang Lin chuckled under his breath. "You're honest. I'll give you that."
"I'm not here to flatter. I'm here to carry you forward — when your legs fail, I'll push. When your vision blurs, I'll see. You don't need perfection. You just need to move."
"Then let's do it," Wang Lin said.
And stepped through.
Trial Three: Heaven's Weight
The moment his foot crossed the gate, the world shifted again.
He stood now in a boundless stone path, surrounded by floating mountains and black clouds. No horizon. No sun. Just layers of gravity pressing down with every step.
A single message echoed in the air:
"Walk the path. Reach the flame at the end." "If you fall, you fail."
Simple.
Cruel.
Wang Lin looked down the path.
It didn't seem far — maybe five hundred meters.
But after his first step, he realized it wasn't the distance that would crush him.
It was what he had to carry.
The moment his foot landed, a massive weight slammed down on his back.
He staggered, dropping to one knee.
His teeth clenched. His bones screamed.
It was like someone had dropped an entire mountain onto his body — and then kept pressing.
His vision blurred.
"Gravity trial," Long Shan said, his voice tight. "Layered pressure formation. It adapts to your spirit level."
"Damn it," Wang Lin muttered. "It's like I'm being dragged underground…"
"Do you want to give up?"
Wang Lin looked up the long, narrow path ahead.
Every step would feel like dragging the world behind him.
"No," he said. "I'll carry it."
"Then lean on me," Long Shan said. "I'm already supporting your spine through the core channels. Just walk. I'll take care of the rest."
Wang Lin grunted, then pushed upward.
The stone beneath him cracked slightly as he rose.
One foot forward.
The pressure doubled.
Each step became a war.
His shoulders buckled.
His chest ached.
Even his breath felt like it weighed tons.
But he didn't stop.
Because the pain was real.
And for the first time in years… so was he.
Ten meters in.
Then twenty.
Then thirty.
Blood began to drip from his nose. His knees trembled with every lift. His vision swam.
But Long Shan was there. Not just in numbers — but in presence. Like an invisible hand, steadying his spine. Whispering when he wanted to quit.
"You've felt worse."
"You've been hated more than this hurts."
"Keep going."
Wang Lin gritted his teeth. "I'm not doing this to prove anything to them."
"I'm doing this… for me."
He remembered being stepped on. Spat at. Ignored.
Now, every step was a defiance of that memory.
A hundred meters.
His robes clung to his back, soaked in sweat. His body trembled. Muscles seized.
But he didn't collapse.
He kept walking.
Even if he had to crawl… he would finish.
Finally, after what felt like hours, he reached the end.
A small altar stood before him, glowing with a single red flame.
He placed his palm against it.
The flame entered his body like a breath of warm wind.
Instantly, the weight vanished.
His body rose like it had been underwater.
He gasped — not in pain, but in freedom.
[Trial Complete: Heaven's Weight Conquered]
Bloodline Sync: 12% → 15% System Sync: 13% → 16%
Passive Unlocked: Weightless Flow • Movement speed increases after long strain • Boosts stamina under high pressure
Bonus Trait: Stubborn Will • Resists suppression techniques from stronger cultivators
"You did it," Long Shan said softly.
Wang Lin smiled — faint, proud.
"Not alone," he replied.
Back Outside — Trial Grounds
The gate burst open.
Wang Lin stepped through, steam rising from his skin.
Dozens of outer sect disciples turned in awe.
Even some elders paused, whispering.
"He passed all three?"
"Impossible. He was just a—"
"Look at the formation pattern… it's responding to him."
Wang Lin ignored them.
He stood still, closing his eyes.
He could feel it now — the Dragon Bloodline pulsing gently in his core. Still dormant… but closer.
The wind didn't feel cold anymore.
It felt like home.
"So, what now?" Long Shan asked.
Wang Lin exhaled.
"I climb."
He looked toward the inner sect gates.
"I won't ask them for recognition."
"I'll take it."