I suddenly smacked my forehead. "Damn it! I forgot I should've given her the spatial ring earlier! I could've have get a better spatial rings!"
Then I glanced at the system window floating casually in my peripheral vision like a lazy notification I'd ignored all day.
> [Frostveil Sword has been gifted to Disciple 567x. As a reward, Host will receive: Overflowing Sword.]
> [Description]
> Overflowing Sword: The embodiment of all weather phenomena—ice, lightning, snow, fog, mist, and more. Basically, swing this and Mother Nature flinches.
My eyes lit up. "Perfect." I nodded, fully satisfied, already imagining myself dramatically unsheathing the Overflowing Sword under moonlight. "Tsk, tsk, tsk," I clicked my tongue with a smug grin. "Your Master is about to get even more handsome."
I stared at the pill in my hand—a Superior-Grade Foundation Establishment Pill. Probably the best possible item to ascend to the next stage short of divine intervention.
With one final self-affirming nod, I swallowed it whole. Just as I felt myself on the verge of breaking through—
Boom.
Vision blurry.
Seal triggered.
Everything turned surreal in a flash. A binding force enveloped me, strong enough that even a Void Realm cultivator would've coughed awkwardly and backed away. And before I knew it, I passed out cold, like a chicken hit with a brick. My soul? Probably off taking a mini vacation without telling me.
---
Somewhere else entirely...
A boy with brown hair and dazzling blue eyes stood at the center of a grand, glowing plaza. The textbook image of a righteous protagonist—sunshine smile, determined eyes, cheekbones that could cut tofu.
He looked around, pleased that he'd made it into the fabled "Legacy Trial."
Around him stood seven others, each a representative of a major sect. All Foundation Establishment or higher, each radiating pride, arrogance, or a terrifying calm like they'd skipped teenage rebellion and went straight to battle-hardened hero.
But something felt off.
There were supposed to be eight of them.
Then they noticed the ninth—me.
Unfortunately, I didn't notice them yet. I was busy having a small panic attack.
---
I groaned and sat up, rubbing my head. "Really? I passed out during a breakthrough?"
As I looked around, I paused mid-scratch. "Wait… where the hell am I?"
My eyes twitched. Floating palace. Ornate ceilings. Carpets softer than a phoenix's butt feathers.
This was I'm not in the mountain peak. This was rich people territory.
I fumbled for my flute—gone. My heart skipped a beat. "No, no, no… not the flute…" I searched every pocket, every hidden stash. Nothing.
I was flute-less. I was so, so screwed.
The Overflowing Sword was still embedded in my heart, humming gently, but that didn't help much when surrounded by eight cultivators who looked like they were born in divine lightning storms.
I peeked around. Everyone was ridiculously good-looking. Core Formation? At least a few of them. Great. Just what I needed. I laid down dramatically and stared at the blue sky above the palace, groaning. "For fuck's sake… I've been Isekai'd inside an Isekai. I bet this is some Legacy Trial nonsense."
Sure enough, I overheard their conversation.
"That guy… could he be from the Shadow Veil Sect?" someone whispered.
Their voices were laced with suspicion—and hostility.
"Let's target him first before we fight each other," said Wang Tiewa, the brown-haired youth with piercing blue eyes. A classic rival character, probably had fan girls back at his sect.
Yan Mochen, tall with white hair and amber eyes, looked cautious. "Don't let your guard down. He might have an artifact embedded in his heart."
They were half right. I did.
Hei Xianzun, the quiet one lurking near the shadows, remained silent. Unlike the others, his focus was elsewhere. Maybe he didn't want to disappoint his sect. Or maybe he just really hated group projects.
Me? I was standing perfectly still, forcing my face into the most aloof, mysterious expression I could manage. Inside, I was freaking out, but outside?
Cold as ice. Literally. Overflowing Sword vibes.
Then, out of nowhere, an old man appeared. His aura was immense, but carefully concealed—Spirit Severing Stage at least. His white beard cascaded over the floor like a waterfall of wisdom.
He laughed heartily as his eyes landed on me.
"Oh? An extra contestant?" he chuckled. "Interesting. Very interesting…"
He stroked his beard. "This generation shall indeed be profound."
He handed each of us a glowing token. "Squeeze this, and you'll be teleported back to your sect. But beware—leaving means giving up the trial."
No one crushed it. We all clutched our tokens like toddlers with candy.
I stepped forward, bowed like a true expert, and asked, "Senior, what will be the first trial?"
Everyone turned to look at me, surprised that the mysterious rando was the first to speak.
The old man smiled knowingly. "There are four trials. Complete them all, and the Legacy will be yours. But worry not—even the ninth-ranked will receive a reward."
Everyone's eyes gleamed. Even if you failed, you got a prize? That was better than most sect assessments.
Then, a portal opened in front of us—hellish red glow, rivers of lava.
"The first trial," the old man said, "is the Trial of Fear."
He gave no further instructions, because of course he didn't. Then he faded away—turns out he was just a Will projection. Classic ancient cultivator move. Just show up, drop cryptic wisdom, then poof away like a mystical smoke bomb.
We all looked through the portal.
There was a thin, unstable rope leading to the center.
And guarding that rope?
A massive creature made of tentacles, black mist, and nightmares. Its eyes glowed red, and it exuded pure dread.
No one moved.
Even the protagonists hesitated. One of them gulped.
This was going to be a show.
Back in the real world, countless sects were watching through spiritual projection mirrors, eager to see how their "genius disciples" fared.
"Well" I said to no one in particular. "If this is the Trial of Fear, I'm not failing. My greatest fear is was getting hurt this a trial of fear which means the monster that is lurking."
"Will stare at the people who is moving through rope and to distract them and i notice every 5 minutes the monster will gone somewhere inside the Lava"
"Each session took about 3 minutes and the rope is the problem i will need calm my heart."
And so began the first trial.
[4 powerstone for extra chapters TvT]