Chapter 9 – The Trial of the Golden Void
Lin Tian's vision steadied as the golden void stopped spinning. The light dimmed just enough for him to make out his surroundings. A colossal river of gold stretched endlessly across the horizon, its flow slow and heavy, as if each drop carried the weight of time itself.
No ground.
No sky.
Just him… and the river.
A deep hum rippled through the space, vibrating against his bones.
"So this is the inner space of the Spiritual Liquid," Lin Tian muttered. "A bit dramatic."
The river reacted instantly, a wave rising without wind. It shaped itself into a towering figure made entirely of liquid gold—no eyes, no face, just a humanoid outline pulsing with pressure.
Not killing intent.
Not hostility.
Expectation.
Like a guardian waiting for him to prove something.
Lin Tian rolled his shoulders. "Let me guess. Trial?"
The figure pointed at the ground beneath him. Light scattered—and suddenly, the void cracked open.
Illusions surged out.
A hundred beasts.
A hundred cultivators.
A hundred weapons.
All made of golden qi, all radiating the pressure of mid-tier Spirit Realm experts.
Lin Tian's eyebrow twitched. "A hundred? That's generous."
The first beast charged—a tiger with wings made of sharp light. Lin Tian lifted his hand casually and flicked his finger.
The beast exploded into mist.
The illusions froze.
Lin Tian stared at his finger. "Didn't even use force…"
The golden figure shifted, as if adjusting the difficulty.
The next wave appeared—this time, they were denser, stronger, shaped with intent rather than energy.
Their combined aura hit like a crashing mountain.
Lin Tian stepped forward. The aura split apart like someone sliced a curtain.
The beasts didn't wait. They lunged from all sides, claws glowing, fangs sharp, spiritual pressure shaking the void. Lin Tian didn't bother dodging. He rapped his knuckles together, sending a shockwave outward.
The entire wave shattered.
The light pulsed again. The golden figure seemed to hesitate.
"Still too easy?" Lin Tian exhaled. "Fine. Bring something real."
The golden river bubbled violently. A titanic serpent formed from pure qi rose from its depths, its scales gleaming like polished metal. Each exhale steamed the void. Its presence alone would flatten entire sects.
Lin Tian's eyes sharpened. "Now we're talking."
The serpent roared. The void cracked. The river surged. Lin Tian felt every drop of golden energy circle around him as if analyzing him.
He didn't wait.
He charged.
The serpent lunged with blinding speed, jaws wide. Lin Tian stepped onto the air, vanished, and reappeared above its skull. He slammed his heel down. The serpent's head cratered from the impact, the golden body exploding outward like liquid fire.
Silence returned.
The river calmed.
The golden figure dissolved into mist, leaving behind a single glowing fragment that floated gently toward Lin Tian.
[Trial Completed.]
[Reward: Minor Temporal Pool Key Fragment (2/5).]
[Bonus Reward: Golden River Attunement – affinity with pure spiritual sources enhanced.]
Lin Tian grabbed the fragment. Warm energy spread through his hand and into his core.
Two fragments now. Three more later. Whatever this "Temporal Pool" was, the system clearly wanted him prepared.
The void began collapsing. The edges folded inward like paper burning from all sides.
Lin Tian crossed his arms. "Already kicking me out? I didn't even get to explore."
Light swallowed him whole—and in a blink, he was back on the riverbank.
Except—
Things were not quiet anymore.
Growls echoed everywhere. Eyes glinted in the shadows. Dozens of Spirit Beasts circled the clearing, drawn by the golden pillar of light he had triggered.
Wolves with bone armor.
Apes covered in stone plates.
Snakes coiled like giant ropes around the roots.
A panther that flickered in and out of existence.
All watching him.
All measuring him.
Lin Tian sighed. "I leave for five minutes and the whole neighborhood shows up."
One beast took a step forward. Then another. Then all of them.
The forest had chosen its prey.
But Lin Tian's aura leaked out—a subtle pulse, unforced.
The beasts froze instantly.
One wolf—braver or stupider than the rest—tried to growl.
Lin Tian looked at it.
The wolf collapsed, whimpering, tail between its legs.
The clearing fell silent.
Then, slowly… the beasts backed away, bowing their heads one by one before turning and vanishing into the darkness.
Lin Tian dusted off his sleeve. "At least they know their place."
He returned to the glowing river and sat cross-legged. The night wind brushed the trees. The sky dimmed through the fog. The entire forest seemed to breathe with him.
He glanced at the golden surface.
"Tomorrow's sign-in better be worth it."
The river shimmered in response, as if promising exactly that.