Cold wind swept through the stone corridors of the Eastern Courtyard, carrying the damp scent of Spiritual Energy mingled with mist. After the tense Application trial, the candidates were given fifteen minutes to rest before entering the most important round: Real Combat. Many collapsed onto the courtyard floor, breathing heavily, meditating to steady their blood and qi. Others closed their eyes and silently recited techniques.
Duong Minh stood beneath an ancient tree, arms hanging loosely at his sides, yet his consciousness was operating at terrifying speed.
After only three days of learning the Path of Dao, he had been thrown directly into an examination that many practiced for years before daring to attempt. Yet for reasons he could not explain, everything felt strangely familiar.
While observing the other candidates during the Application trial, Duong Minh had noticed countless details — things so familiar to seasoned Dao Cultivators that they no longer perceived them, but to him they appeared like vector diagrams in space.
One candidate channeled Spiritual Energy down into his legs, veins bulging before he leapt a great distance. In Duong Minh's eyes, it resembled a "qi acceleration model," similar to jet propulsion.
Another stabilized his body mid-flip using circulating qi. Duong Minh clearly saw the energy spiraling around his spine like the stabilizing rotation of a gyroscope.
A girl compressed Spiritual Energy into her fist, tripling the force of her strike. In his analysis, it was vertical-axis compression, similar to a piston mechanism.
No one saw these things with ordinary sight. Duong Minh did not see them with his eyes either, but through a strange interference between Dao intuition and the analytical algorithms of the Intellect Path in his mind.
He closed his eyes gently and inhaled. The Fire Serpent coiled upward from the first chakra, racing along his spine like a current of electricity before sliding into his head, swallowing his awareness in intense focus.
"Guide — hold — redirect — release."
He murmured the four key principles he had deduced.
Lyra appeared in his consciousness, her voice gentle.
"You're pushing too fast. Circulate according to rhythm. You're not used to this yet. Don't force yourself like in the previous round."
"It's fine. I'm only simulating."
"Dao qi is not data. It doesn't flow according to pure logic."
"…But it follows rules."
"And those rules are not linear."
They fell silent. The silence was not uncomfortable. It felt like cool water passing through his mind, allowing the qi to circulate more steadily. When he opened his eyes again, they shone a little brighter, as though he had discovered a small hidden passage deep within his body.
When the assembly bell rang, the candidates moved toward the main arena. There, a colossal formation had already been activated: a white circle floating above the stone ground, within it a dense mist of Spiritual Energy so thick that everyone could feel a tingling numbness at their fingertips.
Judge Lieu Chan stood in the center, hands clasped behind his back, voice low and steady.
"Round Three — Real Combat. The illusion realm will open into a labyrinth. Your mission is to pass through it and eliminate a high-level beast. Time limit: eighty minutes."
"BOOM."
The illusion opened. Before them rose a stone labyrinth dozens of meters tall, its paths winding endlessly. At intervals, deep roars echoed, clear and hollow, as if rising from beneath the earth's crust.
The candidates were divided into teams of three. Duong Minh's team consisted of:
Lu Hao — long-time qi cultivator, strong in fist techniques.
Su Fang — female candidate, light and agile, skilled in light-body techniques and palm wind.
Duong Minh — newly awakened root.
Both teammates looked at him with confusion, though neither voiced it. Rumors about "the kid who stood absolutely firm in the Heart Inquiry after only three days" had spread too quickly.
Lu Hao asked quietly,
"You okay? This round isn't like the previous ones."
Duong Minh smiled.
"I'm fine. I won't hold you back."
Su Fang studied him for several seconds — her gaze filled with doubt regarding his ability. Finally she nodded without speaking further.
Each team entered a different gate of the labyrinth. Their task was to navigate the maze, avoid traps, eliminate obstructing beasts, and ultimately defeat the Boss-level creature.
The three stepped into the formation. White light flashed. The labyrinth materialized vividly: damp stone walls, ceilings like cavern roofs, layers of Spiritual Energy mist swirling. The ground was uneven, rising and dipping as though compressed by unseen forces.
Lu Hao ignited Spiritual Energy in his palm to illuminate the path.
"Move slowly," he said. "Labyrinths like this are full of traps."
Duong Minh suddenly raised his hand.
"Wait."
He closed his eyes for two seconds, then opened them.
"Three steps ahead will trigger a trap."
Lu Hao startled. "What? I don't see anything."
"I do," Duong Minh replied simply.
He crouched and touched the stone floor. Beneath it, Spiritual Energy swirled faintly, forming a thin circular mist. Invisible to the naked eye — but to him, it was as clear as a red thread, through the strange fusion of Spiritual Power perception and pattern analysis.
Su Fang frowned slightly.
"Is that Divine Sense Detection? When did you learn that?"
"…I didn't."
"Then how—"
"I guessed."
Both teammates fell silent, but their eyes changed entirely.
Duong Minh stepped lightly to the left, avoiding the trap's radius. The others followed. When they passed, the formation remained silent as if nothing existed — yet all of them sensed that stepping on it would have triggered an explosion.
Deeper inside, the mist thickened until visibility dropped below three meters. Some corridors suddenly darkened, then brightened again as though space itself were bending.
"The illusion is distorting," Su Fang whispered.
After walking further, Lu Hao shook his head. "If we keep going like this, we'll get lost. I can't even picture the path we've taken anymore."
"I remember," Duong Minh said. "I remember every turn. I've constructed the route map in my mind."
He continued calmly,
"If we turn right at the next intersection, we'll loop back. We should turn left."
Lu Hao and Su Fang felt a surge of relief. Clearly, having an Intellect Cultivator on the team was an advantage.
The fog ahead thickened further. Visibility shrank to two meters. Duong Minh focused entirely on his hearing, capturing every faint sound around them.
"Stop," he said suddenly. "There's movement ahead."
Lu Hao and Su Fang immediately activated protective aura shields, glancing at Duong Minh with concern — they knew he could not form one.
"The corridor is narrow and long. If we're attacked, evasion will be difficult. If it's a swarm, it'll be worse," Lu Hao analyzed.
"We don't have a detection tool. Advance or retreat?" Su Fang asked anxiously.
Duong Minh concentrated fully on his hearing.
"Lyra, amplify sound."
Faint, nearly imperceptible noises gradually sharpened into a rustling sound, like countless bristles scraping along stone walls.
"A large swarm. Each about the size of a kitten. They can crawl along the walls. They're moving this way," Duong Minh analyzed.
"Prepare for combat," Lu Hao said.
Both he and Su Fang entered the battle stance. Duong Minh lowered his center of gravity as well, fists clenched.
This was his first battle as a Dao Cultivator.
And he knew every mistake would be paid for in blood.