With steady steps, Silver Spirit began her ascent.
She understood that the first twenty steps posed little challenge to third and fourth-tier Evolvers.
Most could easily withstand them.
Lin Yuan, being a Golden Pattern Evolver, had already begun learning the rules, so why linger so long at the first twenty steps?
"Could there be some secret?" Silver Spirit wondered, perceiving that Lin Yuan's actions must have some deeper meaning.
Convinced he wasn't foolish, she decided to stay at the fortieth step for a while as well.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Waves of soul attacks descended upon them.
Though Silver Spirit withstood these effortlessly, she soon realized she was wasting time.
"What nonsense secret," she thought, frustrated at her own foolish behavior.
The pause hadn't weakened her, but it brought no benefit either.
Realizing this, she resumed her climb to the summit.
"Soul defense increased by twenty percent, and the stability of the black and white Taiji 'galaxy' in the Niwan Palace tightened by fifteen percent," Lin Yuan felt pleased upon reaching the seventh step.
For him, these soul attacks were more effective than training alone.
"Whether or not I join the Crimson Leviathan Star Lineage, I might as well reap some benefits first," he thought, finding the current soul attacks no real threat and stepped onto the eighth.
In the Seven Star Caves, every stage had a time limit of one month.
Lin Yuan's prolonged stop inside the fifth star cave drew the attention of twelve figures.
"What is Lin Yuan doing?" they wondered.
"Why isn't he going directly to the seventh cave for the final test but wasting time at the fifth?" Some speculated he might be weak in soul defenses, making the soul attacks harder for him to withstand.
The soul attack strength within the fifth cave matched the Evolver's existing strength level.
Lin Yuan, a fourth-tier tenth-segment Evolver, faced fourth-tier soul attacks.
If he were weak in soul defenses, struggling wouldn't be unusual.
"Not good at soul defense?" several figures exchanged glances.
"Not a big issue," three figures above calmly dismissed.
Soul defenses could be improved later; if Lin Yuan lacked, they could gift him soul defense treasures in time.
"Can he really pass the fifth cave within a month?" expressed a voice with concern.
Gu Ze, the third disciple of the Crimson Leviathan Star Lord and an existence beyond sixth-tier, most favored Lin Yuan among them.
"Take it slowly," he mused.
Even if Lin Yuan failed the tests, Gu Ze could ensure his inclusion in the Crimson Leviathan Star Lineage.
However, Lin Yuan's standings would be lower without passing through all seven caves, making selecting his future cultivation path more difficult.
Each trial, rarely activated, incurred costs.
The tests were incredibly precise, gauging an applicant's potential through seven diverse trials.
On the mountain steps, Lin Yuan advanced with purpose.
"Continuous soul attacks are rare," he thought.
Soul attacks were unique, draining the user's own soul power and slower to recover than Blood Qi or physical stamina.
Most Lin Yuan knew couldn't sustain persistent soul attacks due to post-attack exhaustion.
Higher-level soul Evolvers were a risk since sudden strong attacks posed a life threat.
"But my improvement pace is slowing," realizing less advancement, he pondered.
Initially, a step leveled him up by ten, now just eight or five.
Lin Yuan needed real threats to ignite and enhance his Heaven-Defying Comprehension.
But now, he felt no threat, much like running a hundred-meter black course in the first cave: manageable through sheer physicality without extra methods like the Taiji Domain.
Therefore, his comprehension didn't increase his physical abilities at all.
"Plenty of time remains," Lin Yuan considered, pausing on the twentieth step, glancing ahead.
Silver Spirit had reached the top steps, though visibly pale from the last few steps' intense difficulty.
"Too bad her powers weren't fully displayed," he regretted not gleaning insights, especially rare spatial comprehension.
Observing spatial maneuvers like Silver Spirit's provided valuable insights, not mere impertinent details like hair color change or shape-shifting.
"Friend, what are you looking at?" a voice broke his thoughts.
Beside him, another Golden Pattern candidate gasped, having just climbed twenty steps.
Each step equaled a soul attack, each stronger than the last—a taxing ordeal.
"Nothing much," Lin Yuan replied casually.
"Look, that Red Pattern seems near to passing the star trials."
"Silver Spirit, I know her," the Golden Pattern recognized.
"Her mentor's a famed sixth-tier Falling Star, wanting to learn from those top three."
Stopping on a step meant constant soul attack from that level but, intermittent attacks every minute or so at a consistent strength, meaning staying strong against the first ensured the rest.
"Those three?" Lin Yuan knew them as Crimson Leviathan Star Lord's top disciples, each beyond sixth-tier.
"The Crimson Leviathan Star Lord teaches well," Lin Yuan remarked.
Every elite power walked their own path with minimal outside influence, with Crimson Leviathan Star Lord showcasing these teachings.
"Indeed," affirmed the Golden Pattern Evolver, continuing, "And his strength is unmatched—a fact solidified during the Zerg war when he devoured a Zerg Mother Nest whole."
Shocked by this, Lin Yuan knew each Zerg Mother Nest housed a Mother Queen, a ruler surpassing sixth-tier standards.
A Mother Nest endlessly crafted Zerg warriors, from first to sixth-tier.
While individual Zerg might not match human Evolvers, their overwhelming numbers leveled battles.
The Zerg's Hive strategy firmly anchored them atop the cosmic hierarchy.
Initially, humans struggled against them, only gaining ground due to stronger peak forces.
The Crimson Leviathan Star Lord's feat of swallowing a Mother Nest was a meritorious act, potentially saving many human Evolvers.
Defeating protected Father Nest proved formidable, as could Mother Nest defenses themselves.
The Golden Pattern companion soon disconnected for rest, and Lin Yuan resumed climbing after lingering.
People scattered below around the mountain proved Lin Yuan wasn't the lone climber; most were Silver Patterns struggling against assaults.
Lin Yuan momentarily paused, contemplating before disconnecting from the virtual realm and returning to reality.
"Tired," he admitted, rubbing his brow.
For fourth-tier Evolvers, physical fatigue was rare; regenerative Qi functioning like a diminished 'perpetual motion machine.' Yet, mental fatigue from continuous soul assaults persisted, even with slow-improving soul defenses granted by Heaven-Defying Comprehension.
"Time for sleep," he concluded, closing his eyes—a luxury he'd forgone for a while, deserving a full night's rest.
After a day, Lin Yuan awoke, fatigue washed away.
[Your comprehension is heaven-defying; under vast soul attacks, you grasped the Soul Defense Secret Art 'Mind Tower.']
Buzz.
In his Niwan Palace, soul power surged, and within it, the black and white Taiji 'galaxy' trembled before a transparent five-colored tower enveloped the palace, forming his Mind Tower.
"Soul Defense Secret Art," Lin Yuan rejoiced, sensing the intangible tower's defenses exceeded even a Treasure comparable to the Soul Suppression Bell.
Essentially, Lin Yuan, without the bell's aid, reached its magnitude and beyond in soul safeguarding.
"With traversals, soul defense remains worry-free," he mused happily.
The Gate of Myriad Realms allowed body-only transfers, yet mindset-focused journeys neglected carrying soul treasures like the bell.
But with the Soul Defense Secret Art, he remained secure in spirit.
"Let's continue," with spirits high, Lin Yuan reentered the virtual world, reappearing in the Seven Star Caves.
The fifth cave.
Midway up the mountain, his emergence was immediate.
"Hmm?" he grunted.
Within moments, layer-attached soul assaults struck, easily deflecting off the invisible tower, impeded further in the Niwan Palace.
"Mind Tower," Lin Yuan exclaimed.
This star cave's soul strength, which once shook his outer barriers, could neither rattle nor touch them due to the secret art's prowess.
"Dissipate," at his will, the invisible Mind Tower began fading.
As a control-facilitated art, Lin Yuan chose to remove it, welcoming more soul attacks to nurture his attributes.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Time passed, showing Lin Yuan's growth slowed until no increase remained.
Standing still, descending soul attacks wielded no threat anymore.
"About time to move on," he pondered quietly.
On the edge of the last step, "To the next star cave," unspoken plans in mind.
Half a month spent inside the star cave ensured ample benefit reaping, leaving unless more gains beckoned was needless.
"Still many Evolvers," casting a glance, Lin Yuan noted several scattered Evolvers at lower mountain regions; primarily Silver Patterns, fighting soul attacks painstakingly.
"Let's go," he decided, determination swelling.
Reaching the mountain top, with a minor spatial ripple, he vanished into the next cave.
In the mysterious space, twelve figures silently observed Lin Yuan's crossing of the fifth cave with relief.
"Finally passed," they murmured.
"The sixth cave's challenge is lower; passing the fifth makes the sixth merely time-bound," said one figure.
Among them, Gu Ze, one of the top three disciples of Crimson Leviathan Star Lord, looked forward eagerly to Lin Yuan's sixth cave attempts.
Though weary after a late writing session, they'd finally concluded the chapter, with adjustments to release times planned.
Lastly, a humble request for monthly tickets concluded the chapter.
(The chapter is complete)