"How could this be? How can such a thing happen?"
In the center of the octagonal pavilion stood a stone tablet. As Bai Qiuran approached, the tablet once again revealed the same two lines of text. With no choice left, Bai Qiuran turned to the two girls, instructing them, "This cave has some places set by Earth Immortals as traps.
If you’re not careful and enter one, with your current strength of consciousness, there’s a risk of being possessed. On the way here, I came across several other practitioners who had already been possessed. Ruo Wei, and young Lady Li, you both must be careful.
If there’s any danger, don’t hesitate, and immediately use the jade slip I gave you for protection. Do you understand?"
Even though he knew that most of this likely wasn't part of the trial, there remained a flicker of anticipation in Bai Qiuran's heart.
"Wait a moment." In the dark space, the figure in black robes, who had been closely observing Bai Qiuran, fell into deep confusion. Upon hearing Li Jinyao’s words, Bai Qiuran felt it was rather strange, prompting him to ask, "You have an addiction to studying human individuals? How unusual. I’ve only seen this kind of symptom in people from the Xuanfa Academy before..."
"Wait a moment." He understood well what he sought: love, beloved, fame, status, wealth — all of these were secondary, even unimportant desires to him.
"Bai Xue Ling said I might be able to find the method to establish my foundation here, perhaps..."
"A person has lived for thousands of years, and it’s one thing to not have a lover, but why does he not even have any enemies? How has he lived all these thousands of years?" As for those that came later, they were no longer Bai Qiuran's foes. Whenever he found something confusing, he would usually take revenge on the spot, so currently, he had no enemies at all.
The secret manual in front of him was filled with dense characters, yet it seemed as if it had been smeared with sandpaper, making it impossible to read clearly. Bai Qiuran stared at it for a long while, and only then could he make out the words that were buried: the whole manual essentially conveyed eight words: “No hope left! Just wait for death! Farewell!”
Having lived for over three thousand years, his greatest pursuit indeed was to establish a foundation. On the side, Tang Ruowei sighed helplessly and said, "Sister Li, look at him. He’s just like that. You might as well give up."
Deep in the night sky, a long bridge suddenly appeared, and the octagonal pavilion began to tremble unsteadily. Bai Qiuran understood that this was the cave urging him to commence the trial. He found himself inside an octagonal pavilion, floating amidst the stars, which twinkled with a faint light, uncertain if they were real or not.
After the sense of spatial dislocation passed, causing the fog to disperse, Bai Qiuran discovered that he had indeed separated from Li Jinyao and Tang Ruowei. Li Jinyao looked a bit reluctant but still said, "This is ultimately our trial; we cannot always rely on the Sword Ancestor... What a pity! I wanted to stay with you longer and learn more about you, senior."
After hearing Li Jinyao speak, Bai Qiuran found it odd, asking, "Do you have an addiction to studying human beings? It’s really strange, I’ve only seen this symptom in people from the Xuanfa Academy..."
"The words of the Sword Ancestor make sense," Bai Qiuran replied. "Originally, I concealed my entry here so that you could practice on your own. I didn’t expect to encounter both of you here, which can only be called a coincidence."
“Then let’s part ways,” suggested Li Jinyao.
"Bai Xue Ling said I might find the method to establish my foundation here, perhaps..."
The truth is, one who has lived for over three thousand years with neither love nor enemies is indeed a rarity. Yet, what the person in black robes did not know was that for someone who had been invincible in the realm of cultivation at a mere thousand years old, having no enemies was not particularly surprising at all.
The trials here, although inevitably carrying some danger, were not set up to kill. Therefore, those like Bai Qiuran and Li Jinyao, who bore no issues related to the “Grievance and Hatred Gathering,” naturally encountered nothing out of the ordinary once they entered the trial.
The true Wise Immortal, when establishing this cave, aimed to leave knowledge and wealth of the era for future generations. What is known as the trials of the Eight Great Pains was merely a test of the latter's mindset, ensuring they would not seek the unreliable.
Upon stepping onto the high platform, fire ignited in the four braziers at the corners, illuminating the central object on the platform. The seventh agony: "Unfulfilled Wishes."
The figure in black robes was not the true "Wise Immortal," nor the designer of this cave. He merely occupied a nest and did not comprehend the mechanism and design concept of this cave's trials.
After some contemplation, the figure in black propped himself up, gazing at Bai Qiuran on the light screen, murmuring, "You’ve survived all this time relying on external paths. I refuse to believe you don't desire anything at all. In the upcoming trial of 'Unfulfilled Wishes,' I want to see what tricks you have left."
Li Jinyao's demeanor was the same; she was naturally gifted, protected well by her master, and as a cultivator of the Demon Path, she wouldn’t indulge thoughts that weren't right.
Bai Qiuran whispered to himself after reading the lines on the tablet. He knew well that what he wished for – love, status, wealth – these were all secondary. His true pursuit was the method of establishing his foundation, the "Foundational Cultivation Technique."
Seeing the secret manual, he moved slowly and carefully approached the bookshelf, flipping through the thick tome made of golden silk wrapping. The characters were densely packed yet somehow blurry, appearing to be smeared with a layer of sandpaper.
"How can it be? How can this happen?" He found it hard to believe in the reality of the words flashing before him.
"Such a hopeless situation! Waiting for death! Farewell!"
In the dark space, the figure in black couldn’t help but feel lost as well. Bai Qiuran noted the oddity in Li Jinyao's words; she mentioned an unusual addiction, one he had only seen in students back at his academy.
He let out a breath, knowing full well that each trial would present challenges as long as one bore desires and darkness in their heart. Yet, he also felt a renewed spark of hope every time he encountered the road ahead.