Trial of the Inner Shadows

The practice of the Xuanming Sect selling access to their secret realm was not new. Many major sects had participated over the years, and it was only natural that they had compiled information on various resource-rich locations within.

However, the core areas had always remained under Xuanming Sect's control. Even when disciples from major sects cooperated with those from Xuanming to gather resources, they could never get any valuable information out of them.

This was because the disciples were sworn to secrecy before entering the realm—they were forbidden to speak of Xuanming's secret domain.

At best, the disciples from other sects could only make educated guesses based on what they saw and heard. Naturally, that meant the information they gathered was always limited.

As for the Yin-Yang Boundary Stele, the Feng family disciples—being part of a noble lineage—must have heard rumors. But their understanding of the details likely remained vague.

Hearing Chen Jinshu's explanation, Du Yi and Jiang Daoyu quickly understood her intent and gestured in invitation. The Feng family members exchanged glances, then turned their eyes to the towering Yin-Yang Boundary Stele ahead.

"Third Brother, what should we do next? Grandfather once told us that there was a dual-colored Yin-Yang Stele that served as a trial ground. Those who passed its test could receive its legacy."

"Since they found this place, it must be extraordinary. And it aligns with what Grandfather described—let's give it a try." The one called Third Brother nodded slightly after a moment of thought, leading his cousins toward the stele.

At this point, Chen Jinshu and her companions stood about three zhang (10 meters) away from the stele. Anyone entering within two zhang would trigger the stele's sensing ability and initiate the trial.

Soon, the five Feng family disciples passed by the trio and stepped into the two-zhang radius. Suddenly, the once dim and silent stele erupted with dazzling black and white light. The sudden change made the Feng disciples tense up and instinctively gather around their central figure—Third Brother.

"Calm down! It's only the inheritance stele responding!" he said sharply, visibly displeased with his cousins' lack of composure.

"Junior Sister, do you think they'll pass the trial?" Du Yi asked through sound transmission.

"Most likely. That 'Third Brother' seems to be their leader and is experienced—he probably has the best shot at succeeding. As for the others… hard to say."

"But none of them have reached the peak of the Qi Refining stage. How did they even get such a rare opportunity?" Jiang Daoyu wondered aloud.

Among them, only the so-called Third Brother had reached the peak of Qi Refining, a step away from Foundation Establishment. The others were all in the late stage, varying in strength.

"In the cultivation world, everything comes down to 'Wealth, Partner, Technique, and Land.' Clearly, they relied on wealth—likely purchased the slots at a high price."

Under their watchful gaze, the five Feng disciples suddenly vanished. In that brief instant, only their startled screams remained echoing.

"What just happened?" Chen Jinshu's eyes widened slightly.

"They were likely transported to different trial realms. Only by passing the tests can they return safely," Du Yi explained softly.

Their sect leader had only given a rough outline of the Yin-Yang Stele's function. With so many details about the realm, even a full month of explanation wouldn't be enough to cover it all.

"If they fail… won't they be stuck in there?"

"Highly likely. Though, so far no one's been reported missing—except that one from your courtyard."

"You mean the senior sister from Ink Plum Courtyard who was trapped in a ruin?"

"Yes. But she was lost somewhere within the realm, and the elders outside could only speculate. Who knows? It might have been this Yin-Yang Stele that trapped her."

"Could be. Anything's possible."

…

Two quarters of an hour passed. The three waited outside the stele at the three-zhang mark, but none of the Feng family disciples returned.

"Senior Brother, I don't think we'll be seeing them again. We may as well enter ourselves and take on the trial. Waiting here does no good," Chen Jinshu said, gazing at the stele, now glowing brightly like a sacred monument.

"Alright. But Junior Sister, be careful. If anything goes wrong, use your token to contact us."

"We don't even know where the stele will send us. It might be a different dimension altogether. The token might not work," she replied, shaking her head. While sect tokens could transmit messages, their range was limited. In spatial pockets or unique environments, they often failed.

Just like the spirit plant space hidden within her spiritual sea—it was completely sealed off. Even message talismans were ineffective there.

Though inconvenient, it also ensured that her secret space remained undiscovered.

"Even so, we should still try. It might be our only chance to call for help," Jiang Daoyu said.

"Of course. But if it comes to that, escaping becomes our top priority."

With that, the three walked toward the Yin-Yang Stele. As Chen Jinshu stepped within the stele's range, she felt something lock onto her. She could move, but it was as if a pair of unseen eyes were scanning her entire body.

"Senior Brothers, do you feel anything?"

Just as she asked, a powerful suction force pulled her in. Her brothers' figures instantly blurred. She was spun rapidly and, when she reappeared, found herself in a completely different environment.

"Xiao Yin!" She didn't take time to study her surroundings. Her first instinct was to call for her spirit beast from its bag.

"Master! I'm here," the familiar voice replied, easing her nerves.

Now she took in the scene around her. Piles of white bones covered the ground, teeming with wriggling white worms and egg sacs. A horrible stench of rotting corpses filled the air, and thick white fog obscured her vision.

"That's… White Bone Mountain? The real White Bone Mountain?"

She followed the trail of skeletal remains and spotted the full view of the mountain. It was made entirely of bones, from its base to the peak, which pierced through the clouds.

Occasionally, bugs would fall from above. Looking closer, she realized they were flies just emerging from their cocoons.

"Could it be… the trial reflects what you fear most?"

Since entering the Xuanming realm, she'd heard many tales of how terrifying White Bone Mountain was. Fear had already taken root in her heart.

She'd felt similar dread when encountering an abandoned village near a replica of White Bone Mountain. Now, it seemed the stele's spirit had sensed that fear. Or maybe… the stele's spirit was actually the artifact spirit that governed this entire realm.

Chen Jinshu dared not speculate further. Her only thought now was to escape and finish the trial. She reached into her storage pouch and pulled out her Lüqi Zither, resolving not to let it out of her hands. Just then, strange snarling sounds reached her ears—halfway between the growl of a wolf and the scream of a madman.

A moment later, a line of bloody corpses appeared before her. Their white eyeballs had fallen from their sockets.