He is confident in his abilities, or at least he seems to be.

Like a shadow of fate, the Chaos Beast hovered over him, its searing breath cascading around him like a whirlwind. Its jaws parted, unveiling a serrated array of teeth, sharp as the fleeting moments of life ready to eat Li Tian alive.

However,

With the elegance of a drifting cloud, Lu Tian sidestepped, avoiding the bite of the chaos beast by a hair's length, full of majestic aura and divine grace.

Yet, he didn't manage to attract the sight of a single maiden for shall, he was viewed as a fool.

Nevertheless, with a mind as calm as the sea, he retaliated with a burst of energy, striking the beast with a blast of power that sent it flying across the plain.

Swooosh!

The beast quickly recovered, its body trembling with rage. It charged at Lu Tian once more, its bright green glowing claws swiping through the air with deadly precision,

Yet,

Lu Tian dodged and weaved, avoiding each attack with incredible footwork and agility like a nimble being trained in a bamboo forest.

Not, just that be he countered with another blast of energy, this one stronger than the last.

Woooooo!!!!

The Chaos Beast howled in pain as it stumbled backwards, but it quickly regained its balance, its eyes burning with an unquenchable rage.

May Buddha have mercy but it won't.

Krrrrrrr!

It let out a deafening roar, causing the ground to shake beneath their feet as if the earthquake had descended ready to demolish everything.

Swish!

With a sudden and powerful burst of speed, it surged forward, rapidly narrowing the gap that separated it from Lu Tian.

Its glowing demonic claws raked across Lu Tian's chest, tearing through his robes and leaving deep gashes in his flesh.

"Argh!"

He cried out in pain, but quickly composed himself.

With gritted teeth, he unleashed a devastating attack, pouring all of his power into a single strike.

Woosh!

The Chaos Beast once again stumbled backwards, its body scorched by the intense energy. But it refused to fall, its unyielding spirit driving it forward.

It lunged at Lu Tian once more, furious and hell-bent on putting an end to his life.

Lu Tian prepared himself for another attack, but before he could strike, the beast's claws found their mark once more.

This time, they brutally tore through his skin, digging deep into his abdomen.

"Heukkkk!!! Arghhhh!!!"

He roared in fury as the beast yanked him off the ground. Blood gushed from his wounds, soaking the ground beneath him.

The Chaos Beast hurled him aside like he was nothing more than a rag doll, slamming him into the ground with a bone-crushing impact.

His vision blurred, and he gasped for breath, as each inhale was a struggle.

He felt broken—his body wrecked and beyond repair, his bones were broken and his internal organs were damaged.

Yet, despite the brutal attack and the looming sense of death, Lu Tian's spirit burned with power, unyielding and furious.

With his last ounce of strength, he looked up at the Chaos Beast and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"You may have beaten me, but I will not be forgotten," he rasped. "I am Lu Tian, and my name will live on forever."

He glared at Zhao Fan with all his remaining strength as if to say I am the winner and he is the loser, Alas, ignorance blinds the mind and not the eyes.

The beast loomed ominously over him, its massive silhouette casting a dark shadow that engulfed him entirely, ready to deliver the final blow that would surely seal his fate.

Its eyes glowed with a menacing red glint, reflecting a ruthless hunger for victory, and its jagged teeth glistened in the dim light highlighting the poisonous saliva as it prepared to strike.

Just as the Chaos beast tensed its powerful muscles, poised to unleash its wrath, a brilliant beam of light pierced through the gloom, striking the beast from behind.

The sudden surge of energy radiated outward, illuminating the desolate land like a flash of dawn breaking through the night.

The impact sent the monstrous creature tumbling across the plain once more, its formidable mixed body skidding against the rugged ground, dust and debris flying in all directions as it struggled to regain its footing this time, momentarily thrown off balance by the surprise attack.

Zhao Fan stood over Lu Tian's broken body, his eyes filled with a mixture of pity and nothing more.

What a foolish brat.

"You were foolish, but your bravery was admirable, this Zhao dared not question the means of your strength nor your intelligence yet this is over..." he said softly, like a gentle breeze on a summer's day. "Rest now, and may your soul find peace."

Zhao Fan closed his eyes, ending Lu Tian's suffering with a single, swift strike. Then, he turned his attention to the Chaos Beast, which was slowly getting back to its feet.

Young Master Zhao wasn't as unwise as Lu Tian. Despite such power, Lu Tian couldn't do anything great, proving the point that not everyone is meant for greatness.

Thus, he sent a blast of energy towards the beast on a red scale, killing it instantly.

And just like that, it was over.

[ Congratulations on passing the trial. You shall now ascend to the 26th floor... Unlike before, you can leave the domain as soon sd you reach floor 26, but keep in mind the rest of the trials aren't going to be easy ]

[ 001 bids farewell to all Fellow Daoists, may the path be lit up with enlightenment, and sleep be protected by Dao ]

Woosh!

Instantly they ascended.

[ Welcome Fellow Daoists, I am guide 002... ]

[ Let's begin with a trial... ]

Zhao Fan "..."

Women "..."

What can they say!? Straight up trial!? It's just the wind.

[Answer the riddles and make progress or lose 2 lives. If you don't have two lives in stock, then you will die permanently and others can't resurrect you. ]

[ Also the fellow Daoist named Lu Tian has died permanently ]

Hearing this, they were shocked but everyone instantly purchased two lives.

The first one was 1,000 points and the second one was 5,000 points.

Some of them had to purchase the two lives at 5k and 15k.

And for one people or was 15k and 50k and the fifth life was around 150k points

Woosh!

Everyone was summoned into a different space.

* * *

Zhao Fan,

[ Now answer the first riddle ]

[ The first riddle is ]

The wind whispers secrets of the sky,

The fire burns, but the embers lie,

What is it that remains when all is gone?

What is it that lingers, forever strong?

Zhao Fan smiled, it's too easy.

"Embers and secrets of the sky... The answer is nothingness."

Young Master was right. The answer was indeed nothingness. The wind whispers the secrets of the sky but those are just the sounds of the wind. The fire burns but the embers are mere remnants of what was, but in truth, they too are nothingness as the fire was once a piece of wood. So the answer is nothingness.

[ Correct. What a profound answer ]

[ Answer the second riddle ]

In the land of shadows, where darkness reigns,

I am born of light, yet cast in chains,

My voice is silenced, my song unheard,

But in the heart of darkness, I am stirred.

Again, too easy. The answer was the flame. The flame is born of light and yet it is chained as the light is chained to the wick of the lamp, the flame is never heard, and yet in the heart of darkness, it is stirred.

Thus,

"Flame."

[ Correct. May the Dao be with you. Now ascend to floor 27. ]

* *

Even in the most failed, it's easy, as they can simply revive themselves and move on.

The 27th floor was a floor full of darkness, Zhao Fan quickly summoned a magical orb to illuminate the way, and as shameless as it could be... This seems to be a demonic place with human skulls everywhere.

"This... What is this place!?" Yi Xin Xue asked with a rushed tone.

[ Welcome to hide and seek... You have to hide from the demon lord and collect as much treasure as you can however if you are found he will kill you. ]

[ Survive for: 3 hours... ]

Ling'er who heard this was shocked.

[ The game will begin after once small incense. Leave the place if your heart is weak ]

The mechanical voice echoed.

"Umm..."

Wa Ti Ning looked at Zhao Fan and nodded before her entire sect left the domain. It was far too cruel for them.

Ling'er, Jia Mei, and others also left the domain. They have collected a lot of treasures on floors 21-25 and it would help them massively.

Only Zhao Fan and Yi Xin Xue were remaining.

"Young Master... This one wishes to leave as well, I don't think I can handle all this..." Yi Xin Xue said.