IRBTCI CH2

The young girl had been handling miscellaneous tasks in the entry-level trial for quite some time, but it was the first time she encountered a candidate asking such a question. Her mouth twitched slightly as she said, “…There will be a meal after the trial, regardless of whether you pass or not.”

“Thank you, senior.” Bai Lu was genuinely happy. Given his current situation, getting a free meal was a boon.

Bai Lu also climbed the steps. After three or four steps, he felt his vision blur, and when he focused again, he found himself in a completely different world.

He was on a wooden boat with four other seekers of the Dao. The boat sailed on a misty lake that stretched endlessly, with a grassy islet visible a bit further away.

“You must reach the islet in the middle of the lake and obtain the trial token to pass,” the voice of the hostess, a young female cultivator, echoed vaguely in their ears.

Bai Lu noticed that among the four others, there was a familiar face — Liang Mangu.

The two had chatted a few times before, so Bai Lu nodded at him.

“Everyone be careful; this lake is definitely not simple,” another candidate said and took the lead in grabbing a paddle.

Just then, on the grassy islet in the lake’s center, a giant mirage beast slowly opened its mouth and breathed out mist. Suddenly, the sky darkened, clouds rolled in, waves rose on the windless lake, and several dark shadows flickered beneath the water, causing the small wooden boat to sway.

What had been an open water surface clearly showing the islet was now slowly shrouded by several abandoned ships rising up. They were covered in thick spider webs, with spiders the length of arms crawling over them. Their spider eyes looked cold and emotionless, chilling everyone to the bone.

Everyone grabbed the boat’s edge tightly. Liang Mangu took out a mirror from his bosom and looked ahead, but the mirror’s surface was a white blur. He sighed regretfully: “No magical instruments can be used here.”

This mirror was something he had won in a bet from a noble family’s son, and he had hoped it would be useful.

Now, they had to rely on themselves. The five of them were in one boat…

Liang Mangu’s mind quickly turned as he shouted, “Everyone, that is a ‘Xuan Mirage’ (mysterious mirage). The mist it breathes out can transform into illusions so real they seem tangible, but they cannot actually harm anyone. This trial must be testing our composure. Legend says that as long as your mind is steady, you can see through the illusions and not be disturbed. Don’t panic, let’s move forward together—”

Suddenly, a black shadow under the boat flashed again, and a huge tentacle slammed onto the wooden boat, almost capsizing it.

“You call that an illusion?” One candidate in the group said with a grim face, his eyes full of doubt toward Liang Mangu.

Liang Mangu faltered.

The candidate who had led earlier explained for him, “I’ve read records about that kind of giant mirage beast. It really can create illusions. Besides, five paddling together is faster than one alone. There’s no limit to the number of entrants; why would he lie to us?”

“The most urgent thing is to work together and get through this.”

The five worked together, one steering and four paddling, trying to avoid the abandoned ships crawling with eerie creatures. But avoidance was impossible—one giant spider suddenly opened its mouth just four or five meters away and shot a silk thread that stuck to the boat. The spider quickly crawled along the silk.

“Hit it, hit it!”

Everyone tried to defend together, but suddenly seven or eight tentacles burst from the water, their suction cups close to their faces.

They were surrounded, and five people were clearly not enough.

Liang Mangu heard a calm voice from behind: “Easy to handle.”

Then it added lazily, “Don’t bother with those tentacles.”

In the moment of panic, hearing this, he didn’t care either. Instinctively, he swung his paddle hard at the big spider and knocked it into the water.

Looking back at the tentacles in front, the paddles swept through them…

But they felt nothing, as if the tentacles passed right through their bodies.

“An illusion?”

Liang Mangu felt his clothes soaked through, not sure if it was lake water or cold sweat. He looked at Bai Lu, who had just warned him, and exclaimed in amazement, “In this situation, you can still keep your composure and see through the illusion?”

“No, I just happened to bring this.” Bai Lu raised his hand and showed him an object.

Two metal rings were connected with transparent lenses between them.

Liang Mangu saw Bai Lu adjust this device at a certain angle, and looking through the lenses, some sea beasts and ships appeared much fainter in color than others.

Liang Mangu was stunned: “Why can your device be used?”

“This isn’t a magical instrument,” Bai Lu said. “If you want to put it that way, it’s more like a magic tool I made myself — polarized glasses. I’m mildly nearsighted, don’t usually wear them, but sometimes I put them on for detailed work or crystal identification.”

Bai Lu was especially skilled in water magic and sensed something was off with the water surface.

The illusion created by the giant mirage beast was projected by mist reflecting off the water surface. Bai Lu’s polarized glasses could remove the reflection at certain angles, so illusions created by the beast appeared with much lower contrast.

A simple physical principle.

Well… even though Bai Lu didn’t study in Huaxia, his parents had not stopped sending him to extra tutoring classes.

…

On the Gold and Jade Platform, a dozen or so examiners and dozens of spectators watched the various trial scenes. Many seekers had already fallen off their boats and lost their trial qualifications. Upon seeing this, they all fell silent.

Was this considered cheating?

But that device… really didn’t show any sign of a magical instrument…

“How is it?” A man turned his head and asked. He appeared around forty, with prematurely white temples, and his standing position indicated high status.

Beside him stood a cultivator in white clothes, eyes covered by a silk blindfold, showing only a prominent nose and tightly pressed lips. Holding a silk scroll, as if uninterested in the scene, he slightly tilted his head and said, “No violation, continue.”

Others nodded, “Let’s watch what happens next.”

…

The small wooden boat safely avoided the real water beasts and moved quickly.

Ahead, a shelled creature slowly surfaced.

Someone exclaimed, “Bi Xi!” (a legendary tortoise creature)

Bai Lu glanced at it and thought: A turtle is just a turtle, so many names, bullying me the outsider.

“Really.” Bai Lu glanced down at his glasses. They had to avoid it.

The five slightly adjusted their course to steer clear of the big turtle.

“Looks like something is written on the back of that Bi Xi…” Someone looked carefully, muttering a few words, then was shocked, “Heavens, this is!!”

“What is it?” Liang Mangu couldn’t see clearly from the other side.

But there was no need to look — the Bi Xi actually spoke, reciting cultivation formulas:

“Follow my holding and guarding, and you will achieve the Supreme Glazed Glass Technique, establishing your foundation in cultivation. Your body will be like glazed glass, complete and tranquil…”

This was not only a top-tier cultivation formula but also came with an explanation that allowed quick entry. Just hearing it, some were tempted uncontrollably. Whether they acted on their own or were involuntarily influenced, their minds began to run through the formulas…

Indeed, countless celestial sects existed throughout the world, with thousands of disciples in Xuan Shan, distinguished into registered disciples, inner disciples, and true heirs. Entry-level training did not guarantee the highest-level techniques, and the third trial was even harder. Each trial was more difficult than the last.

If one could cultivate this formula now, at least they would have some guarantee.

Liang Mangu broke out in a sweat. He immediately realized this Bi Xi, although motionless, was far more dangerous than the previous water beasts.

But the voice drilled into their ears, shaking their minds. He could do nothing but put down his paddle, cover his ears, and shout, “I will not cultivate this! I have a brighter future ahead, and I will become the sect leader of Xuan Shan!”

For a moment, the other four all put down their paddles—some began cultivating, some resisted.

Only Bai Lu listened for ten seconds and said, “…What does that mean?”

Classical Chinese, he didn’t understand a word!

It seemed to contain some unfamiliar power, but not as abundant as his own magic.

So he grabbed a paddle and kept rowing forward.

Better to finish the trial and eat sooner.

As the wooden boat drifted farther away from the Bi Xi, the voice grew fainter.

Liang Mangu lowered his hands, still shaken, and looked at Bai Lu who was focused on paddling. He couldn’t find words for a moment, then blurted out a new nickname: “Bro…”

Splash!

Suddenly, a sound came from behind. Liang Mangu looked back and saw that the trial participant who had first organized everyone to paddle had jumped off the boat!

“I haven’t finished listening, I haven’t finished listening yet…” he struggled to swim toward the Bi Xi.

Seeing this, another trial participant seemed encouraged and also jumped off. Liang Mangu barely had time to stop them, and in the blink of an eye, only three remained on the boat.

Liang Mangu sighed, feeling how unpredictable life was, and just as he was about to express his feelings, Bai Lu interrupted: “Paddle, hurry up. We’re almost there. Don’t slack off — why am I the only one paddling?”

“Oh, oh.” Liang Mangu’s melancholy was cut short, and he quickly picked up his paddle and joined in, feeling no resentment at the urging but gratitude toward Brother Bai.

As the grassy islet neared and the giant mirage beast came into view, Liang Mangu became excited.

“Wait, the boat is leaking!” another participant suddenly shouted. They looked and, sure enough, the bottom of the boat had been pierced by a water beast unknown to them and was now leaking badly.

One trial participant threw their body to block the hole, but on the hull, water stains formed several characters: “Three will surely sink.”

The participant’s face changed sharply. “This is deliberate?”

A classic “Two Peaches Kill Three Warriors” scenario.

“Are they forcing us to abandon one person?” The participant glanced at the two of them. He had seen them talk and knew they had some small acquaintance — not much, but precious in this moment.

“Think carefully! This question must be testing whether we have a spirit of unity and mutual help. Perhaps even if we all fall in the water, we might all still qualify…”

Bai Lu felt there was some truth in that.

Liang Mangu chuckled, “Enough nonsense. You go down!”

He kicked that person off the boat without waiting for a reaction.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Bai Lu leaned over the side, watching the participant bobbing in the water, angrily cursing Liang Mangu.

Liang Mangu proudly said, “Didn’t expect that, huh? I have sharp ears and eyes, and a photographic memory. Among those who pass the first trial, that guy isn’t one of them! He must be a planted spy like those water beasts, deliberately trying to stir trouble between us.”

“He said we must stick together; I thought he had a point,” Bai Lu said, surprised by all these tricks. He reached out and grabbed the struggling participant’s sleeve, pulling him back up.

“It’s all an act,” Liang Mangu said confidently, “This isn’t serious enough yet. When things get more desperate, who dares bet that falling in the water together won’t mean failing together? Besides, how can you be sure the test is about unity? What if it’s about decisiveness?”

Just like at the Bi Xi, no one could be sure; these dangers were all calculations on human hearts.

They were all deliberate schemes.

As he spoke, Liang Mangu gave another participant climbing back up a swift kick down again.

Participant: “…”

“What nonsense are you talking? I just put on makeup! Wanting to leave a good impression on the master is wrong?” The participant’s face was soaking wet, and something had dissolved to reveal a dark, blackened skin.

“Eh?” Liang Mangu looked closely and recognized the face. With disdain, he thought, “Blackened skin but still wearing powder; I don’t even use under-eye concealer.” He said, “Uh, then get back on.”

The participant climbed back, but perhaps because they didn’t make a choice or returned to the choice again, the boat started sinking again.

Liang Mangu stared at him, thinking: if that’s the case, he’s not a spy, and the choice still exists…

What should they do?

“How badly do you want to enter the sect?” Bai Lu suddenly had an idea and, seeing their eyes on him, said startlingly, “Actually, I don’t necessarily have to enter. If you promise me some money, crystals, silver, and… is there any white wax wood here?”

He was just finding a way to get by and repair his broom, not necessarily seeking admission.

The participant was stunned, thinking he was joking.

But since Bai Lu said that, he quickly seized the chance: “I can give you everything I have.”

“Do you have it now?” Bai Lu asked.

The participant hesitated, then pulled out some bright, glossy, lilac-colored stones. “These are Yun Jing gems. Take them first.”

Bai Lu reached out and accepted them. He also studied alchemy, so while these weren’t materials he was familiar with, they seemed to contain power.

Liang Mangu’s eyes widened, alarmed: “What are you talking about? You don’t want to cultivate? Aren’t you afraid there won’t be good materials after joining the sect? Xuan Shan Sect guards the earth fire and has countless heavenly materials and treasures. How could they lack for you?”

He felt grateful to Bai Lu for the earlier help and, though exaggerating a bit, said this. New disciples couldn’t just take whatever they wanted, but it wasn’t nonsense.

Bai Lu was shocked. Was the Xuan Shan Sect doing charity? Not only free education but also giving stuff? So this place was actually prestigious. Besides fixing his broom, maybe he could find other good materials too.

Bai Lu immediately looked coldly at the participant and said, “Then you’d better get off. Now.”

Liang Mangu eagerly lifted his foot and kicked the person off a third time.

Participant: “…”

He blew bubbles underwater, silently cursing.

Floating and sinking, he shouted, “Give me back my stones!”

Bai Lu: No intention of returning… and they’re pretty.

“Wait,” Bai Lu thought, leaning over the side and grabbing the participant’s sleeve again, because he suddenly had another idea.

The participant shouted in despair, “Don’t pull me up again! Are you guys messing with me? Up and kicked down, up and kicked down! Just get it over with! Give me back my Yun Jing!”

Of course, the stones weren’t coming back.

“Don’t be so agitated,” Bai Lu winked, “I just see you can’t swim well. Just hang on here; we’ll take you along. Consider it a repayment for the Yun Jing gems. But if we can’t hold on, there’s nothing we can do. Tough luck — you can prepare for next year’s exam.”

What kind of forced purchase was this? Next year, would there even be a chance? The participant still yelled, “Repayment? Meeting you is my bad luck!!”

Liang Mangu was silent for a moment, then agreed with Bai Lu: “Then let’s gamble…”

“Though slower, we can try,” Bai Lu said. So the two dragged the one along and reached the shore of the grassy islet.

“Where’s the trial token? Is it inside the giant clam?” Liang Mangu eagerly scanned around.

Before they could find the token, a watery curtain spread before them, and they were transported out of the trial realm, back to the jade steps — only one step away from the Gold and Jade Platform.

The cold young girl stood before them, softly saying, “Congratulations, you have passed the second trial.”

“We haven’t taken the trial token yet,” Bai Lu said, wondering why they were suddenly brought out.

“You already have it,” the girl looked at his hand.

Bai Lu glanced down; he had been holding the participant’s sleeve. The participant looked at him with lingering resentment and said, “Yes, it’s me!”

Bai Lu: “…”

“Well, I said he really was a spy!” Liang Mangu shouted after realizing.

The participant, or rather the trial token, showed veins bulging on his forehead.

Liang Mangu recalled the few decisive kicks he’d given moments ago and fell silent, only giving a nervous chuckle: “Heh heh.”

Bai Lu was eager to eat, “So now only the third trial remains.”

“No, you’ve already cleared all trials,” the girl waved her hand, and the participant transformed into a jade token that fell into Bai Lu’s palm. The token was clearly inscribed with the number “Three.”

Bai Lu suddenly understood. Before entering the trial, the girl only said “passed,” not specifying it was just the second trial.