Chapter 2 The Second Trial
"The second trial, the test of the heart!"
As Qi Baiyan finished speaking, Li Xuan and the others grew solemn. The first trial had been difficult enough, so the second would undoubtedly be no less so. Whether they could pass would depend entirely on themselves. Since it was a test of strength, everyone would have to reveal their true capabilities.
"Upon entering this barrier, each of you will be immersed in an illusion. Within it, you will face a choice. Your choice will determine your success or failure. Even I cannot say what is right or wrong. It all depends on you."
With a wave of his hand, Qi Baiyan conjured a barrier before Li Xuan and the others. After a moment of silence, they stepped towards it with determined expressions.
"Young lady, may I know your name?" Li Xuan paused at the entrance to the barrier and asked Liu Jiaqi.
"Liu Jiaqi," Liu Jiaqi replied after a moment of silence, then looked up at Li Xuan.
"Li Xuan." Li Xuan smiled upon hearing her name, then turned and stepped into the barrier.
Li Xuan.
Peony and the others, who had yet to enter, exchanged thoughtful glances upon hearing the name. However, they soon shook their heads. While the surname Li was common in the Central Region, the name Li Xuan was unfamiliar to them.
"Do you think he might be from…?" Peony's eyes lit up as she spoke.
"Saintess Peony refers to the Sacred Land?" Jian Chi frowned. If Li Xuan was indeed from the Sacred Land, his own plans would be in ruins. Though Jian Chi was reluctant to admit it, he couldn't think of any other power capable of nurturing such an outstanding disciple.
"Besides the Sacred Land, I can't imagine any other place that could cultivate such a sword cultivator," Peony said with a wry smile, then walked towards the barrier.
"He is not from the Sacred Land." Liu Jiaqi suddenly spoke, then, to the astonishment of Peony and the others, entered the barrier.
Jian Chi, however, was pleased. As long as Li Xuan wasn't from the Sacred Land, his previous ideas might still be feasible. With this thought, Jian Chi's mood brightened considerably.
Soon, all eleven had entered the barrier. Bu Jinglei and Kun Peng, still recuperating from their injuries, were clearly unable to participate in the second trial.
"What a pity. With Bu Jinglei and Kun Peng's strength, passing this second trial shouldn't have been difficult. But after their conflict with Li Xuan, they've lost the chance to inherit."
"Li Xuan already had a grievance with Bu Jinglei outside, and he even impersonated a disciple of the Lihuo Sect. It's understandable that Kun Peng and Bu Jinglei acted as they did. I just didn't expect Li Xuan to gravely wound them with a single sword strike."
"They brought it upon themselves. Destiny, after all, is a matter of fate. Speaking of which, among these eleven, how many do you think will succeed?"
As Li Xuan and the others entered the barrier, the onlookers below began to discuss animatedly, completely oblivious to the increasingly livid expressions of the disciples from the Lihuo Sect and Tianlei Sect.
Upon entering the barrier, Li Xuan found himself looking at a scene that brought tears to his eyes.
Qingcheng, the Li family.
Soon, a little girl appeared before Li Xuan, hopping along. Seeing her, tears streamed down Li Xuan's face.
This little girl was Li Yao.
As Li Xuan watched Li Yao clutching a steamed bun, trying to keep it warm, memories flooded his mind.
The young Li Xuan, orphaned and alone, would have to steal leftovers from the kitchen for food, or go hungry. At that time, Li Yao's parents were still alive, and her circumstances were vastly different from Li Xuan's.
That year, Li Xuan was seven, and Li Yao was five.
Li Yao, by chance, saw Li Xuan collapsed from hunger in the woodshed. She then gave him her own pastries. From then on, Li Yao would secretly save a steamed bun each day for Li Xuan.
But two years later, Li Yao's parents passed away, leaving her an orphaned child. Li Xuan vividly remembered that rainy evening, Li Yao crying alone in the courtyard.
It was on that night that Li Xuan resolved to protect Li Yao for the rest of his life.
Within the clan, especially for side-branch disciples like Li Xuan, they were often subjected to bullying. After Li Yao began living with Li Xuan, she also became a target for the young ladies of the Li family.
What ill intentions could two children who depended on each other have? They only wanted to survive. In one year, they endured countless instances of bullying. It was a miracle that they persevered. This situation only began to improve after Li Xuan began his martial cultivation at the age of eight.
At least, they never went hungry again.
Soon, the scene shifted to Li Yao being brought to the Cangyun Sect by Liu Qing. A woman in black hovered in the air, with a terrified Li Yao beside her.
Upon seeing this, Li Xuan's eyes narrowed, and his aura surged.
"How dare you harbor killing intent towards me?" The woman in black suddenly fixed her gaze on Li Xuan and struck him with a palm.
Li Xuan's pupils constricted. He felt an intense wave of death emanating from the woman.
"Brother!" Li Yao cried out in panic.
*Puff!*
Li Xuan had no time to react. A sharp pain surged through him, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Don't come closer!" Just then, Li Xuan saw Li Yao running towards him, and his heart seized with alarm. He shouted desperately.
"Don't hurt my brother!" Li Yao ignored Li Xuan and shielded him with her arms.
"He dies, you live. Or you die, he lives." The woman in black sneered.
"Yao'er, come here!" Li Xuan stopped Li Yao from speaking and gently stroked her face, forcing a smile. "Yao'er, I promised I would take care of you for a lifetime. If only my death can ensure your survival, then I choose to die."
Li Xuan then looked at the woman in black, his expression utterly calm.
"You know this is an illusion, so why don't you act? You must know that breaking this illusion will allow you to leave." The woman in black frowned and asked.
Li Xuan smiled slightly. "It has been a long time since I last saw Yao'er. Even an illusion feels beautiful. At least, it brings me warmth. In fact, I am grateful to you. Without your existence, Yao'er would not have appeared."
"When you presented that choice, I also asked myself how I would act if I were in such a situation."
"How would you choose?" the woman in black asked.
Li Xuan smiled. "Have I not already made my choice?"
The woman in black's expression changed slightly, as if shocked by the depth of Li Yao's importance to Li Xuan.
"Your heart is firm and unwavering. I am proud that the one you call brother is you. You have passed this trial," the woman in black said after a long pause.
Li Xuan showed no joy at passing. Instead, the image of Li Yao's face reappeared in his mind.
"Yao'er, I will find you. Believe me, I will!"
Li Xuan whispered, and in the next instant, a sword light shot out from within him, soaring into the sky.
Simultaneously, in the outside world, Qi Baiyan's expression shifted slightly, and he looked at the barrier with disbelief.
"Sword Heart Clarity!"