Phew, moving in a human body’s just easier, even if my strength dips a hair.

She flexed lazily, then extended a slender jade-white hand, long pale fingers pointed my way. Something in me seemed to vanish; a weight unhooked, breath turned light.

All right, I’ve removed the side effects from “Pursuit of Limits.” Show me your full strength. Let me see where your limit lies. Don’t waste the elixir Jijiu gave you; it’s precious.

She drew back her hand and smiled, a beauty bright enough to daze me. I snapped out of it and bowed my thanks. Thanks for the help! I’ll give it everything!

Good. Very good. I can cut the third trial’s time in half—to fifteen minutes.

Can you?

I tilted my head, wary; halving the final trial’s time sounded too good.

Yes. In exchange, I’ll use sixty percent power—about Divine Novice. Relax, I won’t use my Law Domain in the trial. If you’re unsure, we do thirty minutes. My power caps at half-step Divine Realm—High Tier. Deal?

...

Half-step High Tier and Divine Novice sound close, yet they’re worlds apart. She’s Dragon King–class, seasoned by countless battles, and this Cliff of Thunder favors her. At half-step High Tier, she could press close to Divine Novice. Starting from Divine Novice? Worse.

But if I never face trials I think I can’t cross, life dulls to ash. If I only move after endless caution, if I march by the book, what’s the point?

That thought cleared my chest like wind through pines. I smiled and nodded to Tianyao. No problem! Fifteen minutes!

Heh, you’ve figured it out. Good. She rose into the air; her smile fell away like a mask. The Third Trial—begin!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Her words hadn’t faded. Two spears of lightning dropped like falling stars, screaming through the sky. Their force spiked to half-step Divine Realm—Peak. Terrifying.

I barely blocked both at full tilt, arms singing with strain. No holding back; I hurled the Shattered Light Sword into the sky.

Sword Domain—open!

Bzz! Bzz!

A clear sword-cry split the clouds; gold swept the world like dawn. Energy-forged blades filled the air—a realm of swords. Within the golden field, the energy was pure, without a speck.

A Sword Wielder’s domain; this is only my second time seeing one. Truly shocking.

Thanks for the praise. The Shattered Light Sword dropped back into my hand. Sword Aura and power surged around me like a tide. My confidence for the sixth layer ticked up a notch.

From here, I’m done playing; brace yourself.

Boom!

A thunderclap cracked the sky and jolted my heart. Her aura swelled, breath by breath, until it hit Divine Novice. Not good. With the Sword Domain, I can clash a bit with a Divine Novice. But against Tianyao, I don’t feel safe. No—focus. I don’t need to beat her; I just need to endure fifteen minutes.

Scatter Thunder.

Countless bolts fell like a silver rain, each packing half-step Peak force.

I took it deadly seriously; I swung the Shattered Light Sword. I tugged every floating blade within the Sword Domain.

Myriad Swords Unleashed!

Thousands of swords burst free like caged beasts, charging the falling lightning. Gold and strange violet tangled; two titanic currents wrestled in midair.

Tianyao moved again, timing it like a hunter’s strike. Thunderwrath.

She flicked that jade-white hand; a deep-violet beam as thick as a mountain poured down. It pierced lightning and blades alike, lancing straight for me.

Not good! Alarm burned through me; I cut off Myriad Swords Unleashed and switched.

Heavenly Thunder: Sword Qi Storm!

I drank the Sword Domain’s energy and Sword Aura, spinning like a whirl. I hauled outside lightning into the maelstrom. In a heartbeat, a massive violet-gold tornado rose around me and caught the beam.

BOOM!!!

Impact met impact; the world exploded to white, a blade of light across my eyes. I shut them tight and rode the storm like a leaf. About half a minute later, heaven and earth stilled again. I opened my eyes and sucked in a cold breath. The cliff under me teetered; only two meters of ground remained. One step wrong, and I’d drop into the abyss. Space fractured in layers; within the rifts, chaotic currents churned.

By rough count, seven minutes are gone. Eight left? Good—push harder.

Huh? You blocked it without a scratch. Her surprise was clear; she’d expected a price even if I stopped Thunderwrath.

Not bad, not bad! Now this gets exciting! Two small balls of lightning budded in her hands. One stretched into a bow wrapped in crackling arcs; the other into a lightning arrow.

Crap! That bow and arrow radiated a kill-shot like a tiger’s gaze. She set the arrow and drew the string till it sang.

Heavenly Arrow: Savage Thunder.

She loosed at full draw; the arrow ripped toward me at near sonic speed. My nerves howled, but anything with a cast was out. No time. I needed instant and heavy. Got it.

Absolute Blade: Heavenrend!

No flourish, no gathering. As the lightning arrow hit centerline, I raised the Shattered Light Sword and cut.

Szzrak.

The arrow split in two, fell to the summit, then detonated, shaking the mountain. Heavenrend leans on the Shattered Light Sword’s edge and hardness; Sword Aura rides behind. No matter how strong her arrow, it couldn’t surpass this blade. And that was razor-close; half a second early or late, and I’d be a corpse without a grave.

...