The old man sighed and said, "The phoenix was also similar… You are truly a match made in Heaven. Follow me."
Yasenia followed behind and asked curiously. "The Phoenix? Are you talking about Cecile?"
The old man didn't answer. "The thing you lack the most is experience; life experience, to be exact. You have your mind focused on one objective, but you haven't had major setbacks. You've quickly understood skill creation, cultivation, alchemy, blacksmithing, formations, acupuncture, combat, body training, and sexual arts.
"You've gained your lovers without much trouble, Kali being your biggest challenge. However, there was no one to fight for them against you."
"You've even peeked into the essence of swordsmanship when you went to train with your Master, Madeleine. Something which seems you haven't realized, but it is certainly inside of you."
The old man turned toward Yasenia and said, "In short, you are naturally gifted in everything you do. Beauty, relationships, strength, potential, wealth, and family situation. You've lacked nothing since you were born. However, this has made you naturally conceited. You believe there is nothing you can't solve if you put your effort into it. Deep inside, there is a seed of arrogance that, although it has been smashed by you spectating that War, still exists."
Yasenia didn't deny it or ask how he knew all that. The fact that he could look inside her memories was not strange since this Trial was obviously different from the previous ones.
Moreover, it would be stupid to say that that was not the case. All the things the man had said were truths. Yasenia could not and would not argue those things she already knew.
Yasenia was thoughtful and said, "Th only defect you said I have I that I'm naturally conceited and arrogant. However, our previous talk makes me believe you think I lack something more, right?"
The white-bearded old man nodded and turned, continuing to walk toward the settlement of one of the camps. Yasenia asked again, "Will this Trial improve what you think I'm lacking?"
The man nodded, "Yes. This Trial is special in a way that, no matter the natural talent, strength, items, or treasures you have, there won't be advantages against others. It is a shame that this time you are only paired against another challenger, but well, they are also not normal, so you will have to put in the effort if you want to win."
Yasenia lifted an eyebrow, "Is the other challenger a woman?"
The old man didn't answer and said, "If you fail to complete the Trial before the other challenger, you will lose the special reward that normally is not gained with this Trial. You may ask, Why am I receiving this special reward?" Yasenia closed her mouth because she was about to ask that and listened.
He explained, "Because you are too naturally gifted. Hence, this Trial's difficulty will be the highest I can create and still make it not impossible."
Yasenia nodded, unfazed. The old man asked, "Won't you protest and say this is unfair?"
Yasenia laughed, "Fair? What is fair? Although it may sound arrogant, I wouldn't have been born if fairness existed. Every single person I fought until now in my generation had to taste unfairness after fighting against me."
The old man nodded, "It is good you recognize it and do not negate it."
Then, he warned, "The risk of dying in this Trial is very high, no matter who enters, this includes you. Even if they are a chess expert and the formation and I decide to improve those skills, it will create a Trial where a grave blunder would mean death."
Yasenia asked, interested, "Dying playing chess? How does that work? Do the chess pieces explode or something?"
The old man said, "It can be possible. The formation can also make it so that a body part will be damaged each time they make the wrong move. Or that he loses something related to the Trial each time he loses. Who knows? There are thousands of ways to make anything dangerous."
After walking away from the warzone, they reached a tent on one side of the battlefield. It was a common soldier's tent, big enough for a single person.
They entered the empty tent, and the old man turned toward Yasenia. "Now, listen well. This is your Trial."
Yasenia got serious and listened attentively.
He looked at Yasenia and spoke a single sentence. "You have to win this War."
Yasenia waited a little bit, expecting more, but the old man didn't continue. Yasenia blinked and asked, "That's it?"
He nodded, "That's right."
Yasenia didn't believe that something like that was enough to be categorized as the "most difficult trial." She asked, "What's the catch?"
The old man thought about it and said, "You have four questions. Ask carefully."
(A/N: How about you write what questions you would ask before reading?)
Yasenia got thoughtful. She didn't ask right away since these four questions could make a big difference.
Yasenia remembered that she was on a timer, so the first thing she asked was the following, "What is the time relation between the Trial and the outside world?"
The old man said, "Good Question. Knowing how much you have will help you strategize better. The answer is, one week outside is the same as ten years inside the Trial."
Yasenia's eyes widened. "Huh?" Then, a big frown appeared on her face. 'Decades? Am I going to be here longer than the time I've been alive? How will that change me?'
Yasenia looked outside the tent and observed the scale of the War. 'A colossal war between millions. There is no way I can end this easily. I would be able to only if I had much higher strength than the people here.'
Therefore came Yasenia's second question. "In which ways is my cultivation affected?"
The old man explained. "Your cultivation speed will be reduced to an average cultivator's speed. Everything else, including your strength, skills, and everything related, is the same."
Yasenia thought, 'That's somewhat expected. If I could cultivate with my normal speed, I could abuse the Trial to reach tremendous heights. I suppose that my cultivation speed is the same, but the time dilatation affects it. This means that it would only be equivalent to a cultivation week outside, even if I train for ten years straight here. Hmm, Maybe more since I will absorb the extremely pure energy of the black orb, so reaching level nine should be possible during my stay here.'
Yasenia, however, still felt something amiss. 'What can the Trial change that can really endanger me? My treasures, strength, and skills are not restrained in any way, so unless the whole enemy army is filled with Peak Mental Nourishing soldiers and Unification Realm commanders, it shouldn't be too difficult. Just tedious. This means that there isn't a high risk of dying. So my next question should be about my enemies.'
Yasenia asked again, "What is the strength of the enemies compared to mine?"
The old man said, "The enemy army has five ranks. Foot soldier, cavalry, lieutenant, commander, general. Your current strength is as high as a very strong soldier approaching a weak cavalry."
"Eh?" Yasenia was so surprised that she let out a stupid sound.
The old man smirked, "Are you afraid? Scared of a small War of this scale, so much for 'I will make the Heavens Tremble before me.'"
Yasenia rolled her eyes, "I'm fearless but not suicidal. I've seen the number of soldiers, and I couldn't count them by sight! That means that there are millions of people battling here. Now you say to me that all of them have similar strengths compared to me and that you want me to win this War. How could I not be surprised?"
The old man asked, "Any more questions?"
Yasenia now knew she would be here for a very, very long time. Her face soured, 'I won't be able to see my dears for years. Wait, what about my constitution's extra effects?'
Yasenia was about to ask, but she stopped herself, 'First, try to find any questions that are more important than that.'
Yasenia thought about it, but that issue kept creeping up in her mind. Yasenia sighed, 'I have to know about this, or I don't think I will be able to sleep until I know the answer.'
Yasenia asked with a strange face, "My constitution makes me somewhat lustful… Will I feel the effects as normal in here?"
The old man's smile became clearly visible. "Finally, you asked. The answer is physiques are not restricted in any way."
Something clicked inside Yasenia's mind, and she realized why that previous question he made seemed so cryptic, "So that was the meaning behind your question. You knew about this. You knew I would have to make a decision like this."
The old man said, "I told you that this Trial would increase your experience in the things you lack. In everything you lack. Therefore, sexual relationships and love is also an area you will have to explore. Betrayal, backstabbing, cheating, pure love, happiness, comfort, and all the feelings love can give will probably happen. Even if it seems that you have a lot of experience, you haven't been in a relationship for more than three years."
He smiled and said, "You now have two options before you; you either do not accept the Trial and leave, forsaking the treasure, or you will eventually break the promise with your lovers."
Yasenia frowned and gritted her teeth, "You are an annoying old man. You knew that?"
The old man smirked and didn't answer.
Yasenia frowned and thought about it. 'Is the treasure worthy enough for me to do this?'
The old man interrupted, "It is. The reward will probably be the core item for your development. Without it, you will waste many years, and the lack of strength will certainly give you many problems."
Yasenia looked at him quietly for some good seconds and then sighed, her face twisted as if she had heated a fly, "It seems like I will have to find someone to be my little lover until I leave here."
Yasenia began walking back and forth, her tail tapping on the ground repeatedly. "We will probably be more than a decade together. That is almost ten times the time I've been with my dears. It is almost impossible for me not to develop feelings since I will be with her for many years. Ugh… I think this may be the most difficult part of the Trial."
Yasenia suddenly stopped walking and got thoughtful, "It doesn't have to be a single woman or a small group of women. Right! I can create a big group of females and support them with my dual cultivation method. Since I will stay here for a long time, I might as well use all my cards. Holding back here would be stupid. Moreover, I will be able to know what happens when I don't hold myself back and let my lust dominate me. However, I have to keep a steady mind, or I may lose myself in this experience. Losing affection for my dears outside is something I will not trade for experience."
The old man hadn't left and asked, "What if any of your lovers would do the same as you are planning to do?"
Yasenia turned to look at him and frowned, "They don't have lust problems like me. Moreover, since I will be doing it in a big group, I will be able to keep my feelings in check-."
The old man looked at Yasenia and said, "Do not avoid my question. What if any of your lovers created a big Harem? Angel, Andrea, Evelyn, Cecile, Kali, Tatyana. Imagine any of them having sex with unknown women, and maybe since they want to explore themselves, with unknown men. What would you do once you know? How would you feel?"
Yasenia sighed and answered, "I've always said it aloud, and I'm not ashamed to say it. I would feel like I lost something important. I would feel very uncomfortable about it. Thinking of any of them being intimate with an unknown person pricks my heart and makes me feel unwell."
Yasenia clarified, "I wouldn't become angry with the. I wouldn't become disgusted with them. But I'm sure that I wouldn't be able to remain indifferent if something like that happened."
"Then, aren't you being extremely selfish and a hypocrite?"
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(A/N: What do you guys and girls think? How will Yasenia answer?)