Chapter 13
The Awakening: Prismatic Third Eye.
Eleventh floor of the Sky Reaching Pagoda~
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Upon arriving on the eleventh floor, Lu Xi Tong was welcomed by a hall adorned in shades of purple and gold, reminiscent of the one she had encountered in the endless catacombs. The walls were draped in regal purple, while the pillars gleamed with a golden hue. The hall bore a striking resemblance to the one in the outside world, albeit with subtle differences such as the absence of the tapestry and a dome that was protruded inwards as a spherical shape rather than a heptagon.
Unlike the previous floors, the eleventh floor exuded a more serene and tranquil ambiance.
"For the challenger who has acquired the ten layers of the taichi bloodline,"
"Congratulations!"
"You have surpassed the preliminary trial and are now embarking on the true challenge,"
"A test of energy, physique, and soul."
"In order to qualify for the genuine trial of succession, one must have attained all ten layers of the primordial sanguine essence."
"Your energy, while just barely meeting the prerequisites, is deemed pure,"
"Hence, the trial of energy shall commence."
Two majestic voices resonated, alternating in their speech, much like the encounters she had experienced in the caravan's underwater domain.
Initially, she had taught that the enigmatic youth Xie Xing was behind this charades once more, but upon closer scrutiny of the voices, she discerned a profound and commanding resonance, followed by a feminine timbre that debunked her deduction.
"Could that eccentric individual truly have altered his voice and assumed a feminine guise?" A skeptical thought flitted through her mind, only to be promptly dismissed.
"They must embodiment of the residual will of the grand Primordial Carps, deliberately left behind to preside over the true trials," Xi Tong speculated.
Snapping back to reality, Xi Tong pondered on the nature of the impending trial. The fact that her energy barely met the stipulated criteria was nothing short of a miracle, considering her cultivation had remained stagnant at the middle of body transformation, rendering her essentially a mortal.
The purification of her energy might have been attributed to the stroke of luck she had encountered on the fourth floor, following the consumption of a single drop of the emerald liquid. Although it had gone berserk, it had somewhat cleansed the little amount of qi within her.
Anticipating the commencement of the trial, she did not have to wait long.
*Shua..*
After a brief interval, a breathtaking spectacle unfolded as the bulging dome of the eleventh floor silently parted, unveiling a colossal golden eye that surveyed the surroundings with a radiant beam of gold. The beam came to rest upon Lu Xi Tong, scrutinizing her unabashedly without the slightest hesitation.
Xi Tong was taken aback by the audacity of such scrutiny. Upon completing its inspection, the golden eye retracted its luminous gaze, once again concealing itself behind the dome. Puzzled, Xi Tong pondered, "Is this also a part of the trial as well?" she mused to herself.
"According to the standards set by the golden pupil, you must undergo a trial of riddles to successfully pass the trial of energy," a voice echoed.
"You will be presented with ten riddles, to which you must provide the correct answers to at least eight of them in order to pass."
"However, you must do so within a two-hour time limit, or else you will fail."
"Best of luck, trial taker."
The voices of the duo resonated within the hall, alternating between both voices before falling into silence once more.
*Weng*
With a soft Weng, the golden eye reopened, casting its golden beam onto the walls of the hall. Intricate golden characters materialized on the walls, displaying the ten riddles in all their splendor.
The first riddle proclaimed, "In the heart of darkness, I shine bright. A beacon of hope, yet a harbinger of darkness."
The second riddle "What is greater than a god, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich needs it, and if you eat it you'll die?"
The third "A slim rod that touches the heavens and the earth, a force of creation, the epitome of balance."
The fourth "What is always moving forward but has no destination."
The fifth "Beautiful yet deadly, life yet destruction, an insatiable instinct to devour, left unchecked will be a trail of ash."
The sixth "What is blind yet sees, silent yet speaks, born yet dies."
The seventh "Master of a single sound, melodious yet grating to listen to."
The eight "What has a known beginning, mysterious and unknown end, precious but cannot be kept forever."
The ninth "What is elusive in the face of calamities, intangible yet held onto dearly."
The tenth "What is always on its way but never arrives."
As she read through the array of riddles, a crease formed on Xi Tong's brow, a sign of the mental exertion she was about to face. She could feel an headache on the way.
"Isn't this akin to the legendary Sphinx's trial, posing riddles with elusive answers?" she mused, a tinge of discontent evident in her tone.
At this point she was beginning to reminisce on the old trials, Xi Tong realized that despite the change in the form of trial, the essence remained the same – deciphering and comprehending the underlying truths.
While comprehending the daos could lead you to more than an answer, there was only a singular answer to each riddle, adding a layer of complexity to the challenge at hand.
With no further delay, she commenced her search for the simplest riddle among them. She swiftly opted for riddle number five, reciting each line to gain insight.
"Beautiful yet deadly,
Life intertwined with destruction,
Innate drive to consume,
Leaving behind a trail of ash."
The final word of the riddle, "ash," instantly sparked a clue in Lu Xi Tong's mind.
"Fire! I am certain it is fire," she exclaimed with gleaming eyes.
"The flames of fire are both beautiful yet deadly when engulfed by them,Fire provides warmth which is synonymous with life yet inherently destructive,
Fire possesses an insatiable urge to consume, indiscriminately engulfing all in its path,
And once fire rages uncontrollably, all that remains is nothing but a trail of ash.
"Lu Xi Tong was elated, convinced she had unraveled the answer as she strode towards the riddles on the walls. Pointing at riddle number five, she exclaimed to the empty space, "The answer is Fire! The riddle speaks to mysteries of the essence of fire."
"An impressive attempt, young lady, but you cannot solve the fifth riddle at this moment. By the end of two hours, you must provide the answers to at least eight riddles," a deep, imposing male voice responded flatly.
Unknown pocket space within the Sky Reaching Pagoda~
Two individuals sat beside each other in a meditative posture, one was a youth with a bruised face, while the other's features were concealed under a straw conical hat. They were none other than the peculiar youth and enigmatic being.
"That's quite a twist, wouldn't you agree," the youth suddenly remarked with a smug smile adorning his face.
"Keep quiet unless you wish for me to extract your tongue," the entity replied nonchalantly, as if taking a leisurely stroll in the park.
Both the enigmatic entity and peculiar youth were discreetly observing Lu Xi Tong's trial. Due to potent restrictions, they were unable to directly monitor her on the eleventh floor, thus, they had to focus their divine senses to penetrate weak points in the grand restriction to espy on the unsuspecting Lu Xi Tong.
Eleventh floor of the Sky Reaching Pagoda~
Lu Xi Tong remained oblivious to the hidden human surveillance cameras upon her.
After receiving the harrowing news, she had no choice but to decipher the first riddle.
It took some time before the answer dawned on her. The answer was a star.
Only a star radiates brightly in the nocturnal sky, instilling hope for the forthcoming day, as stars are synonymous to night when darkness reigns supreme.
Xi Tong sighed, realizing she had completed only two out of the ten riddles. Uncertainty lingered as she hoped for the best.
"Times up young lass." After two hours had passed, a commanding voice interrupted her thoughts, signaling the end of the time limit.
A grand purple scroll materialized before her, accompanied by a golden jade brush and an inkwell crafted from a deep black stone containing a lustrous golden liquid reminiscent of melted gold.
Unfurling the scroll, Xi Tong beheld the array of riddles that mirrored those on the walls, each with an empty space beside it, awaiting her answers. With a sense of determination, she picked up the jade brush, dipped it into the inkwell, and began inscribing her responses.
"In the heart of darkness, I shine bright. A beacon of hope, yet a harbinger of darkness." ~A star.
"What is greater than a god, more evil than the devil, the poor have it, the rich need it, and if you eat it you'll die?" ~.....
A slender rod that touches the heavens and the earth, a force of creation, the epitome of balance. ~Rain.
"What is always moving forward but has no destination?" ~ Time.
Beautiful yet deadly, life yet destruction, an insatiable instinct to consume, unchecked leaving a trail of ash. - Fire.
"What is blind yet sees, silent yet speaks, born yet dies?"~.....
Master of a single sound, harmonious yet can be grating to the ear. ~ Bell.
"What has a known beginning, a mysterious and unknown end, precious but fleeting?" ~Life.
"What is present in times of calamity , intangible yet clung to dearly?" ~Hope.
"What is always on its way but never arrives?" ~Tomorrow.
The scroll vanished with a swift motion along with the golden eyes shutting unceremoniously, leaving Xi Tong with a mix of relief and curiosity.
"You barely pass, well done." The imposing voice echoed, acknowledging her correct answers but questioning her decision to leave two riddles unanswered.
"In response, Elder, I chose not to hazard guesses for the second and sixth riddles. Blindly relying on luck in life's challenges is imprudent, as it leads to stagnation. Instead, confronting the unknown with courage, whether in triumph or defeat, ensures a life devoid of regrets and propels one to greater heights."
"Excellent, excellent, excellent." The male resonant voice chuckled jovially.
"I can rest assured with such a worthy heir." The resonant voice remarked.
"May I inquire something of you, esteemed elder?" Lu Xi Tong suddenly inquired.
"Feel free to speak as you wish." The resonant voice responded.
"What are the solutions to the remaining two riddles?" Lu Xi Tong asked, maintaining a tone of utmost politeness.
"Hahaha. There's no need to be overly formal about this. The answers are rather straightforward, you could discern them on your own, but here is the solution to the second riddle. 'Nothing is greater than a god, nothing is more malevolent than the devil, the destitute possess nothing and the affluent require nothing, if you eat nothing, you perish from hunger.'" Does that clarify it for you?
"Thank you, venerable elder, for your enlightenment." Xi Tong bowed deeply.
"As for the sixth riddle, seek out the answer yourself, although I shall provide you with a hint, it is something that is perpetually present in your surroundings." The resonant voice replied, evidently pleased with Lu Xi Tong's astuteness, integrity, and contemplative nature.
Lu Xi Tong pondered deeply on it but still failed to find the answer.
"As a token of passing the trial, you shall be granted a third of the inheritance."
*Boom*
A grand entrance she hadn't previously noticed slowly slid open, leaving her in awe.
Beyond the entrance stood an immense statue of a primordial carp on the brink of dragonhood. It stood no less than a hundred meters tall, crafted from imperial gold.
A rare material not even found in the mortal realm.
Nestled between its eyes was a violet prismatic crystal that captivated one's soul.
*Weng*
The prismatic crystal detached itself from the gargantuan statue, glowing with a luminous gentle rainbow glory. It descended onto Lu Xi Tong's glabella, merging like a vertical third eye.