"Buzz..."
Pushing open the grand door, Bai Zihe was met with a blinding light.
So brilliant, so dazzling, it made him squint, unable to open his eyes fully. Yet, at a glance, he saw nothing.
"Swish..."
In the next moment, time and space shifted, stars and constellations rearranged.
Bai Zihe felt a mysterious power envelop him, transporting him to a new world.
He looked up.
Everything here felt peculiar.
But before Bai Zihe could ponder, a resentful and bewildered voice echoed in his mind: "What are you doing?"
"Bai Zihe, you asked me so much, why did you ultimately choose the Gate of Space?"
Bai Zihe could detect a trace of blame in the little tower's tone.
He could understand its feelings.
From their previous conversation, Bai Zihe had inferred that the little tower's former master harbored an almost fanatical obsession with the power of time. The little tower had ultimately placed its hopes on him. Now, with an opportunity to comprehend time's essence within reach, he had chosen space instead, thus forfeiting the chance to understand time. It was a deep, irreversible regret.
But Bai Zihe had his reasons.
"Little Tower, listen to me first," Bai Zihe's eyes blazed as he spoke slowly. "Firstly, the might of space is not much inferior to time."
"After all..."
"It is with time, space, and the five elements that our great world is formed."
"Secondly,"
"I have a bold idea."
As he said this, the sharpness in Bai Zihe's eyes intensified. "If I can comprehend the power of space, I will surely grasp its essence..."
"At that time,"
"Perhaps I can find a way to traverse the gate of space to enter the realm of time."
Hearing Bai Zihe's words, the little tower fell silent, stunned.
What Bai Zihe said was not without merit. If he could comprehend the power of space, coupled with the Xuanyuan Sword's ability to shatter dimensions, he might indeed be able to open the gate of the time trial and enter. This would present a second chance.
"But..."
Most of the little tower's resentment dissipated, but it still asked with concern, "Bai Zihe, are you so sure you can successfully comprehend the power of space?"
"What if you can't comprehend it at all?"
After asking, the little tower itself fell into silence.
Bai Zihe smiled, his voice suddenly clear and resonant. "There are rarely smooth sailing affairs in the world."
"I don't have absolute certainty that I can defeat the guardian and obtain the ultimate inheritance of space's power."
"However,"
"Where the heart yearns, one must forge ahead with determination!"
"Rather than considering failure before even beginning."
"Those who reach the pinnacle must possess the resolve to scorn all difficulties and the immense willpower to overcome all hardships. With sustained effort, why worry about not dominating all rivals!"
The little tower remained silent.
The Bai Zihe before it...
Reminded it of its former master, who in his youth possessed the same spirited ambition and forward momentum as Bai Zihe. But ultimately...
He was worn down by successive setbacks, his sharp edges smoothed away. Consequently, he never reached his full potential.
Hope...
That Bai Zihe would succeed, carrying the former master's bygone aspirations.
"You are right."
With this thought, the little tower slowly spoke. "I hope you can defeat this trial's guardian and obtain the supreme inheritance of spatial arts."
"And then..."
"Comprehend time and ascend to the ultimate Dao."
Bai Zihe nodded, then fell silent, carefully observing this new world, attempting to grasp the situation.
Upon closer inspection, Bai Zihe froze.
This place...
Was a sealed space!
In all directions, including the sky, there were discernible limits and boundaries!
"This..."
Bai Zihe mused briefly but did not dwell on it excessively. After all, as a trial ground for spatial power, such a design seemed reasonable.
The only thing Bai Zihe couldn't quite understand was:
Where was his opponent?
Whether it was a trial of extreme power or an eight-revolutions Loose Immortal trial, as soon as he entered, Bai Zihe would find his opponent's location. But in this space, aside from himself, there was nothing and no one visible.
Could it be...
That the guardian was hidden within the space, and he had to find them before the challenge could begin?
This somewhat surprised Bai Zihe.
Space...
What a magnificent power.
He had no foundational understanding of it. How could he possibly break through the spatial boundaries to locate this hidden, formidable existence?
According to Bai Zihe's conjecture,
The guardian this time should be at a similar level of cultivation and power as himself, but possessing the abilities of space. To defeat such a formidable being...
Was inherently an extremely difficult task.
"Swish..."
After a moment of thought, Bai Zihe ceased his musings.
A divine sense swept outwards in all directions, beginning to search this realm for any anomalies.
However...
As his divine sense expanded, Bai Zihe quickly reached the boundaries of the surroundings but found nothing.
Not a single suspicious point.
Not a hint of strangeness.
What was he to do!
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Bai Zihe detected a subtle anomaly.
It was a peculiar ripple, imbued with an obscure aura that left Bai Zihe completely bewildered. The anomaly was located...
Just about a foot in front of him!
But as Bai Zihe focused his gaze, no matter how he looked or probed with his divine sense, he could find nothing there, only a sense of wrongness.
"Swish..." kuAiδugg
Instinctively, Bai Zihe reached out to touch it.
Alas...
It was still nothingness; he touched empty air.
Bai Zihe immediately understood.
This must be the marvel of spatial power. He could sense something was amiss, yet he couldn't touch or see it. This feeling...
Was akin to battling an opponent who stood before him, yet he couldn't attack or even see them. It was incredibly frustrating.
Utterly vexing.
"Could it be..."
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Bai Zihe.
In this trial secret realm, with no prompts and no visible opponent, this subtle anomaly must be the greatest hint! If he could decipher what lay within this spatial barrier, he would undoubtedly make progress and then begin exploring the entire secret realm.
Bai Zihe's thoughts immediately became more active.
If he could figure this out, he would have a way to proceed.
"Spatial barrier..."
Bai Zihe gazed at the spot a foot in front of him, a slow smile gracing his lips. "If it's a barrier, does that mean I'm powerless?"
"Power of Space, here I come!"
In the next moment, a long sword appeared in Bai Zihe's hand. The blade was ancient and weathered, carrying an aura of timeless mystery, imbued with the residual power of ancient sages.
It was the divine weapon, the Xuanyuan Sword!