Normal Challenge slates came in a variety of colors, but they never had more than one.

Immortal Eleven Springs had made each color represent some kind of clue, hoping that a wise challenger could crack the code. A code that changed every time that the formation opened.

Still, the fundamental things remained unchanged. A color would mean either level, challenge type, or as the ones for the 'Elemental Gods' sets, the reward. But in such a case, what did a multicolored slate signify?

"Impossible to forfeit, challenge above cultivation level" Bai Qi muttered the words that emerged in his mind. Now that he was inside the illusory world, he had to admit that the Immortal had truly made something that not even Bai Qi at his peak could have done.

'The Path of the Talented', a truly special challenge.

Bai Qi had appeared on the foot of a bare mountain, one which top could not be seen even with his now again unlimited senses.

The entire illusion world consisted of this mountain that reached the clouds and probably even farther. And the world's challenge was clear even if one did not read the words carved on the stone ground beneath the starting point.

The cultivation path.

The path to reach the heavens.

The path to surpass the heavens.

Bai Qi took several moments to observe the characters and inwardly completed the so well known words from a scroll authored by one of the first known Divine Realm cultivators;

"A path on which the being who called itself a cultivator would meet challenges, dangers, stoppages, and milliards of other things meant to stop it. The more talented one is, the more such troubles would one surpass"

***

Bai Qi made his first step on the stairs in front of him. As he did, he looked to the sky and then muttered "A stairway to heavens, the oldest and most effective test for willpower and talent"

These stairs were carved directly on the mountain, creating a long ascending path that circled the mountain several times until one reached the top.

Usually, such tests would generate pressure, or use some other method to stop the challenger. No matter what was used, it would slowly increase with each step, until the cultivator taking the test could not advance anymore. And this one wasn't the exception.

The method used by the Eleven Springs Immortal was one of the riskiest, as in place of pressure or other blockages, each step would drain a small amount of qi. And with no manner to replenish qi inside the illusion world, a failed challenge would mean no way to even leave the step one had reached. At least not until the main formation expelled you.

Thankfully none of the Challenge Slates was dangerous to the challenger's life, as such a test could even kill if someone did not stop in time and continued ascending even when qi ran out.

To successfully save Chang Kun, Bai Qi had to reach the top and complete the challenge. Regretfully his qi pool wasn't full, and all the challenges reacted to one's true strength. Still, there were always ways to improve one's chances for this type of challenge and test.

One of them was to supplement qi with soul and mind power. Considering that Bai Qi's presence in the illusion world was via a form of aura infused with his consciousness, he would be able to do it far easier than if he had to ascend it physically.

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With the three illusion talismans acting in a set, neither the Challenge Slate nor the two figures on its sides could be seen. In place, any passerby would only see a small empty clearing, with nothing else than some grass and a few randomly strewn rocks.

And with the concealment talisman in action, even if someone tried using senses, not even the slightest qi fluctuation would be found.

Zhuan Min knew all of it but continued to dutifully walk around the area. Inwardly she understood that it was not needed, but if she did not, she would have no way to stop worrying.

Almost three hours had passed since Chen Guang touched the slate and his body grew limp. And not even the slightest change had occurred in this time.

"Let you both return safely" She half prayed after taking one of the peeks inside the illusion she had been trying to avoid. And then forced herself to begin walking again, occupying his mind with the, practically invented need to guard the place.

___________________________________________________________________

Being just a construct of aura and consciousness, one would think that physical exhaustion would be something impossible. But with each step, the slightly blurry figure of Bai Qi glistened with sweat. He also breathed roughly, even though he did not truly require to breathe.

"Haaaaa" He heavily exhaled and stopped his advance. 25555 steps taken. 25555 constantly increasing bits of qi shaved from him.

The Immortal had truly created an amazing formation, and even without being physically present, Bai Qi felt each of the steps he had taken. Even the wind that blew gradually got colder, almost as if he was ascending a normal mountain.

By this point, he had ascended for less than three miles, a distance and altitude that normally would be a joke. Still, the Challenge was meant to be one, and it wasn't impossible to skip, jump, or run through. Bai Qi had attempted the three at the start and was immediately teleported back to the mountain foot, making him grateful for testing before attempting it at a higher distance.

He had found Chang Kun several hundred steps below, but the boy was unresponsive. His illusionary form was strewn across two steps, and none of the methods that Bai Qi had attempted had any result.

"Time to move on" Bai Qi muttered to himself and after shaking his head, took another step.

___________________________________________________________________

With an alarmed expression, Zhuan Min rushed into the illusion. She had been trying to avoid peeking for the last two hours, but could not resist the temptation now. And as she did, she could only wish that she had not. After all, what she saw was a scene that immediately turned her worse fears true.

"Big Brother Chen!" She exclaimed as her hand moved to touch him, but she managed to stop at the last moment. He had clearly said that no matter what happens she should not do so, and she feared that if she did, she could affect him somehow.

"I should have not asked you to help him..." Eyes shimmering with tears, Zhuan Min fell on her knees with her gaze refusing to look away from the corner of his mouth, where a thin line of blood took a start.

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Being not under the protection of the Challenge Slate, anything suffered by Bai Qi's projection would affect his body as well.

33 thousand steps, that had been his absolute limit. Still, Bai Qi forced himself to continue.

"Just 333 steps more" He weakly murmured and continued on pure willpower.

With no qi to defend himself against the still increasing demands of each step, Bai Qi suffered first light, and then more serious pain with every step taken.

But he continued ascending. When he could not walk anymore, he started crawling with a savage determination in his eyes.

But even that determination had begun to waver, still, Bai Qi knew that he was just a few steps from the goal.

"I will not fall to some kind of talent test!" Gathering all of his remaining strength, Bai Qi roared and propelled himself with his hand on the next step.

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With every passing minute, Chen Guang's condition worsened.

Drops of blood could be now seen trickling from all of his facial orifices, and that wasn't the worse.

His entire body had been shaking for almost half an hour, and she saw how blood and pus were oozing from his robe and gathering into a small puddle beneath him.

At least three times she had tried to touch him, only to stop herself. What if she brought him harm?

"No..." She shook her head while admitting that she had already done so.

*Sob*

"Please come back!"

___________________________________________________________________

"Please come back!" Zhuan Min's voice entered Bai Qi's ears as he was returning to his body. He heard grief and remorse in her voice and thought that he should say something. But as he tried to, he was assaulted by a severe cough.

*Cough* *Cough*

"Brother Chen?!" Zhuan Min jumped from the spot and ignoring the blood, grime, and even the command to not touch launched herself at him.

"Gah!" His consciousness had just returned and so the pain had not even reached him. But as the girl, small as she was, jumped unto him, Bai Qi groaned as the burns, old and new wounds, and even inner injuries were made apparent.

*Sob* *Sob*

He felt how Zhuan Min trembled and cried, and the angry remark that was about to escape his lips died. In turn, he gently touched her head, and as she rose it, looked her into the eyes while saying "It's all okay. Just a few minor injuries, don't worry"

***

It took a few minutes for her to calm down and then another few for Bai Qi to assess his condition.

He had been lucky and the damage he suffered from the Challenge was light, with just a few pathways torn, and slight inner bleeding. Still, the damage transfer had affected the burns. Blisters exploded, and some of the deepest burns, located around the areas that the 'Judgement Palms' had touched, cracked and released pus and blood.

With almost no qi and fully spent soul power, Bai Qi's condition was at the worst possible state. The pain was something he was used to dealing with, but he was definitively out of combat for at least a couple of days.

*Gulp* *Gulp*

As Zhuan Min turned around, he quickly summoned and gulped down two pills. Both of them were Earth-tier pills, the best and rarest he had in his possession.

"Why is the Challenge Slate still not disappearing?" Zhuan Min asked while pointing at the rainbow-colored slate.

"The formation already did, so go with Chang Kun. As for the Slate, it's waiting for me to touch it" Bai Qi explained with closed eyes, slowly dissolving the pills and feeling how the essences from them began cruising his pathways.

One of the pills was a 'Phoenix Tear' - a treasured healing pill that Deng Guiying had placed into the supplies. As for the other, it was his last 'Heavenly Vigor' - a qi restoration pill that was considered the best on this plane. He had gotten three of them as a reward from the City Lord and had already used two to recuperate after his previous battle. "Seems that I am now low even on pills. This easy task is truly..." His thoughts trailed off, and Bai Qi entered a state of mindless meditation.

A state he was brought off just a few minutes later by several angry shouts intermixed with Zhuan Min's pleading voice.

"What the demons happened?"

"Why is this shitty slate refusing to give out my reward?"

"Calm yourself! Please!"

"I am calm! Where the hell is my reward?!"

"You have just woken up, don't move so much!"

"You failed in the Challenge, so it's obvious why the Slate isn't reacting to your touch" Tired of the constant nearby shouting, Bai Qi spoke up without even opening his eyes. Not that he needed to, with only one possible culprit.

"What? Failed? Don't lie! I would have not left it if I failed!" Bai Qi felt how Chang Kun had moved closer while shouting, but he did not react in the slightest. Not even when the boy rudely asked "And who the hell are you?!"

"Chang Kun, stop right now and apologize! How can you not remember Big Brother Chen? And how you dare to shout at your savior?!" Zhuan Min interjected and chastised him right away.

"Savior? What savior? And why do you call him Big Brother? What is going on? Answer me!"

In response, Zhuan Min began explaining, but before she could finish, she was interrupted by another round of shouting.

"You are lying to me!"

"It's impossible to enter someone's else challenge, or everyone would do it!"

"No, you are in cahoots with this bastard as to steal my prize!"

"Now say, what did you do to the Slate?!"

Bai Qi had not even opened his eyes until this moment, but as he sensed that Chang Kun suddenly approached Zhuan Min, his aura exploded. He had not recuperated yet almost any soul power, but even with the small amount that he had, it was enough to show his level and realm.

"You think I would need to even bother with the slate? If I wanted something of yours, I can take it away at any moment" Bai Qi half-growled while forcing his aching body to rise.

Not allowing Chang Kun to say anything, Bai Qi coldly continued "Zhuan Min asked me for help, and I helped. Apologize to her"

Chang Kun shuddered under Bai Qi's cold gaze but did not say anything. Only as the aura closed on him, he did meekly apologize.

Bai Qi then approached the slate, and as he touched it, it glimmered with the colors of the rainbow. A scroll emerged from thin air, floating in front of Bai Qi.

A scroll that Bai Qi grabbed without even looking at and directly store into his Void Ring.

"Zhuan Min, I take that there is no need for my presence here now. I need to recuperate, so I will be leaving first" Bai Qi nodded to the girl while retracting his aura.

But as Bai Qi retracted his aura and turned around, he felt danger from behind and immediately turned.

*Swoosh* *Grab*

And swept aside Chang Kun's wrist just as the latter's punch almost connected.

"Truly an ingrate fool" Bai Qi spat out as his hand continued the motion and reached Chang Kun's face.

*Slap*