Heng walked down the stairs on his own, the long staircase and corridor seemed to have no end, with only the flickering candlelight on both sides.
"No, this place... I feel like I've been here before."
Looking at the mark on his feet, he stubbornly walked in the opposite direction, only to see the mark above him.
Heng tried hard to recall everything that had happened after entering the cave.
Suddenly, a bright white dot of light appeared ahead.
"You're not too stupid, kid."
"I am the guardian of the trial. You can call me Elder Ying. As for the conditions for passing the first trial…"
As Elder Ying spoke, the surrounding scenery changed, and the two arrived at a huge library.
"The second row from the bottom on the left is where you can read."
"Call me when you're ready. Once you get out on your own, you've passed the test. I'll take this little gadget for now."
The Shinigami mask, which should have been hidden inside Heng's clothes, was surprisingly found in Elder Ying's hands.
"In addition, the spatial velocity here is one-thousandth that of the outside world, so there is no need to worry about things outside."
Heng chased after him, but was blocked by an invisible barrier.
Heng had no choice but to return to the bookshelf and pick up the one on the far right, which was titled "The Fundamentals of Space".
Applicable realms: Nascent Soul to Void Realm;
Scope of application: Used to teach beginners to enhance their sensitivity to spatial fluctuations through meditation and sensory training.
Basic features: Allows for simple spatial operations, such as short-distance teleportation and spatial storage.
"No way, this first book is for those at the Nascent Soul stage, so what about the ones after that...?"
Heng stiffly raised his head and looked at the densely packed, multi-layered books above.
He looked up at the next level; the book's surface was covered with mysterious runes, and he could vaguely make out that it was a book titled "Space Folding and Dimensional Space".
He stubbornly tried to take the book down, but just as his fingertips touched it, a powerful electric current surged through his fingers and into Heng's body.
An indescribable pain swept through Heng's body, forcing him to quickly let go.
He could only look at the other books that had already been unsealed, such as "Spatial Rifts and Teleportation," "Spatial Barriers and Defenses," and "An Introduction to Spatial Transformation."
"It seems the answer lies in these books!"
In fact, the master did impart knowledge about space, since traveling between the Yin and Yang realms is Shinigami's most basic ability.
But by then his master's condition was already very bad, so he had to figure most things out on his own. Now that he could systematically learn this knowledge, Heng was actually very happy. He compared his thoughts and doubts with the book, making rapid progress.
...
Five hundred years later.
After repeated failures, Heng finally mastered spatial teleportation, marking the first time he teleported independently without relying on the Shinigami Mask.
Recalling his previous experience of being trapped in the void, Heng said he never wants to go through it again in his life.
" Elder Ying, I'm out!"
Elder Ying stopped what she was doing and looked at Heng with admiration.
"Not bad, not bad, peak Nascent Soul stage, plus your current spatial mastery, there shouldn't be anything in this world that can pose a threat to you."
"Next is the second challenge: fairness."
"Do you know why a place like Pure Land exists?" Elder Ying asked Heng.
"Because of the balance of Yin and Yang?" Heng tentatively replied.
"Yes, but not entirely. Life and death are in opposition and in balance, and a pivot is needed to form a cycle."
"The will and faith of living beings are enough to change the world. No matter how powerful a person is in life, they will eventually be judged after death..."
Elder Ying sighed and said, "If you don't want to follow in your master's footsteps, then try your best to pass the test."
Elder Ying led Heng to a dark place, where a light mist filled the air.
Countless elusive souls drift here.
"Here, you must listen to the voices of souls, judge their good and evil, and give a just verdict. Each soul has only one chance to speak, and you must ensure your impartiality and not let any emotions cloud your judgment." After Elder Ying finished speaking, he disappeared.
Heng looked at the items on the table: a pen, a book, and a mirror.
He carefully examined how to use the three items when Elder Ying's voice suddenly echoed in his mind: "Don't even think about it, they're all fakes. I'm not even qualified to use the real thing."
"The judge is here!" a thin young man shouted.
Heng walked to the table and sat down, and it immediately floated over. It recounted how it had been framed and died unjustly in its previous life.
Heng sensed the sincerity and indignation in the soul's words and was about to judge it as benevolent.
Just then, another young man floated over. "You're talking nonsense. It was you who tried to force yourself on my sister in public. I was so angry that I hit you." As he spoke, he tried to grab the thin young man's collar, but he grabbed nothing.
Upon hearing this, Heng activated the mirror in his hand, and a stream of light shot out from the mirror, striking the young man and recreating what had happened.
He immediately made up his mind and shouted at the thin young man, "You still won't confess? You're deceiving the judge, so your crime will be compounded!"
Yamanaka has no years.
As each soul arrived, Heng became increasingly adept at it.
He couldn't help but think to himself: This isn't that difficult.
However, the next soul he encountered dealt him a heavy blow.
Heng encountered his former family, neighbors, friends, and even Xiao Wu and Yan. His heart began to waver, and he began to wonder if what he was doing was right. He didn't even dare to look at the mirror.
Finally, a familiar soul appeared—it was his own master!
Heng could no longer remain calm and rushed forward to embrace the soul, but he missed.
The soul looked at him kindly, " A-Heng, I saw everything from behind. You've done a very good job as judge. I'm very pleased."
"I made a mistake and should be punished. The rules cannot be broken for my sake. Give the order now."
His smile was the same as it had been for the past thousands of days and nights, without any difference.
"Jud me just like you would your relatives and friends."
"No, I didn't, I just..."
Heng struggled internally, his voice trembled, tears soaked his clothes, and his eyes were filled with pain and reluctance. He raised his head to look at his master's face.
"No, I can't do it..."
Elder Ying, watching all this from a distance, sighed silently, "What a pity for such a promising talent."
Just as he decided to leave.
Heng made a move, and the judge's pen pierced through the soul's body.
His hand holding the pen trembled slightly, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions.
"My master was destroyed in that battle. I know very well that you are not him. I just want to see you a little more and remember you."
Heng put down the judge's pen, slowly turned around, and faced away from the dissipating soul.
His shoulders trembled slightly as he suppressed the surging grief within him. Elder Ying reappeared, a hint of surprise and approval in his eyes.
"You've passed this test, kid."
Elder Ying said. Heng took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, but the pain in his heart was like a knife twisting inside him, impossible to erase.
"By passing this hurdle, you've said goodbye to your past self. People always have to look forward," Elder Ying continued.
Heng remained silent, knowing that he had almost succumbed to the illusion of a false reunion between master and disciple.
At this moment, his mind was filled with the image of his true master, and every memory felt like a sharp blade piercing his heart.
"There's one last hurdle."
Elder Ying's tone was no longer gentle and patient as before, but instead turned cold.