The Cloud-Sword Sect's main square was a sea of people. Thousands of young men and women from across the empire had gathered, all dreaming of becoming a disciple. High above them, on floating platforms, the Sect Elders watched like gods.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: NEW LOCATION - CLOUD SQUARE]
[OBJECTIVE: PASS THE FIRST TRIAL]
[CURRENT RANK: LEVEL 3 QI GATHERING]
Akash walked beside Meera, feeling the heavy stares of the other participants. News of what happened in the Healing Hall had already spread. The disciples weren't just curious; they were hostile.
"The Trial of Clouds has three stages," Meera whispered as they reached the edge of the square. "The first is the 'Gravity Bridge.' It tests your willpower and the purity of your Qi. Many fail here because their foundation is weak."
Suddenly, a massive Elder with a white beard floated down. His voice boomed across the square. "The path to immortality is narrow! Those who cannot cross the bridge of a thousand steps are not worthy of our Sect. Begin!"
In front of the crowd, a bridge made of glowing white clouds appeared, stretching into the mist.
As soon as the first few participants stepped onto the bridge, they let out screams. Some were flattened instantly, the invisible gravity crushing them into the clouds.
"Move!" Feng's voice barked from behind. He was now leaning on a new sword, his chest bandaged. "I'll see you fall, beggar. This bridge doesn't care about your tricks; it only cares about your soul's weight!"
Feng stepped onto the bridge and struggled forward, his face turning red under the pressure.
Akash took a deep breath.
[SYSTEM ALERT: GRAVITY FIELD DETECTED]
[ESTIMATED PRESSURE: 5X NORMAL GRAVITY]
[SOVEREIGN CORE ADAPTING...]
As Akash's foot touched the first cloud-step, a massive weight slammed into him. It felt like he was carrying a boulder on his back. But then, a warm, golden light flared from his heart.
The Sovereign Core didn't just resist the gravity—it started to absorb it.
[GRAVITY ENERGY DETECTED]
[CONVERTING TO QI... RECOVERY SPEED +10%]
While others were crawling on their hands and knees, Akash began to walk. Slowly at first, then faster. His back was straight, his expression calm. He passed Level 4 and Level 5 cultivators who were gasping for air.
"Look at that boy!" an Elder on the floating platform noted, narrowing his eyes. "He's walking as if the gravity doesn't exist. Who is he?"
"That's the one Meera brought in," another replied. "Interesting. His Qi isn't fighting the bridge; it's merging with it."
Akash reached the halfway point. Feng was only ten steps ahead, his legs shaking like jelly. Akash walked past him without even looking.
"Wait... you..." Feng gasped, blood leaking from his nose. "How... how can you...?"
Akash stopped for a second, looking back. "I told you, Feng. Your ocean is just a puddle."
Suddenly, the system chimed in his mind.
[WARNING: HIDDEN INTERFERENCE DETECTED]
[ELDER GU'S ALLIES ARE TAMPERING WITH YOUR SECTION OF THE BRIDGE!]
[GRAVITY INCREASING TO 20X!]
The cloud-step beneath Akash suddenly turned a dark, angry red.The dark red glow of the cloud-step pulsed like a heartbeat of a dying star. Suddenly, the air around Akash became thick and solid, as if he were buried under a mountain of lead.
CRACK!
The cloud-bridge beneath his feet groaned. The weight was so immense that even the mist around him was crushed to the floor. Akash's knees buckled for a second, his boots sinking deep into the cloud-matter.
"What is happening to that section?" an Elder on the high platform stood up, his face filled with suspicion. "The gravity there is fluctuating wildly! It's at least 20 times the limit!"
Behind Akash, Feng and the others felt the shockwave of the pressure and were pushed back several steps, unable to even breathe.
[SYSTEM EMERGENCY: CRITICAL PRESSURE DETECTED]
[MERIDIANS UNDER EXTREME STRESS]
[SOVEREIGN CORE: OVERDRIVE MODE ACTIVATED]
"So... you want to crush me?" Akash's teeth were gritted so hard they bled. His vision was turning red, but deep inside his chest, the golden pearl began to spin at a terrifying speed.
[INTERNAL QI UPGRADE: COMPRESSION INITIATED]
[LEVEL 3 PEAK... LEVEL 4 REACHED!]
The 20x gravity wasn't just a torture; the Sovereign Core was using it as a giant hammer to forge Akash's Qi, making it denser and purer than ever before.
"I am... a Sovereign!" Akash roared, his voice echoing through the entire square.
BOOM!
A pillar of golden light erupted from his body, clashing against the red gravity field. Akash stood up straight. His bones popped and reorganized, becoming stronger, infused with the essence of the golden Qi.
He didn't just walk; he sprinted.
Each step he took shattered the red gravity field beneath him. To the shocked audience, it looked like a golden streak was tearing through the mist, ignoring the laws of physics.
"He's running? In 20x gravity?" The Elders were now standing at the edge of their platforms, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Akash reached the end of the bridge in seconds. As his foot touched the solid jade floor of the finish line, the red light behind him vanished, and the bridge returned to normal.
[MISSION COMPLETED: CROSS THE GRAVITY BRIDGE]
[REWARD: SOVEREIGN'S SOUL-STIFLING PRESSURE (PASSIVE SKILL)]
[SYSTEM NOTE: YOUR QI IS NOW 5 TIMES DENSER THAN AN ORDINARY CULTIVATOR.]
Akash turned around, his breathing steady, his clothes torn but his aura more majestic than ever. Meera, who had just crossed the normal section, looked at him as if she were seeing a stranger.
"Akash... you... you just reached Level 4 while being crushed?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Akash didn't answer. He was looking up at the high platforms. Somewhere up there, the person who had tampered with the bridge was watching.
"Whoever you are," Akash thought, his golden eyes cold, "you just gave me the power I needed to destroy you."
The white-bearded Elder cleared his throat, trying to hide his shock. "First stage... finished. Only 500 of you remain. The second stage will begin now: The Mirror of Truth."