Chapter 2037: Soul Trial

Next, Ye Liuyun took the third step, and after another hour he took the fourth step.

The Book Demon on the upper floor observed Ye Liuyun's actions, and an expectant smile appeared on its face.

Ye Liuyun was the first person to reach the fourth step.

All those before could barely stand on the third step before giving up! Their Souls were directly annihilated by that Book Demon.

Ye Liuyun's Soul was compressed sharply, and in this short time it had condensed to about ten percent.

Consequently, he felt as if his Physical Body were also shrinking.

Although it was only a sensation and not actually so, it still affected Ye Liuyun's actions.

He felt his whole body as if cramping, unable to move freely like a normal person.

He could only stand upright in place, adapting to this Soul pressure.

The brilliance of the Ten Thousand Gods Command blossomed ever more intensely.

Ye Liuyun now also sensed the danger of this trial.

"At this rate, I'm afraid I won't last to the end!"

Ye Liuyun was also racking his brain for ways to meet this trial.

Suddenly, he thought that although the duplicate could not appear in person, it could release its Soul into his Sea of Consciousness.

Their two Souls were originally a single entity.

Thus the duplicate's Soul would be enhanced and could help him complete the trial.

The duplicate immediately released both Souls into Ye Liuyun's Sea of Consciousness.

Ye Liuyun's pressure immediately lessened considerably, and the Ten Thousand Gods Command's brilliance dimmed.

The duplicate's Soul was also quickly compressed to the same degree.

Ye Liuyun stayed on this step for two hours, letting the newly arrived duplicate Soul adapt a bit.

After their Souls had adapted, he ascended one more step.

The Soul pressure on the next step was even stronger.

Ye Liuyun dared not be careless; after adapting for two hours, he continued upward.

When Ye Liuyun reached the seventh step, the massive Soul pressure cracked his Soul.

Blood already seeped from Ye Liuyun's mouth corner.

The Ten Thousand Gods Command then radiated a dense golden hue, protecting Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun clenched his teeth and persisted, his body numb from pain, devoid of sensation.

At this moment he had no energy to think of anything else.

All Divine Soul Power was used to resist the pressure.

The pressure on his Soul was not only great but also induced fatigue, making him drowsy.

If not for the Ten Thousand Gods Command, he might have fainted and fallen off the steps.

After three hours, Ye Liuyun's Soul barely adapted, and his body gradually regained sensation.

But his Soul was exhausted to the limit, relying on the Ten Thousand Gods Command to continuously emit brilliance, keeping the Soul alert.

Ye Liuyun stayed an additional hour, letting his Soul rest.

Otherwise he feared he couldn't endure the lower steps.

Thinking the Soul pressure on the next step would be stronger made him a bit nervous.

"Should I just stay here until the end, waiting for the Secret Realm to transport me out?"

He even entertained that thought.

But he soon abandoned the idea.

Because although the trial was painful, its benefit to the Soul was undeniably huge.

"As long as it benefits my strength, I must endure any bitterness or pain!"

Ye Liuyun encouraged himself internally, persisted, and took another step upward.

At this moment even lifting a leg was arduous; his Physical Body seemed already separated from his Soul.

With tremendous effort, Ye Liuyun placed one foot, then gritted his teeth and followed with the other.

The Soul fissure from the previous step reopened, blood from Ye Liuyun's mouth corner kept flowing, and his eyes, nostrils, ears also began oozing blood, turning him into a bloodied figure.

That was secondary.

He began hallucinating, feeling he stood on a vast grassland with birds soaring overhead, smelling flowers, a tranquil setting that made him want to lie down and sleep.

The Ten Thousand Gods Command now blazed with Golden Light, casting his Sea of Consciousness in a golden hue.

Ye Liuyun's four Souls, back to back, supported each other, preventing his fall.

"Can't sleep! Can't sleep..." he kept reminding himself.

But the Illusion Realm still affected him.

He alternately saw his parents, then Liang Xue, then revisited his cultivation history, as if reliving it from different perspectives.

When he saw himself always enduring danger, he suddenly became resolute again.

Then he cleared a bit, noticing the crack on his Soul had somehow healed again.

The blood on his mouth, nose, ears, etc., had dried.

"How long have I been unconscious?"

He still didn't know how much time had passed since entering the Illusion Realm.

He only knew to seize his clarity and hurry upward.

"Ninth level step!"

Ye Liuyun lifted another foot and stepped up.

He has already adapted to the numbness of his Physical Body.

Holding tightly, the other foot followed.

But what followed was not a massive Soul pressure.

On the contrary, the Soul pressure completely vanished.

Ye Liuyun's Soul was as if a great mountain had been taken away from above, almost excited enough to fly out of the Sea of Consciousness.

This relaxed feeling gave him an indescribable comfort.

It was only now that he noticed his Soul's size had been condensed to half its original, yet its power had doubled.

His Physical Body also began to feel tingling and stabbing sensations; the Mysterious Origin began to circulate, quickly repairing all injuries on his body and restoring him to normal.

Ye Liuyun at this moment had already stood on the tenth floor of the tower, staring in astonishment at the Book Demon before him, not knowing why the final step suddenly had no Soul pressure.

The Book Demon smiled kindly, as if understanding his confusion, and explained: "The ninth‑level step has an alternate name, called One Step to Heaven."

The three steps before that test a person's Divine Soul Power; if the Divine Soul Power is insufficient, one cannot pass at all.

The fourth through eighth steps are set according to each individual's Divine Soul Power strength.

That pressure, in fact, everyone can endure.

What is tested is each person's character, encompassing perseverance, endurance, and determination.

And the final step tests a person's courage.

It depends on whether the tested individual has the nerve to take that final step.

No matter how strong the strength, no matter how good the character, without desperate courage, one will ultimately achieve nothing.

"Congratulations, you have passed!"

It was only now that Ye Liuyun understood the purpose of this test.

He subconsciously asked, "After the assessment, aren't there always rewards?"

The Book Demon, hearing this, burst into laughter: "Look at your Divine Soul Power, hasn't it doubled?"

"Is this reward still not enough?"