[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage":3,"chapter-re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-589":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},148394,246,"Chapter 588: The Physique Stele’s Trial of Intellect","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-589",589,"\u003Cp>CH588 The Physique Stele’s Trial of Intellect\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sight caused Alex a great deal of worry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’If only I had Spirit Sight,’ he thought to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, suddenly, his vision changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vibrant glows of various colours flooded into his sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Spirit Sight?’ Alex’s eyes widened in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately focused inward on his eyes and realised that his Truth-Seeker Eyes had quietly recovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex quickly deduced that the rebirth he experienced after the tribulation was responsible for the rapid recovery of his Truth-Seeker Eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his Spirit Sight restored, Alex examined Zora once more, now viewing her through an entirely different lens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Around her body, he could see streams of mana constantly leaking outward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The moment that mana touched the surrounding air, the atmosphere froze, creating a resonance that drew even more Water elemental mana to gather around her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under normal circumstances, Alex would have been delighted by such a development, since it meant Zora’s mana control had significantly improved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the situation was not entirely reassuring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the mana she released, Alex could clearly see traces of Yin Energy, intertwined with the mana flowing through what appeared to be the Dragon Kumite method.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zora stared into his eyes and immediately realised that he had understood what she was doing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She rolled her eyes at him in her usual fashion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she quickly halted the release of mana around her, allowing the gathered Water mana to disperse back into the atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterwards, she nodded apologetically to the others nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trial itself had ended rather abruptly once Zora figured out the method she was currently using to gather Water mana within a volcanic environment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had intentionally infused her mana with Yin Energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yin Energy naturally lowered the energy state of whatever surrounded it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By mixing Yin Energy into her mana and releasing it outward, she cooled the scorching volcanic environment around her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The surrounding air froze slightly, which in turn caused Water elemental mana to accumulate nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She then used that gathered ambient Water mana in the usual manner to fuel her spells — allowing her to defeat her trial opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In truth, the opponent had barely fought back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The figure only moved perfunctorily to defend herself while observing Zora, waiting to confirm whether Zora could reliably utilise the method she had deduced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the opponent confirmed that Zora could use the technique as intended, she simply lowered her guard and allowed herself to be defeated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This immediately triggered the end of the trial, ejecting Zora from the trial space.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Caught off guard by the sudden conclusion, Zora had returned to the Stele Mountain while still unconsciously maintaining the method she had just developed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She turned toward Alex, who clearly had many questions written across his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don’t worry. I did it intentionally,\" she said. \"I’ll explain later. For now, focus on your trials.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex glanced at her once more, carefully examining her condition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He noted that although she had used Yin Energy directly through her body rather than through her Rune Tattoo, she appeared perfectly fine, showing no obvious side effects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the mysterious old man had not done anything suspicious so far, it still felt improper to discuss certain matters in his presence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, now that everyone had completed the trials they intended to take, Alex’s Physique trial was the final one among the Seven Trials of Heaven and Earth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’After that will come the divergent trial of Heavenly Secrets,’ Alex mused inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded briefly toward his companions and the old man before walking over to the Physique Stele.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking a deep breath, Alex prepared himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, before sending his Spiritual Force into the stele to activate the trial, he paused and stared at the structure through his Truth-Seeker Eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Mana... lots of mana,’ he muttered inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through his enhanced vision, he could see dense streams of various elemental mana constantly flowing into the steles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Just how many Sigils must be embedded within these steles if they require this much mana merely to maintain themselves?’ he wondered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’And if this amount of mana is required simply to sustain them while they are idle... how much mana would be needed when the steles are actually active?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another question surfaced in Alex’s mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Where exactly was all this mana coming from?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a vast concentration of mana could not exist in a place without generating some form of unique natural phenomenon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’The concealment method of this Heaven–Earth Concordance Formation, as he calls it, must be far more complex than I initially estimated,’ Alex thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After gathering what little information he could through his restored Truth-Seeker Eyes, Alex finally extended his Spiritual Force into the stele.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And began the trial.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex found himself inside a luxurious building, as evidenced by the potent mana emanating from almost every item within his immediate sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Looking around, he realised the room was most likely a study or a library.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’If there’s a study...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex quickly scanned the surroundings— and soon found the owner of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing before a large, eastern-style window that stretched all the way to the ceiling was an old yet somewhat muscular man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Judging from the deep wrinkles on his face, the man appeared to be in his eighties.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, his body radiated the vitality of someone in the prime of life, exuding a powerful life force that many youths in their thirties might not be able to match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’An old man with a youthful body, huh...’ Alex muttered inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old man stood quietly by the window, reading from a scroll beneath the cascading light of the midday sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex chose to wait patiently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Strangely, the usual heavenly voice that announced the nature of each trial never appeared.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, the old man simply continued reading the scroll until he finished it completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did he turn to face Alex.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You have some patience... good,\" the old man said as he rolled up the scroll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He cast Alex a cold, appraising gaze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A moment later, he nodded expressionlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good. I was afraid that old goat’s choice would be a muscle-headed fool like himself. It seems he developed a few functional brain cells after his death,\" the old man muttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You appear to be a student of knowledge with at least some measure of intellect. You will do... I suppose.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alex stood there, momentarily stumped, unsure how he was supposed to respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You may refer to me as Heavenly Venerable,\" the old man continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It is my belief that the path of Heaven and Earth is ultimately a path of knowledge.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A fool who knows nothing —who understands nothing about the grand repository of knowledge within Heaven and Earth— has no business walking its grand path.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As such, my trial will test your intellectual capacity.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heavenly Venerable walked away from the window toward one of the countless shelves lining the study —easily numbering well over a thousand— and returned the scroll to its place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he turned back toward Alex, the endless shelves of scrolls forming a vast backdrop behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My trial has two stages,\" he continued.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The first will test your ability to acquire and retain knowledge.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The foundation of every intellect lies in the knowledge it possesses.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If you seek my approval to become the Legatee of Heaven and Earth, you must prove that you can acquire and retain any and all knowledge presented to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And for that...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He gestured toward the endless shelves surrounding them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"...you must read and memorise every scroll contained within this hall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>",1256,"2026-05-29T03:49:40.181Z","2026-06-01T04:29:07.188Z",1,"novelbin.me","24dba7a9905380bdfbdc1ff0bb7342b7dc022e7bc9cbb97cefd570d05e110af3","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-590","re-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-chapter-588",692,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fre-tales-of-the-rune-tech-sage-cover.jpg"]