I followed him through layer upon layer of floating immortal mountains, where the mist beneath my feet would coalesce into staircases one moment and dissolve into flowing spirit rivers the next.

"Fellow Daoist Ethan, the entrance to the Star Abyss lies just ahead." Sect Master Yun Que halted and pointed toward a vast platform suspended above a sea of clouds in the distance. At the platform's centre stood three monolithic stone steles, each as black as ink, each towering a hundred zhang high. Across their surfaces flowed a mysterious stellar radiance, as though the secrets of the cosmos were sealed within.

I drew closer to the steles and felt a crushing pressure wash over me — vast as the ocean of stars itself.

The pressure bore no malice, yet it carried an authority that brooked no defiance. Instinctively, I drew in every wisp of my aura.

"These three steles are the grounds for the Three Trials of the Star Abyss." Sect Master Yun Que explained. "The First Trial: the Beast Ordeal. The Second Trial: the Demon of the Heart's Illusion. The Third Trial: Tempering the Body in Starlight. Each trial is no small matter. Does Fellow Daoist Ethan still have the courage to proceed?"

I drew a slow breath, sensing the steadiness of the Nascent Soul within me, and the faint resonance that thrummed from the Trident-Sea Sword at my waist.

"Having come this far, there is naturally no reason to retreat."

Sect Master Yun Que gave a nod, a flash of admiration crossing his eyes. "Good! Then please — step forward. The First Trial, the Beast Ordeal, tests your practical combat ability and your capacity to adapt."

He swept his sleeve, and a gentle radiance enveloped me, sending me into the first stele in an instant.

The scene before my eyes shifted violently. I found myself standing in a desolate wasteland. The sky burned a deep crimson, the ground was littered with enormous bones, and the air reeked of blood and savage killing intent.

"ROOAAR——"

A thunderous roar rolled in from the distance. An enormous beast, its body as vast as a mountain, came charging toward me in a frenzy. It bore the body of a ram and the face of a man; wings grew from beneath its armpits, and its maw bristled with gleaming fangs. It was one of the ancient fiend-beasts — the Taotie!

Ding! Ancient fiend-beast Taotie Phantom detected. Strength assessment: Late-stage Nascent Soul!

My pupils contracted. A Late-stage Nascent Soul phantom — the First Trial was no joke. Yet I did not waver. I wrenched the Trident-Sea Sword free in a single motion. The blade erupted with dazzling gold-and-blue radiance as the Sword Intent of the Dao Ancestor and the power of the tides intertwined along its length, forming a flowing band of light.

"Trident-Sea Sword Art — First Form: The Surging Vast Sea!"

I let out a low cry and poured every ounce of my spiritual energy into the Trident-Sea Sword. In that instant, the surrounding air seemed to transform into a boundless ocean. A tremendous force of water answered my call, condensing before me into an enormous water-dragon. The dragon roared as it surged toward the Taotie, the crashing waves it threw up threatening to swallow the entire wasteland whole.

At the sight of it, the Taotie Phantom showed no fear. Instead, it threw wide its cavernous jaws and inhaled with savage force. Before my eyes, the raging water-dragon was more than half devoured — drawn in and swallowed as pure spiritual energy.

As expected of the Taotie — devouring all things is its nature. I noted inwardly, my eyes sharp and watchful on its movements. I noticed that each time the Taotie consumed spiritual energy, its movements would stall for a single heartbeat, and the light at the centre of its brow would dim ever so slightly.

"Now!"

I seized the opening. A push of my foot — I closed the distance in a flash. The Trident-Sea Sword traced an exquisite arc in my hand, carrying the peerless Sword Intent of the Dao Ancestor, and drove straight for the spot between the Taotie's brows.

Thwick——

The blade tip pierced precisely into the phantom's brow. Though it was only a phantom, that single strike imbued with the Dao Ancestor's Sword Intent still drew a howl of agony from it. The phantom convulsed violently, then scattered into motes of starlight that faded into the air.

Ding! Congratulations, Host — the First Trial, 'Beast Ordeal,' has been successfully cleared! Under the impact of the illusion's energy, physical constitution has increased. Current physical cultivation: Peak of Early Nascent Soul!

I let out a slow breath and felt the firmer solidity of the body within me. A faint smile touched the corner of my mouth. The First Trial had been perilous, yet it had also given me a far clearer picture of my own strength.

Radiance enveloped me and returned me to the outside of the stele. Sect Master Yun Que saw me emerge and a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes. "To clear the First Trial so swiftly — Fellow Daoist Ethan is truly extraordinary. Next is the Second Trial: the Demon of the Heart's Illusion, which tests whether your Dao-heart is resolute."

I gave a nod and stepped into the second stele.

This time, I found myself back in a familiar residential compound. Sunlight poured down in abundance; neighbours chatted idly at the base of the building; everything felt warm and tranquil. But I knew — this had to be an illusion.

End of Chapter 92: The Sect Master of Kunlun Immortal Sect, Yun Que, Led the Way Ahead.