A pitch-black jade ring and a palm-sized, octagonal gray compass.

Lin Guang tested it with his Spiritual Power. This black jade ring is a Space Ring, with space roughly the size of a small room, but it's empty inside.

Apart from the space, the Spiritual Power can also "see" a list in the void.

Everyone's names are listed on it.

For the upcoming trial, the Trial Taker should use this function to check their ranking.

As for the compass...

As Lin Guang injected Spiritual Power into it, the compass suddenly lit up with densely packed, extremely intricate patterns.

In Lin Guang's slightly surprised eyes, the compass transformed, and a faint red micro-light shot from the core, projecting an image the size of a portrait in front of Lin Guang.

This pattern is not just a simple image; it has the ability to interfere with the external world. Upon its appearance, it stirred up fluctuations in the surrounding Ethereal Environment, slightly raising the temperature.

This is a Spirit Pattern?

Each Spirit Pattern is unique and distinct, but Spirit Patterns with the same Attribute and type tend to have similar features.

From the feel of it, it seems to be a Fire Attribute Spirit Pattern, and judging by its not-so-complex structure, it should be One-Star.

With the appearance of this Spirit Pattern, the compass's center even left a blank space for him.

Lin Guang attempted to probe with his Spiritual Power, and then widened his eyes slightly—what he felt was a noticeably resistant and extraordinarily chaotic sensation, even with inexplicable turbid-like interference, strongly disrupting the control of Spiritual Power.

It was evident that a significant part of this interference originated from the force fields omnipresent on Celestial Ladder Mountain.

Moreover, although the Spiritual Power etched distinct marks on it, they immediately returned to their original state once the power was withdrawn.

This is to have the Trial Taker draw this Spirit Pattern on there with Spiritual Power?

Under these conditions?

Lin Guang quickly realized the difficulty of this challenge.

Spirit Pattern drawing is an extremely meticulous operation, which is why schools establish Meditation Rooms to provide students with a tranquil and Spiritually Elemental Ether-rich environment. Complex Spirit Patterns are typically three-dimensional, layer upon layer woven together. "One mistake can cause a domino effect, ruining the nearly completed Spirit Pattern," is not uncommon.

This is why ordinary Spirit Masters need several days to complete Spirit Pattern drawings, constantly verifying throughout the process to ensure no mistakes in their sketches.

Yet, with the Spirit Sea barriers of Spirit Masters, even if unformed, it can retain part of the drawing, preventing it from dispersing immediately when stopping—extending the timeline with no issues, as long as it's accurately completed.

But this compass...

Though relatively easier to leave marks on compared to drawing on the Spirit Sea barrier, seemingly more effortless and faster, the control difficulty drastically escalates to a highly exaggerated level.

Additionally, with this rapid regression rate, stopping the drawing, or a momentary distraction, would immediately render all results null.

If comparing the detailed yet break-giving Spirit Pattern sketches within the Spirit Sea to precise work,

then sketching on this compass is akin to removing the brakes while biking downhill on a muddy, steep mountain road in the rain.

The speed is swift.

But missing even a single step or losing balance once...

You might have to start over.

Given Lin Guang's current competence, this Tier One Spirit Pattern could be completed on this compass within an hour, even if mistakes meant starting over, it wouldn't take much time.

But...

This is just the initial trial and only a One-Star Spirit Pattern.

Two-Star, Three-Star, or even Four-Star Spirit Patterns will definitely appear later, to be completed in one go?

Could a Three-Star Spirit Master's Spiritual Power support and stabilize it?

The [Supreme] level difficulty is exceedingly exaggerated.

At this moment, the stone tablet emitted another wave.

[Upon detection, the Supreme-level Inheritance Compass has a slight malfunction, increasing trial difficulty.]

[Trial Takers may choose the difficulty here again.]

As the wave passed, five light spots lit up once more on the stone tablet.

"..."

Lin Guang shook his head, coming back to his senses.

Under the conditions of "the first to reach the mountain peak gets the Inheritance" and the "Supreme level compass malfunction," it seemed that the [Quasi-Supreme] difficulty was the most cost-effective choice.

As suggested by the trial's prompt, acting within one's limit seemed to be most crucial.

However, gazing at the compass in hand, Lin Guang squinted slightly, hints of contemplation shining in his dark-golden pupils.

The Eye of Omniscience and Omnipotence returned interesting information.

[Name: Inheritance Compass·Supreme]

[Description: The key to the entire trial and Inheritance, damaged for unknown reasons, possesses self-repairing ability though certain conditions must be met to trigger. It appears to hold an irreplaceable core position in the Inheritance.]

Irreplaceable position.

Damaged for some unknown reason.

Repairable.

At this moment...

Lin Guang lowered his gaze, looking at his hands, and at the [Heavenly Mending Record: True Understanding of the Needle Dao] within his Sea of Spirit, a slight smile curved his lips.

In terms of Combat Power, against Du Qing now, he and Du Qing are about equally matched.

But when it comes to drawing Spirit Patterns externally...

He does have... "a little" insight.

....

Another Inheritance Space.

Zhao Yue stood before the stone tablet at the mountain's foot, looking at the compass in her hand and the Spirit Pattern displayed above, musing:

"This Inheritance is interesting."

"Even I, without my master's transmission, would likely choose the quasi-Supreme difficulty..."

She hails from the Great Dream Sect, and the surveying female True Man is naturally an elder.

During prior exploration, the True Man seemed to have gathered some intelligence from the emotional remnants of the others.

This first trial of the Inheritance is crucial.

The highest difficulty is exceptionally challenging, seemingly set this way on purpose, but the rewards upon completion are certainly worth it.

It's hard to imagine how many people were scared off by this setting and gave up on the highest difficulty?

——However, this likely cannot fool the strongest two.

Zhao Yue frowned.

Zuo Qingtian and Jiang Nalan.

Even without notification, their dread capabilities may likely discern the oddness of this trial.

However, Heaven-slaying Demon and Du Qing, their Talents and Inheritance likely have little to do with detection, so they might not notice, but it's uncertain exactly how they would choose.

After all, the stronger the Talent and Spiritual Power, the stronger the intuition in the void, no doubt about it.

As for the up-and-coming Lin Guang, she certainly wouldn't underestimate him either.

The remaining ones worth mentioning are those few who've already entered university, at the peak of Tier Three...

As for the remaining twenty-some, Zhao Yue has never set her sights on them.

They are just mere companions running behind the true strong contenders.

"Hmph, then let us begin."

She sat cross-legged, beginning to draw the Spirit Pattern on the compass.

Shortly after she closed her eyes, her entire being seemed to meld into the air, leaving only a shadow behind, like a dream.

....

Before the stone tablet, Jiang Nalan in a blue robe sat cross-legged, gazing at his slightly damaged compass.

His azure-blue eyes were like the clearest mirror and the purest lake in the world, reflecting the Spirit Pattern projected by the compass with no flaw or blur, every detail precise.

....

Zuo Qingtian sat cross-legged with closed eyes, holding the Supreme level compass, surrounded by a few meters of darkness where light was completely absorbed.

....

Upon sensing the wave from the stone tablet, the Heaven-slaying Demon muttered, "Supreme?"

Whoosh——

He smiled excitedly, completely discarding his refined gentleman demeanor to the skies, folding his paper fan with a "snap" against his left palm, muttering to himself: "A difficulty several times over, if I can complete this, wouldn't I be putting on the grandest display?"

The next second, without a hint of hesitation, he invested his Spiritual Power into the last light spot.

....

And Du Qing, clad in a black trench coat, stood in front of the stone tablet, looking at the five lights representing difficulty.

He showed a pondering expression.

Supreme... indeed feels uncertain.

So should he switch back to Quasi-Supreme?

Yet at that moment, Du Qing suddenly furrowed his brows, realizing something.

If it were Lin Guang, what would he do?

"... Hmph."

The next moment, understanding this, Du Qing no longer hesitated, directly choosing the Supreme difficulty.

....

With various reasons and thoughts, everyone chose their difficulty and began their respective trials.

No one knew.

At this moment.

The time left until the Celestial Ladder Mountain Inheritance ends.

Remaining external time: 23 minutes 58 seconds.

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