The Ten Levels Hardships

Wei Wuxian

Wei Wuxian crossed the middle bridge with great confidence, each step given without stop looking at Lan Zhan at the center, who was also looking back at him with a serious expression. This was the first time he actually wanted to impress a man, but not just any man, because Lan Wangji was a well-known for far more than just a beautiful face, he was the second strongest among the Lan's.

He enter the first circle, surrounded by long pillars with dragons engraved in them that curiously had a medium sized bell with cloud patterns, almost at the top of the pillar. A strong reddish barrier surrounded the circle at both sides of the path, so you could not jump to the next circle even if you wanted to, just leaving one way to go to the top. Wei Ying unsheathed Suibian, his spiritual sword, not knowing what to expect or of what consisted the challenge and start walking the single path.

At the top, Lan Wangji started playing his zither and the vibrations of his notes, make the bells rang in all the levels. At the first one, Wei Ying could barely hear it, even though he could see them move with each step he gave. He knew the Lan Clan specialize in music and their zither chords could kill, calm and affect the brain for either good or bad. So he was careful as he moved up and keep himself in alert from anything that could come at him, both internal or external.

Seen that there was no real danger in that first level, he closed his eyes to concentrate on his own core. The energy form which it was created was relative calm and steady, so whatever Lan Wangji was trying to test on their core, at that level was completely undetected and pretty much harmless.

Wei Ying sheathed back Suibian and simply walked on to the next level, which like the first one didn't present any danger or challenge at all. It was basically the same until he reached the fifth level, when the sounds of the bells really begin to get to him. Each ring, penetrate inside his mind all at once, like ripples echoes that make it hard to focus on the path in front of him. of course, there was a kind of pressure coming from the energy acting as invisible walls marking the different levels too, from were the challenge really begin from that point forward.

Even so, he had done harder trainings at his Clan and so far, even with the pressure getting to him at just a fifth level, it was still far inferior than the pressure he mastered inside the Stone Garden back in the east. He was now getting use to it, as he did when he first faced his Clan trial and could feel the waves of the sound more than hear it. Lan Zhan was playing so fast and beautifully it was also a distraction, but he was fine with that too.

"Lan Zhan, Oh Lan Zhan, I can't distinguish your melody from all this annoying bell ringing, but once I reach you at the top, you will had to play it for me as my prize for beating your core test." Wei whisper as he make a spiritual talisman in front of him, to guard his mind from the sound, then keep moving forward.

Lan Wangji

Wangji was looking at all three of them walk toward the elevated center mostly completely unaffected for the first few circles. Usually the later levels were the ones who really tested the cores, but the effect was present from the very first one, even if it was unnoticed at fist glance. The melody he was playing was one that confused the mind progressively. It will not had a direct effect when first hearing it, but after a few minutes of listening it to it, it will begin to work its magic if you were not aware enough.

Low levels participants would get dizzy at the very third ring and after the fifth it will experience hallucinations of all kinds. However, those three were beyond low level, thus they passed levels like they were walking a empty street. Wangji smiled pleased, it would had been disappointing if they had reacted this far... but what about pressing on it just a little further... he thought as he changed the sound to a harder one.

"I see why the symbol reacted to these three. Their spiritual level is quite high. The guy in red can feel the energy of the chord from the first step. His mind is quite open to the spiritual world as well, which is not necessarily a good thing. Corpses should approach him more than the other two, but his inner energy is unusually stronger for his age. Are you trying to get him mad with the new sound?" Lord Zheng asked from behind Wangji.

"No. All three of them should be able to resit the new sound. It's still withing the test challenge." Wangji said as he player even faster.

"Oh yes... you are fired up, so unlike you...." Lord Zheng notice.

"I'm doing my duty, nothing more." Wangji counter.

"Right... by the way that Wen Ning... His spirit feels like soft clouds. A very kind soul if I'm not mistaken... this is actually the first time I had a Wen in a gathering. Not all the Clan's participate in the gatherings in each generation, but there is something strange about the young man they send to us. His core is too protected." Lord Zhang said, looking down at the young Wen.

"All three of them are protected." Wangji voiced in return. As he played, he had tested their core with his notes, so he knew all three of them were somewhat different than the cultivators in the north. Their cultivation style was more complex than theirs, that was for sure.

"Ah, yes... in places were the dark energy is stronger, experienced cultivators protect the cores of their children's, to keep them from been tainted by the overflow of dark energy of the land, but his is still a bit different. His core is not only protected from the dark energy, but actually almost completely sealed. Back in my time as an immortal, only once I came across someone like him. There was a young boy, who's inner strength was too strong to be contained and almost became a fierce corps before reaching ten years old, if his energy was not sealed in time." Lord Zheng explained.

"Is it the same now? Is he in danger of becoming a fierce corps?" Wangji asked, as he still played his melody.

"Not as long as his seal remain untouched." The white spirit dismissed.

"Will this test alter the seal?" The young Lan asked next, a bit worry.

"Not with that seal. I recognize the handy work used on him, the Wen's most be descendants of her and she must had passed along her teachings..." Lord Zheng said as he looked down, perhaps trying to see far beyond inside the young man's core.

"You mean..." Wangji whisper.

"Meng Shiyu, the strongest female cultivator in the history of this Dark World. Her disappearance was a great loss to us. although I doubt she is gone for good. She is an immortal after all, the only one remaining alive in this age." The white spirit offered to Wangji.

"He is not affected by the sound at all." Wangji said, directing more waves his way.

"It's not like he is not affected by either the pressure of the yang energy bellow his feet, nor by your sound, he just don't feel it because his core is so protected that nothing will reach it. He may as well walk all ten levels and even several extra ones at the immortal level and still feel nothing. Meng Shiyu had definitely see to it and her work waving barriers on cores is at a godly level. Once he reach level eight, I will bring him out. This test will not measure his golden core anyways. It's unreachable to us, as most of his core energy is already sealed." He added and Wangji assented, changing his focusing in the female Wen.

"What about her, Wen Qing?" Wangji asked next.

"She most be her student at some point, I can tell she is already half way Shiyu's steps. Strong as hell... just look at the way she walks... so steady and calm, even with the penetrating song of the bells. She will begin to feel the pressure around level six, but I don't think she will go further than eight. She is strong in the art of the mind and body, but is still in cultivating her golden core. She haven't reach her full potential just yet, but is far advanced than any other female in here or more like anywhere. Apparently, she had focus more on her healing abilities than her full strength."

"What about Wei Ying?" Wangji asked casually and Lord Zheng laughed quite openly.

"Wei Ying? Are you guys already in such close terms that you call each other given names?" Wangji's ears became hot red.

"He started it." Wangji said in a hush.

"Of course he did! Even I can feel his mischievous energy from here. He is just like his father was at his age, although he was interested in impressing a young woman that could actually beat the hell out of him." Lord Zheng laughed more.

"Will he reach level ten?" Wangji asked, ignoring the laughing spirit.

"Oh, he will try it, alright. That brat is definitely a smart one, he already sealed his mind from the sound of the bells, that would had cause him illusions at the next level. However, the pressure around level eight is not a walk in the park. His current core strength is not enough to finish the level ten, but he will push himself to the limit, I had no doubts of that." He said more seriously now.

"Will you pull him out from level nine, then?" Wangji asked curiously. If he was pulled out, will that count as his win?

"Nope, I'm not squeezing myself between you two. You will have to rescue him if needed, in the same way that Xichen rescued you when your core was tested. You wanted so much to show your brother that you could get to him that Xichen had to intervene before your core could be permanently damaged."

"So he stays at level nine." Wangji smirked.

"Ah, yes, the very same as you. Congratulations, Lan Wangji, you had finally found your match." Indeed he had. Wangji thought as he watched Wei Ying reach level nine, sweating like he had run for long miles.

Wei Ying

He was having a hard time breathing now, as the level of magical pressure over him was quite something, far more than he had expected from a place so full of white energy. Just giving a few steps forward was like his feet were loaded with heavy iron. The only reason he was not using Suibian as a cane was his pride.

The bells sounds were quite annoying too, but he keep moving forward, focusing in reaching the next final level in which he was expected. He had to give the proper credit to the Lan Clan testing, because after the level eight, he had struggle a lot more than in his time dealing with a similar pressure by its contra-part yin energy. Still, he was not the kind of man that bow down to a challenge, so he forced his legs to move and use a few talismans to ease his breathing.

Then, he literally crushed with an invisible wall, that apparently was the entrance to the last level and as far as he could go with his current level of cultivation. However, training barriers were meant to be broken and he was quite the expert at doing so. Wei Ying bite his finger to draw a spiritual talisman with his blood, then sent it forward, sensing the insanely strong force coming from the last level in a rush that was like a fierce gale.

He gave one step inside and he had to use Suibian as a cane to prevent a fall. A second step in and he was fighting the desire to throw up everything he had on his stomach. A third step and blood begin to run down his nose. A forth step and his vision begin to blurry. A fifth step and he fell into the arms of Lan Zhan, who was also struggling to keep himself up under the heavy pressure.

Yet, Lan Zhan's physical strength was greater than Wei Ying's, so he took him in his arms bridal style and moved out of the last level, then teleported the two of them to the top by Lord Zheng, that had already pull out both Wen siblings. As soon as he was out of the magical circles, Wangji put down Wei Ying and let Wen Qing had a look at him.

"Idiot. I told him not to go too far." Wen Qing said, checking his pulse.

"How is he, sister?" Wen Ning asked.

"As he should, all mess up. He drained his spiritual energy. I'm sorry, young Master Lan, but he will need rest and a transfer of energy." She said and Wangji wasted no time to take back Wei Ying in his arms.

"Lord Zheng." Wangji whisper and a second later, both of them disappeared, as the white spirit of Gusu teleport them directly to the Second Jade's resting room.

"Young Master Wei!" Wen Ning yelled, but Qing put a hand on his shoulder to calm him out.

"Don't worry. He will recover in no time. The kid while impulsive, had a good strong core that allow him to even give five steps in the last level, which is impressive on his own right. Wangji could only give three, although he was barely thirteen. Have some rest for the remaining of the night, I assure you, Wei Wuxian is in good and capable hands. By tomorrow, he will be just fine." The white spirit said reassuringly to the siblings before also teleporting them to their assigned rooms.

After them gone, Lord Zheng retrieved the orb and went to the second island to watch the less harsh challenge for the rankings of the other Clans. When having the opportunity he will talk to Lan Xichen about Wen Ning and the rest of the prodigies from the east. He had the feeling that something big was going to take place in that year gathering and it involved all three of them along with Wangji.

Salvation or disaster, he still could not tell, but the white energy was reacting strongly to them, which was always a good sign, or so he hoped.

AN: Thanks for reading. Hope is still building up well. Forgive all the typos and errors, but English is not my language. Still, I truly hope it isn't too hard to read. Thanks, see you next time, with love, take care. 😉❤❤❤😙