For Ruyue, passing the Trial of Self didn't hold the same meaning as it did for Damien.
Instead, it served to reaffirm her determination.
Back then, the Xue Clan was a behemoth she couldn't hope to resist. She was simply a sheep waiting to be hunted.
But looking back at it now, it didn't feel the same at all. She thought about the Xue Clan from her current perspective, and it didn't look like a mountain.
It was within reach.
All she had to do was continue walking her path as she did. Continue working hard. And one day not so far in the future, she'd be able to achieve her goal.
She smiled when she thought about it.
If someone had told her things would end up like this, her past self wouldn't believe it.
But fate was a strange thing.
She, who had been neglected and stepped on for so long, had gained people who treated her with value. People who genuinely cared about her.