As the number of trial takers continued to decrease, and the difficulty of the trials continued increasing, the competition for obtaining resources became fiercer and fiercer.
Residences, where the trial takers lived in between the trials were scattered along the sides of the giant hall, and in one particularly inconspicuous corner stood a small, equally inconspicuous abode.
Without any making any sound the door to the abode opened, a thin and seemingly weak girl then walked in.
"It's really empty," thought Wang Jun as she silently scanned through the rooms of the abode, and just as silently, she disappeared into the shadows.
Reappearing in front of the particular door, Wang Jun looked at it for a moment before letting out a silent sigh, a moment later, rather than melding into the shadows, she melded into space itself before appearing on the inside of the room without as much as touching the door.
As she appeared in the room, Wang Jun was slightly floating, as to not touch the floor.
"Everything's trapped," thought Wang Jun as she dared not lower herself to the floor or touch anything.
After a few moments, her eyes darted to the middle-aged man who right now was sleeping on a simple bed, seemingly unaware of the bed in front of him.
"It seems the medicine worked," thought Wang Jun before slowly floating towards the simpe bed in front of her.
"I need to reach the top five, you can only blame yourself for being weaker than the other four," mumbled Wang Jun as her dagger ruthlessly stabbed toward the sleeping middle-aged man.
"So no one sent you?" asked a calm female voice from right behind Wang Jun, as she heard that voice, Wang Jun suddenly found that she could no longer move her dagger forward.
"Or were you lying as to deceive those watching?" asked the female voice as several dead bodies suddenly appeared in the room, seemingly from nowhere, blood stained the floor as blood poured out of the orifices of the bodies.
"Now that we are alone, can you talk more honestly?" asked the voice as the bodies then disappeared one by one, alongside the blood that tried to stain the pristine floor.
Wang Ju wanted to say something, but when she felt the edge of a blade appear on her neck, the word seemed to be stuck inside her.
For some reason, the voice did not try to make Wang Jun to talk, rather, it waited for the girl to give her answer.
"I was paid by Gao Lei to kill the number five candidate, he gave no reason why," said Wang Jun as she regained her senses after an unknown amount of time.
"Umm good," said the middle-aged man on the bed, who was now completely awake.
"Impossible, you should have been half dead right now!" lightly shouted Wang Jun as she looked at Meng Lin, who then proceeded to stand up.
"That's what Gao Lei told you?" asked Meng Lin as her middle-aged body appeared behind Wang Jun.
"Umm," said Wang Jun as she silently shook at the speed number fifth just showcased.
Before Wang Jun could think about anything else, a palm struck her on the back of the head at lightning speed, causing her to lose consciousness.
"That was too dangerous," mumbled Meng Lin as she breathed a sigh of relief.
After making sure Wang Jun was unconscious, she then sat crosslegged and analyzed her situation.
"If not for the fact that I reached the Soul Condensation stage and my soul can exit my body, I would have died," thought Meng Lin as she felt the extreme weakness of her physical body, caused by whatever poison she had somehow been poisoned with.
After around five minutes, Meng Lin's middle aged body turned back into that one of a woman, black blood that began rapidly pouring out of her orifices as she became paler and paler.
Thirty seconds after that began, Meng Lin suddenly began puking as a black substance was being continuously thrown out from her body.
Of course, Meng Lin did not let her house be stained, the blood and puke floated in between the floorboards and into a container she had previously prepared for such a moment.
Only after recovering for five whole minutes did Meng Lin have the energy to do the next thing she had to do.
"Let's do this," mumbled Meng Lin as she attacked Wang Jun's comparatively weak mind, and before the latter could do anything, Meng Lin already had access to her memories.
...
Looking at the Shadow Movement technique booklet in Gao Lei's hands, Wang Jun immediately agreed to the deal.
"As long as you swear on your Martial Path to go on with the deal, I will assassinate number five," said Wang Jun as determination flashed in her eyes.
"Good, I swear," said Gao Lei as a smile appeared on his face.
...
"So it really is him," thought Meng Lin as ruthlessness flashed in her eyes.
"Don't let me catch you," mumbled Meng Lin as her body suddenly morphed back into the one of a middle-aged man.
The next day.
Right now, the group of trial takers had begun gathering as to take the seventh trial, unknown to anyone else, the moment Meng Lin joined the group, surprise flashed on Gao Lei's face.
This expression only stayed on Gao Lei's face for a moment before reverting back to normal, as such, no one else, but Meng Lin who had spiritual sense noticed it.
As soon as she saw that, Meng Lin was sure of it, Gao Lei was the culprit.
A few moments later, Yuan Jianjun and then He Qiao joined the group as well, before the artifact spirit began talking as well.
"This trial will test your comprehension talent, this time, half of you will be eliminated," said the artifact spirit as silence ensued in the group.
"The real trials begin," thought Yuan Jianjun as he silently looked at the group of people, and for some reason, his eyes stayed on Meng Lin for a split second longer, for some reason, that was not noticed by Meng Lin.