Chapter 151: The Second Trial Passed

The spirit beasts watched Xie Yingying’s retreating figure, so infuriated that they coughed up blood. How detestable—she had managed to escape them once again! Being bested by a mere, fragile woman was a profound humiliation for so many of them.

Xie Yingying ran forward without looking back. She did not know how long she had been running, only stopping when she was certain the beasts were no longer in pursuit. She gasped for air, winded as never before in her life. Looking at her surroundings, she realized she had no idea where she was. She could only continue at a slow, weary pace, hoping to run into Bai Shengyun and Bai Qirui.

The path seemed endless. Xie Yingying walked for a long time without encountering a single turn, the road stretching out in a perfectly straight line. "How long is this going to take?" she couldn't help but complain aloud. She had passed the first trial inexplicably; could this path be the second? If so, wasn't it a bit too easy?

Suddenly, Xie Yingying halted, startled by what lay before her. It was a palace! It looked incredibly opulent, and she couldn't help but wonder what it might be like inside. Driven by curiosity, she stepped forward. Even the gates were made of gold—surely that alone must have cost a fortune? She stepped inside to find an interior of breathtaking luxury. Yet, it seemed uninhabited. With nothing but wilderness for miles around, anyone faint of heart would surely be terrified to live here. As she marveled at the grandeur, she failed to notice that the token in her hand was glowing.

The first floor was already so magnificent, and seeing that there was another level, Xie Yingying decided to go up and investigate. Since this was the only structure for miles, perhaps the secret to the second trial lay upstairs. Just then, a familiar voice echoed: "Congratulations. You have passed the second trial. Prepare yourself for the third."

It was the Realm Guardian, appearing before her once more. Before she could recover from the shock, he vanished again. She stood there, dazed. He had said she passed the second trial? How? She hadn't done anything at all! Then, she remembered the token in her hand—was it because of that? She shook her head; there was no use dwelling on it. Passing was a good thing, though she now had to brace for the third trial, whatever it might be.

Bai Shengyun and Bai Qirui, though in different locations, heard the Guardian’s voice at the same time. Their hearts surged with relief. They had been unable to find Xie Yingying and had worried about her safety. This was proof she was alive and had succeeded. They had underestimated her; it seemed she had more capability than they thought.

Suddenly, the space around all three began to shift. Bai Qirui and Bai Shengyun remained calm, but for Xie Yingying, who had just finished one trial and narrowly escaped the beasts, the sudden instability made her heart race. Was this another attack?

In a blink, the world warped, and Xie Yingying found herself in a new place. She opened her eyes to see Bai Shengyun and Bai Qirui standing before her. A joyful smile spread across her face. "We've finally reunited!" Though she didn't know how it happened, it brought her immense peace.

Seeing her unharmed, the two men were visibly relieved. "Sister-in-law, you are quite capable after all," Bai Qirui remarked.

"She just has good luck," Bai Shengyun added, his expression neutral.

"Will we be separated for the third trial?" Xie Yingying asked, her focus narrowing on the immediate future. Their simultaneous arrival here could not be a coincidence; it was surely the Guardian’s design.

"Unlikely," Bai Qirui replied. If they were meant to be split up, there would have been no reason to bring them together.

"Stay close to me," Bai Shengyun said in a low, firm voice. The third trial would be the final hurdle and surely the most difficult. Since they were together, he would ensure her protection. Xie Yingying nodded, though she noted they were in a small, enclosed room with nowhere to go.

The three scanned the room. Aside from a few prayer mats and pillars, it was empty. Xie Yingying pouted, "What exactly is this third trial?"

Bai Shengyun walked to a pillar and inspected it closely. These were no ordinary supports; they were etched with mysterious runes. Bai Qirui noticed them as well. "Shengyun, sister-in-law, could these pillars be mechanisms we need to disarm?"

Bai Shengyun did not answer. He felt the matter was not so simple. If it were a mechanism, they wouldn't have been brought together; these runes were likely meant to deceive them. After a long silence, he said, "Proceed with caution. Observe only; do not touch anything."

As the two men studied the runes, Xie Yingying turned her attention to the prayer mats. While they seemed insignificant, she knew that in such trials, the most overlooked things were often the most crucial. Just as she thought this, an inexplicable force surged toward her. It felt as if it were pulling her forward, and before she could resist, she found herself seated upon a mat.

Just as she opened her mouth to speak to the others, the scene before her eyes shifted entirely.

"The head is crowning! Push!" a doctor urged a woman in labor. Finally, the cry of a newborn rang out, and the doctor stepped out of the delivery room to announce, "Congratulations, both mother and daughter are safe."

Xie Yingying watched in shock. The woman in the room was her own mother, and the infant in the nurse's arms was herself. Had she returned to the modern world? She was witnessing her own birth.

Then, the scene shifted. She was two years old, suffering from a severe illness. Her family had spent a fortune on treatments to no avail. Her grandmother, a woman of feudal mindsets who favored boys, was already resentful that she had been born a girl; now, seeing the expenses mounting for a sick child, she refused to pay for further treatment and demanded the girl be given away so her parents could try for a son again. Her mother refused, fighting to keep her alive, while her father secretly funneled money to her mother for the medical bills.