His body hit the stone with a dull THUD, and for a moment, Meng Bai lay still.
His breathing was ragged, his limbs trembling—not from pain, but from something deeper. The pressure on the thirteenth step hadn't been physical; it was like his spirit had buckled beneath a weight he couldn't see.
Why is this so hard? he thought, blinking up at the swirling mist above.
He didn't feel injured. His Qi hadn't been drained. But his heart… his heart felt exhausted.
"What even is this test?" he muttered, pushing himself up onto his elbows. His face was slick with sweat, even though the morning air was cool.
Lin Mu remained where he was, observing silently. His presence was a calm beacon at the bottom of the path.
Meng Bai grit his teeth. "No point lying here."
He stood up once more, knees wobbling slightly as he faced the fourteenth step.
STEP
As soon as he planted his foot down, the world twisted again.
This time, it wasn't voices. It was images.
