Out of caution, Erwin's mind stirred. A layer of translucent, armor-like magic flared around his body, encasing him completely. He lifted his foot, ready to ascend the Celestial Path.
The crowd below held their breath, watching him intently. Sunny was no exception. Although she had faith in Erwin's strength, the Celestial Path was Kunlun's most grueling trial, and she couldn't help but feel a knot of anxiety. The two Elders turned their gazes to Erwin, waiting for his performance.
As Erwin's left foot touched the first step, everything seemed calm. He didn't let his guard down, slowly raising his right foot to join the first.
The instant both feet landed on the stone, a sharp crack echoed. Erwin's shimmering Shield Charm shattered instantly.
Erwin's expression twisted. Down the mountain, Sunny stared in disbelief. She had sparred with Erwin before and knew the resilience of his Shield Charm. For it to shatter the moment he stepped onto the stair? What kind of test was this? In Kunlun's history, no one had ever caused such a reaction on the very first step.
Erwin flicked his wrist, his wand appearing in his hand. Before the first shield could fully disperse, he cast another. But it shattered just as fast, the magic dissipating into nothingness. An immense pressure bore down on him.
Erwin was shocked and moved to react, but he abruptly froze. He frowned, analyzing the weight on his skin. This pressure… it was heavy, certainly, but not heavy enough to shatter his Shield Charm. Something else was happening.
He raised his arm and clenched his fist. He felt resistance, a subtle friction against his movement. A sudden thought struck him. He swung his wand, casting a spell a short distance away. The moment the magic left his wand, it was crushed by the atmospheric pressure, dissipating harmlessly in mid-air.
Erwin's eyes widened. He understood. This place was forbidden territory for magic.
Not conceptually forbidden. Literally.
He snapped his fingers. A spark appeared on his fingertip, flickering steadily. He gently waved his hand; the flame held firm against the wind.
"Pretty good," Erwin muttered absentmindedly, before shaking his head to clear the distracting thought. "Excellent. Truly impressive."
Down the mountain, the students watched his strange behavior with confusion.
"What is he doing? Trying to light a cigarette?"
"Don't be ridiculous!"
Sunny, standing nearby, frowned. From Erwin's actions—testing the spark, casting a spell that failed—she realized the terrifying truth. A guess formed in her mind, and she whispered it to the student beside her.
A clever student nearby caught on to her deduction. "Judging from Erwin's actions… it seems his trial prohibits the use of spells entirely!"
The surrounding students gasped.
"What? No magic?"
"If I remember correctly, Erwin is a wizard!"
"To ban their primary skill right at the start… isn't that setting him up to fail?"
Most students mentally wrote Erwin off. A wizard who can't cast spells is useless, after all.
Meanwhile, Erwin, whom everyone had condemned to failure, actually smiled. He found the Celestial Path intriguing. Whether the ancestors of the cultivation world were targeting Western magic, or if this was simply his unique trial, the inability to use magic made it a challenge worth solving.
Who said a wizard needed a wand to fight?
Erwin stood straight, lifted his foot, and stepped firmly onto the second step.
The Kunlun students were stunned. He was continuing? Without magic? They couldn't fathom where he found such confidence.
Sunny glanced at Erwin, a look of certainty in her eyes. She knew his personality too well—he never gave up easily. She had warned him not to be reckless, but this was Erwin through and through.
As he landed on the second step, the pressure increased. Raising his arms now required significant effort. Erwin pondered—was the test simply about endurance?
Suddenly, the step beneath his feet extended rapidly, forming a flat platform. At the other end, a young man materialized. He raised his arms in a respectful bow.
"Quincy Shen, Kunlun senior student, defends this stage!"
As his voice fell, his features solidified.
Below, students gasped. "It's Senior Shen! Erwin's trial is the Arena Challenge!"
"Senior, what's the Arena Challenge?"
"The Celestial Path offers various trials, but the most difficult is the Arena. Each level has a defender—a senior who has already conquered the Path."
"Defeat a defender?" another student asked, aghast.
"To be precise," the first student said, lowering his voice, "a defender at their absolute peak."
The air filled with the sound of nervous swallowing. "Defeat Quincy Shen at his peak? Impossible! Even Sunny couldn't do that!"