Three days passed more quickly than expected. When Duong Minh stepped into the arena reserved for the Path of Dao examination, he immediately felt the difference from the Path of Intellect trial: there were no mechanical sounds, no LED lights, no streaming data screens. Instead, a faint field of Spiritual Energy drifted across the ground like white mist.
Duong Minh drew in a deep breath—and startled.
The air here was entirely different. Each inhalation carried energy, flooding into his lungs and spreading throughout his body. His chakras began spinning faster on their own, as if starved.
"The Spiritual Energy here is many times denser than outside," Lyra whispered. "The organizers have established a spirit-gathering formation."
She was right. Compared to the thin atmosphere beyond, this place felt like a vast reservoir of power.
Hundreds of candidates stood in ordered rows, each radiating a different emotion: confidence, anxiety, arrogance, fear. Duong Minh blended quietly among them.
He glanced around. Beside him stood a group from East Asia.
At their head was Thanh Cuong: tall, sharp-featured, eyes cold, carrying the presence of someone who had cultivated for many years.
Thanh Cuong swept his gaze over Duong Minh and smirked. "You're the one who scored highest in the Path of Intellect trial?"
Duong Minh gave a slight nod.
Thanh Cuong let out a dry laugh. "I thought you wouldn't dare take the Path of Dao exam. Or are you just curious what early elimination feels like?"
A black-haired girl beside him chuckled. "No foundation, yet competing in Path of Dao. Bold."
Duong Minh remained silent. Inside him, the Fire Serpent stirred faintly in response to the provocation. He had to use his will to calm it.
"No need to argue," he thought. "The results will answer."
Thanh Cuong caught that composure. A flicker of irritation crossed his eyes. He was used to fear or anger, not indifference.
To the left stood another group, this one from South Asia. Their leader was Arjun: lean, dark-skinned, eyes glowing ember-red, heat rising faintly from his breath. Rumor had it his clan lived near a Spiritual Energy leakage zone, their children sensing energy from birth.
Arjun regarded Duong Minh not with hostility but curiosity. "You carry a strange aura. Not like a beginner."
"I've only trained a few days," Duong Minh replied.
Arjun's eyes widened before he burst into laughter. "A few days? Then you're either very brave—or very foolish."
Duong Minh smiled lightly and did not answer. He studied Arjun more closely. The young man's body was lean yet solid, every muscle honed carefully. Around him, Duong Minh saw a faint glow—but not the vortex pattern of chakras. Instead, the energy spread evenly across his body like invisible armor.
"Master Tinh Khong was right," Duong Minh thought. "Path of Dao has many roads. Opening chakras is only one of them."
Understanding dawned. Arjun cultivated the body. Thanh Cuong likely cultivated internal force. And he himself… was walking something else entirely.
The air trembled slightly—a signal the first round was about to begin.
A voice resounded from above—Venerable Lieu Chan.
"In the first round, the Talent contest, candidates will undergo three successive trials: Endurance, Trial of Heart, and Force Measurement."
"The first trial: Endurance. We measure your body's tolerance to Spiritual Energy."
The arena floor shuddered. Hundreds of circular formations opened beneath the candidates' feet, each large enough for one person.
Master Tinh Khong had once told him: "The Endurance trial is like standing beneath a waterfall of Spiritual Energy. The longer you endure, the greater your aptitude."
Duong Minh stepped into his circle. The moment his foot touched the center—
"BOOM."
A surge of Spiritual Energy shot upward from the ground, spearing through his spine like a heated steel needle. Several candidates screamed and collapsed instantly.
Thanh Cuong stood firm. Arjun even smiled, as if tasting an appetizer.
Duong Minh, however, saw it.
The Spiritual Energy was not mere invisible force. It was hundreds of tiny luminous strands spiraling upward from the base of the formation, searching for entry through his acupoints.
"Guide them into the chakras. Lead the flow up along the Du meridian, release excess at the crown, then descend along the Ren meridian."
Recalling his master's words, he began circulating according to the Microcosmic Orbit. Within him, the Fire Serpent stirred as if waking.
From the first chakra, a faint red current rose to meet the white surge.
The two streams intertwined, twisting into a double helix.
Lyra reported within his consciousness: "Heart rate stable. Mental oscillation steady. You are absorbing the Spiritual Energy instead of being overwhelmed."
Just then, the formation intensified for the second time.
"BOOM."
Over thirty candidates fell at once. Thanh Cuong clenched his teeth but held on.
Duong Minh stood unmoving, like a statue. The Fire Serpent climbed, circled over the crown, then flowed down the Ren meridian. Each cycle polished his body from within.
When the formation deactivated, Lieu Chan swept his gaze across the arena and called out:
"The judges will evaluate each candidate based on individual condition. Rest for five minutes before proceeding to the next trial: Heart Inquiry."
Murmurs spread.
"He's still standing?"
Arjun now looked at Duong Minh differently—more cautious.
Within his mind, Lyra said: "Duong Minh, try controlling the white Spiritual Energy stream."
Duong Minh closed his eyes and attempted to direct the white current he had absorbed. It was now mingling with the red flow of the Fire Serpent, forming twin spirals at each chakra.
But… it would not obey.
When he controlled the red current, the white stream followed sluggishly, heavy and slow.
"I don't know whether this is fortune or misfortune," Duong Minh thought. "Perhaps I shouldn't absorb unfamiliar Spiritual Energy next time."
"It's fine," Lyra replied calmly. "If we gradually expel the white current through the crown chakra via the Microcosmic Orbit, you will purge it within a few days."
Duong Minh smiled faintly. He was not worried.
To him, this was an entirely new experience.