Chaos began to seep into the individuals gathered at the central area.

  The cube had obscured most of the people on the other sides, so Nathan couldn't see what was happening. On this side, however, the first moves had already been made.

  Several teams leaped together into the canyon, flying up to the moving platforms. Strike first, gain the advantage—that was their strategy. But shortly after, another team caught up by utilizing lightning and wind mana aspects, resulting in a collision between the two sides.

  If both teams had high rankings, such a situation shouldn't have occurred. But the second team likely wasn't among the top 512, forcing them to take action.

  The next challenge of The Shifting Trials was to protect oneself from fellow contestants.

  Gradually, individuals began to move more. Behind them, the environment was disintegrating at an accelerating pace, demanding immediate action. There was no time for discussion. No time for caution.

  Any position had its advantages and disadvantages, but being last would be worst because they'd become targets for everyone ahead.

  Knowing this, Nathan nodded to his teammates, signaling for everyone to advance together.

  Zeryn manifested his sword, standing up and moving forward to clear the way.

  Zahra let out an excited whoop, launching herself forward with gusts of wind at her back.

  Evelyn glided along her ice rails.

  Nathan pounded heavy footsteps into the ground, each thud synchronized with his anxious heartbeat.

  Among the crowd, he jumped, creating a high, long arc through the air, landing precisely on a moving platform drifting leftward.

  His heavy landing drew the attention of those already above. They needed only a second to assess him and mark him as a target. A chef without a guardian.

  Two spears—one formed from earth, another from gleaming golden metal—flew toward Nathan. He deflected them with his gloves, then charged forward to close the distance.

  Knowing Nathan's strength was close combat, the two young cultivators separated, firing projectiles infused with their mana aspects.

  Nathan moved through the barrage, allowing a few hits to land on non-vital areas where his skin could withstand the impact. [Martial Art Mastery] and [Better Vision] working together allowed him to predict movements as if seeing the future. His Physical Cultivation, now upgraded at The Pressuring Fall, enabled his body to react faster.

  A wood-aspect cultivator nearby seized the opportunity, whipping thorned vines toward all three combatants. The greedy intent was obvious.

  An earthen wall rose to block them. The sound of metal cutting severed the vines.

  Nathan grabbed the wood attack in his hand and tore it apart with pure strength.

  Before anyone could catch their breath, other cultivators joined the fray.

  Amid the confusion, Nathan secretly launched himself upward, jumping to another platform.

  His jump met immediate resistance. A fireball with explosive force knocked him backward, falling into the gap between two platforms.

  Unfazed, he swung his pouch to summon Argentius. The tiger monster first clawed at the air, creating arc slashes toward the attacker. Then it turned, using its wind aspect to surge upward. Its jaw swung, tossing Nathan up.

  He thrust his hand backward, head pointed down. The slaps created counterforce, helping him descend like a bullet.

  With a boom, he sent his attacker sliding backward a considerable distance.

  Before the fire cultivator could regain composure, he felt warmth approaching. Training instinct made flames erupt around his body.

  But for Nathan, this was merely a trifle compared to the Lava Drake. He unleashed a powerful roundhouse kick.

  The cultivator's mana shield and armor vibrated continuously, visible waves rippling outward. Refusing to yield, he spewed flames forward.

  Nathan raised his hand to shield his face, closing his eyes. Based on his analysis before being enveloped in darkness, he jumped up, delivering a midair kick.

  This time, when he opened his eyes, his opponent had been knocked off the platform. The cultivator stared wide-eyed at Nathan while desperately maintaining levitation by expelling fire from his hands. When trying to return, he was interrupted by another contestant.

  Nathan faced a similar situation. Wherever he went, he became prime prey. Those who had seen what he could do assessed him more highly, so they mainly attacked from a distance.

  Nearby, Zeryn had a much easier time, using his sword for independent flight. This was the advantage of Tier 2 Cultivators who could move differently rather than relying on platforms. Beside him, Nathan spotted another contestant in purple attire using Gravity to move. Further away was someone with sprouted wings soaring through the air, looking down with contempt.

  Behind them, Evelyn gracefully maneuvered past cultivators. Anyone attacking her paid dearly with the power of her upgraded ice abilities.

  Zahra moved like a nimble cat through the crowd. Like Nathan, she often found herself surrounded by other cultivators. However, her mood was entirely different. Unlike Nathan's caution and annoyance, she joyfully rushed in like a moth to flame. Remarkably, she always escaped safely.

  All three advanced ahead of Nathan but kept watch over his every move. Clearly he had recovered, but hadn't completely returned to peak condition. Someone who had defeated a Tier 3 Lava Drake, even with Evelyn's help, shouldn't struggle this much.

  Indeed, Nathan continually frowned with each strike he delivered. He had reached Tier 2 Phase 7.9 of Physical Cultivation. Compared to Phase 3.9 before The Shifting Trial, he had advanced four phases. Yet his combat power hadn't increased as much as expected.

  The fatigue state from his transformation hadn't fully recovered. This price might decrease as his Tier improved, but currently, he could only manage. The wine was nearly gone, so there was no way to temporarily boost his strength. He truly missed Thunder Embrace. With it, everything would be much easier.

  On the next platform, he encountered truly formidable opponents.

  Upon landing, he slid all the way to the opposite edge. The platforms varied in size, making this one's operating space quite limited. He kicked hard just in time. To his disbelief, instead of jumping away, he merely hopped slightly. He checked his system notifications to confirm [Amplifying Strike] and [Flowing Strikes] had activated rather than experiencing hallucinations.

  He looked toward the pair moving close to each other. One of them looked at him with a smirk.

  A mana bullet shot from the enemy's palm.

  One moment, Nathan could track its trajectory. The next moment, he was hit despite having dodged beforehand.

  The collision's consequence was a powerful force, sending him flying off the platform.

  Evelyn's cold hand swept past, grabbing his forearm and pulling him to another platform. She couldn't keep him by her side as she too had to contend with other attacks.

  The pair didn't give up, landing to pursue Nathan.

  Zahra glided over, her feet still hovering above the surface, smiling at her teammate.

  "These two are quite tricky," she said.

  "Do you know what aspects they're using?" Nathan asked.

  "From what I've observed, Friction and Momentum. Didn't you just get hit by a shot that changed direction midway?"

  Before he could nod, one of the two charged toward Nathan. The initial speed was slow, but a second later, it became too fast for the naked eye to follow.

  With a thud, Nathan found himself knocked away again. Zahra caught his leg. She spun once and threw her teammate toward the enemy.

  Nathan barely had time to shout, "Don't do that!" before realizing his body had veered off course, heading face-first into the floor. The reduced friction made him slide a long distance, only stopping because his fingers were strong enough to dig into the surface.

  The two troublesome opponents stared at him in disbelief.

  Zahra, realizing her mistake, covered her mouth and mumbled, "Sorry!"

  Nathan rose, relying on [Improved Balance] to avoid falling, analyzing the recent exchange. The friction user seemed dangerous but had limitations. Otherwise, increasing air friction would have been enough to abrade Nathan's skin.

  The Momentum Aspect had similar limitations regarding distance and quantity.

  Evelyn confirmed his analysis by firing icebolts toward the enemy. The icebolts changed direction or slowed individually, not all at once. Like when they redirected Nathan, firing a few more mana bullets was enough to knock him away.

  Both Nathan and his opponents reached the same conclusion. The young chef couldn't be rendered helpless due to his superior physical strength. They could only force him to fall, which would be judged by The Shifting Trials system that the elimination act belonged to them.

  Though understanding each other better, the pair didn't abandon their efforts. They fired mana bullets with bizarre trajectories—sometimes curving, sometimes zigzagging, some diving from above.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Zahra used wind to dodge. Her speed and reactions remained excellent as always. Though the platform surface was slippery, she glided skillfully. Only when approaching the two did she change direction due to momentum shifts, as if pushed. To avoid contact with surfaces, she concentrated wind in her hands, exploding it to thrust herself into the air.

  Nathan had to contend with mana bullets since dodging was genuinely difficult. This time, friction didn't make his standing position slippery. It increased. Lifting his foot was fine, but the enemy's timing was impeccable, knowing when to increase or decrease friction. Only when mana bullets hit or exploded would friction increase, often when Nathan would normally slide and use momentum to increase distance, he instead found himself pinned in place.

  More frightening was that each bullet was imbued with additional friction. When they struck Nathan, the contact points became so hot they nearly burned. If his skin weren't nearly as thick as metal, he'd have suffered greatly. Qi Armor required essence, which he preferred to conserve. With this damage level, he could still endure.

  Zeryn couldn't join because he was battling another swordsman, comparing Sword Intent. If cultivators could be categorized differently, sword practitioners would belong in their own bizarre category. They always sought challenges and, more importantly, never hesitated to engage even when defeat was certain. Zeryn's opponent had enough points; he only needed to charge into the central area to qualify, but he disliked that idea. He simply believed that missing this opportunity to clash with a sword prodigy wouldn't come again.

  The chaos around them kept Evelyn and Zeryn occupied, leaving Nathan and Zahra to manage alone.

  "Argentius," Nathan called through his mind.

  The tiger monster, though not the primary target, still had to protect itself from stray projectiles.

  Nathan used vertical force from his legs, minimizing friction's effect, and jumped straight up.

  Argentius drifted to his side, using its rear to bump him toward the next platform.

  The problem for both sides was their equally matched strengths. Neither could successfully attack. The Momentum Aspect was truly troublesome since both Zahra and Nathan favored close combat. The rudimentary wind projectiles from her and Argentius were easily neutralized by the opponent's mana bullets.

  Abandoning their strategy to severely wound Nathan, the two cultivators returned to making the floor slippery.

  Nathan suffered under this strategy, relying on Zahra and Argentius to move, occasionally using appropriate moments to descend from above, creating tremors to distract them.

  Meanwhile, he also had to watch for other Cultivators seeking to exploit the situation.

  Having moved only partway, the chaos was already giving him a headache.

  Contestants who fell without rescue were swallowed by the dark abyss below. Behind them, the former training area was gradually disintegrating. The border was no longer expansive but only enclosed the cube containing the central arena.

  Nathan's team encountered their next difficult obstacle when a cultivator with the Mist aspect released a fog barrier blocking their path. More dangerous still, it contained mixed toxins.

  As a precaution, Nathan had given everyone anti-poison candy, but the threat level, such as skin corrosion or potential interaction with mana shield, was another matter.

  Seeing the Friction and Momentum users hesitate momentarily, Nathan returned Argentius to his pouch and charged straight into the fog.

  Triggered [Poison Processing]. One credit given.

  Hissing sounds melted his clothes into small fragments. His skin likewise was covered with corrosion. This wasn't just any simple poison but a continuously reactive type—as long as the body contained moisture, the Mist property would spread, persisting without end.

  Argentius was released and immediately unleashed a whirlwind, blowing everything off Nathan's body. Left with just shorts, he wasn't particularly concerned.

  He trusted his teammates could see he was intact through their spirit. Shortly after, Zahra enveloped herself in wind and jumped through. Evelyn created an ice sphere around herself and floated along her ice path.

  Zeryn and the other swordsman seemed oblivious to the poisonous mist. Their invisible Sword Intent nearly dissipated the fog with each strike.

  The relentless pursuit from the cultivator pair ceased, but the path ahead presented new challenges.

  Lachlan turned to look at Nathan with curious eyes.

  Nathan said nothing, jumping up and charging straight down toward the enemy.

  An earth-aspect cultivator created a wall to block, which shattered under the force of Nathan's full-power punch.

  Argentius from behind sent a gust of wind propelling him forward, continuing his flight.

  But a beam of light struck him, halting him mid-air and dropping him straight onto a platform.

  A girl in military uniform lowered her hand; the beam of light energy had come from her.

  "Impressive strength," Lachlan applauded condescendingly. "Seems even stronger than when we met before."

  Nathan narrowed his eyes, reassessing the situation.

  Lachlan's group was here as if not advancing but waiting. Nathan looked behind, trying to remember if anyone had been close to Lachlan, but couldn't recall.

  He was wondering if this mist was Lachlan's doing when the latter confirmed it.

  "Do you like the mist I've laid out? You see, if I add a bit of lightning, this mist would become nothing short of a death zone."

  Nathan shuddered at the thought that his easy passage was by permission. The pompous bastard continued his superiority game as in previous encounters.

  "Come now, don't look at me like you want to cut me in half," Lachlan spread his arms. "Shouldn't you feel grateful?"

  "Grateful my ass," Nathan cursed.

  Triggered [Bad Mouth]. One credit given.

  "Ouch, that hurts," Lachlan mocked.

  The enemy showed absolutely no intention of attacking Nathan. This annoyed him even more, making him feel truly foolish before the detestable young man.

  At that moment, another team passed through the mist. They were encased in a sphere made from a special plant. The leaves absorbed the surrounding mist, protecting the four people inside.

  The young man in purple attire using gravity smiled at Lachlan, nodding in acknowledgment. Lachlan waved his hand, signaling them to proceed.

  Nathan finally confirmed his suspicions were correct. Lachlan was playing gatekeeper. Though he wanted to settle scores with the purple-robed youth for stealing Evelyn's points, Nathan restrained himself.

  Zeryn, seeing the situation was unfavorable, swung his five fingers forward. Five bleeding puncture wounds appeared on his opponent's body. The opponent's body fell with a thud right beside Lachlan.

  Unlike his usual contempt, Lachlan displayed rare kindness.

  He helped the sword cultivator up, giving him a recovery pill, smirking and saying:

  "You fought without realizing he was just playing with you?"

  The young man hearing this lowered his eyes, appearing dejected. He knew but couldn't retreat. Once engaged in battle, one must fight with all their might, never stopping.

  Leaving the wounded man to others, Lachlan turned back to Nathan's group.

  "For my sake, spare him and me, will you?" he asked with apparent sincerity.

  "Your face isn't big enough for that," Zeryn said sharply.

  Lachlan laughed heartily, tilting his head to assess Zeryn.

  "You're worthy of speaking those words, Zeryn Valtaris. But if I want to leave, no one can stop me."

  Suddenly, a ball of light flashed in the hand of the girl who had shot Nathan with that energy beam. The intensity was so strong that everyone had to close their eyes. It was even more effective at disrupting mental waves attempting to probe ahead.

  When the group blinked to regain their senses and vision, Lachlan's group had departed, advancing a distance ahead, even surpassing the purple-robed youth's team.

  Crack! Crack!

  Nathan turned back. Just as Lachlan had said, adding a bit of lightning to the clouds created a deadly barrier. Though they were enemies, Nathan couldn't help but admire the other's tactics and thought process.

  Each event like The Shifting Trials was different, making it impossible to predict what would happen. How one responded was a way to test the younger generation. Either Lachlan had participated enough times to have the experience for strategic planning, or he was simply intelligent and scheming, just needing an environment to showcase his talents.

  Not dwelling on this issue, Nathan and his teammates continued moving forward.

  Though not as chaotic as behind them, the path ahead still had plenty of troublesome cultivators—especially teams intent on advancing first to ambush those coming behind for points.

  Among them, a team with the Dream Aspect was most annoying. They had captured a group of three along with several individuals, significantly increasing their ranking. Trapping enemies in dreams, then defeating them. A strategy revolving around a core approach, similar to what Keira Valaine had done.

  Nathan bore the full intensity of the Dream Aspect, being viewed as a Tier 1 who hadn't cultivated to the final three Phases to enhance mental protection.

  But he had [Mind of Tranquility].

  The wide-eyed surprise of the Dream Aspect girl didn't have time to blink when Nathan crashed down like a cannonball, creating an ear-splitting explosion, interrupting her manifestation on others.

  Zeryn, a Sword Intent cultivator with steady mentality, likewise maintained clarity and charged into the opponent's teammates, single-handedly wreaking havoc. His Sharp Aspect tore apart any incoming attacks, all elements becoming dust beneath his destructive power. Then, invisible swords slashed at each person's mana shield, contorting them as if they could no longer withstand the pressure.

  When the group gathered to use a large-scale technique, Evelyn appeared. Her hands released two snowballs. The tiny white particles froze incoming flame waves, encased metal in ice layers, and made earth brittle.

  Zeryn seized the opportunity, swinging his sword in a perfect arc, breaking all attacks aimed at his team.

  Sounds of cracking and disintegration echoed. The cultivators were knocked backward. When trying to maintain their position above, they met Zeryn's unrelenting assault, forcing them to fall deep into the pit.

  On the platform surface, Nathan grabbed the collar of the Dream Aspect cultivator. He grew increasingly confident in his resistance thanks to [Mind of Tranquility] against these insidious techniques that bypassed physical barriers.

  He crushed her bracelet under her horrified gaze. Her body flashed and vanished completely, gifting her points to Nathan.

  "You truly don't appreciate beauty," Zeryn clicked his tongue.

  "I believe there was also a girl among those you just beat to within an inch of their lives," Nathan retorted.

  "Was there? I didn't notice."

  "There was," Evelyn confirmed, silencing Zeryn.

  Nathan went to shake Zahra awake. Recalling the outer sect tournament where this wild girl had withstood Keira, he couldn't understand why she had fallen into the dream so quickly.

  "That's because she was unprepared and lacked focus at the beginning," Zeryn analyzed. "When fighting Keira, Zahra was in an excited state during a good battle. Just now, she wasn't even paying attention."

  "Hee hee. Sorry about that," Zahra scratched her head sheepishly upon waking, clearly still wanting to continue dreaming.

  The four continued moving. The obstacles ahead were within their capacity to resist. They defended while attacking to earn points.

  As numbers dwindled, Evelyn and Zeryn gradually coordinated with the other two. The team gradually discovered ways to work together. Like when Nathan could cling to Zeryn's flying sword to change direction, or use his punches to accelerate the sword's flight, breaking through encirclements.

  Nathan and Zahra even used Evelyn's Icebolts as thrown arrows. Having been upgraded by the Winter's Heart Drop, Evelyn wasn't exhausted using this low-level technique in large numbers. They could also combine to increase propulsion speed for each other through wind explosions and compressed ice. But this method was only suitable for Nathan with his resistance to the blasts' destructive power. On the bright side, they developed a rather dominating combined skill.

  Argentius boringly guarded the rear. Any fool who approached it received a Pressure Point Crush, making them pale. Soloing a Tier 2, Phase 9 monster was a desperate act. Especially when it was Argentius.

  After jumping back and forth, the four landed in the central area, where hundreds of people already stood waiting.

  The elite among elites.

  A new arena was about to begin.

  It didn't take Darkan long to reach Maelivar from Verdant Spire Sect at his speed.

  To ensure no one recognized him, he disguised himself as a commoner, blending into the crowd watching The Shifting Trials at the central square. Simultaneously, he sought out his information sources to inquire about the situation. If they lacked information, he ordered them to find it.

  From what he gathered, Darkan's mood grew somber. Interest in Nathan was increasing, showing no signs of diminishing. From whispers his sources overheard, high-tier cultivators had met with Duke Kael Voss to discuss this matter.

  Darkan watched the footage of his disciple using the full Berserker state to battle the Lava Drake. What intrigued him was Nathan's control. Darkan's disciple hadn't completely lost his mind as in his first time or at Moirath Forest; he could even converse. The master wondered how this was possible—how much was Nathan hiding from him?

  But greatest was the pride swelling in his heart, along with unending worry. He had found a successor no one could ask more of.

  And he faced losing the boy.

  He considered seeking Alaric's help but decided against it. If he couldn't resolve this, he shouldn't bring trouble to his old friend. His distant connections couldn't arrive in time. Moreover, it might cause a contrary reaction, placing his disciple in the sights of more factions.

  Darkan replayed the footage. It had clearly been edited after compilation by various parties. He had thoroughly questioned his sources and received confirmation after connecting with those behind The Shifting Trials.

  The footage was all that existed, no editing had been done.

  Darkan quickly identified that there was a hidden being who had forced his disciple to transform.

  Though unaware of what had transpired, he needed to prepare for when The Shifting Trials concluded.

  Darkan smirked seeing Nathan's team land in the central ring of the cube inside the pocket dimension.

  What was done was done, so he could only smile in support.

  "Raise hell, kid."