Nathan and Evelyn entered the narrow passage beneath the waterfall. Both had sealed their ears to some extent to reduce the noise. Without this precaution, they wouldn't have lasted a moment.

  Nathan went first. The waterfall crashed down on his shoulders like a mountain. His back curved, emitting cracking sounds. Only now did he truly feel fear before the weight the waterfall brought. It wasn't just one mountain pressing down on him, but mountain after mountain bearing down without cease, without even a moment's respite.

  His shoulders tensed, neck muscles aching like during those late-night study sessions. The back of his head fared no better. His skull resonated with the noise as if his ears weren't sealed at all. Within seconds, he had to employ Qi Armor to counteract the pressure.

  The armor crafted from essence didn't help much as it dissipated rather quickly. Nevertheless, it was just enough for him to stand straight, his legs and knees no longer trembling as if about to break. He stepped back, shielding Evelyn as she advanced.

  He used his eyes to warn her not to underestimate the waterfall, to be careful.

  Understanding his intent, Evelyn didn't hesitate to envelop herself in a mana barrier. She nodded to him once, signaling to proceed.

  Now properly prepared, he moved back into the waterfall. Having readied himself beforehand, he tensed every muscle to keep his body upright. His hands reached up to shield his head. The water pounded against his shoulders and back like high-speed trains crashing into him.

  Beside him, Evelyn initially collapsed under the waterfall's force. She bent her face toward the ground, one knee pressing against the slippery stone floor. It took her a moment to properly adjust her power before she could stand again. Her eyes met Nathan's with reassurance.

  They stood like this for a while until the scattered water droplets randomly suspended in air, then shot straight at both of them, piercing through their defensive barriers.

  Nathan felt essence flooding into his body, while Evelyn received both essence and mana. As expected, this was a high-quality, pre-refined source that required no neutralizing agent for cultivation.

  Yet Nathan couldn't understand why he wasn't receiving mana. He could use it to increase his Spirit Cultivation level. He based this conclusion on the fact that he was using his flesh and physical toughness to endure, with barely any trace of mana, so the reward should correspond. The question arose: why was there such a specific design for him? Physical Cultivation was a rarity in the modern cultivation world. He seemed to be the only one among over a thousand participants who practiced this path. The organizers couldn't possibly have designed a challenge specifically for him.

  Not overthinking it, he just felt grateful for the abundant essence flowing into his body. Since he was simultaneously under pressure similar to fighting monsters, this essence encountered no resistance from the berserker path. The biggest obstacle remained that he needed to absorb an enormous amount.

  When both had filled their reserves, they emerged from the waterfall, finding a place to sit and meditate to raise their levels.

  After more than half an hour of cultivation, Nathan had raised his Physical Cultivation from Phase 4.0 to 4.2.

  He silently rejoiced at achieving such rapid advancement in just about an hour.

  Evelyn also showed surprise, evidence that she had received similar benefits.

  After finishing cultivation, both returned to The Pressuring Fall.

  Reality struck them immediately. This time, the waterfall offered no rewards no matter how long they stood there.

  Evelyn had to step out to recover mana after wasting it fruitlessly for a while. Watching the girl clutching mana stones in her hands, blue smoke rising around her, Nathan stretched.

  After enduring the waterfall for a time, his body had somewhat adapted to the intensity, so it wasn't as draining as initially. Leaving his teammate to rest, he entered alone.

  This time, he locked his eyes on the small protrusions jutting from the sheer rock face. He reached up as water splashed into his eyes, grabbing the nearest outcrop about an arm's length above his head. Straining, he pulled himself up.

  The waterfall's force increased in an instant, nearly throwing him off. His fingers tensed, struggling to maintain position. His other hand quickly grabbed another outcrop, creating balance.

  The weight from the waterfall seemed to double. It also carried a sense of concentrated force. Besides his shoulders bearing what felt like the weight of an entire realm, certain spots suddenly felt like they were being struck by hammers. His skin and muscles caved in, both painful and numbing.

  Nathan gritted his teeth and endured. As expected, the water droplets suspended in mid-air, rushing into his body. Essence was once again being stored.

  When his body's storage chamber was full, he left the waterfall. Nodding in confirmation to Evelyn, he immediately sat down to cultivate. He also allowed his physique to heal the wounds where he had been struck. Though he couldn't see, he knew bruises covered his body. His hip, knee, and ankle joints felt ready to fall apart. If they had consciousness, they would curse Nathan for tormenting them so.

  He hadn't warned Evelyn because he knew she could handle herself. Despite some initial awkwardness, Evelyn quickly adapted, strengthening her mana shield. Her posture wasn't crude and rough like Nathan's. Even under pressure, she maintained an elegant appearance. The water made her clothes cling to her body, revealing her slender figure and graceful curves. Nathan turned away when he noticed, avoiding distraction.

  After two attempts, they could conclude that one needed to endure at least fifteen minutes for rewards, thirty minutes to fill up. Add another half hour for cultivation, and one cycle took an hour.

  They continued taking turns, climbing higher to bear increasing pressure from the waterfall. Nathan's level rose from Tier 2 Phase 4.2 to Phase 4.8 after enduring the trial three times total. Thus, the rewards increased over time rather than remaining fixed.

  On the fourth attempt, Nathan was forced to activate his Berserker state when climbing the rock outcrops. He was on the verge of being stunned if he hadn't quickly raised his endurance. The weight made his skin burn red, blood circulation constantly impeded. He needed 10% Berserker state to maintain position and push away the disturbances the water brought.

  Evelyn was no slouch either, still able to continue.

  Two more hours passed, and Nathan broke through to Phase 5.1. The impurities in his body were washed away with the waterfall. The stench didn't even have time to spread in the air.

  Evelyn released a wave of mana, evidence she had achieved her own breakthrough. This was truly an unimaginable benefit. The key point was that the process of bearing the waterfall's load encountered no absorption obstacles, a problem that always occurred with cultivators. When cultivating to advance levels, one shouldn't absorb mana and essence too quickly or too much, but must allow time for the body to adapt, solidifying the foundation. That's why sects and organizations sent cultivators to hunt monsters or complete various missions requiring skill use.

  After tempering through different activities, the body's foundation would reach the standard to advance to a new level. Only then should one continue absorbing mana and essence.

  Currently, the waterfall provided a complete cultivation environment. It allowed both advancement and tempering of essential aspects. The increasing weight and hammer-like impacts forced each individual to utilize their abilities maximally and effectively. From there, they improved and progressed. The spirit was also targeted. It was easy to give up when pressure increased, especially having to endure for long periods. Once giving up, all achievements would be for nothing.

  Nathan knew this because on his sixth attempt, he had overreached, losing his grip and falling after standing under the waterfall for five minutes. When ready to return, the first five minutes yielded no rewards. This was a hypothesis he had discussed with Evelyn beforehand, now verified.

  The higher they went, the greater the mental pressure became. Continuous impact made thoughts taut like bowstrings, requiring maintenance of inner calm or pushing emotions to intensity. One needed to delicately adjust to prevent the mind from affecting the body, leading to surrender.

  Evelyn stopped at the sixth level, unable to climb to the seventh. What defeated her was mana coordination rather than weaker spirit than her companion. Maintaining for just over two minutes, her mana concentration reached its limit and collapsed. To resist the great force from the waterfall, the mana shield consumed mana very rapidly each second. Evelyn suffered a deficit at the seventy-second second. When she tried to recover, it was too late.

  After several more attempts, she could only maintain at that level, unable to progress further.

  But Nathan could still continue.

  By combining Qi Armor and partial Berserker state, he managed to surpass level seven, receiving full rewards from the waterfall.

  As evening approached, after rounds of trials and rest, Nathan's Physical Cultivation had reached Phase 5.9.

  He couldn't believe he could advance so quickly in just a few days. By his calculations, to reach this level, he would need to kill dozens of monsters on par with Argentius. A difficulty that had always troubled him about how to progress.

  Yet now, he felt his power expanding. He was confident that at his current level, he could take hits when Argentius attacked without immediately jumping to full Berserker state. His skin grew increasingly tough, approaching metal hardness. Its toughness would make non-sharp attacks harder to cause injury. Other physical aspects improved similarly. He was confident his endurance could chase Argentius all day without excessive fatigue. The one-inch punch caused no pain and led to significantly increased destructive power.

  With a spirit burning with momentum, he nodded to Evelyn once, returning to the waterfall to accept level eight.

  After more than five minutes, he failed.

  After several more attempts, he could only maintain that much time. His hands were stiff and aching, shoulders and back trembling in protest, hip and leg joints feeling ready to slip from their positions.

  He wanted to try new techniques but rejected the idea after some thought. Poor mental state would only make him fail faster.

  Full Berserker state could be forgotten per Darkan's warning.

  Shaking his head to shed water from his hair, he caught sight of something he hadn't noticed before.

  He stepped back, eyes fixed on someone wearing white sitting in a far corner of the waterfall, appearing relaxed and at ease.

  He frowned, looking at the system notification. [Tingling Sense] and [Adrenaline Boost] hadn't activated.

  So there's no danger?

  He immediately rejected this thought. Somehow, deep down, he felt uneasy. This warning came from his bloodline, from the Titan bloodline. He couldn't help but fear the possibility that someone could bypass the system's barriers to bring him danger.

  The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Turning back to shout a warning to Evelyn, he froze. His voice being drowned out by the waterfall was natural. But Evelyn had stiffened, as if frozen by her own ice. The mana air around her condensed in mid-air. She seemed separated from the world.

  He looked out beyond the waterfall area, hoping cries for help through the spiritual connection could reach out. All that answered him was a black and white cat sleeping, breathing steadily.

  He had been isolated.

  "Not testing your strength anymore?" the mysterious person spoke up, tone somewhat youthful, carrying a strange passionate feeling. His voice wasn't transmitted into Nathan's mind, but actually vocalized. The waterfall's thunderous echo seemed to give way when he opened his mouth.

  Nathan slowly turned his head, warily looking toward the person. The man's face was hidden by shadows from the rock face above, revealing only his white clothes from the chest down.

  "Who are you?"

  "Tsk, tsk. You shouldn't answer a question with a question to your elders like that."

  Nathan remained silent, trying to think how to wake Evelyn while continuing to contact Argentius.

  "Don't bother trying anything," the mysterious person laughed. "The tiger out there won't be able to hear anything."

  Nathan was confused, not knowing what to do. The person must be incredibly powerful, powerful beyond his understanding.

  "No need to be so tense," he continued. "Answer my question. Don't make me lose patience."

  "Not continuing anymore," Nathan answered. Even if he wanted to continue, he would say no now, hoping by luck this could end right here.

  "Oh? Why is that?"

  "Because I've reached my limit."

  "I don't think so."

  The mysterious person reached forward, snapping his fingers with a click.

  Everything around became silent. Nathan stared up in shock. The waterfall no longer flowed, water droplets standing still in place. Everything became like an ancient ink painting. He was like an existence that didn't belong here. A mobile entity amid all stillness.

  The person waved a rod pointing at him, speaking mysteriously.

  "Young man. I've been looking forward to you very much."

  Then he pointed toward Evelyn.

  "That girl too. But you still interest me more."

  Hearing this, Nathan involuntarily shuddered, the sense of danger rising in his heart.

  "Your body contains quite a lot," the white-clothed person raised fingers while listing, "a mark from Lunar Shadow, a contract with a creature that might be a descendant of ancient spirit beasts, a binding promise, an impressive physique. Especially that strange black hole inside your body."

  Black hole? Nathan was startled.

  His mood was chaotic. Somehow, this mysterious person had been able to analyze him down to the finest detail. Darkan had placed a protective layer against mental probing from others. The old master was confident even a Tier 6 couldn't peek at him. Yet now everything had been exposed.

  "Are you a Tier 7?" Nathan asked trembling.

  "The Tier doesn't matter. Today's protagonist is you, my boy."

  Having said that, Nathan suddenly found himself kneeling before he could sense anything. He felt like his knees had shattered from his own abrupt action. The strange thing was it wasn't the kind of pressure like from the waterfall pressing down on him. He just wanted to kneel.

  Triggered [Mind of Tranquility]. One credit given.

  His eyes regained clarity, fearfully looking toward the opponent. He could see the white-toothed grin in the dim shadows.

  "Impressive!" the stranger exclaimed. "Already able to break free so quickly."

  Nathan exhaled a stifled breath, feeling like someone had grabbed his throat.

  Triggered [Mind of Tranquility]. One credit given.

  "Good, very good!" the joyful voice echoed in the air. "Truly a good seed."

  Nathan's tears welled up, never having experienced similar torment. His mind felt like a rubber band being wound up, then squeezed until nearly breaking. His resistance wasn't enough to escape completely.

  "Very good foundation," the person commented. "Needs much improvement, but already enough to consider."

  Nathan ignored the bastard tormenting him with meaningless words. He had to figure out how to escape from here.

  "Don't even think about it," the mysterious person swung the rod in his hand, making him collapse to the ground. This time it was truly from pressure from him, not a mental attack. "Not time yet. You still have something that interests me."

  Then he spread his hand, and Nathan's spatial pouch floated away. He opened the bag, clicking his tongue.

  "You're quite wealthy, aren't you? I hear you're a talented chef too. Cook for me sometime, eh?"

  Nathan wanted to curse but couldn't move his jaw.

  "But too many miscellaneous things. Oh, aha. Here it is."

  He took out the Monster Storage Pouch containing the Nightmare Weaver. He pulled the binding string, releasing the spider monster covered in eyes and fur.

  The Nightmare Weaver let out a screech expressing its frustration at being in the boring space of the Monster Storage Pouch. But when its eyes reflected the image of the young man who had made a Binding Promise with it, it froze. Though unable to communicate, its movements instinctively reacted. Its legs backed away, abdomen raised, preparing to shoot web.

  "Why is everyone in such a hurry?" the white-clothed man complained.

  After he spoke, the monster, like Nathan, became rigid, its actions restrained.

  "Truly a Nightmare Weaver," he marveled, still not leaving his seat. "You must have eaten many of your kind to develop like this, haven't you?"

  Though unable to move any muscle, Nathan could see the fear emanating from the monster.

  "No need to worry about me like that," the stranger said to the monster. "I am your destined opportunity."

  Nathan's mind panicked. In the current situation, if the stranger took the Nightmare Weaver away, the Binding Promise would surely bite back. He had promised to bring it safety. Yet the current situation was completely opposite.

  Nathan groaned, his eyes wide with defiance at the white-robed figure.

  "You truly bring me many surprises. Being an individual with potential, and even bringing me such a gift. Don't worry, I'll resolve the Binding Promise issue for you. That's only proper, isn't it?"

  He pointed one finger at the Nightmare Weaver's head. The monster's horrifying eyes flashed. Then, it collapsed its furry legs. The hostility toward the stranger vanished without a trace. It had become completely docile.

  Nathan could only guess the monster had been shown something. Perhaps promises about the future, or a place like Nathan had once offered.

  The Nightmare Weaver then transformed into a small beam of light, flying into the stranger's hand.

  Nathan no longer felt the Binding Promise mark in his body. Just like that, he had completed his transaction with the monster.

  "See? I didn't lie to you, did I?"

  Of course, Nathan couldn't even move his head when his entire body was pinned to the ground like this. In his heart, he worried about the future, uncertain where this situation would lead the Nightmare Weaver, whether it would become a terrifying existence like the person sitting over there.

  "Where are my manners?" the person spoke up. "I should let you stand, shouldn't I? But absolutely don't try anything rash. If I don't control my force well, you'll die without knowing how it happened."

  That would be a blessing, Nathan thought bitterly.

  Then he no longer felt pressure either inside or outside his body, and stood up. His cracked kneecaps could finally begin healing. That overwhelming power had stopped all the powerful aspects of his physique that he had always been proud of. So he didn't doubt that with just a tiny motion, the stranger would send him straight to hell instantly.

  "Nathan, right?"

  "Yes."

  "You truly think you've reached your limit?"

  "That's right."

  "Would you like to reconsider?"

  "If I do, will you let me go?"

  "There you go again," the person clicked his tongue. "Don't use questions to ask me back. This is a bad habit that needs fixing in the future."

  Nathan felt chills down his spine. From those words, he could tell this wouldn't be the only encounter between them.

  "I don't need to reconsider," Nathan obediently answered. "I've reached my limit."

  "But that's the thing. A person can't know their own limits. Only challenges from outside can verify that."

  "Am I allowed to ask when you're not asking?" Nathan said bluntly. The situation didn't require him to be too respectful anymore. Being too submissive might make the person opposite look down on him more.

  "Of course! I have no objection to that."

  "Are you the owner of this waterfall? Is this the outside challenge you're talking about?"

  "Good observation, young man. This is indeed my waterfall. The pressure comes from me. The rewards are also mine."

  Nathan deduced this simply by thinking about The Shifting Trials being broadcast live for everyone to watch in Maelivar. If the stranger could be here without being detected, then either he could shield the observation cameras, or this entire space belonged to him. Once entering the waterfall area, trial participants would completely disappear. Supporting his thinking was the bracelet. Despite passing seven levels and part of the eighth, he hadn't received any points.

  "But you see," the person seemed displeased as he spoke, "I still haven't achieved my goal. You should know several participants came before you. They tried too. Reaching your level isn't rare. The problem is no one could endure through level eight to attempt level nine. And level nine onwards is my testing objective."

  "Why are you telling me this?" Nathan asked.

  "Because I believe you haven't reached your limit."

  Nathan narrowed his eyes, seeing the situation becoming increasingly out of control.

  "The waterfall challenge isn't just about physique, skills, techniques, but also about spirit," the stranger explained. "A person's Spirit is something very strange, very interesting. Do you know in the normal world there's a very cruel torture? They make a person lie back and drip water onto their forehead. Like that for hours until a person goes mad."

  Nathan's goosebumps rose all over, still not understanding what the stranger wanted to do.

  "But madness is a wonderful state, do you agree?" his voice carried interest. "Once falling into madness, you can far surpass the limits that reason imposes on you. You'll endure pain better, you'll be more ruthless, you won't fear or hesitate because of moral issues anymore. That's why the world belongs to the mad ones."

  Then, the stranger finally stood up, stepping out of the shadow cast by the rock face.

  When finally seeing his face, Nathan was shocked. Shocked because it was completely contrary to his expectations. The stranger looked very ordinary. His face carried angular features, black eyes with thick eyebrows. His hair was long and tied back. Overall not eye-catching, not carrying the madness, recklessness, or even humor he tried to show. He was someone who, passing by, no one would notice, would forget right after.

  He smiled at Nathan.

  "Young man, you must reach your limit. You probably didn't think the time you endured under the waterfall was longer than real time, did you? Fifteen minutes was just what you measured with the clock. When standing in there, I had extended the perception time from your spirit. At least the five minutes you thought in the eighth attempt was actually over half an hour already. How about that? Proud of your mental strength?"

  Nathan was confused, somewhat disbelieving. But the stranger had no reason to lie to him.

  "That girl is very good too," the white-robed man jerked his chin toward Evelyn. "Just a pity her physique hasn't completely unlocked so she can't display maximum potential. But you, I know your path. Physical Cultivation and even the Berserker path. No wonder your spirit must be strong. But this isn't the final point you can reach. Because you haven't activated full Berserker. I hear that state is quite a sight to see. The most beautiful madness among madnesses. Show me!"

  "Can I refuse?" Nathan asked.

  "What do you think I'll answer?" the stranger frowned, laughing loudly. "This bad habit is really contagious. Remember not to use questions to answer questions. See? I'm copying it now. My answer is you can't refuse."

  The stranger swung the thin rod in his hand forward. Nathan instinctively raised his hands to block. But nothing hit him.

  Opening his eyes, he saw that somehow a thread so thin it was barely visible had been created at the rod's tip. It was swung toward the lake surface beside them.

  He trembled as he looked at the still water surface below. Staring back at him were his own eyes. The hook had pierced into his reflection on the lake.

  The white-robed man gently shook his hand.

  Nathan's spirit collapsed.

  Triggered [Mind of Tranquility]. One credit given.

  Regaining clarity made him glare at the stranger. He wanted to step forward to stop him but the fishing rod was raised once again.

  Triggered [Mind of Tranquility]. One credit given.

  He fell to his knees. The world spun dizzily. But he couldn't sleep. A strange compelling alertness kept appearing, making him unable to close his eyes.

  "Your spirit's clarity is truly strong enough," the white-robed man praised admiringly.

  His hand didn't reduce force at all, but pulled harder.

  Nathan screamed in pain. The discomfort didn't come from physical wounds making him scratch his arms, creating bloody lines to distract from the chaos in his mind.

  Triggered [Mind of Tranquility]. One credit given.

  "You keep making me take this step," the stranger pouted.

  He used his other hand to grip the fishing rod tight, appearing to strain to fish up that shadow under the lake. The water surface churned, creating tiny ripples. The stranger briefly showed surprise. He could feel a weight strongly resisting, making the fishing line completely taut.

  "Spirit and soul are two things that correlate," the white-robed man said slowly. "Strong spirit protects the soul. Weak soul weakens spirit. Let me see when your soul is fished out, what will you become?"

  With a determined look, the fishing rod curved into an arc. Finally, the hook emerged from the water, dragging the victim's shadow with it.

  Nathan suddenly felt the whole world fall into chaos. The emotions he tried to suppress burst out. Despair, pain, grievance, loss, longing, loneliness, all simultaneously broke free from their chains. The strongest among them was the rage nurtured by the Berserker path.

  The anger that had once diminished was reinforced when Elder Nalani manipulated him was exposed. The drive from being thrown into a new world, from self-blame for not being able to care for his mother, to life's injustice was strengthened when he knew he was deceived, that he was still weak.

  The soul form being fished up writhed under the hook.

  "Fascinating," the white-robed man marveled.

  "NO!" Nathan screamed, trying to suppress the full Berserker state from emerging.

  [Mind of Tranquility] didn't even activate to help him anymore. He looked at his soul carrying seven rainbow colors under the reflection of surrounding water droplets, showing a pleading expression. Even [Anger Management] couldn't help him maintain his composure.

  Darkan's warning must have had basis. The protection layer preventing Tier 6 probing was a determination from his master.

  He couldn't transform.

  "Resistance will only make this process more painful for you," the stranger shook his head saying.

  Then, he squeezed his hand, an energy wave emanating, traveling along the fishing rod's length to the line, then sneaking in to pierce Nathan's reflection.

  Though trying to keep his mind clear, trying to fill his thoughts with happy things, Nathan couldn't reject that other part of himself. It was where negative emotions resided, but was also the source for him to advance, the support for each step on his journey.

  He could only embrace them.

  Very Rare Skills: [Titan's Descendant] (Not Upgradable)