"gratutions," said the Azure Ghost.

  Yuan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then slowly opehem. His gaze turned sharp as he looked at the Azure Ghost with suspi.

  "What just happened? Why did I suddenly begiioning my own desires? Was that truly my own voice… or was it yours? I 't tell. Senior, it would be kind of you to clear this child's doubts with your wisdom."

  Chug, the Azure Ghost spoke in an amused tone.

  "What happened, you ask? That is something I easily answer. You have just undergohe sed trial of this iaage."

  He paused for a moment before tinuing.

  "The first trial was meant to ehat you would never lose yourself. But to be ho, you only passed that one because I stepped in and saved you."

  His flickering gaze studied Yuan before he let out a knowing sigh.

  "Now that I know you haven't even begun cultivating, everything makes sense. After all, these trials were designed for cultivators. That you mao arrive here, without the guidance of a sect or a powerful cultivator opening the way for you, is already a miracle in itself."

  The ghost's voice turned more serious as he expined further.

  "This sed trial, however, is something special. To most cultivators, it wouldn't even make sense, as it is not a trial iraditional se is an examination of one's own path, a test to ensure you do not walk in the wrong dire."

  The ghost's fmes flickered as he smirked.

  "But this illusion is not without its rewards. Because it assesses the path you have chosen to walk, it grants a reward accly. However, the choice of the reward is yours to make first."

  His smirk deepened, his tourning ominous.

  "The greater the reward you seek, the harsher the trial that follows. If you are not worthy of the reward you desire, you will fail… and be swallowed by the darkness forever."

  "So… I have truly bee a cultivator, Senior?" Yuan asked, his voice calm and posed.

  "Hehe, yes. You have sed your eyes, allowing you to see the spiritual energy of the world. The light floating above your palm,that is spiritual energy. Isn't it beautiful?" The Azure Ghost chuckled, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

  Yuan gazed at the shimmering energy in his palm, his dark eyes refleg its soft glow.

  "Yes, indeed, Senior. This light is truly beautiful." He paused before asking in a curious tone, "But… what exactly is cultivation?"

  The Azure Ghost let out a deep chuckle before shaking his head.

  "What is cultivation? That is the wrong question to ask,or rather, it is not properly worded." His flickering form wavered slightly as he tinued. "Cultivation is many things, but at its core, it is power. It grants both strength and uanding. There exist tless definitions of cultivation, but for you, a simple one will suffice."

  His voice grew firmer.

  "You wish to defy fate, don't you? Power will grant you the strength to do so. However, the further you cultivate, the more you must uand,not only your own power, but also the world itself."

  He paused, letting his words settle before tinuing.

  "Now, you may be w, how does one even bee powerful? At the beginning,at the Mortal Awakening Stage,you will be only slightly strohan a normal mortal. But the higher you asd, the stronger you will bee. With enough cultivation, you will even be able to trol spiritual energy, and in time… cast spells. But for now, that is merely a distant dream."

  Yuan listened ily as the ghost went on.

  "For now, what you o know are the most important stages of cultivation. The stage you are currently in is called the Mortal Awakening Stage. As I said before, here you se your five senses Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Touch,to perceive and i with spiritual energy."

  The ghost's voice carried a hint of amusement as he tinued his expnation.

  "After this es the Purification of Blood Stage, followed by the Meridians Awakening Stage. The final important one for you to know now is the Bone Fusion Stage. Everything beyond that is far too distant for you to even prehend at your current level."

  His fmes flickered, and he smirked.

  "However… since I am in a generous mood, I will tell you about the stage after Bone Fusion. It is called the Marrow Esseage. The higher your cultivation, the stronger you bee. But for now, you stand at the very bottom of the path, at the very first step."

  He gave Yuan a knowing look.

  "But do not be disced. Every cultivator, no matter how powerful, oarted at the Mortal Awakening Stage,just like you."

  So many things… Yuan didn't know what to say other than, "Amazing."

  Yes, that was the only word Yuan could voice aloud. He was pletely captivated by the beauty of cultivation. And the more he listeo the Azure Ghost, the more certain he became that stepping onto the path of the Great Dao was the right choice.

  Once more, Yuan turned his gaze toward the beautiful and mysterious spiritual energy,now knowing what it truly was. But after admiring it for a moment, he shifted his focus back to the Azure Ghost and asked,

  "Then, Senior, how is it that I became a cultivator?"

  "Hehe, that is quite easy to expin. The reward you chose was rather special… in fact, it was unique in its own way."

  The Azure Ghost chuckled before lifting a portion of his flickering, fme-like body and direg a small wisp of azure fire toward the fallen small green khe bde, seemingly responding to the energy, slowly floated up and drifted toward them until it reached the small hands of the Azure Ghost, who now held it firmly.

  "This is called the Royal Key of Ghosts. Hehe… and this little thing may prove to be very useful iure, as it is a key to the Royal Chamber of the ed Ghost Prince, kid."

  The ghost's voice carried an amused yet knowing tone.

  "But aside from that, the trial of this Royal Key is unique, as I mentioned before. After overing the True Self Trial, a portion of the ed Ghost Prince's spiritual energy was sealed within it to aid its wielder in stabilizing their cultivation. Acc to one of the past holders of these Royal Keys, the trial was desighis way to prevent cultivators from succumbing to inner demons after fag it."

  His fming eyes flickered as he smirked.

  "However, in your case, something unusual happened. Instead of stabilizing an already-existing cultivation base, the energy within the key began sing yht—and as I tell, you are already close to sing your hearing as well. That must be why you have stepped into the Mortal Awakening Stage."

  He let out a small chuckle befiving Yuan a meaningful look.

  "sider yourself lucky, boy. Very few people receive such a smooth start to their cultivation journey."

  Looking toward the Azure Ghost's hands, Yuan focused on the small green key and asked curiously, "Senior, you mentiohat there were more of these Royal Keys? What other keys exist?"

  The Azure Ghost chuckled. "Oh, you're curious about the other keys, huh? Well, I know of three others besides yours. The first is the Red Royal Key, then there's the Blue Royal Key, and stly, the Bck Royal Key."

  His fming eyes flickered with amusement as he tinued, "The people who held these keys were from some of the peak-tier s as. If I remember correctly, they were the Royal Abyss , the Blue Star Sect, and the Vermilion Court. At the time, there were rumors that each key had a corresponding Royal Chamber,one dedicated to cultivation, one for ons, and one for spells and martial arts. But of course, none of those big shots ever firmed it publicly."

  The Azure Ghost then smirked, his voice brimming with excitement. "But now that you hold the Green Royal Key of Ghosts… this could be a huge opportunity! A ce for a much smoother cultivation journey! If you mao reach the end of this iance, you may evehe ce to step into the Meridian Awakening Stage! Wouldn't that be something?"

  "Reag the Meridian Awakening Stage…" Yuan muttered the words under his breath before taking a deep breath. It was too much to think about all at once. His mind drifted into fantasy,imagining all the things he could do as a Meridian Awakened cultivator. The power, the possibilities...

  But then, snapping himself out of his daydreams, Yuan ched his fists and decred with determination, "Enough of dreaming! I, Yuan, will definitely bee a Meridian Awakened cultivator! And to do that, I must reach this Royal Chamber! Let's go!"

  Without aation, his gaze sharpened with resolve.

  Yuauroward the Azure Ghost, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Where is the rial?"

  The Azure Ghost let out a small ugh at Yuahusiasm. "Heh, eager now, are we? e, I'll guide you there!"

  And so, without further dey, the human and the ghost set off toward the third trial.

  After some time, they arrived at a winding staircase that led to the floor. Yuan stepped forward without hesitation, his thoughts ed entirely by the Royal Chamber. He didn't even sider what kind of trial awaited him ,his mind was filled only with visions of treasures and the endless potential that y ahead.

  Silently, he followed behind the small Azure Ghost, his heart pounding with anticipation.

  Entering the floor, Yuan instinctively looked toward the exit. But as his eyes adjusted to his surroundings, he realized something was wrong.

  The Azure Ghost was gone.

  A suddeiness surrounded him, the lingering warmth of its presenow repced with a heavy silence.

  Floating near him, untouched by gravity, was the Green Royal Key.

  Yuan frowned in fusion. What just happened?

  His first instinct was to grasp the key, tug it safely into his pouch. But as he turned his gaze forward,he froze.

  His breath hitched.

  A cold shiver ran down his spine.

  Not the kind of unease he had felt in the Dreadful Green Forest, where his instincts screamed of lurking dangers. No.

  This fear was different.

  It was the kind of terror that came when faced with something beyond prehension.

  The kind of fear that came when you realized,you had no trol.

  Before him stood a bck bear, but it was unlike anything he had ever seen.

  Massive. Four meters tall. A walking nightmare.

  Its thick, jet-bck fur seemed to devour the dim light, making it look like a living shadow, a beast pulled from the depths of a fotten legend. It exuded nothing but raw, uing menace.

  Its shoulders were broad, its limbs rippling with monstrous muscle. Every step it took sent tremors through the ground, a testament to the sheer weight of its existence.

  And then there were the horns.

  Short, jagged protrusions jutted from its skull, looking as if they had been carved from obsidian. But the worst part wasn't their appeara was the crag energy c through them,an ominous power waiting to be unleashed.

  The beast's breath was visible, a dark mist esg its maw with every slow exhale, as if the very air around it was rejeg its preses cold, pierg eyes locked onto Yuan—unblinking, calg.

  A predator.

  A beast that k was superior.

  Yuan's body stiffened. His hands ched into trembling fists, his breath ragged. Is this how I die?

  But then

  A whisper.

  Soft, carried by the wind, yet unmistakable.

  A voice he had already grown familiar with.

  "Hehe… Don't worry, child. I am here."

  The Azure Ghost.

  Yuan's heart, still pounding in terror, steadied,just a little.