"How cruel…" Yan Zaizen's dampened intelligence, insight, and experience returned like a thundering boom in the sky, sudden and powerful. However, when he looked around, his sharp eyes couldn't help but feel profound, unfathomable sadness.

Surrounding him were his clansmen, surrounding him were his blood, surrounding him was his mother and father, and a life. As someone who comprehended the Imperial Law of Samsara, he found the entire sight to be unnerving. There was only one reason for that:

This world wasn't an illusion!

"To create an entire world...its own reincarnation cycle...but to control these people like a god of fate." The world he was in was not fake. No, it would be better to say it wasn't an illusory world within his mind. Everything here was real, but the path of destiny was manipulated and altered.

What more...these clansmen were created from his origin source, his physical DNA, and memories of his past. They were as real as Bai Lufeng and Tao, they were as real as him and Ma Xiuren. They possessed their own souls, memories, consciousness unique to them, and even the world itself was true. Even time was consistent, a second here meant a second in the outside world.

"A trial like this...truly is cruel." Closing his eyes, he repressed the chaotic emotions surging through his mind and soul. "I lived an entire sixteen years with repressed intelligence and memories...sixteen years I accompanied these people who are both real and fake, sixteen years I loved them and they loved me."

With clenched teeth, he struggled fiercely to keep his emotions in check. The seething rage and profound sensation of sadness that could erupt and might rip apart his entire being, including his dao. He couldn't allow that to happen.

"What's the purpose of this trial? To test me how?" Yan Zaizen's eyes flashed in thought, he looked at the True Essence expert who had locked them down with his aura. "I need to wait...I need to see why." He knew that him awakening from his consciousness wasn't done purposefully. Instead, he was supposed to remain in his original state for a long period of time or forever, and that was part of the trial.

Considering the trial didn't end immediately upon sobering up meant that there was more to this trial than meets the eye.

The True Essence expert sealed the cultivation bases of those clansmen above the Essence Formation Realm and directly left. They were escorted to another location. While they did, Yan Zaizen inspected this world in detail and discovered a few things.

Firstly, the laws here were consistent with the laws outside, but similar to the Dusk Zone, some laws were of a different hierarchy than normal. In truth, the laws aligned with the Dusk Zone exactly. This meant he was still in the Dusk Zone or at least apart of it, likely a sub-realm of some sort.

Secondly, despite the laws being present, they were all equally weaker than the outside. This was likely to accommodate the false reincarnation cycle set up in the realm. It was truly ingenious, but it didn't seem like it was done by a person but by an object of sorts. The reason for this was the aura the cycle released, it was far too different from outside.

Lastly, the people here didn't know that they were created for a purpose and seems to be operating normally. He could only conclude that the creator only manipulated some matters, such as his clan and birth as well as his circumstance. This was supported by the fact the world had hundreds of thousands of years of established history, talented people, and tragedies.

At sixteen years old, he met both tragedy and fortune. It was the day he obtained the Meteor Ring. It was the day he met Han Genji, his one and only master. It changed the entirety of his life and led to his current path. Thanks to his relationship with Han Genji, he was betrayed at Xuanwu City and sent to chaotic space. The subsequent events led to him meeting Pinaka, and then here.

It started it all.

Therefore, it's possible the story of this world must remain consistent. Likely, the reason why the person wanted someone at the second-floor was the limit to their lifespans. With the limitations of laws here, it'll be fortunate if someone with supreme talent could reach the third-floor. This could've been purposeful or outside of the creators power to change.

With their minds repressed, they would be forced to forge their own path anew. "But...why?"

Since he didn't participate in the six trials leading up to here, he had no idea of the theme of this trial or purpose.

After several days, an event occurred en route to their prison. A meteorite fell from the sky and smashed heavily into their vicinity. They were held down by experts of the royal family while the others checked out the events. Then, a monster struck.

All the royal members who went to investigate were killed. The monster brought fear to the royal members and they departed leaving the Yan Clan as bait to stall the beast. Yan Zaizen and his clansmen escaped from this tragedy thankfully.

When the monster saw him, it subsequently died. When it did, it transformed into a spirit that integrated into his body and giving him access to incredible strength, but he needed resources and perseverance to grow stronger using this mechanism. The beast attempted to claim his consciousness and body for its own, seemingly because its body was too weak.

Fortunately, the first attempt was weak and Yan Zaizen easily claimed victory, but he was segregated from his family a far distance due to the intense struggle, arriving at the edge of the continent. With that, the Yan Clan became fugitives, chased by the royal family with the intent of capture or death.

Yan Zaizen sat on a tree stump, looking at the tattoo that signified the beast, his eyes glowing with light. "To think it was a trial like that…"

Yan Zaizen realized the trial wanted to impose similarities to his previous life to now. The tragedy of loss, the desire for strength, and a goal - to save and protect his sister. He allowed the events to occur without interference, and it allowed him to further understand the trial's goal.

The answer: to develop a dao.

Not just any dao, his dao.

The Dao of Sovereign Ascension was the embodiment of a multitude of daos, but as for the overarching concept of this dao, it was the rising of a sovereign from the lowest point, developing domineering ferocity, profound warmth, unrelenting persistence, and decisiveness to slaughter all in one's path if need be. It was a profound dao at the peak of the upper limits a dao could possess.

A Sovereign's Dao!

The core of this dao was to never lose oneself while on the rise regardless of what one faces, hence Yan Zaizen was often at risk, but it also meant his dao was worth it.

Likely, all those who took the trial would be put in enabling situations in this real yet false world and attempt to redevelop their dao. If they fail the first time? Perhaps they would reincarnate until their lifespans run out. That seemed to be the case looking at the characteristics of this world.

"To develop my dao…" Yan Zaizen shook his head, with his memories and experiences, this trial just became moot. He didn't need to wait for experiences to build up, he had those experiences!

However, he wasn't sure what would happen if he passed this trial and he had something he couldn't let go now that it exists.

His aura surged, no longer did he rely on this unknown strength of a beast or his weak cultivation base. Instead, a white flame appeared in his right eye and a black shadow appeared in his left.