The night was eerily silent as Lin Xuan stood before the towering stone markers, his breath steady, his heart resolute. The wind carried the whispers of ancient cultivators, their trials and triumphs woven into the very fabric of the Celestial Ascension Path. He had crossed the second marker, but ahead lay challenges that would test not just his strength but the very essence of his will.

With each step, the pressure increased. The weight of the celestial force bore down on him like an invisible mountain. His muscles screamed, his bones ached, but he did not falter. He could feel the Heavenly Script within him resonating, absorbing the pressure, refining his body and spirit in ways he had yet to comprehend fully.

From the shadows, a pair of eyes observed him. Elder Wu, his expression unreadable, nodded in approval. "He’s moving faster than I expected," he murmured. "But will he be able to reach the third marker?"

At the third marker, the atmosphere shifted. A silver mist spread across the pathway, shimmering with an ethereal glow. As Lin Xuan stepped forward, the mist coiled around him, and suddenly, the world darkened.

He was no longer on the Celestial Ascension Path.

Instead, he stood in a vast void, surrounded by flickering images—visions of past cultivators, their struggles, their failures. The Heavenly Script within him pulsed as if recognizing the illusions. One by one, the figures turned their gazes upon him, eyes hollow, expressions filled with sorrow and despair.

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"Why do you walk this path?" a deep voice boomed from the void.

Lin Xuan straightened his back. "To surpass my limits. To uncover the truth of cultivation. To forge my own destiny."

The voice chuckled, the sound echoing through the void. "Many have said the same before you. Yet, where are they now?"

A wave of suffocating energy surged toward him. Lin Xuan gritted his teeth, summoning the power of the Heavenly Script. His body shone with a golden radiance as he pushed forward. The illusions wavered, but the pressure only grew stronger.

Suddenly, one of the figures stepped forward—a young man, his features strikingly similar to Lin Xuan’s. The moment their eyes met, an overwhelming pain shot through Lin Xuan’s mind. Memories that weren’t his flooded into him—scenes of betrayal, of shattered dreams, of a path cut short before its peak.

Lin Xuan clenched his fists. "I am not you. And I will not fall here!"

The Heavenly Script surged, its golden light tearing through the illusions. The void cracked, and the mist dissipated. Lin Xuan found himself standing before the third marker, breathless but victorious.

A deep chuckle resonated through the air. "Interesting," the voice murmured before fading away.

Lin Xuan exhaled sharply. He had overcome another trial, but the path ahead was still long.

At the top of the Celestial Ascension Path, hidden behind layers of mist, a cloaked figure watched with keen interest. "He has potential," they mused. "But will he survive what comes next?"

Lin Xuan wiped the sweat from his brow. He had no time to dwell on what had just happened. He lifted his head toward the looming fourth marker, his resolve burning brighter than ever.

With a determined step, he moved forward.