Outside the Nine Dragons Painting, a tense silence settled across the arena as all eyes remained locked on the ancient mural. The instructors and gathered geniuses watched intently, tracking the glowing dots that represented the participants still undergoing the trials inside.
One by one, those dots had flickered out—each disappearance marking the failure or removal of a challenger. Until, at last, only a single dot remained.
All others had been kicked out.
All but one.
That one dot, unmoving for what seemed like an eternity, glowed steadily on the seventh floor. And everyone watching knew exactly who it belonged to.
"...He's taking too long," Jason muttered, arms crossed, a frown shadowing his face. "He's been stuck on the seventh floor for far longer than expected. Honestly, he should've either advanced or been kicked out by now. I don't think that Supreme Master—especially that elf—would toy with anyone. Either you pass or you don't."
