Lillith stared at Kai with her eyes widened and mouth agape in pure disbelief. 'The door I have been trying to open my entire life was opened just like that?' She smiled bitterly as she didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
The ancient aura completely engulfed the entire place and the mana concentration in the area soared.
"Woah! How was I able to open such a big gate with just a slight push?" Kai spoke.
"Am I secretly the most powerful being in the world without even my knowledge." He held his chin as he thought with a serious look on his face.
"Hahaha!" Lilith couldn't help but laugh out loud after seeing this.
Kai smiled at her then turned his gaze to see what's inside the door. Lilith also stopped laughing and with a serious look, looked inside.
Inside the door he could see a large yet completely empty room, if not for the gate anyone would mistake it as an abnormally big ordinary room. He along with Lilith walked inside the room.
After they entered, the gigantic door automatically closed behind them, trapping them inside the room. Both of them turned around and grew a little anxious seeing that they can't leave now.
"Hmm…" A deep and profound voice came from behind them.
They both turned to look towards the source of the voice.
In front of them a few meters above the ground floated an old man wearing plain white clothes with a long white beard reaching up to his chest, he exuded a profound aura. His presence was strong, but his entire lower half of his body was completely distorted making him look like a ghost. He stared deeply at Kai as if trying to see through his soul.
In front of the man's gaze, Kai shivered, he felt completely naked as if he couldn't hide anything from this man.
"After all this time, the legacy door chose you? A kid with no cultivation?" The old man said with slight displeasure.
"There's also another presence here, but even I cannot determine what it is." He gazed through the entire room as if searching for something.
"Can even senior not see my friend Lilith?" Kai questions. He could feel how powerful this man is just by his aura. 'Even someone like him isn't able to see her?'
"Lilith? Who is this Lilith you speak of?" The old man asks with a hint of curiosity.
Kai thinks for a while if he should tell him and after a few considerations he decided he should just tell him. "She is a world spirit." Kai answered.
The old man burrowed his eyebrows, he then proceeded to inspect Kai's body, but after a while he couldn't find the thing he was looking for and he frowned.
'How can he have a world spirit with him when he hasn't even started cultivating? On top of that I couldn't even see a world spirit contract within his soul.' The old man could feel a slight headache.
'Ignoring those facts a world spirit!? What could such a noble race be doing in such a desolate place? How rare and unusual' The old man could feel a slight headache.
'Well… it doesn't matter what special methods he used to get that world spirit and hide her even from my senses, I can't do anything in my form so why bother!' He thought and cursed his past luck.
"Senior, can you tell me what world spirits are?" Kai asked.
"What!" The old man shouted, dumbfounded by his words. He stared at Kai as if he was looking at an idiot.
"Kid, you are telling me that you don't know what a world spirit is when you have one literally following you?" The old man asked.
"I met her with pure chance, and I don't know anything about this world so yes, I don't know what a world spirit is. Might senior please enlighten this ignorant one." Kai clasped his fists and asked.
'Has this kid been living under a rock his entire life or what? Just how much has the current era degraded.' The old man sighed inwardly.
"Kid, I am not here to answer your questions." The old man shook his head.
"What you see right now is just a fragment of my soul I left behind along with my legacy to find a worthy successor when I died a long time ago. This fragment has the sole purpose of testing whether you are worthy or not. Nothing more!" He spoke.
Kai frowned knowing he won't get any information about Lillith. He truly wanted to help her because he thought her situation was much like his.
'A legacy tomb huh...' Kai has heard of such things from stories he heard from Arya, so he was excited and couldn't help but praise his luck.
A legacy tomb is created by a powerful person before they die as to pass on their wealth and techniques, they have spent their lives collecting to a worthy successor as to continue their legacy.
He suddenly had an idea and decided to try his luck. "Senior if I pass your tests and become worthy to get your inheritance will you tell me more about world spirits?" He asked with concern of getting rejected.
"HAHAHA!" The old man suddenly burst out laughing as if he has heard a joke.
"Eh?" Kai was surprised by the sudden change of events.
"Kid, you speak as if getting my acknowledgement and passing my tests are a walk in a park! If you knew who I was before I died you would be kneeling on the floor begging for mercy for your words."
"Hahaha, but I like your confidence. Very well if you pass my tests, I shall honor you by answering your questions." The old man smiled and gazed at Kai with a profound look.
Kai clasped his fists and slightly bowed to show his gratitude. "Thank you senior, I will not disappoi-." He was interrupted midway.
"But if you fail... I shall take your life!" The old man added with a grin.
Kai shuddered after hearing that he would be killed, he really didn't want to experience pain or worse… death!
"Kai! You don't have to take such a risk!" Lilith quickly shouted in worry.
'*Sigh* If I don't do it, I might never be able to help Lilith again, I should take the opportunity presented in front of me rather than waiting for it in the distant future that might just never arrive!' Kai internally thought and determined himself.
Ever since he met Lilith, he found their situations to be almost the same. If possible, he truly wanted to help her.
"It's okay Lilith, I will be fine!" He reassured her with a small smile on his face, his body oozing with confidence and determination.
The old man gave Kai a mocking look.
Inwardly he was amazed by how real and amazing everything in this game feels. Ever since he has entered the game, he has been getting surprised by everything. He couldn't help but praise it.
The old man said. "Tell your world spirit friend to go and sit there patiently. She won't participate with you as you are the one the tests are for."
He raised his hand and pointed in a direction. The empty space was converted into a spectator's area and was separated from the room by an almost invisible barrier.
Kai turned towards Lilith and nodded.
Lilith looked at Kai with a complicated look as she went towards the spectator's area. Internally she felt warmth and gratitude that Kai would go to such lengths for her. This was a new and strange feeling to her.
"I shall now explain about the trial!" He shouted; his voice contained pure authority. Kai prepared himself to carefully listen to each and every word.
"There will be three trials in total. The first trial, 'The Trial of Comprehension!' It shall test your comprehension ability and talent in the way of cultivation."
"If you pass, you will be rewarded accordingly to your performance. If you fail, the trial shall end at that instant and you will be killed!" the old man announced.
The old man continued. "The second trial, 'The Trial of Strength!' It shall test your battle prowess but seeing how ignorant you are I don't believe you will be able to pass it. So, you should back out while you can!" The old man had a mocking and provocative look on his face.
"And of course you will be awarded if you do pass and die if you fail."
"Lastly the third trial, 'The Trial of Will!' The legacy door has deemed you worthy as a candidate to become my successor so you have enough talent, you can even consider the legacy door as one of my trials, 'The Trial of Talent!'"
"But don't think you can pass through sheer talent as I shall also test your willpower in this trial. Even geniuses from my era would tremble with fear upon the mere mention of the method I will use to test you! So, I will look forward to it!" The old man chuckled lightly with a devil look which made Kai shiver.
"If you pass the last trial, you shall receive my, The Great Emperor Hanxian's lavish inheritance that I have spent my entire life collecting! And I shall also answer your questions as an extra award!" He announced.
Kai could feel his blood boil with anticipation, he was very excited to start the trial. Even though his body was… trembling imagining just how many times he would possibly go through life and death situations today. But he resolved himself as he had vowed to grow strong.
The old man nodded with satisfaction seeing his determined face, even though he felt a little awkward seeing his trembling body, it was only natural.
'Eh? Great Emperor?' Kai raised an eyebrow when he recalled the old man's words.
"Let the Trial Commence!!!" The old man declared.