The gigantic Martial Spirits slowly faded back into their bodies.
The overwhelming pressure vanished, leaving behind a stunned silence.
Jekyll and Hyde opened their eyes simultaneously.
The first thing everyone expected was excitement.
Instead, the two old men exchanged strange looks.
Then they both stared at Raqin.
Their expressions were unusually serious.
"Kid..." Jekyll began.
Raqin frowned.
"What is it?"
The two old men looked at each other before speaking together.
"We can hear voices."
Raqin blinked.
"What?"
"We can hear voices in our heads," Hyde said with a solemn expression.
"Several voices," Jekyll added.
"They keep talking."
"They won't shut up."
"Are we going crazy?"
The crowd immediately retreated several steps.
Meenah looked terrified.
"Grandpas... are you possessed?"
Raqin stared at them for a few seconds before bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
The two old men became annoyed.
"Why are you laughing?" Hyde barked.
"We're being serious!"
"Exactly!" Jekyll agreed. "One of them keeps giving me notifications."
"/Vital signs stable./"
"/Spiritual seed synchronized./"
"/Sword pathway established./"
"See? It just did it again!"
Raqin laughed even harder.
The old men's faces darkened.
Finally, after calming himself down, Raqin waved his hand.
"Relax. You're not possessed and you're definitely not going crazy."
"Then explain."
"The voices belong to the nanites."
"The what?"
"The microscopic machine I placed inside your bodies."
The two old men stared blankly.
"The tiny things you called gifts?"
"Yes."
"They're talking?"
"Not exactly. Think of them as intelligent assistants."
"Assistants?"
Raqin nodded.
"They became one with your bodies during assimilation. Their purpose is to monitor your condition, optimize your cultivation, help you learn techniques, manage energy circulation, and warn you about dangers."
The old men looked at one another.
Then they looked inward.
A moment later both nodded slowly.
"So they're like servants?"
"More like extremely intelligent servants."
Jekyll's eyes brightened.
"I like them already."
Hyde nodded.
"They don't complain."
"They don't eat."
"They don't snore."
Raqin rolled his eyes.
"You two are impossible."
Suddenly Jekyll frowned.
"Wait."
"If these assistants are so useful, why don't they tell us the names of our Martial Spirits?"
Raqin's smile widened.
"Because some things must be discovered personally."
The two old men immediately became interested.
"What do we do?"
"Close your eyes."
Both complied.
"Now focus on your Martial Spirits. Don't look at their appearance. Look deeper. Every true Martial Spirit possesses a title engraved within its soul."
The surroundings became quiet.
Even the spectators found themselves listening.
Moments passed.
Then Jekyll's body trembled.
A vast earth aura erupted around him.
His eyes snapped open.
"I found it!"
"What is it?" Hyde asked.
Jekyll's face was full of excitement.
"The Mountain Sword Bull Sovereign!"
As soon as he spoke the name, a phantom image of the gigantic bull appeared behind him.
The ground rumbled.
An ancient and majestic aura spread outward.
"Its nature is Earth."
"It embodies stability."
"It embodies endurance."
"It embodies overwhelming strength."
Jekyll clenched his fist.
For the first time in centuries, he felt invincible.
Hyde immediately closed his eyes again.
A few moments later, scarlet flames burst around him.
A sharp eagle cry echoed through the cathedral plaza.
His eyes opened.
A blazing smile appeared on his face.
"The Blazing Sword Eagle Monarch!"
A fiery eagle phantom unfolded behind him.
Its wings were formed from countless burning swords.
The surrounding temperature instantly rose.
"It embodies Fire."
"It embodies Freedom."
"It embodies Speed."
"It is born to rule the skies."
Hyde laughed loudly.
"Hahaha! Finally!"
"After all these years, I can fly!"
Jekyll snorted.
"You can't even stand properly yet."
"Who cares?"
"I'm going to fly."
"You'll crash."
"I'll fly higher."
"You'll crash harder."
The two old men immediately began arguing.
Watching them bicker like children, Raqin could only shake his head.
Yet a faint smile appeared on his face.
The experiment had succeeded.
Not only had they awakened Martial Spirits.
They had awakened true paths of cultivation.
And they were only the first.
Raqin looked at the two old men before turning his gaze toward the towering cathedral.
His brows furrowed.
After a moment of thought, he made a decision.
"We can't keep waiting for others to test the trial for us. The longer we stay here, the more uncertain things become."
He stood up and adjusted the sword hanging at his waist.
"It's time. We move ahead."
The playful expressions on Jekyll and Hyde's faces immediately disappeared.
The joy of their recent awakening was replaced by vigilance.
Now that they possessed Martial Spirits, their confidence had increased, but neither underestimated the danger hidden within the cathedral.
"Kid," Hyde said, flexing his fingers, "ever since the awakening, the suppression on our cultivation seems to have disappeared."
Jekyll nodded.
"Yes. I can finally feel my strength again. Although..." he frowned, "...it still feels incomplete somehow."
Raqin nodded thoughtfully.
"What realm are you both at now?"
The two old men exchanged glances.
"Peak Seventh-Level Mortal Realm," Hyde replied.
"Our physiques have also improved significantly," Jekyll added. "With our Martial Spirits and newfound strength, we should be capable of fighting ordinary Peak Eighth-Level Mortal Realm cultivators or beasts."
The two old men suddenly cupped their fists.
Their expressions became solemn.
"Thank you, kid."
"You have our loyalty until death."
Raqin immediately waved his hand dismissively.
"There's no need for that."
He pointed toward Meenah.
"In this trial, she and I will be relying on you seniors for protection."
The two old men laughed.
"Then leave it to us."
Without wasting any more time, the group headed toward the cathedral entrance.
The surrounding trial participants instinctively stepped aside.
Nobody dared block their path.
Not after witnessing everything Raqin had accomplished.
Numerous pairs of eyes followed them.
Some filled with curiosity.
Others with greed.
And a few with naked killing intent.
Yet none dared act.
Soon, the group arrived before the cathedral gates.
They exchanged silent glances.
Then, without hesitation, they stepped forward together.
The moment their feet crossed the threshold—
Darkness swallowed them whole.
Outside, the spectators waited anxiously.
But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't see anything beyond the entrance.
It was as if the cathedral had devoured Raqin and his companions entirely.
The unknown began gnawing at their minds.
Fear slowly spread through the crowd.
Inside the cathedral, however, a completely different world revealed itself.
The moment Raqin regained his vision, his pupils contracted.
Eyes.
Countless eyes.
The walls were covered in eyes.
The ceiling was covered in eyes.
The pillars, statues, and pathways were covered in eyes.
Some blinked.
Some moved.
Some simply stared.
It felt as though millions of unseen entities were silently observing their every thought.
Even more disturbing—
The cathedral's interior was actually a gigantic maze.
Pathways twisted endlessly in every direction.
At the very center stood a distant throne shrouded in darkness.
A throne that seemed impossibly far away.
Suddenly—
"AAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Meenah released a terrified scream.
Her face turned pale.
The fear in her eyes reached an unimaginable level.
Then she collapsed.
Thud.
"Meenah!"
Raqin immediately caught her.
The two old men looked alarmed.
"What happened to her?"
"What attacked her?"
Before anyone could investigate further, the system's voice sounded inside Raqin's mind.
/Host, be careful.
/This trial appears designed to corrupt mental functions while simultaneously observing and analyzing participants.
*/Threat assessment: Extremely High./
Raqin's eyes narrowed.
His gaze swept across the countless staring eyes.
Then understanding flashed through his mind.
"I think I understand."
"What do you mean?" Hyde asked.
Raqin took a deep breath.
"If my theory is correct, we've misunderstood the purpose of the previous trials."
The two old men immediately listened.
"The staircase wasn't the first trial."
"It was merely a filter."
"A way of separating the weak from those worthy of entering."
"The Trial of Flesh tested physical endurance, determination, and the ability to overcome weakness without relying on cultivation."
Jekyll nodded slowly.
"That makes sense."
Raqin pointed toward the endless maze.
"And this trial..."
His gaze hardened.
"...tests the mind."
"The stronger your will, the further you can go."
"The weaker your mind, the easier it becomes for the cathedral to break you."
He glanced toward the unconscious Meenah.
"Her cultivation is too weak."
"She couldn't resist whatever influence these eyes emit."
The atmosphere immediately became heavier.
Hyde scratched his beard.
"So what do we do?"
Raqin looked around before spotting a goat-headed statue nearby.
A strange feeling immediately came over him.
"Let's test something."
He turned toward Hyde.
"Senior Hyde."
"Yes?"
"Circulate your Martial Spirit's power around your eyes and mind. Then walk toward that statue."
Without hesitation, Hyde obeyed.
A moment later, scarlet flames ignited within his eyes.
The phantom silhouette of the Blazing Sword Eagle Monarch appeared behind him like a cloak of fire.
Step.
Step.
Step.
He approached the statue carefully.
Everyone watched.
Nothing happened.
No attacks.
No hallucinations.
No pressure.
Eventually, Hyde reached the statue itself.
Still nothing.
He turned and gave them a thumbs-up.
"It's safe."
Raqin smiled.
"As expected."
Jekyll frowned.
"As expected?"
Raqin nodded.
"When I awakened my Martial Spirit during the previous trial, the Sea of Hollow Flesh could no longer affect me."
"The Variable Entities couldn't influence me either."
"Now we're seeing the same phenomenon."
Understanding immediately dawned on the old men's faces.
"Our Martial Spirits are resisting the trial itself."
"Exactly."
"The Martial Spirit appears to be the natural countermeasure against whatever force controls this place."
Without another word, Jekyll activated the Mountain Sword Bull Sovereign.
Earth-attributed energy wrapped around him like protective armor.
Raqin did the same.
His Martial Spirit emerged and enveloped both himself and the unconscious Meenah within its protection.
The group then began advancing deeper into the maze.
Unbeknownst to them, the real nightmare had only just begun.
Not long after they departed, other participants finally gathered enough courage to enter the cathedral.
Unfortunately for them, they possessed no understanding of the trial.
What seemed manageable for Raqin's group quickly became a living nightmare.
The moment they entered, the eyes began watching.
Observing.
Judging.
Waiting.
Some participants suddenly clutched their heads and screamed.
Blood poured from their eyes, ears, noses, and mouths.
Others charged toward the walls, convinced they had discovered priceless treasures.
Some fell to their knees, crying as they confessed every sin, regret, and guilt buried within their hearts.
Meanwhile, members of the Mollock Syndicate noticed that Raqin's group had vanished entirely.
A terrifying killing intent erupted from them.
The moment that killing intent appeared—
Thousands of eyes blinked simultaneously.
The maze shifted.
The walls moved.
The pathways changed.
The trial had begun.
What none of them realized was that the cathedral fed upon emotion.
Fear.
Greed.
Guilt.
Hatred.
Killing intent.
The stronger these emotions became, the more power the maze gained.
The countless eyes would amplify those emotions, transforming them into horrifying hallucinations designed to trap victims forever.
Soon, chaos erupted.
People began seeing monsters where allies stood.
Friends became enemies.
Enemies became nightmares.
Cultivators attacked one another without hesitation.
Blood splattered across the maze.
Screams echoed endlessly.
And throughout it all—
The countless eyes merely watched.
Waiting patiently for more minds to break.