Upon hearing those words, Egg Egg inside the Spirit Space glared viciously at a black longsword.
The Shura Sword!!!
It was the sword that had just spoken.
One of the three most powerful swords in the Shura Spirit Realm, possessing supreme might.
"You can tell what that bead contains?" Chu Feng hurriedly asked.
This Shura Sword was incredibly prideful. Normally, it wouldn't even acknowledge Chu Feng when he spoke to it, so since it had finally deigned to say something, Chu Feng naturally wanted to ask.
"Never mind that. This King wants the one in the middle. Go get it for this King."
"Shut up, you filthy black iron." The moment the Shura Sword finished speaking, Egg Egg snapped at it furiously, then said to Chu Feng, "Chu Feng, don't listen to it."
The Shura Sword ignored Egg Egg and continued addressing Chu Feng, "Kid, if you can't even manage this little thing, who could you possibly protect?"
"Then tell me, what benefit can you offer me?" Chu Feng asked.
"Heh heh…" The Shura Sword laughed — a laugh dripping with mockery — before continuing: "Chu Feng, remember this."
"This place is a trial ground. And since it's a trial ground, it exists for people to challenge. No matter how difficult it may be, there is always an upper limit."
"Someone will eventually reach that upper limit."
"If you can't, someone else will be able to in the future."
"But if others can and you can't, then you can never become one of the strongest in this world — let alone the strongest of all."
"That's all this King has to say. Take it or leave it. But don't blame this King for not giving you a chance."
The Shura Sword's attitude was uncompromising.
Yet these harsh words, upon landing in Chu Feng's heart, struck like a hammer.
They shattered some of the thoughts he had held before.
He raised his head once more and looked at the three beads on the seventh step.
The middle one — the one engraved with what appeared to be a shield symbol.
Chu Feng had never been one to fall for goading tactics.
But what the Shura Sword said struck him as perfectly reasonable.
"Egg Egg, I'm sorry. I may have to break my promise."
The reason he apologized was that he had previously promised Egg Egg he would give up after attempting the sixth step.
But now, he had changed his mind.
"Chu Feng, if you want to go, then go. I believe you can do it."
But Egg Egg didn't try to dissuade him further. There wasn't the slightest hint of blame in her voice either.
That was just how she was. Though she worried about Chu Feng, if it was something he wanted to do, she would support him.
Whoosh — Chu Feng leaped into the air and landed directly on the seventh step.
After touching down, he made no sound, and nothing in his surroundings changed. Yet Egg Egg was too anxious to speak.
She was terrified, convinced that Chu Feng was enduring excruciating torment at this very moment.
But she didn't dare say a word, afraid of disturbing him.
"Egg Egg, I don't feel anything."
But Chu Feng's voice did indeed ring out, and it sounded remarkably relaxed.
"Huh? You don't feel anything?" Egg Egg was taken aback.
"Really, nothing at all. Could it be that this seventh step is just a bluff?"
"Haha, no wonder the Shura Sword told me to come up here — did it see through this?" A grin of secret delight spread across Chu Feng's face.
"That's wonderful! Chu Feng, quick, quick, grab that bead and let's get out of here!" Egg Egg was overjoyed as well.
But just as Chu Feng was about to take the second bead, the step seemed to sense his intentions.
With a thunderous boom, a mass of black flames surged up before Chu Feng. The black flames expanded rapidly across the platform, forming a sphere of dark fire a hundred meters tall.
The sphere of black flames had been sealed shut, but it now split apart directly in front of Chu Feng, forming a door-shaped entrance.
Through the entrance, Chu Feng could see a room inside — but not an ordinary room. It was a torture chamber.
All manner of horrifying instruments of torture covered the walls in dense, suffocating numbers.
Chu Feng's brow furrowed slightly. In normal circumstances, what damage could these instruments possibly do to him?
He had nothing to fear.