The Three Great Sovereigns exchanged glances, each catching a flicker of surprise in the other's eyes. They had never actually invested much attention in Zi Che Min's recruited genius early on. In their view, Shao Yuan's significance in the field of alchemy far outweighed his significance in martial arts.
But within the Eternal Sacred Land's environment, no matter how outstanding one's alchemy might be, one could only serve as supporting foliage—never become a mainstream force of the Sacred Land, never steer its grand direction.
Now they finally understood just how much they had underestimated this young man's potential. He was not merely an alchemist. His martial arts talent was nothing to scoff at either.
The Nine-Turn Cloud Caverns did carry a certain degree of difficulty, but the most important thing they tested was talent—a thorough assessment of each genius's capabilities.
As such, raw power was not always what mattered most. A crushing, overwhelming force was not necessarily the key.
If one's talents were well-rounded, the Nine-Turn Cloud Caverns would often prove more advantageous.
"Young man, the difficulty of the Eighth Cavern is considerably greater than the Seventh, and the danger increases as well. Are you certain you wish to challenge the Eighth Cavern?"
The Grand Sovereign regarded Jiang Chen with undisguised interest, clearly quite curious about this young man's boldness.
Zi Che Min also advised, "Shao Yuan, even without attempting the Eighth Cavern, your performance so far is more than enough to earn you the Sacred Land's highest level of treatment."
Jiang Chen offered a faint smile. "What I am reaching for is not merely the Sacred Land's highest level of treatment, but a personal transcendence of my own limits. If I were to leave the Eighth Cavern unchallenged, I fear I would regret that decision for the rest of my life."
With words spoken to that degree, everyone could understand.
In the world of martial arts, a warrior's heart was forever proud. When others could not challenge the Eighth Cavern, he would charge straight in regardless.
That was a statement of intent.
The Three Great Sovereigns all wore smiles and nodded approvingly.
"Very good. Our Eternal Sacred Land needs exactly this kind of confident genius. Shao Yuan, if you can pass through the Eighth Cavern, from this day forward the Sacred Land will classify you as a top-tier genius for cultivation. Every one of your requests will be fully satisfied."
That was the Grand Sovereign's promise. The other two Sovereigns nodded as well, signifying their agreement.
Zi Che Min's mood was a tangle of excitement, worry, and anticipation. He understood this young man better than anyone.
If he lacked confidence, he would never have acted this way.
Since Shao Yuan had decided to challenge the Eighth Cavern, he had to have at least a fifty or sixty percent chance of success.
In truth, Jiang Chen did not know what awaited him in the Eighth Cavern, but that did not matter. He was basing his assessment on the Seventh Cavern's difficulty and extrapolating to the Eighth.
He felt that with his talent and equipment, withstanding the Eighth Cavern was still quite feasible. So he decided to press on.
If the Eighth Cavern proved overwhelmingly difficult, then the Ninth—the final cavern—might be something he would choose to forego.
Of course, everything would depend on what the Eighth Cavern actually threw at him.
The passage to the Eighth Cavern opened, and Jiang Chen stepped inside.
Once through, he found himself ascending layer after layer of stone steps, climbing upward. The path wound and twisted, curving deeper into hidden passages. After a long while, he emerged into a vast, open expanse.
Jiang Chen regarded the scene with a trace of puzzlement.
The open ground stretched out with nothing obstructing the view—on the surface, there appeared to be no danger whatsoever. Even if danger existed out here, how could it pose much of a threat in such open terrain?
Still, Jiang Chen did not let his guard down. In the Eighth Cavern, the more serene and quiet a place appeared, the more terrifying the crisis it harbored might be.
A veteran of countless battles, Jiang Chen's instincts told him plainly: absolutely no room for complacency.
He descended the stone steps, only to discover that the area clearly carried a flight-restriction formation. No matter how he activated his escape arts or his flight-type Divine Abilities, he could not take to the air here.
"So that's how it is—the Eighth Cavern restricts flight." Jiang Chen immediately grasped the first trial of this cavern.
Without flight, he would have to walk on his own two legs to the end—to walk his way out of the Eighth Cavern.
He had to admit, he had no idea where the end of this seemingly boundless wilderness might lie. Even deploying his Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil, he could see no horizon.
"That can't be right. The Eighth Cavern can't possibly occupy that much space. How could there be such a vast wilderness? Could this be an illusion? Or perhaps simply a formation?"
The thought struck Jiang Chen as peculiar, but he did not make a fuss about it.
The myriad worlds held all manner of wonders.
A situation like this could be accomplished effortlessly by many types of formations. A space that was not actually large could appear entirely different through the use of spatial Divine Abilities.
Jiang Chen began walking, and his stride was measured, not rushed.
But just at that moment, a flash of cyan light streaked across the sky above his head. The next instant, amid clear blue skies, a bolt of lightning crashed directly down upon him.
Jiang Chen watched the lightning detonate upon his body, unleashing a terrifying radiance.
The next heartbeat, countless electric serpents of strange hues but formidable power writhed through the void, dancing wildly in every direction.
"A lightning domain?" Jiang Chen gazed at the sky full of writhing lightning dragons, and at last he understood what kind of trial this was.