The Twelve Trials Starting from Zero

Following the two, the other temple masters also offered their advice, some genuinely and some feigning sincerity.

However, Dao Yuan remained unmoved, simply sitting in a specially made large chair, propping his head up and gazing down, and said calmly: "Once you step onto the arena, there must be a winner or loser, or life or death. This is a rule I set myself. Do you want me, the head of the Dao family, to break it personally?"

"Ke Lian'er has already lost."

"He hasn't given up yet."

"Given his personality, how could he possibly admit defeat?"

"Hmph, if you don't even have the courage to face the real battle, such a coward is not qualified to shoulder the great cause of the revival of Taoism."

"Dao Yuan, you're being too extreme." Dao Zhen frowned and reminded him, "Dao Lian is your son, the next head of the family, and an important candidate to participate in the Spirit Summoner War. Even for the sake of the Dao family's revival, we can't let him die on the stage."

Dao Yuan remained silent for a moment, then coldly said, "The revival of our Daoist school requires strong individuals, not weak ones. A son can be reborn if he dies, and Dao Lian's position is not irreplaceable. Isn't the child who can easily defeat him the best candidate?"

"The Way is Round!!"

Dao Lan's expression changed drastically. He was about to speak again when he was stopped. "Enough! Be quiet for now and let those people on the arena make their own choices! In the name of the Dao family head, I order everyone not to interfere!"

Immediately, the entire viewing platform fell silent. Although Dao Lan and Dao Zhen were still dissatisfied with Dao Yuan's actions, they found it difficult to disobey the Dao family head's orders in front of everyone.

……

On the other side, on the arena, no matter how much Ren Daorun pleaded and begged, Daolian just lay on the ground, motionless like a dead man, without uttering a sound.

"It's a pity, it seems that Young Master Dao Lian would rather die than admit defeat."

Su Qi smiled, gripped the long sword in reverse, and slowly raised it.

"No!!" Dao Run clung to Dao Lian, using his body to shield her as much as possible, desperately pleading, "Please, please spare Dao Lian's life! Kill me instead! Please! Please!"

"Miss Daorun, as I said before, I will retaliate in kind, killing your beloved younger brother Daolian for your foolish actions; so I'm sorry, Daolian must die!"

Having said this firmly and resolutely, Su Qi brought down his long sword and plunged it towards Dao Lian's head, which was not blocked.

"Dao Lian!!"

Amid Dao Run's heart-wrenching screams, the blade, gleaming with a cold light, fell with a hiss and plunged deep into the ground beside Dao Lian's face.

"Huh!?"

There was no blood splattering, and no horrific scene of Dao Lian's head being pierced. Dao Run, who had already given up hope, was stunned when he saw this scene.

"Surprised? Unexpected? Does it make your heart race, your mind race, and you feel like you're about to have a heart attack?"

Su Qi drew his sword, sheathed it, squatted down, and faced Dao Run, smiling without a hint of amusement. "Well? Are you satisfied with the joke I played on you?"

At this point, his expression gradually turned cold. "But you'd better remember, I only make jokes like this once. Next time, it will definitely not be such a harmless joke."

"You..." Dao Run gradually came to his senses, his expression dazed, and said, "You...you really won't kill Dao Lian?"

"Of course, I, Daocheng, have always treated people with sincerity and valued harmony. How could I possibly do something so cruel?"

Her lips moved, wanting to refute his words, but for Dao Lian's sake, she wisely chose to remain silent. In her eyes, this man who seemed to enjoy manipulating people was nothing short of a demon, a demon king, far more terrifying than a cold-blooded killer who only knew how to kill.

"Alright, that's enough. This matter should be put to rest."

Su Qi clapped his hands and stood up. In fact, he never intended to kill Dao Run and Dao Lian. The reason he pretended to be a lecherous criminal was simply to teach them a lesson, so he put on an act.

"You... really will let Dao Lian go?"

Su Qi's previous "performance" was so impressive that Dao Run still finds it hard to believe, fearing that this is another of his "jokes".

"I don't want to waste any more words. Now, help me lift Dao Lian up and take him off the stage. According to the rules, once he's off the stage, he's considered to have lost."

As Su Qi spoke, he grabbed Dao Lian's right arm and pulled him up.

Dao Run hesitated for a moment, then helped by grabbing Dao Lian's left arm and lifting him up. The latter simply hung his head and remained motionless, like a corpse, letting the two do as they pleased.

"Dao Lian, you have a good older sister." Su Qi said as he helped Dao Lian toward the edge of the arena, "She was even willing to sacrifice her own life to save you, and what about you? Just for some meaningless obsession, you carelessly threw your sister's life, which you valued more than yourself, to the back of your mind. Do you think you're a good younger brother?"

Upon hearing this, Dao Run blushed slightly, while Dao Lian... seemed to twitch her drooping head slightly, no longer remaining lifeless.

"Playing dead? What's the use of playing dead?" Su Qi continued, "Can playing dead make you beat me? Can playing dead make you lose with more dignity? Can playing dead turn back time and make this defeat not exist? You're too weak! You can't even face defeat with composure. You're too weak! The power of a psychic lies in the strength of their will, and you have no chance of overcoming this mental barrier and surpassing me in the future."

"Do you know why I'm stronger than you today? Because my pain is greater than yours! Remember? I lost to you before, I endured pain, but I faced failure and pain with equanimity, and overcame them with my willpower. That's why I'm stronger than you! And you, can you do that?"

As they spoke, the two had already carried Dao Lian close to the edge of the arena.

For the last stretch, Su Qi remained silent, Dao Run remained silent, and Dao Lian was also completely silent. It wasn't until the three of them reached the edge of the arena, and Dao Run was about to take Dao Lian off the stage, that a weak voice finally rang out, "I...I concede."

Su Qi and Dao Run paused and turned to look at Dao Lian.

The latter kept his head down, his face hidden, and after a moment of silence, said in a weak but incredibly firm voice, "This time... I lost... but next time... I will win."

"Ha, you're still a long way off."

Su Qi released Dao Lian and let Dao Run carry him out. He stood on the arena and watched the two siblings, equally disheveled, slowly leave. Only when the Dao Master in charge of the assessment came and announced that he was the winner, and conveyed the message that the Dao family head had invited him, did he follow him to the viewing platform where the Dao family's higher-ups were located.

……

"Dao Cheng, eleven years old, comes from a branch of the Taoist lineage in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. He has been cultivating here for three years. In the past, his strength was always ranked at the bottom among the spiritual children, but recently he has suddenly made great strides and can even easily defeat Dao Lian..."

On the viewing platform, Dao Yuan looked down at Su Qi, who had been brought before him, and said coldly, "Dao Cheng, can you tell me why this is? Why have you suddenly become so strong?"

"I'm sorry, Master, I'm not entirely sure about this either." Su Qi said calmly and respectfully, "I only remember that last time I was beaten to the point of death by Dao Lian, my soul seemed to have reached a place that resembled the underworld. There I met a strange swordsman, fought with a group of wandering ghosts, and was suddenly pulled back. After that, I found that my witch power had greatly increased."

After listening, the Taoists seemed to be deep in thought. Dao Zhen pondered and said, "It is recorded in the notes of the previous patriarch that experiencing death can indeed increase one's magical power. Dao Cheng's situation should be like that. However, this method is far too dangerous. One wrong move and one could really die. We cannot replicate his situation. And that sword strike that could sever the super spirit body, was it taught to you by that strange swordsman?"

"Yes." Su Qi put on an Oscar-worthy performance, without blushing or panting, and said in a serious tone, "He didn't tell me his name, only that he used to be a swordsman active in the vicinity of Sichuan and now he was cultivating in the underworld. He saw that I spoke in a unique way and had an extraordinary appearance, so he taught me a sword technique to make a good connection."

"A swordsman from Sichuan?"

Everyone frowned slightly, pondering the origins of the so-called swordsman, but due to the lack of information, they had no clue whatsoever.

Afterwards, they took turns asking Su Qi many questions, which Su Qi answered fluently without revealing any obvious flaws, finally putting the Taoists' suspicions to rest for the time being.

Since Su Qi's origins are verifiable, and his witch power doesn't seem to be possessed by some old ghost, his sudden surge in strength does indeed match the way witch power grows as they know it. The only highly suspicious person is the so-called swordsman, but there is too little information and it is too mysterious to be sure for the time being. They can only keep an eye on him for now and see if he will reveal his true colors later.

"You didn't seem to be using your full strength in the fight just now," Daoyuan suddenly said after asking.

"I simply prefer to win by surprise, using the least amount of strength, rather than by fighting head-on."

"Let me see your true power!" He stood up, his shadow looming over Su Qi, and said in an unquestionable tone, "Step onto the arena! I want to personally confirm whether you are qualified to replace Dao Lian!"

Sigh, I hope the evaluation of the protagonist's behavior will be done after a certain plot point ends. The protagonist hasn't turned evil yet; being a chuunibyou (a person with delusions of grandeur) is just a way to build up energy...

Chapter Eleven: There's Always a Scoundrel Trying to Harm Me

Su Qi neither refused nor could refuse, so he stepped onto the arena again to face Dao Yuan.

"Let's begin! Go all out and let me see just how far you can go!"

The latter stood like a mountain of flesh, his voice booming like thunder, his tone brimming with confidence. Combined with his exaggerated height, he exuded a powerful aura of oppression.

Su Qi felt no emotion whatsoever. He already knew from the original story that the giant-like form before him was not Dao Yuan's true body, but rather a super-spiritual body he had maintained for many years. He himself was merely a human of normal size, hidden within this exaggerated super-spiritual body.

But I sensed... a suppressed killing intent...

During the standoff, even though Dao Yuan tried his best to conceal it, Su Qi, who was clear-headed and possessed strong witch power and could directly sense other people's emotions, still noticed something unusual about the other party.

Is it because of what just happened? Is it because I embarrassed the main branch? Or is he angry about what I did to Dao Lian, and is now using this as an excuse to vent his anger? If my performance doesn't satisfy him, he might accidentally kill me during this test...

His thoughts flowed like water through his heart, but could not shake his will in the slightest. Having seen many battles in the previous world, he could certainly handle this small situation.

"As you wish."

As Su Qi spoke, he decisively removed the pendant, transformed the spirit holding it into a ghost fire form, grabbed it, and casually slapped it onto the tiger's tooth. The next moment, a ball of transparent flame exploded, shrank, and shaped, instantly manifesting a ferocious, sharp, almost tangible super-spirit body that gave people an extremely strong sense of oppression.

It was a sword, a large katana that was fused directly to the right forearm and had no handle.

Its handguard is a massive tiger's head, its mane bristling, its eyes bloodshot, its teeth sharp, its lines cold and hard as if carved by a knife, its cut surface smooth and sharp, resembling a single piece of steel that has been polished and sculpted. A blade, over four feet long, thin as a cicada's wing, smooth as a mirror, its slender form possessing a flowing curve, gleams like a pool of autumn water in the sunlight, its cold light shimmering.

This is the initial form of the super spirit body created by Su Qi—Tiger Devourer!

"Is that the child's super spirit body? It looks like it's about to be cut in half, so its power must be quite strong."

“Look closely. Compared to Lian’er’s almost translucent super spirit body before, his super spirit body is almost solid. It is obviously formed by compressing a large amount of witch power into a stable structure, and its completion level is much higher than Lian’er’s.”

"From this perspective, he might pose a slight threat to my husband."

"But without a doubt, if it stops there, Daoyuan will win."

“Of course. My husband is, after all, the head of the Taoist school. How could he possibly fail so easily?”

On the viewing platform, Dao Lan and Dao Zhen observed Su Qi, offering casual comments with extremely serious expressions. After all, the one below was the one who had defeated Dao Lian, and if nothing unexpected happened, he might even replace Dao Lian as the next head of the family, seizing the throne of the Spirit King with the support of the Dao family.

The strong are respected; this is the tradition of Taoism. Dao Yuan is currently the strongest Taoist. Su Qi also has Taoist blood, and according to the rules left by their ancestors, he has the basic qualifications to inherit Taoism.

Damn it! Another genius has appeared, and he's much stronger than that brat Dao Lian...

Just as the two were commenting on Su Qi, one of the hall masters behind them had a gloomy expression and a cold glint in his eyes.

Meanwhile, on the arena below, Su Qi and Dao Yuan finally began to fight.

Then, Su Qi lost and was also struck by lightning.

There are two reasons why he lost. First, he never intended to win and didn't want to be too conspicuous before his strength was fully developed, so he didn't go all out. They fought back and forth for a while, and then he seized the opportunity to lose to Dao Yuan. Second, compared to the original work, Dao Yuan's strength has obviously been enhanced. At least in the original work, he didn't use any magic other than his super spirit body, let alone something like the "Five Thunder Orthodox Method".

Besides magic, Dao Yuan's super spirit body is also stronger than Su Qi's. First, he has maintained his super spirit body for many years, to the point that it is indistinguishable to the naked eye, and its strength and manifestation are beyond question; second, Su Qi's spirit is just an ordinary tiger that has been dead for more than ten years, while Dao Yuan's spirit is the patriarch of the Taoist lineage.

Generally speaking, the longer the ghost of the deceased exists, the more it is worn down by time, becoming purer and closer to a certain concept, closer to a great soul, until after more than five hundred years, it can evolve from an ordinary ghost into an elf.

The Taoist tradition has a history of over two thousand years, and its founders were all powerful spiritualists in their lifetimes. Therefore, the spirits that Dao Yuan controls are mostly powerful spirits at the elven level. Moreover, they can also provide him with various enhancements in magic and combat based on their rich experience. So even if Su Qi goes all out, he may not be able to defeat Dao Yuan.

After all, he has only been in this world for a little over a month. Even though he has super strong magical power, his abilities are limited by resources and experience, so it is normal that he cannot win for the time being.

Even though he lost, Su Qi's performance still amazed the Taoist high-ranking members.

The Taoist school is one of the largest spiritualist organizations in the Ming Dynasty, and the head of the Taoist school is naturally one of the strongest spiritualists in the Ming Dynasty. To be able to fight the current head of the Taoist school to a standstill and even make him use the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, which is known as the first of all Taoist methods, is beyond description for Su Qi, who is only eleven years old.

Therefore, despite suppressing his killing intent, Dao Yuan ultimately did not attack Su Qi. Because compared to Dao Lian and Dao Run's father, his status as the head of the Dao family was higher, and he was very satisfied with, and had no choice but to be satisfied with, the strength and talent Su Qi had displayed.

As long as the great cause of reviving Taoism can be accomplished, let alone Su Qi killing Dao Lian and Dao Run, even if he were asked to do it himself, he... would probably still kill them without hesitation. Because he was raised by Taoism in this way since childhood, and reviving Taoism is his highest goal in life. For this, he is willing to sacrifice everything, even himself.

After the war, Su Qi, who was injured by lightning, was sent to the Kanli Palace, which was in charge of medicine and alchemy, for treatment.

The Palace Master, Dao Shuo, was extremely hospitable, personally applying medicine and bandaging Su Qi's wounds as a person of his status, and even seeing him off when he left. Anyone with discerning eyes could see that Su Qi's future was limitless, so his actions seemed perfectly justifiable.

"Daocheng, you have achieved the Transcendental Body at the young age of eleven and are even able to spar with the Clan Head. You are truly gifted and your future is limitless."

The clear sunlight slanted into the long corridor outside the hall. Dao Shuo led the way, praising Su Qi with the kind and gentle smile unique to elders of the sect.

He looked to be around thirty-five or thirty-six years old, wearing a nine-ridged turban, holding a whisk, and dressed in a flowing Taoist robe. He had a short beard with three wisps on his chin, fair skin, and clear features. His eyes held a restrained brilliance, giving him the appearance of a sage.

"Not at all, it's all thanks to the patriarch's leniency and the teachers' careful guidance. The hall master is too kind."