Tang Zifeng’s gaze fell on the slender, unfamiliar sword.

His eyes moved slightly.

From his understanding of artifact crafting, it was indeed a divine weapon, but it carried a flavor not from this world.

However, since it was brought out by Qingqing, it was fine.

Tang Zifeng said, “Alright, we’ll use this special sword.”

Qin Ruqing’s expression hardened as she deliberately raised the sword, pointing it at Tang Zifeng’s vital spot.

“If I can ascend after this, wouldn’t I be profiting immensely? Killing a husband is easier than killing low-level beasts.”

Tang Zifeng only looked at Qin Ruqing, unmoving, expressing his unwavering stance.

The air grew quiet.

In reality, the atmosphere between them was far from the lighthearted tone of their conversation.

Everything in the illusion felt so real.

What lay before them was the safety of the entire human realm.

With the sword unsheathed, could they really stop?

Qin Ruqing’s gaze turned cold.

She tightened her grip on the sword handle, and the atmosphere became tense, as if ready to explode at any moment.

A flash of cold light passed through Tang Zifeng’s eyes.

The next moment, a sharp pain struck.

Tang Zifeng looked down to find that the sword tip hadn’t pierced his heart but rather his shoulder blade.

Clearly, this was not a fatal spot. With just this, he couldn’t be killed.

Tang Zifeng frowned slightly and gently reminded her, “Qingqing, you missed the spot.”

Missed the spot?

Qin Ruqing cursed angrily, “Missed the spot, my foot! I’ll stab you in the other shoulder then!”

Tang Zifeng stared at her, his eyes shining with excitement.

He seemed quite pleased even though she hadn’t actually stabbed him.

Ignoring his reaction, Qin Ruqing continued to rant, “Who do you think you are?!”

“I, Qin Ruqing, wouldn’t use such a lowly method for ascension!”

“Isn’t it obvious that the path of ruthless detachment leads to a bad end? Relying on such absurd methods to achieve the ultimate path! What, you think cutting off worldly ties makes you an immortal, and that makes your path pure?”

“What nonsense!” Qin Ruqing’s mouth moved rapidly as she vented her frustration.

“To me, this method is unreliable. If it worked, it means the achieved path isn’t high-grade.”

Tang Zifeng looked somewhat helpless, “…Qingqing.”

Qin Ruqing glared at him, “You’re so smart at refining tools, but you can’t figure this out? I don’t need to kill you to achieve my goal. I don’t need you to complete it!”

“Remember, you, Tang Zifeng, are like a fat sheep I raised. Your value is to be sheared by me and to accompany me. Oh, and if you can refine an artifact, upgrade my little lotus to an artifact.”

“Qin Ruqing never makes a losing deal. You haven’t even refined an artifact and you’re thinking of dying? Not a chance!”

After scolding him, Qin Ruqing’s tone became more serious.

“My path doesn’t rely on such opportunistic methods—Even with the safety of the human race at stake, I believe a path forced through like this isn’t enough to save them.”

“If you can’t break through, it’s not because of worldly ties or family, it’s just that you’re not strong enough. Don’t blame everything else and quit trying to be an immortal!”

As Qin Ruqing finished speaking, her mind suddenly shifted.

She seemed to grasp the true meaning of power.

The limits of an individual’s ability and strength, and the eternal shackles, were always within herself and not due to others.

The moment she reached this conclusion, she heard the voice of the armor:

“Tester 946, you have passed the trial tower’s challenge.”

Passed the trial… which meant she had not only completed the sixth task but also cleared the entire trial tower.

The scene began to distort, and Tang Zifeng’s figure started to blur.

Qin Ruqing’s heart tightened, and she quickly looked at Tang Zifeng.

He remained focused on her, with trust and steadfastness, like a rock.

Feeling reassured, Qin Ruqing smiled at Tang Zifeng, though she wasn’t sure if he could see her at this moment of teleportation.

As she left, she couldn’t help but mutter, “It’s a good thing this is an illusion. If you were like this in reality, which fairy would want you…?”

When Qin Ruqing returned to the Trial Tower, the armor was already waiting for her.

“Trialist 946, congratulations on completing all the tasks of the Trial Tower. You may now leave,” the armor formally announced.

Qin Ruqing still felt incredulous.

She pointed at herself and asked, “Is it really over?”

She had imagined that the final trial would involve enduring eighteen trials, multiple life-threatening challenges, and a harrowing experience.

Instead, it was surprisingly calm.

The armor’s empty eye sockets flickered with ghostly flames, indicating its stance.

It was really over!

Qin Ruqing’s first thought was whether completing the trial meant she could receive her reward.

She rubbed her hands nervously, leaned forward, and whispered, “The last time, you mentioned there might be a reward for completing the Trial Tower? Um, what about the Absolute Realm?”

The armor’s eye sockets flickered again. “That is indeed the case. However, to obtain the final reward, completing the trial alone is not sufficient.”

Oh, so there are additional requirements.

Qin Ruqing nodded. “Then, is there anything else I need to do?”

The armor replied, “Please analyze and elaborate on the six tasks you experienced.”

This meant she had to do a sort of comprehension and analysis?

To get the final reward, it wasn’t enough just to complete the tasks; she also had to analyze why the questions were set that way and what the key points were.

Qin Ruqing cleared her throat.

Comprehension and analysis were her strong suits.

She began to answer seriously: “The first two trial tasks focused on the trialist’s physical condition—one could also say that they tested the trialist themselves.”

“To pass these two tasks, the trialist must have an unwavering desire and determination to become stronger. For this, even if it means going against morals or enduring pain beyond physical limits, one must persevere.”

“To become stronger, even if it causes self-doubt or guilt, I still chose to drink the blood of the Flame Tiger Demon King.”

“To become stronger, even if the pain far exceeded physical limits, I still persevered for two more breaths.”

Qin Ruqing nodded to herself as she spoke. “The subsequent hunting tasks can be categorized into a progressive relationship.”

“The first hunting target—a demon beast hiding among the human race, closely related to one’s benefactor, and causing harm to many. The benefactor pleads desperately. Should this beast be killed? Can it be killed?”

“It appears to be a choice between personal and public interests. Ultimately, I chose the public interest. It’s not that public interest is always more important, but if public interest cannot be preserved, everything related to personal interests is often hard to protect.”

“If I spared that beast because of my benefactor’s plea, who’s to say that in the future, my benefactor wouldn’t suffer the same fate?”

These weren’t just Qin Ruqing’s random thoughts. When she made her decisions in the illusion, she had considered these issues.

Now she was simply expressing her thoughts as usual.

“The second hunting target was someone who saved me, raised me, and was both a mentor and a friend for ten years, someone who had a hidden agenda and only used me. Should this person be killed? Can they be killed?”

To influence her decision, the illusion even transformed this person into the appearance of an ancestor.

“My answer is, if someone uses the name of help to do harm, that’s not help at all!” Qin Ruqing declared firmly. “If she wants to take my life, I’ll kill her first. That’s a normal counterattack. If you bind yourself with such false feelings, it will be a losing deal.”

“Third target for elimination. There’s nothing much to say here. In the battle for the ultimate path, no concessions are made, even with a friend who grew up together. Only a few people can stand at the top, and the rest are all paved with blood and tears. Since we chose this path, it’s a matter of becoming king or loser. Who wins or loses isn’t that important.”

After calmly stating this, Qin Ruqing suddenly smiled. “Of course, what I just said is the ideal decision. In reality, people’s actions are often influenced by emotions. So, I think the blue pill you gave me before was to help block emotions and promote rational decisions.”

“The pill worked well, but when it came to the final task, I still gave up. Because I am human, and being human means having emotions. Decisions made by blocking emotions might not truly be my own.”

“For the final challenge, killing my husband to prove the path. According to the rules, anything blocking the ultimate path should be removed without hesitation. So, I should sever my ‘husband’ and worldly ties. But later, when I faced my own heart, I realized—these so-called obstacles are ultimately obstacles created by myself.”

“If I can’t achieve the ultimate path, it’s because I’m not strong enough. All external factors are just results of my own lack of strength.”

“Killing my husband to prove the path is a false proposition! If I really did that, I’d be leaving a fatal flaw in my own path—because of my own inability, I’d resort to such a method to prove my path.” Qin Ruqing’s final words carried a hint of sarcasm.