Sovereign of the Three Realms

In the world of martial dao, there were abilities that could hide something very large within something small. Dimensional abilities were wondrous indeed, and many experts skilled in them could pull off remarkable feats like this.

Jiang Chen had witnessed the usage of these dimensional abilities before - even on Divine Abyss. This time though, he was impressed as well as surprised.

He hadn't the foggiest inkling that he would be placed in this situation.

"There have always been powerful cultivators who could hide the world within their sleeves, or the skies in their wine jugs. Since this is a cauldron for refining pills, its owner must be an expert on that subject." Jiang Chen was perfectly at ease.

He welcomed a protector who was capable with pills. He was absolutely confident in his own ability in that area. As long as he could meet the fifth palace's master in person, he had a very good chance of passing through.

There was nothing he was better at in the world than pill dao.

Right now, he didn't have the luxury to think about such things. What did this cauldron he was inside of mean?

So far into the six palaces, the personality of the palace protectors had always factored into the tests. The actions of this protector in particular seemed extremely cool.

No normal person could create such an expansive void within a pill cauldron. Dimensional abilities of this strength were rare!

In addition, specific treasure-refining methods were practically required. How could such a miraculous creation have come about otherwise?

Jiang Chen was no stranger to the eight bagua positions.

However, departing the cauldron required more than recognizing what the gates were. The eight trigrams were a science unto themselves, and it wasn't easy at all to grasp all their intricacies.

The air began to heat up more and more.

Jiang Chen really was a pill material in the cauldron, but he was far from discouraged. He was a real live person at the end of the day.

The young man had seen blood sacrifices being required in the refinement process, but he had never done something so inhumane himself. It was too morally reprehensible to consider.

The same would be true of this protector. The motive of the cauldron wasn't to refine him, but to test his skill.

Qian, kun, zhen, xun, kan, li, gen, dui. These were the eight trigrams.

They corresponded to eight facets of nature: heaven, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountain, and marsh respectively.

Jiang Chen opened up his consciousness to observe any changes in the gates.

"Back in the heavenly planes, there was a verse about them, wasn't there? It went like this: Three lines Qian, six segments Kun. Upward vessel Zhen, reverse bowl Gen. Empty heart Li, full center Kan. Flawed top Dui, broken base Xun."

The verse helped remind him of what the trigrams actually looked like.

"That's right! Three lines Qian means that Qian is the trigram with three solid lines. All three barriers prevent exit. On the other hand, six segments Kun means that there's an empty space right in the middle of all three lines. Passage through is possible! The remaining six trigrams all have similar obstacles, and none are as free as Kun. I believe I've found the way out!"

Sometimes the simplest logic was also the most sensible.

Jiang Chen immediately hurtled out from his resting place.

"Time waits for no one. I have to trust my intuition and judgment. This is my way out!" he said with considerable decisiveness.

Whoosh!

He reached the threshold of the Kun gate in a mere moment.

A blinding white consumed his body. In the next moment, it was all he could see. Within this radiance, he could once more hear the movement of the air in the outside world.

Joy crept into his heart.

The empty space he had been in before had been totally calm and undisturbed. Since this was no longer the case meant he was back in the real world.

This knowledge relieved him.

When the light disappeared, he finally stood upon solid ground once more. Luxurious tiles, to be precise, splendiferous and magnificent in their hue.

Jiang Chen was astounded by the extravagance. He was within a great palace filled to the brim with opulence. Each plank and brick, pillar and shingle was decorated with utmost lavishness and severity.

Most importantly, countless statues of gods were arrayed all around. Their eminent figures dominated the space.

Jiang Chen was agape with shock. He hadn't expected such a divergence from the program. What had happened to the emptiness he had been in before? What was up with the huge, gleaming palace?

"Well done, young man. You passed two tests in a row, hmm? I had thought youths with such keen eyesight and insight were extinct. You've certainly kept me waiting for a very long time." A resonant voice intoned, amiable and serene. It sounded very much like an elder's voice, bringing tranquility to the heart of whomever heard it.

"Greetings, senior of the fifth palace. My name is Jiang Chen," the young man humbly introduced himself.

"Jiang Chen?" The voice paused a moment, then gave way to laughter. "Your name doesn't matter. What matters is my appreciation for your talent."

Jiang Chen breathed out a sigh of relief. But he didn't completely let down his guard. He saw it as a necessary precaution to be wary of anyone and everyone.

"I count myself lucky to win your favor, senior."

"No need to be so modest, young man. Tell me, how did you get all the way to the fifth palace? Do you know anything about this place?"

"Not at all, sir," Jiang Chen shook his head. "No one before this has given me any hints. As for myself, I didn't get here all the way in one go. I reached this place slowly, step by step! I do have to say though, that the test I went through was definitely one-of-a-kind." He didn't mind performing a bit of flattery.