Despite his sovereign mastery over the art, Jiang Chen was quite strained by the test of strength and speed. A test like this surpassed the limits that someone of his cultivation level could sustain. Because the trial taxed him past his breaking point, it was a significant hurdle with regards to both reflexes and stamina. Thankfully, he had two lifetimes’ worth of experience to guide him. He was able to calm himself during crucial moments, keeping both his direction and composure.

The longer he fought, the more tenacious he became. In between dodges and shifts, he felt countless bursts of inspiration rise to the top of his mind. Initially, Jiang Chen had found the task to be quite daunting. In these last few moments, however, he gleaned ideas increasingly frequently about how to pick up his own speed. Thus, he found it easier to survive with every passing second.

The fifteen minutes were up before long. When all of the attacks ceased, Jiang Chen’s clothes were absolutely drenched, permeated with sweat from the inside to out. He hadn’t expected...