"You've done well enough; there's no need to push yourself," Protector Xu comforted his disciple.

Yu He nodded in agreement, saying, "At your age, reaching the seventh layer is already exceptional among the younger generation of our sect!"

Xu Hun, regaining his composure from his disappointment, took a deep breath and coldly stared at Li Qiye. "Your turn!"

"Hey, you can still admit defeat now," a disciple of the Nine Saint Demon Gate jeered. "For a waste who hasn't even practiced Dao techniques, passing the first layer would be a miracle."

Xu Hun spread his legs and sneered at Li Qiye, saying, "If you crawl under my crotch now, I won't make it difficult for you. But if you wait and lose, it won't be so easy!"

Nan Huairen and Protector Mo turned away, unwilling to watch the inevitable humiliation. It was clear to them that Li Qiye was bound to lose. Even if by some miracle he passed the seventh layer and won this round, he would still have to crawl under Xu Hun's crotch.

Li Qiye, unfazed, said slowly, "No, I'm waiting for you to crawl under mine." With that, he stepped into the Chaotic Forest.

As soon as Li Qiye entered the Chaotic Forest, he found himself in a sea of lava. The sound of sizzling echoed around him as his feet seemed to burn, emitting smoke. The pain was excruciating, but Li Qiye didn't even flinch and continued walking forward.

The Chaotic Forest didn't concern Li Qiye at all. After millions of years of suffering, he had endured the worst pains imaginable. During the Wild Era, as a crow, he had faced countless hardships. He had been captured by heavenly demons, ancient undead, and had been imprisoned for millennia, enduring countless tortures. Despite his immortal crow body, the pain was never dulled.

Throughout the eons, Li Qiye had ventured into burial grounds, immortal lands, and demonic ghost realms—places of true danger in the world. Compared to these, the Chaotic Forest, designed to test the Dao heart, was insignificant.

The Chaotic Forest couldn't shake Li Qiye's Dao heart in the slightest.

"Heh, a mere martial artist who hasn't even practiced Dao techniques, passing the first layer—" a disciple sneered. But before he could finish, he was silenced.

In the blink of an eye, Li Qiye had already passed the first layer. In the illusion, the sea of fire failed to stop him, and he entered a world of ice and snow.

Outside the Chaotic Forest, countless disciples of the Nine Saint Demon Gate watched, expecting to see Li Qiye fail. But what happened next left them all gaping.

Protector Mo and Nan Huairen had turned away, unwilling to witness Li Qiye's humiliation. But the eerie silence that followed made them curious. When they turned back, they saw something incredible.

"The eighth layer..." a disciple stammered, shivering.

"The first layer, the second layer, the third layer..." another disciple muttered, eyes following Li Qiye's progress in disbelief.

"The ninth layer, the tenth layer, the eleventh layer..." To everyone's astonishment, Li Qiye moved through the Chaotic Forest as if he were strolling in his backyard, completely unfazed by the illusions.

"The fourteenth layer..." Finally, Li Qiye calmly walked out of the Chaotic Forest, appearing relaxed and at ease.

Everyone present was stunned. Passing through the fourteenth layer of the Chaotic Forest was considered impossible! Throughout history, no young disciple of the Nine Saint Demon Gate had ever accomplished this. Even Li Shuangyan, hailed as the most talented and resolute disciple in the sect's history, hadn't passed through all fourteen layers.

"Impossible, impossible, this is absolutely impossible!" Xu Hun was in complete disbelief. This should have been impossible, yet it was happening right before his eyes.

Xu Hun's master, Protector Xu, stood with his mouth agape. Passing through the fourteen layers of the Chaotic Forest was beyond even the Wheel Sun Demon Emperor. Such a Dao heart was unimaginably strong!

"Just a small appetizer, not very tasty," Li Qiye said as he walked back, looking calm and composed, as if he had just taken a stroll through a garden path.

"Well, now it's your turn to crawl under me," Li Qiye said nonchalantly, glancing at Xu Hun.

"No, no, this is absolutely impossible!" Xu Hun shouted. At this moment, not only Xu Hun but everyone present couldn't believe it. It seemed utterly impossible.

"This can't be—" even Protector Xu couldn't believe it. "Could there be a problem with the Chaotic Forest?"

"It must be! The Chaotic Forest's restrictions must have failed!" Xu Hun clung to this hope like a lifeline, saying urgently, "This round doesn't count; the Chaotic Forest must have failed!"

"That's impossible," even Chief Protector Yu He took a while to regain his composure, shaking his head. "The Chaotic Forest has never malfunctioned since it was created. Let me try it." With that, he personally entered the Chaotic Forest.

Yu He was indeed formidable. As the Chief Protector, he easily passed through the first nine layers, his Dao heart extremely firm. It wasn't until he reached the tenth layer that his pace slowed.

With a thud, Yu He couldn't complete the entire Chaotic Forest. He was ejected before finishing the eleventh layer, his Dao heart unable to withstand the forest's interference.

"The Chaotic Forest has not malfunctioned," Yu He confirmed with a shake of his head. Even he looked at Li Qiye with a strange expression, unable to believe the reality before him.

Li Qiye was just a thirteen-year-old boy. To pass through all fourteen layers of the Chaotic Forest, his Dao heart had to be unshakeable. However, for someone so young to have such a Dao heart was impossible. It would require enduring countless trials and tribulations. Even with poor talent, someone with such a Dao heart would eventually become a great sage given time and opportunity. But a thirteen-year-old? That was inconceivable.

Everyone present was stunned, unsure of how to react.

"Do you possess a powerful treasure?" Protector Xu glared at Li Qiye, refusing to believe a thirteen-year-old could pass through the Chaotic Forest. It seemed impossible.

"It must be!" Xu Hun shouted, "The Washing Ancient Sect is an immortal sect. Maybe he has a treasure from the Immortal Emperor!"

Many looked at Li Qiye, considering this possibility. After all, the Washing Ancient Sect was founded by the Mingren Immortal Emperor. It was possible they still had a treasure or two. If Li Qiye used such a treasure to cheat, passing through the Chaotic Forest seemed plausible.

"Using a treasure to cheat, this round doesn't count!" Protector Xu declared coldly, insisting Li Qiye had cheated.

"Protector Xu, your words go too far!" Protector Mo regained his composure. He didn't have time to question how Li Qiye passed the Chaotic Forest. "The literary test was your idea, and the Chaotic Forest belongs to the Nine Saint Demon Gate. Now that you've lost, you want to back out?"

"Using a treasure to cheat doesn't count!" Protector Xu insisted coldly.

Protector Mo had to defend Li Qiye. "Regardless of whether he used a treasure, you never said it was against the rules. Our disciple passed the Chaotic Forest and won this round!"

"Shameless! Cheating! The Washing Ancient Sect is a bunch of shameless cheats!" The disciples of the Nine Saint Demon Gate couldn't believe Li Qiye had passed the Chaotic Forest and began jeering.

Protector Mo didn't want to argue further and turned to Yu He. "Protector Yu, did our disciple win this round?"

"This..." Yu He was hesitant. He didn't believe Li Qiye had genuinely passed the Chaotic Forest, but the Nine Saint Demon Gate had no rule against using treasures.

"I have a clear conscience," Li Qiye said calmly. "Unlike the Nine Saint Demon Gate, who can't accept losing. Since you think I have a treasure, search me. If you find one, it's yours!"

Yu He thought for a moment, then said, "If you truly wish to clear your name, we have a method. Our ancestor left behind a treasure called the Immortal Bone Mirror. It can reveal all true forms. If you agree, the mirror can reveal whether you have an Immortal Emperor's treasure."

"I agree! Use the Immortal Bone Mirror!" Protector Xu was the first to support the idea. "If the mirror shows nothing, it proves he has no treasure!"

"Yes, if he refuses, he's cheating!" the other disciples chimed in.

"You poor souls," Li Qiye said, glancing at them with a smile. "Fine, let's use the mirror. Bring it out."

Seeing Li Qiye agree, Yu He immediately sent for the Immortal Bone Mirror. The mirror had a storied history, said to date back to the Wild Era and possibly refined by an Immortal Emperor. It could reveal true forms far better than any ordinary mirror.

4o