He changed his strategy, using Divine Spirit Steps to kite his opponent while searching for flaws in the Clone’s sword technique. Simultaneously, he circulated the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art, infusing seven-element spiritual power into his swordsmanship. The Starfall Sword Art he unleashed actually carried the effects of different attributes!

At times, the Sword Qi burned like a fierce fire; at others, it was as bone-chilling as ice, or as explosive as thunder... The Clone clearly hadn’t expected such changes and was gradually caught off guard.

Fang Hao grew more courageous as he fought, finally finding an opportunity to defeat the Clone with the move ’Starfall’.

The Clone transformed into specks of starlight, condensing into an ancient book that fell into Fang Hao’s hands. On the cover were the words ’Seven Absolutes Sword Seal’.

"Trial-taker, you have created something new and passed the second trial. I bestow upon you the Seven Absolutes Sword Seal, which can transform spiritual power of different attributes into sword seals to enhance the power of your sword techniques."

Fang Hao was overjoyed. These Seven Absolutes Sword Seal were practically tailor-made for him! His seven-element Spiritual Roots corresponded exactly to the seven types of sword seals. Combined with the Starfall Sword Art, their power would surely increase immensely.

Before he had time to examine it closely, the third trial began. This time it was no longer a battle, but a complex sword Formation.

"Break the Formation within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and you shall pass."

The sword Formation was composed of countless light swords, intricate and infinitely changing. Fang Hao observed carefully and discovered that the sword Formation seemed to follow a certain pattern.

"That’s right! A Formation!" Fang Hao’s eyes lit up. His attainments as a Formation Master were finally coming in handy!

He stopped trying to force his way through and instead analyzed the sword Formation’s structure from the perspective of a Formation Master. He quickly found several key nodes; as long as these nodes were destroyed, the sword Formation would break on its own.

Fang Hao utilized Divine Spirit Steps, flexibly weaving through the sword Formation to focus his attacks on the nodes. Sure enough, with every node destroyed, the sword Formation weakened a bit more.

In less than half the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the sword Formation shattered with a boom.

"The third trial is passed. Trial-taker, you are meticulous and good at utilizing your strengths. Very good."

Having passed the three trials, Fang Hao received the rewards for the second level: a ’Sword Heart Jade,’ which could enhance sword Dao Comprehension Ability when worn, and the authority to freely enter and exit the second level.

At that moment, the light screen displayed the number of people who had passed the second level: three. Fang Hao was ranked second, with only one Disciple named ’Ling Qianxue’ ahead of him.

"Ling Qianxue? I’ve never heard of them, they must be..." Fang Hao thought to himself.

He didn’t rush to the third level, but continued to explore the second. The Starfall Sword Platform had many hidden sword Dao Legacies that required careful searching.

With the help of the Light of Clear Mind and Insight, Fang Hao found several hidden Sword Intent stone tablets. Meditating on these tablets deepened his understanding of the sword Dao.

He also discovered that with the assistance of the Sword Heart Jade, his sword technique Cultivation was twice as effective for half the effort. Both the Starfall Sword Art and the Seven Absolutes Sword Seal progressed at lightning speed.

The Seven Absolutes Sword Seal were especially miraculous, allowing spiritual power of different attributes to be transformed into sword seals attached to the blade. The Gold Seal was sharp, the Wood Seal was full of vitality, the Water Seal was enduring, the Fire Seal was violent, the Earth Seal was heavy, the Wind Seal was swift, and the Thunder Seal was explosive.

Fang Hao tried combining different sword seals, and the effects were startling. For example, the Gold-Thunder dual seals had extreme piercing and destructive power; the Water-Fire dual seals produced a violent explosion...

"This is simply tailor-made for me!" Fang Hao was incredibly excited. The disadvantage of having seven-element Spiritual Roots had turned into an advantage here!

After Cultivating on the second level for five days, Fang Hao’s sword Dao attainments advanced by leaps and bounds. Although his cultivation was still at the Late Stage of the ninth level of Qi Refining, his actual combat ability had improved significantly.

During this period, other Disciples also passed the second level one after another. Li Xuan and Zhu Pang both arrived, but Chen Feng was nowhere to be seen; it seemed he was stuck on the first level.

As more and more Disciples passed the second level, Fang Hao decided to head to the third level. Although the sword Dao Legacies were good, he needed a more comprehensive improvement.

Arriving at the entrance to the third level, Fang Hao took a deep breath and stepped inside.

New challenges awaited him.

As Fang Hao stepped through the light gate of the third level, the scene before him made him startle slightly.

This place was neither the dreamlike forest of the first level nor the starry sword platform of the second level, but a vast and boundless desert. The scorching sun hung in the sky, yellow sand filled the air, and heat waves distorted the distant scenery.

"Trial-taker, welcome to the third level of the Illusionary Realm—the Endless Sand Sea." An old voice rang out at the right moment. "This place tests endurance and will. Cross the sand sea and find the oasis to pass."

Fang Hao narrowed his eyes, feeling the hot wind blowing against his face. This desert was by no means ordinary; the Spiritual Qi in the air was thin and violent, as if resisting absorption by practitioners.

He tried to circulate the Myriad Manifestations Heaven Swallowing Art, and as expected, it was several times more difficult than usual. His seven-element Spiritual Roots had instead become a burden here, as absorbing every shred of Spiritual Qi required immense mental effort.

"Interesting..." Fang Hao was not alarmed but pleased. The tougher the environment, the more it could temper a person.

He stepped into the sand sea; the yellow sand beneath his feet was scalding, leaving deep footprints with every step. The gale whipped sand grains against his face, causing stinging pain.

After walking for about an hour, Fang Hao was already drenched in sweat. The replenishment of Spiritual Qi couldn’t keep up with the consumption, so he had to use every bit of spiritual power sparingly.

Suddenly, the sand ahead surged, and several Sand Scorpions crawled out, lunging straight at him! These scorpions were golden all over, their tail stingers gleaming with a cold light, clearly highly venomous.

Fang Hao’s azure steel sword unsheathed, and he unleashed the Starfall Sword Art. But he quickly found that performing sword techniques on the sand was exceptionally draining, while the Sand Scorpions could move flexibly through the sand.

"I can’t fight them head-on." Fang Hao changed his strategy, maneuvering with Divine Spirit Steps and focusing on the Sand Scorpions’ vital points. At the same time, he tried to mobilize his earth-element Spiritual Root to sense movements beneath the sand.

Sure enough, when he concentrated his attention on his earth-element Spiritual Root, he could vaguely perceive the situation under the sand. This allowed him to dodge the Sand Scorpions’ sneak attacks in advance, greatly increasing his efficiency.

After killing this batch of Sand Scorpions, Fang Hao gained some insight. This sand sea seemed desolate, but it actually contained hidden mechanisms—it was forcing the trial-taker to dig into the limits of their own potential.

Continuing forward, Fang Hao encountered more dangers: quicksand traps, sandstorm attacks, and swarms of poisonous insects... Every crisis tested his adaptability and willpower.

In the most dangerous instance, he fell into a patch of quicksand; the more he struggled, the deeper he sank. At the critical moment, Fang Hao had a flash of inspiration and transformed his water-attribute spiritual power into ice-attribute, instantly freezing the surrounding quicksand and allowing him to escape.

"So that’s how it is... the harsher the environment, the more flexibly one must use all their abilities." Fang Hao suddenly understood. The seven-element Spiritual Roots were no longer a burden here, but the capital to deal with various crises. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

Three days later, Fang Hao was exhausted, but his gaze was sharper than ever. These days of tempering had allowed his use of spiritual power to reach a new height.

Finally, on the morning of the fourth day, Fang Hao saw a touch of green in the distance.

"An oasis!" His spirits lifted, and he quickened his pace.

However, the closer he got to the oasis, the greater the resistance became. The sandstorms grew more violent, and the sand beasts more ferocious, as if the entire desert were trying to stop his progress.

Fang Hao gritted his teeth and persevered, pushing Divine Spirit Steps to the limit as he wove through the sandstorm.

When he finally stepped into the oasis, a cool breeze brushed against his face. In the center of the oasis was a clear spring; the water was crystal clear and emitted a dense Spiritual Qi.

"Trial-taker, your perseverance is commendable." The old voice sounded. "The first trial is passed. Drink from the clear spring to recover your spiritual power."

Fang Hao leaned down to scoop up some water. The spring water was sweet, and the pure spiritual power instantly surged through his body, sweeping away days of exhaustion. Even more miraculously, the water seemed to nourish the Divine Soul, clearing the mind.

After recovering, the second trial began. Three stone tablets appeared beside the clear spring, engraved with the words’Strength’,’Skill’, and ’Heart’ respectively.

"Choose one stone tablet to meditate upon; those who comprehend it may pass."

Fang Hao observed the three stone tablets carefully. The’Strength’ tablet emitted a powerful pressure, the’Skill’ tablet flowed with a mysterious Daoist charm, and the ’Heart’ tablet was as calm as water.

He pondered for a moment and chose the ’Heart’ tablet. The trials of the first two levels emphasized strength and skill; since this third level tested endurance and will, the ’Heart’ tablet should be the most appropriate.

Placing his palm on the stone tablet, Fang Hao immediately fell into an illusion. This time he became a Mortal, struggling to survive in the desert with no spiritual power and no Spells, relying entirely on his will to endure.

Years passed in the illusion, and Fang Hao experienced countless hardships: thirst, hunger, loneliness, despair... but he never gave up.

After an unknown amount of time, when he finally walked out of the desert, the illusion shattered. Fang Hao returned to reality and found himself still standing before the stone tablet, but his state of mind was now different.

"Tempering the Heart in the Mortal World reveals one’s true self. Pass."

The third trial followed immediately. A seven-colored lotus rose from the clear spring, and upon its center rested a Sand Crystal.

"Refine this object to pass the final trial."

Fang Hao picked up the Sand Crystal and felt it was incredibly heavy, containing a vast amount of earth-element spiritual power. He tried to refine it but found it extremely difficult—the spiritual power within the Sand Crystal was incredibly violent and hard to tame.

After thinking for a moment, Fang Hao dropped the Sand Crystal into the clear spring. When the spring water came into contact with the Sand Crystal, it immediately began to boil, but the violent spiritual power gradually calmed down.

"So that’s it, overcoming hardness with softness." Fang Hao smiled and tried to refine it again. This time it was much smoother, and the spiritual power in the Sand Crystal submissively merged into his earth-element Spiritual Root.

When the refinement was complete, Fang Hao felt his earth-element Spiritual Root had expanded several times, and his perception of the other Spiritual Roots was even clearer. The seven-element Spiritual Roots were finally beginning to truly fuse!

"Trial-taker, your Comprehension Ability is superb; you have passed the third level trial. I bestow upon you the ’Heart of the Sand Sea,’ which can significantly increase the power of earth-element Spells; and I also bestow the ’Clear Spring Spirit Eyes,’ which can see through falsehoods and perceive the truth."

A Sand Crystal and a drop of spring water merged into Fang Hao’s body. The Sand Crystal strengthened his earth-element Spiritual Root, while the spring water transformed into a special pupil technique, making his eyes even clearer.

At that moment, the light screen showed the number of people who had passed the third level: two. Fang Hao was ranked second, still behind that ’Ling Qianxue’.

"This Ling Qianxue is so fast..." Fang Hao clicked his tongue in amazement.

He didn’t immediately head to the fourth level but Cultivated in the oasis. The Heart of the Sand Sea greatly increased the power of his earth-element Spells, and the Clear Spring Spirit Eyes allowed him to see through many hidden mysteries.

With the Clear Spring Spirit Eyes, Fang Hao discovered several hidden Legacies in the oasis: a set of ’Quicksand Techniques’, a ’Mirage’ illusion technique, and a bottle of ’Great Desert Spirit Balm’ that could enhance endurance.

Having reaped a bountiful harvest, Fang Hao set out on the path to the fourth level on the morning of the fifth day.

Behind him, the yellow sand still filled the sky; ahead, new challenges awaited him.

And by now, Fang Hao had truly undergone a complete transformation.