The creature had a triangular head as big as a man’s torso and a thick body that stretched for over twenty meters. Its scales were green, and black patterns expanded over them.

After a little over a year, Liam found himself in front of the level three magical beast that had almost killed him and Melissa. Actually, that should have killed them.

Of course, the green snake was fake. Pretty much everything in Liam’s superhuman perception said so. It might be identical to what he had faced in the ruins, but it was a creature of solid Qi rather than flesh and blood.

The snake also didn’t move. It remained perfectly still, its head raised, coiled, but with empty eyes. It wasn’t strictly alive, but it wasn’t even animated.

Liam had been ready to retreat, but the magical beast didn’t start moving even after the hall stopped blinking and regained its pale dimness. So, he just stood still, not knowing if the slightest action could trigger a reaction, leaving that part to his thoughts for now.

’Why isn’t it striking?’ Liam wondered, reviewing the previous events.

That was Liam’s first time in an inheritance ground, but he had collected information, both in his studies and from his teammates. Moreover, he recalled exactly what had happened after stepping into the circle of inscriptions.

The trial was probably meant to be a mental affair, but the hiss had interrupted it, even pushing it back. Liam knew the formation around the inheritance would retaliate if someone attempted to force it, and his current predicament could fall under that category.

The inheritance might have seen the hiss’ opposition as Liam trying to cheat, altering the trial, disproportionately increasing its difficulty.

The kind of enemy the hall had summoned even vouched for that. The last memories the foreign energy had inspected involved enemies connected with Melissa, no matter how loosely. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

With the level three snake being at the center of Liam’s cathartic experience and the strongest enemy he had ever protected Melissa against, it could make sense that the inheritance had picked it as its champion.

Still, following that reasoning meant that Liam was left with two options. He could abandon the inheritance or continue advancing by clearing that impossible trial.

’It has been over a year since then,’ Liam calculated.

Back in the ruins, when the real snake had cornered Liam, he had considered how he would have fared against the magical beast with an additional year of training.

The consideration had been inconclusive. Liam had been a mere newbie to the cultivation world, unable to conceive what meaning strength at those levels had, let alone imagine himself wielding it.

Nevertheless, a lot had changed. Branching experts still wielded unfathomable strength in Liam’s eyes, but his imagination had caught up with that level. He was closer to it than he had ever been, even understanding it to some degree.

But understanding didn’t imply the ability to overcome it.

Liam had replaced unfounded certainty with clear doubts. He knew what he could do. He felt the replica’s frightening might through his superhuman perception and even had a vague idea of how much stronger it was compared to level two creatures.

The issue was that Liam didn’t know what the result of that equation would be.

’This isn’t like with the coyote,’ Liam acknowledged.

Liam might have all the right innate cards, but overcoming the gap between cultivation stages was no easy feat, even when it came to magical beasts.

Against the level two coyote, Liam had plenty of rank 2 assets at his disposal on top of the high-grade circulation technique, a complete foundation, and the surprise effect.

Meanwhile, Liam had nothing at the snake’s level now. Even his cultivation wasn’t advanced enough to place him on the threshold where only he could stand.

Poison, Liam’s strongest asset, would also have unclear effects. After all, the replica was no living being.

So, the theory said that Liam had no chance there. He had to retreat, being content that he had obtained anything at all from that trip.

Except that Liam didn’t move, his face growing feral as he continued to stare at the motionless level three magical beast.

’This is still part of the trial, isn’t it?’ Liam considered. ’Does it mean I’ll get a reward tuned for the challenge?’

In the outside world, rank 3 assets were beyond what Liam could even think of attempting to seize, but an opportunity to get something at that level might have presented itself, and things didn’t end there.

The escape from the ruins’ snake marked the true beginning of Liam’s alchemical journey. It was what had made him delve wholeheartedly into alchemy to defy the odds and never rely on luck ever again.

Overcoming that past obstacle, even through a replica, would signify that Liam was not only on the right path. He had also made progress he had previously considered unthinkable.

Moreover, Liam might not have realized his talent’s best traits yet, but he had fully developed his eleventh minor root while learning the new martial art.

That wasn’t much, but Maxwell had expressed a partial confidence in facing a level three magical beast back then. He likely had more than three spiritual roots, but Liam could consider himself above the peak of the stage when it came to cultivators with that ordinary talent.

Besides, that was the Trial of Lust. In a certain sense, Liam believed it tested his character toward Melissa. Even if he had to defeat a level three magical beast, he would prove his love worthy.

Liam inspected the area past the motionless snake. The hall was big, but the magical beast was simply huge, and its size didn’t make it slow. That wasn’t the place where the Black Bow could shine.

It was even unclear whether charging an arrow was possible, so Liam didn’t risk it, instead storing the cloak in his space-ring. He even put the needles aside, knowing that they wouldn’t pierce those scales.

Then, Liam left the circle of intricate symbols, stepping toward the motionless snake, its reptilian eyes immediately gaining focus.