The sky above the Trial Realm was torn open.
Not a crack.
An authorized gateway.
The moment it appeared—
Everyone felt the difference.
The air grew heavier.
Spiritual energy compressed violently.
Even their heartbeats felt like they were being watched.
Zhou Tieshan glanced upward.
Just one look was enough to send a chill down his spine.
"…This isn't like the last ones."
He swallowed hard.
Five figures stepped out of the gateway.
They didn't fall.
They walked down, step by step, as if descending invisible stairs.
Their armor was far more complex than the previous squad's.
Strange rule-patterns flowed across its surface like living circuitry.
They made no unnecessary movements.
Yet every instinct screamed the same thing:
Run.
Cold system text appeared in the sky.
[Outer Domain Elite Unit — Purifiers][Authority Level: High][Objective: Full Evaluation of the Trial Realm]
The soldier gave a bitter laugh.
"Full evaluation?"
"In other words…"
"They're going to beat us until we're dead."
One of the Purifiers raised his hand.
Just a simple gesture.
The entire forest collapsed half a foot downward.
"Gravity parameters adjusted."
Another voice followed immediately.
"Speed, reaction, and perception reduced by thirty percent."
"Test begins."
Instantly—
The world slowed.
Not the enemies.
Them.
One trial fighter staggered and fell to his knees.
"Damn it—!"
"How are we supposed to fight like this?!"
Zhou Tieshan's breathing turned heavy.
His lungs felt like they were filled with lead.
He wanted to retreat.
He really did.
But then he saw something.
A young newcomer lay pressed to the ground in the distance.
Crushed by gravity.
His fingers clawed into the soil.
His nails tore.
But he didn't let go.
Something snapped inside Zhou Tieshan's mind.
"…I've run enough in my life."
He roared.
The sound ripped from his chest.
He lifted his hammer—
And charged again.
The moment he took that step—
The underlying rules of the Trial Realm appeared once more.
[Individual Will Detected: Sustained Resistance][Rule Adjustment: Gravity Adaptation]
Suddenly—
His footing stabilized.
Zhou Tieshan blinked.
"…What?"
One of the Purifiers tilted his head for the first time.
"An individual…"
"…adapting to the rule environment?"
The Purifiers immediately attempted to adjust the parameters again.
But before they could—
A voice crossed the boundaries of worlds.
"Enough."
It wasn't a command.
It was a judgment.
Xiao Xuanyin's figure didn't fully appear.
Only a shadow projected across the sky of the Trial Realm.
But in that instant—
Every rule calculation stalled.
The Purifiers looked up simultaneously.
"High-authority interference detected."
"Source: unknown civilization core."
Xiao Xuanyin's voice was calm.
Clear.
"This is the Human Realm's trial."
"Not your slaughterhouse."
The Purifiers attempted to recalibrate the environment again.
But the system response appeared instantly.
[Permission Conflict][Current World Status: Sovereignty Protection Active]
Outside the gateway—
Su Wan's eyes lit up.
"…It worked."
"They're locked out."
Observation nodes across the Outer Domains flashed wildly.
"Trial Realm sovereignty confirmed?"
"This is a civilization-level declaration!"
"They're not a subordinate world!"
The suppression still existed.
But it was no longer absolute.
The soldier roared.
"We can still move!"
"Then fight like hell!"
In that moment—
Every trial fighter ignited again.
Not because of stats.
Because of defiance.
Three fighters pinned one Purifier down.
Warning signals blared across the Outer Domain channel.
"Unit damage detected."
An urgent voice rang out.
"Retre—"
The order never finished.
Zhou Tieshan's hammer came down.
BOOM!!!
The elite armor cracked.
Across the entire observation network—
Silence fell.
Deep within the Outer Domains—
A true high-tier existence slowly opened its eyes.
"Confirmed."
"The Human Realm civilization is now placed on the purge list."
"Deploy civilization-level strike units."
Back in the Trial Realm—
Xiao Xuanyin's shadow slowly faded.
His final words echoed through the world.
"Send as many as you want."
"The Human Realm will take them all."