"Is that how you compliment someone?" Zhang Menglong couldn't help but laugh, "So, got any insider info you can share?"

"Hehe, not gonna lie, I actually do," Lin Yuan seemed to have gotten chummy with Zhang Menglong after their last spar, "You know that the content of each trial is decided after discussions among the 18 superpowers, right?"

Zhang Menglong nodded. Since it's a unified standard for recruiting disciples, naturally, all superpowers need to discuss and formulate it together.

"A lot of deacons and elders from various superpowers have secretly approached me, hoping I'd join their forces. They even said that regardless of my performance, I could be directly recruited without taking part in the trial."

"You've got it made, like an honor student," Zhang Menglong laughed, "Back where I'm from, universities have to offer some perks to steal students, right? Either they waive tuition or directly admit you to grad school."

"That's pretty much what it is," Lin Yuan, who only half-understood, grasped Zhang Menglong's point, "But I don't want to sneak in through the backdoor, so they just told me the trial's contents directly."

"Wow, an open-book exam!" Zhang Menglong eagerly leaned in.

"This... is this something I can hear for free?" Long Sen was a bit at a loss on the side.

"Oh, this is my friend, Long Sen from the Longyang Empire, meet him," Zhang Menglong introduced.

"Brother Long Sen, right?" In fact, someone like Long Sen wouldn't normally catch Lin Yuan's eye, but since he's Zhang Menglong's friend, he naturally had to show some respect.

"It's actually not that important," Lin Yuan said indifferently, "There's only a little time left before the trial starts. Even knowing the content doesn't give you much time to prepare; it's just a mental prep for you guys."

"Have you heard about the Ancient Cave Heaven?" Lin Yuan said mysteriously.

"Ancient Cave Heaven? Is the trial taking place in that godforsaken place?" Long Sen almost shouted aloud, unable to contain himself.

"Huh?" Zhang Menglong was completely clueless about these places; he'd never heard of any Ancient Cave Heaven, "I'm just a countryside kid who's never seen the world. Could someone enlighten me?"

"Back in our world, there were no countries at the beginning, in the most ancient times. Humans, Warcraft, and other creatures lived on the same land. But for survival, humans formed tribes, which became the earliest forms of those ancient powers."

"Even so, survival for humans was still very hard. There were a few great powers among the ancient forces who possessed unimaginable strength. Using that power, they opened a cave heaven where all humans could live, and that place was called Ancient Cave Heaven."

"It seems like the so-called Ancient Cave Heaven is now abandoned, right?" Zhang Menglong asked.

"Yes, although Ancient Cave Heaven was a very safe place, from another perspective, it was more like a human cage, trapping everyone inside. No outside creatures could threaten them, but neither could they ever leave. However, as humans of that era progressed, individuals became stronger and more confident, and eventually, humans divided into two factions."

"What happened then?" Zhang Menglong listened intently.

"One faction was conservative, advocating continuing life in Ancient Cave Heaven, while more exploration-minded ones longed to leave this cage-like place, and eventually, the factions split."

"So, are we descendants of those explorers?" Zhang Menglong asked.

"Exactly, and it turns out the explorers weren't wrong. Humans gained the ability to protect themselves, gradually established empires, and began to thrive across the continent, making it more and more lively."

"What about those conservatives?"

"They naturally kept to their small territories," Long Sen explained, "Since most conservatives were elders, many legacies remained in Ancient Cave Heaven. The conservatives are the precursors of today's 18 superpowers, and as more young people desired to leave, those left in Ancient Cave Heaven became fewer."

"Those super sects were founded by those who gained the core legacies of the predecessors," Long Sen continued, "As for the Ancient Cave Heaven, it gradually became deserted, and only the masters of those superpowers know how to open the path there. We don't even know what it's like inside now, or if there are any living people left."

"So, our trial venue is in this Ancient Cave Heaven?" Zhang Menglong asked.

"That's right," Lin Yuan said, "The elders did say so, but other than that, there aren't more clues. Perhaps only the Sect Masters have been into Ancient Cave Heaven and know what it's like inside."

"Damn, isn't that basically the same as having no information?" Zhang Menglong rolled his eyes, having only a name to go on is pretty useless.

"It's not quite like that," Lin Yuan said, "An Elder from Sword Valley told me that while almost no information about the trial exists, just entering Ancient Cave Heaven is already a huge opportunity."

"Exactly," Long Sen chimed in, "These superpowers split from Ancient Cave Heaven, which means it's the origin of these 18 superpowers. If we're lucky and get some legacy from the predecessors, the gains might be even greater than joining a superpower!"

"As if things are that easy," Zhang Menglong sneered, "If those things really existed, would it even be our turn? They would've been consumed internally by the superpowers. Even if they do exist, obtaining them would be incredibly tough; we might end up being cannon fodder."

Zhang Menglong's words suddenly awakened Long Sen and Lin Yuan. Thinking carefully, it seemed quite logical; if such good fortune existed, why would it be their turn?

"So I boldly speculate that this might be a conspiracy by those superpowers, a reconnaissance mission disguised as a trial, very reasonable!" Zhang Menglong stroked his chin.

"What do we do then?" Long Sen said, "We can't just give up this opportunity, can we?"

"Of course not," Zhang Menglong laughed, "The more mysterious they make it, the more excited I get. Who knows, maybe Ancient Cave Heaven really does have some valuable treasures or other artifacts?"

"I actually hope they are plotting against us," Zhang Menglong said, "If they find out that their plot not only didn't succeed but ended up benefiting us, they'd be livid, wouldn't they?"