The trial of the [Tortoise-Snake Lamp] commenced with an explosion of light. Boom— The bronze carvings of the tortoise and snake upon the lamp’s base writhed as if awakening from a millenia-long slumber. A blinding cyan radiance erupted, instantly swallowing the three cultivators standing before it. Space warped and twisted. A sensation of vertigo—the heavens and earth spinning wildly—assaulted their senses. When they finally managed to pry their eyes open, the Treasure Pavilion was gone. They stood upon a desolate,