Down to the third floor, the trial of Formless shell awaited.

Being reminded of this trial, Xu Feng let out an annoying sigh.

This technique is also leaked to the outside as Ten directions footwork. Its utility is marvellous, but a headache to learn. Practitioners of this technique can create a formless shell that acts accordingly to their control. The idea of having an additional helper that can take action from a position away from you is great and all, but the shell has no self. The practitioners have to manually control the shell while they are controlling their body if they want any sort of benefit from the technique. It raised the argument “why carry two swords in one hand when you can do wonder with just one?” The metaphor is completely on point, because carrying two swords in one hand is almost exactly what controlling both your body and the shell feels. I tried this technique once to complete this trial and have never touched it again since.

For this trial, there is a cup and a little bit of dark water on one side of the room. The gist is simple, filling the empty bowl on the other side with the dark water.

Once the challenger attempts to transport the dark water across the room, hidden mechanisms will attack them with needles from the ceiling. These needles can make short work of qi armour from any disciple except the top students. This is where Formless shell comes into play. The disciples will bring the cup of liquid to the bowl while controlling the shell to protect themselves. If they fail one or two trips, there is still enough to complete the trial. Thus, steadiness wins the race.

If one feels lucky, they can try to throw the liquid to the small target thirty meters over there. However, it should be reminded again, the liquid is limited.

One more thing to be noted, the dark water is resistant to qi so most creative means had ended up a failure before. In other words, you can’t use qi to control the dark water.

Dong Yun An took a half-full cup and “tested the water”.

Xu Feng nodded mentally. Always best to not put all your eggs in one basket.

As she was one-step deep into the detection zone, tens of needles came flying.

Fortunately, Yun An retreated in time.

The ground where she was about to lay down her foot became pin cushion.

Tian Zhong and the other disciples were almost jolted by the mechanism's attack.

She put the cup  down safely behind her back. Then she pulled one needle out of the ground.

Xu Feng rubbed his chin thinking. If I guess correctly, she is analysing the force behind the needles. Since it is just a needle, not much can be done to fling it any stronger. Even so, puncturing three-centimeters deep into the stone floor is pretty powerful.

Probably gains the same info as what Xu Feng had known, she threw the needle away.

Yun An sat down on her spot, seemingly entering deep thought. Her legs crossed with the outside ankles touching the floor. Her cheek rested against the right thumb and the second knuckles of the index, while the elbow of that arm pressed on the knee of the same side.

“Junior master. Do you think the junior master can pass this trial?” Li Gao whispered. (note: there are words to address male junior master and female junior master. I don’t want to make it more complicated so I used “junior master”. In this sentence, The first “junior master” refers to Tian Zhong. The second refers to Dong Yun An) 

“I don’t really know.” Tian Zhong replied. “She hasn’t completely recovered, so taking those needles head on is ill-advised. Another way is to use qi armour to weaken the force of the needles. However, her cultivation is too low for that. Even if she can, the targets of the mechanism are her meridian points. When that happens, even if they were weakened by the qi armour and if she had qi skin to further reinforce her body against them, the needles would disrupt her body in the worst way possible. If she sustains too much damage, she won’t be able to handle the rest of the trial cave.”

“Tian- I mean Junior master.” Fang Xin called. “Can she bring the water over while evading?”

Tian Zhong shook his head. “Even in her best condition, she would spill too much to complete the trial.”

“Junior master. Can’t you just bait the mechanisms to exhaust the needles?”

“I thought the same thing, Shi Xin, but I doubt your junior master, Zhao Ren, will be comfortable with that. He could ask to stop the trial and refill the needles.”

As the exchange between Tian Zhong’s group ended, it just so happened that Yun An came up with an idea. 

She rushed back to the upper floor as her back disappeared on the stairs.

Loud noises crashed down from above, making a few of them unnerved.

Tian Zhong volunteered to check on her, but he quickly returned. He cleared the entrance as heavy footsteps awkwardly descended.

Yun An appeared with the intact door, an object her small frame should not be able to lift.

She let the door lie flat on the ground as curious eyes anticipating her next move.

Once again, she displayed her extraordinary strength, bending the door into shape.

When Zhao Ren puts one into one, his vein almost popped.

Yun An, after drenching her clothes in sweat, turned the slab of metal into a bell-shaped… cloak?

Her master broke out laughing as she used it to complete the trial without spilling a drop.