I Cultivated Too Long and Got Isekai’d Into a Game

As soon as they arrived at the 47th floor, they felt that something was... wrong.

Not in a dangerous way... at least, not at first glance.

Something about the scenery tickled the edge of everyone's instinct—like standing on the edge of a dream, or the last memory before waking up.

They stood upon a small circular island of white marble, surrounded on all sides by a vast sea of stars. Stars in all directions, stretching out into infinity. As if they were sent right out of the planet's atmosphere and into the deep void.

Ahead of them, in the middle of the marble island like a deliberate flaw to anchor their sanity, rose a glowing, gray monolith. It was slightly different from the monoliths they'd seen before, as this one exuded a strong sense of dread to those seeing it.

Golden letters shimmered across its surface:

[The path lies before you. Do not stray and go forward, with faith in every step.]

Slowly, everyone gathered, eyes locked onto the monolith as they kept their distance. After reading its contents, they simultaneously looked straight ahead.

In the far distance, roughly a hundred meters away, was another glowing staircase spiraling toward the unknown.

That staircase was also on a similar island—like a reversed pyramid, or an upside-down Kisses chocolate—as the one they were on. Although, there was one big problem.

"...There's no path, though?"

Unlike what the trial's text said, there was no "path" going forward. Not even scattered rocks were there. It was just black, empty void, spanning the entire distance between the two marble islands—their destination visible, but impossibly out of reach.

Arthur squinted. "Is this a trick? A riddle? There's nothing there for us to cross..."

"Is it asking us to fly? Or to jump that entire distance, maybe?" Achilles frowned.

"It says to go forward... Faith in every step..." muttered Jehanne, her voice hollow.

Zetian glanced around. "Although I can cross this distance myself, what about the rest...?"

Everyone had their own interpretation of the trial's words. However, they had no way to figure out which interpretation was the correct one without actually trying it out first.

Xu Tao simply walked toward the black monolith and placed a hand over the carved words. He inspected each word, each sentence, trying to decipher the meaning behind it—the thoughts of its creator.

"...I see." He nodded a few seconds later. "So that's it."

Without wasting another moment, he turned toward the stairs and began walking.

Each step he took was deliberate. Filled with confidence and pride. Everyone watched him do this, breaths held as they waited for what he was going to do next...

He stepped up to the very edge of the marble island and stared down.

Below was more of the same scenery around them—shifting galaxies, comets, glimmering stars. A sea of stars, seemingly endless. With the feeling of gravity pulling them down, he could tell that walking to the edge would cause them to "fall" into the endless void.

But despite that realization, he raised his head, staring at the distant staircase across the void. He first took a test step, and his foot slid through the edge, causing bits of the marble to fall down.

"…As expected, this is the answer," he whispered.

With a calm breath and a slight change in mindset, Xu Tao took a single step forward—into the cold, empty void of space. Everyone's reaction was delayed, unable to believe what they were seeing. None would've thought Xu Tao would try to commit suicide!

Jehanne gasped, running forward in an attempt to stop him, but she was too far to make it in time. Even Zetian's Telekinesis wouldn't be able to catch up to Xu Tao, who was already halfway over the edge.

"Sir Tao!!" she roared, voice cracking with shock and worry.

Xu Tao continued his step, and...

Tap!

His foot touched solid "ground." Instead of falling through the void, he landed on "something" that was invisible to everyone else.

Xu Tao himself was surprised too. Beneath his foot, space bent slightly. It was so subtle that he almost couldn't feel it. Like he was stepping on nothing.

But true to the monolith's words, here it was: a path.

It had been invisible. Undetectable. Yet it had always been there.

He was sure of it now. The trial's words weren't a riddle; they told nothing but the truth. You simply had to believe in it.

Xu Tao took another step. Then another. Each one forward. Each one more certain than the last.

Behind him, the others were frozen.

"...No way," Yifa whispered. "Master Tao... he's walking over nothing!"

Arthur squinted his eyes, trying to make out a silhouette of the platform. "Wait… I can almost see it...!"

Although he tried his best, all he could see was a faint shimmer, a subtle refraction of light across nothingness. As if space itself was bent.

Jehanne's breath hitched. "Sir Tao... is performing a miracle!"

On the other hand, Zetian's voice turned breathless.

"Is this the answer...? Blind belief that there's a path, without a hint of doubt?"

As if to set an example, Xu Tao walked on with not a hint of hesitation, without pause. And with each step he took, the path seemed just a bit more real—not for him, but for them.

Proof through example. Certainty by his presence, shown through firsthand experience.

The crowd was filled with murmurs. Despite seeing Xu Tao walk forward like he was walking on solid road, a lot of them still had doubts.

Realizing this—and also what Xu Tao wanted to achieve—Jehanne stepped forward.

"...I, too, shall believe!" she whispered. "The path is ahead, where Sir Tao had walked on!"

Her mind was clear, without a stray thought. Only the belief that she was walking on the "path" in her head. And then, she took her first step over the edge... and was surprised. She really was able to walk on an invisible platform!

Zetian followed next.

"Fufufu~! If my Emperor dares it, so shall I!"

And just like the previous two, she was able to walk on empty space.

Once might be by chance, twice could be a coincidence. But three times? That was already a fact. Everyone finally believed that there really was an invisible path! Still, there was the small hint of hesitation holding them back.

"What if there's no path? What if I fall midway?"

Such thoughts circled in their heads... but the way to clear such worries was simple: more examples!

Those who were brave enough were the first to follow after the three. Arthur, Achilles, and Yifa walked onwards at the same time. All three, just as Xu Tao was, walked over empty space like it was the most natural result there is.

Then, the five outer disciples followed, chanting the Heart Sutra and clearing their minds as they continued forward. Jehanne's five soldiers were marching onwards, as if the invisible path was irrelevant.

Those who hesitated the longest only needed to look up and see their comrades walking before them—calm, unafraid of the void below.

They realized it too: the fear was never the enemy... Doubt was.

Some shut their eyes. Some whispered mantras. A few muttered prayers. But eventually, all fifty made their way forward—some faster, some slower, but none alone.

The moment the last foot landed on the marble platform across the chasm, the sea of stars flickered, disappearing into nothing. Only black void remained, so deep that just looking at it felt as if they'd be sucked into it.

Only the glowing staircase ahead lit up their surroundings, inviting them onward. Like a single lighthouse in a dark, foggy sea.

Xu Tao looked back at the void one last time, then turned toward the next floor.

Two more trials remained.