Chapter 3998 The Second Gate
Buzz.
Long Chen’s body got a bit heavier. However, sensing that it was about twenty dragon power, Long Chen was at ease.
His main worry had been that this next step would rise to a thousand dragon power. If that was the case, let alone the others, even he wouldn’t be able to cross the step. Moreover, no one knew just how many more steps there were.
Fortunately, twenty dragon power was nothing to Long Chen. But as he continued onward, more and more steps appeared, and every step increased the pressure by ten dragon power.
After nine steps, the pressure was already at ninety dragon power, and even Long Chen found it a bit taxing. After all, walking under such constant pressure was extremely tiring.
Even though Long Chen’s total power was over five hundred dragon power, walking in this space still caused his whole body to turn a bit numb, as if his power was being stripped away from him.
Thus, it was with great difficulty that he reached the tenth step where the pressure increased to a hundred dragon power. There, he started to pant before he saw a large gate before him.
“That should be the gate to the next level. Fuck, no good. I have to go back and rest.” The pressure here was so great that even breathing became difficult, so he started to retreat.
Once he reached the region with fifty dragon power, he finally felt better. That uncomfortable feeling gradually faded.
When he returned to the ten dragon power region, there was no one there. Everyone had returned to where they had first entered to rest.
“Big brother, did you go to the next step?” Zhu Yifeng immediately ran over excitedly when Long Chen returned.
Yu Qingxuan, Yu Qianxue, Zhu Yunwen, and the other princes and princesses also surrounded him. Ten dragon power was their limit, so they didn’t dare to go to the next region. They could only ask Long Chen about the next region.
Long Chen solemnly told them, “I will tell you some bad news. By the tenth step, the pressure is one hundred dragon power. This is probably a terrifyingly difficult trial for everyone.”
Everyone was shocked. With disbelief, Zhu Yifeng asked, “Big brother, you… you’ve already gone to the tenth step?”
Long Chen nodded. “I arrived in front of the gate, but the pressure was too great. Even I had trouble with it. This is not good.”
Seeing everyone's dismay, Zhu Yunwen said, “Brother Long, you’re incredibly powerful. After the sixth step, it isn’t just pressure but also a powerful resistance. It normally requires everyone to resist it, as this is a kind of collective trial against all of us. But you managed to reach the tenth step on your own. The pressure alone is one hundred dragon power, but for you to do it on your own, the resistance is probably closer to a thousand dragon power!”
Everyone stared at Long Chen in shock. If others had said such a thing, they would refuse to believe it even if they were beaten to death. Just how much power would that require? Last time, Long Chen’s absolute limit had only been over five hundred dragon power. Had he been holding back?
Hearing this, Long Chen slapped his leg. “So that’s what it was. No wonder I felt so much resistance. Just walking was so taxing that I almost couldn’t breathe.”
“Big brother, you’re amazing!” Zhu Yifeng gazed at him worshipfully. On the other hand, the other princes and princesses stared at him like he was a monster.
Only Yu Qingxuan had a sweet smile from the start, her beautiful eyes filled with pride. Of everyone here, only she knew just how powerful Long Chen was. No matter what kind of difficult environment they were in, as long as he was present, everything would be manageable. He gave her a sense of security.
“If that’s the case, we should pick up the pace. Once the eight empires’ diplomats get back, they’ll immediately start gathering their armies. And the moment they finish discussing their strategy, they will attack the Vermilion Bird Empire with their full power. The probing that they did during the state banquet was to test out our power. However, once the war starts, it won’t be probing anymore but a thunderous slaughter. All of us are the main characters of this era, so this war to protect the empire cannot be missing us. Brothers and sisters, this war is no game. It is cruel and bloody, to the point that it surpasses your imagination. Thus, we don’t have that much time to rest. You should consider this trial as a battlefield in its own way. With every bit of time we waste, more lives are lost. Just imagine your fathers, your mothers, and all your elders joining forces right now on the battle lines. What awaits them is the enemy aiming to kill them. Tell me, what should you be doing right now?” Long Chen’s gaze swept over the imperial disciples, his voice heavy.
Long Chen’s words were infectious, inspiring the crowd. They could practically see their families standing on the battleground, dressed in battle armor, taking out their dusty weapons as they fought for time for them.
In an instant, all the imperial disciples rose. Gritting their teeth, they went straight for the ten dragon power region.
After viewing this trial as a battlefield, their fear of it vanished. If they didn’t fear dying, then there were no misgivings for them to have.
As royal descendants, Zhu Yifeng and the others were meant to bear this responsibility. However, they actually needed an outsider like Long Chen to urge and spur them into action, causing them to be too ashamed to face him.
Even an outsider like Long Chen saw further than them, seeing the crisis of the Vermilion Bird Empire. Meanwhile, they only saw the immense difficulty before them. Hence, all of them started pressing on deeper.
“Qingxuan, be careful. Don’t force yourself too hard!” whispered Long Chen softly, holding her hand.
Yu Qingxuan smiled at him. “No, I will. I will become an expert like big sister Meng Qi, Cloud, and Mingyu. I will also possess the power to protect you.”
Seeing that smile, Long Chen was lost for a moment. Her words shook him more than any pledge of undying love, causing him to just stand there for a long time. By the time he recovered, Yu Qingxuan was already pressing on toward the next step.
Long Chen rested a bit. After reaching his peak condition, he once more continued onward. Long Chen saw that all the imperial disciples had reached the ten dragon power region, and a small portion had entered the twenty dragon power region. As for the princes and princesses, they had all reached the thirty dragon power region.
Long Chen’s words had given them a sense of crisis, so they truly started unleashing their full power, excavating their potential. As they did so, they felt a strange power flow inside their bodies, a power that they had not sensed before. It was like some kind of seal inside of their bodies was slowly coming loose.
Long Chen then reached the tenth step, which was right in front of the gate. He was about to summon his Yuan Spirit to cultivate here when the dragon expert said, “Don’t just convince others to work hard. Give some pressure to yourself! Get in!”
“If I go in, I can’t come back. What about the others?” Long Chen was startled.
“This is their family’s training ground. Do you think that they could really die here? Back when you held back the pressure for them, it was entirely superfluous. You actually held them back, preventing them from activating the Vermilion Bird Divine Seal. Stop wasting words and get in!” demanded the dragon expert.
Hearing this, Long Chen helplessly walked into the gate. However, when he stepped through, he let out a startled cry. His foot landed on nothing more than air, and he plummeted down.
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