Chapter 121: Chapter 115: The Mysterious Profound Yin Illusion Turtle (Part 2)
’Is it because of my Spirit Beast Affinity Physique...’
Suppressing these thoughts, a dejected Fang Cai Feng approached Yu Changsheng, clapped him on the shoulder, and cupped his fists.
"Congratulations, Brother Yu. To think you could occupy a Cloud Platform all by yourself—your strength is impressive. I underestimated you."
Fang Cai Feng rubbed his nose, looking a little embarrassed as he spoke.
After all, before entering, he had confidently told Yu Changsheng that he could stick with him and that he would protect him.
The current situation was, without a doubt, a bit of a slap in the face.
Yu Changsheng gave a small smile and replied,
"It was just good luck. I happened to find a Cloud Platform with no one else to compete with, so I passed without any trouble."
"Oh, so that’s how it was. Well, luck is a part of strength too. It seems fate was on your side, Brother Yu."
Fang Cai Feng didn’t doubt him for a second. His expression shifted from realization to unconcealed envy as he said ruefully,
"I was so close. There were only three of us fighting on my Cloud Platform. If I had just jumped a second later, I would have passed."
"Heh... That is a real shame."
"Senior Brother Fang, Senior Brother Yu! There you are!"
A delighted voice called out. It was none other than Mu Zeyu.
Mu Zeyu approached with a cheerful laugh and asked, "So, how’d it go? You both passed the trial, I hope?"
The question made Fang Cai Feng flush with embarrassment. He gave an awkward smile and muttered, "Bad luck. I was just shy of passing. Sigh."
"Er..."
Mu Zeyu was taken aback. He gave Fang Cai Feng a slightly quizzical look, which only made the latter feel more mortified, his face turning red.
But Mu Zeyu was tactful enough not to say anything more. He just patted Fang Cai Feng’s shoulder and said sympathetically, "That’s a shame. Still, I believe in your strength, Senior Brother Fang. There will be other opportunities."
He then turned to Yu Changsheng and asked curiously,
"What about you, Senior Brother Yu? Did it go smoothly?"
Yu Changsheng nodded slightly and gave a humble smile.
"It went well. My luck was good, so there were no major obstacles."
He didn’t elaborate on his experiences, deciding not to reveal the secrets of the Cloud Platform to them, nor to the Elders.
’Then again... judging by Elder Chen’s attitude, they probably already know something. No need to cause more trouble for myself.’
"That’s good to hear. I only managed to pass by a fluke myself."
Yu Changsheng wasn’t very surprised that Mu Zeyu had passed. He simply cupped his fists and offered his congratulations.
"Sigh, I wonder what happened. The trial was going just fine, and then it was suddenly cut short. This is the first time something like this has happened in years."
Seeing that he was the only one of the group who hadn’t passed, Fang Cai Feng’s eyes darted about as he quickly changed the subject.
Mu Zeyu’s expression also grew a little solemn. He glanced around before nodding in agreement.
"Something uncontrollable must have happened. But since the Elders aren’t saying anything, it’s best we don’t pry."
"It’s just..."
Mu Zeyu hesitated for a moment before letting out a low sigh. "It’s just... this trial was far more tragic than any in the past."
At his words, Fang Cai Feng also fell silent, not knowing what to say.
While the three were chatting, Elder Wang finished his tally and began to announce the results of the first trial.
"I will now announce the list of those who passed the trial, along with the final numbers."
"In this Beast Taming Tournament, there were a total of sixty-nine participants. The number of those who passed... is thirty-six."
Here, Elder Wang paused. His expression was hesitant, but he continued, his tone noticeably quickening.
"The number of survivors... fifty!"
As soon as he said this, the disciples below exploded into an uproar. They began whispering amongst themselves, and a strange, unsettling atmosphere descended upon the crowd.
A trial of sixty-nine people, one that was supposed to be safe, had resulted in the deaths of nearly twenty. Even accounting for unexpected accidents or personal vendettas, the deadliest trials in the past had, at most, claimed only three to five lives!
How could such a number not strike fear into the hearts of the disciples?
Seeing their reaction, Elder Wang felt a headache coming on, a hint of sorrow in his eyes. But there was nothing for it; the truth couldn’t be hidden and had to be reported as it was.
He disregarded the commotion and continued,
"The following people have successfully passed the first trial: Miao Wenlun, Mu Zeyu, Chen Chenchen, Jin Xiyue... and Yu Changsheng."
Unsurprisingly, Miao Wenlun was on the list. Although he hadn’t occupied a Cloud Platform, he had single-handedly slain several Tier One Ninth Layer Spirit Beasts, which also qualified him to pass.
Soon, the list was finished. The number of people who passed, thirty-six, was far greater than the twenty originally expected. A portion of these had undoubtedly passed due to a combination of luck and lowered standards.
Seeing the disciples’ spirits remained low, Elder Wang sighed. Suddenly, his expression hardened. He unleashed the powerful aura of his Cultivation and boomed,
"What is there to discuss? As Cultivators, since you chose this path of Cultivation, you should have long been prepared for the hardships and dangers ahead!"
"Cultivation is a struggle! A struggle against heaven, a struggle against earth, and a struggle against man! It was never meant to be a smooth journey! If a single trial is enough to send you all into a panic, then what’s the point of cultivating at all? You might as well go down the mountain and live out a carefree, frivolous life in the mortal world! Wouldn’t that be more pleasant?!"
"You are all key disciples and prodigies of my Beast Taming Peak! Since you chose to enter this competition, I assume you all possess an unyielding spirit! Is this small taste of danger enough to make you shrink back in fear?"
"And this is still within the Sect! Here, within the Sect’s walls, you have our protection, and accidents are rare. But what about when you leave? The world outside is far more treacherous and cruel. Every step is fraught with peril, filled with treacherous people you can’t possibly guard against! How will you face that world then!"
Elder Wang’s voice boomed like a great bell, exploding in the disciples’ ears and resonating deep within their souls, shaking each of them to the core.
The disciples who had been silent and bitter were jolted from their stupor, falling into deep contemplation.
In an instant, the rising tide of complaints vanished.
Seeing this, Elder Wang was secretly satisfied, though his voice remained cold. "I hope that from now on, you will all strive to emulate the strong. Instead of complaining about fate and blaming others, you should focus on improving yourselves."
"You must all be tired after such a long trial, so we’ll stop here for today. In a moment, the Sect will be distributing a Spirit Enhancement Pill to every disciple, regardless of whether you passed or not. Rest well. The second trial will begin in one week."
With that, Elder Wang paid no mind to the disciples’ thoughts, turned with a flick of his sleeves, and departed.
His words, however, caused a stir of excitement among the disciples.
"We get a Spirit Enhancement Pill whether we passed or not? Hey, that’s not bad at all."
"Yeah, it’s a pleasant surprise for sure."
In an instant, much of the heavy atmosphere dissipated. Before long, another Elder arrived and began distributing the Elixirs. Once they received their pills, the disciples dispersed.
Yu Changsheng was among them, and he found himself looking at Elder Wang’s methods with a new level of respect.
...
「Deep within the Wanxiang Sect—the Sect Hall.」
Clouds and mist swirled around sword-like peaks. On the highest summit, so tall one could seemingly touch the sky, a cluster of magnificent, golden-roofed buildings loomed in and out of view among the clouds.
Deep within the Wanxiang Sect, in the Sect Hall!
"It seems the Sealing Array in Yuntai Valley won’t hold for much longer."
A voice, tinged with the weariness of ages, echoed through the hall. The speaker was a middle-aged man in a golden robe, clearly a man of high status. With his eyes closed, he contained a divine might that felt capable of shaking the very heavens and earth, yet it remained perfectly restrained.
This was none other than the rarely seen Sect Leader, Zheng Tianheng.
Responding to him was the current Peak Master of Beast Taming Peak, Mo Pengchen. He was plain in appearance and looked remarkably young. His simple cyan robe was not luxurious, but it was spotless. He spoke calmly.
"The Cloud Platform Array has twenty Cloud Platforms, which act as twenty array nodes. One of them has completely collapsed. If we don’t repair it quickly, the Seal may break even sooner than we anticipated."
Comments