tkworld Chapter 190 Cruel Screening
Chapter 190 Cruel Screening
Chapter 190: Cruel Selection
The cultivators in the field did not have to wait for long.
The clear radiance on the dome quietly changed, transforming from a constant blue color into a colorful and ever-changing starlight. It then evolved into a deep and tranquil void, adorned with countless stars, star clusters, and nebulae.
Qin Muling faintly sensed that behind the mysterious starry sky, a powerful will was silently observing every cultivator present, especially himself, receiving the most attention from it.
Of course, with its status, it was still unable to see through Qin Muling's true details. At most, it could perceive that his aptitude and luck far surpassed ordinary cultivators.
After a while, that strange aura of Dao fluctuations appeared again, and this time it was noticeably stronger, to the point where the number of cultivators who sensed it in the field was about twice as many as last time.
Qin Muling and his senior sisters remained silent, waiting quietly.
Shortly after, the third occurrence of the Dao fluctuations appeared, and its intensity had reached a level where nearly half of the cultivators in the field could sense it. For Qin Muling, who had outstanding foundation and potential, this kind of fluctuation was no less than the resonance of morning bells and evening drums echoing in his divine soul, enduring endlessly.
In this way, the Dao fluctuations occurred one after another, not only becoming more frequent, but also increasing in intensity. As a result, a small number of cultivators with lower strength in the field couldn't bear it and showed signs of painful suffering, with bloodshot eyes and traces of blood seeping from the corners of their eyes, nose, and mouth.
Needless to say, they were destined to be eliminated.
Qin Muling silently operated his cultivation technique, resisting the invisible pressure from the divine soul level. His divine soul's origin had already become powerful to an unimaginable level for ordinary cultivators, coupled with the assistance of the Innate Primordial Spirit Seed, constantly replenishing his consumption. Naturally, he wasn't afraid of this kind of test.
In this way, nearly ten thousand cultivators persevered silently, enduring the continuous increase in the terrifying pressure brought by the Dao fluctuations. They exerted all their strength, their bodies flickering with light and shadows, gritting their teeth to persist.
It felt more exhausting than the previous battles!
Su Zhengji pondered to himself. With his insight, it was not difficult to see the purpose of this grinding test. It would be considered good if one-tenth of the participants could successfully pass. Moreover, many sealers might not be able to hold on until the end. After all, this Dao aura pressure mainly targeted the cultivators' own aptitude and potential. Those old fellows whose luck and potential had been exhausted and had no hope of further progress definitely did not meet the requirements of the Tower Spirit.
"Elder, what should we do now?" A sealer beside him asked with difficulty.
"There's no other way. We can only endure it. If you can't bear it, then withdraw in advance!" Su Zhengji frowned and said. He himself felt overwhelmed, so how could he have the energy to help his fellow disciples? Even if he wanted to help, he didn't know where to start.
In any case, out of the more than three thousand disciples who entered with him, it would be considered remarkable if more than twenty of them could leave unscathed. It wouldn't be surprising even if the entire army was wiped out.
With a bitter sigh, Su Zhengji was already considering how much price he would have to pay to settle this matter after returning.
As time passed, Qin Muling felt that the pressure from the divine soul level became more and more terrifying. Every time the Dao fluctuations appeared, it felt like a mountain was ruthlessly crushing his entire body. The taste of it... was truly indescribable.
Cheng Yulan and Yu Binghua's expressions were somewhat pale, and their delicate bodies trembled slightly, indicating that they were enduring great hardship.
After thinking for a moment, Qin Muling asked his senior sisters to sit beside him and held one of their jade hands each. The clear and profound Spiritual Light of Enlightenment emerged from within him, slowly enveloping the three of them, successfully alleviating some of the pressure for them.
Anyway, there is a barrier formation around that shields us from being seen by outsiders, so there's no need to worry about our secrets being exposed.
"Fine, I, I quit!"
In the distance, a cultivator with a nosebleed and weak aura staggered to his feet and shouted loudly at the starry sky above the dome.
Amidst the flickering light, his figure disappeared from the original spot, presumably being sent out of the Cloud Dao Seeking Pagoda by the Tower Spirit.
With the first example, hundreds of cultivators subsequently gave up one after another, disappearing one by one in the clear light.
As for whether these people can survive after quitting, it can only be left to fate. If there happen to be hostile cultivators guarding outside, the consequences... would only be a matter of dying sooner or later.
In this agonizing torment, two hours quietly passed, and there were only a little over a thousand cultivators left in the field.
At this point, Qin Muling began to feel somewhat helpless. After all, he still had to take care of the two senior sisters beside him. If he only focused on himself, the pressure wouldn't be so overwhelming.
Fortunately, at this moment, the second trial was finally coming to an end. When the last group of cultivators was sent out, the deadly fluctuations of the Dao rhyme finally ceased.
After a few breaths, the starry sky image on the dome changed quietly. The second wave of clear-colored rain silently fell, covering all the cultivators present, spreading even more pure, rich, and profound Dao rhyme.
Compared to the previous round, this wave of clear-colored rain was obviously much larger, with both quantity and quality significantly improved. It made the surviving cultivators feel that the previous hardships were not in vain.
Now, there were less than a thousand cultivators in the entire field, and any one of them placed outside would be a well-known rising star or an old powerhouse like Su Zhengji. With such an opportunity, their future path of cultivation could be elevated to a higher level.
Cheng Yulan silently activated the formation again, and a huge vortex of starlight appeared above her head, sweeping up all the clear-colored rain within a radius of over fifty miles. The harvest was still divided equally among the three of them.
However, this time, no cultivator was willing to step forward and compete with her. Compared to the previous time when about ninety percent of the people were eliminated at once, the amount that everyone could get now was already sufficient.
"That's great. If there's another wave, after leaving this secret realm, I should be able to attempt to break through to the Origin Immortal Realm, right?" Yu Binghua said happily, her eyes filled with tenderness as she looked at Qin Muling beside her. If it weren't for the fortune brought by her junior brother, she wouldn't have been able to hold on so easily until now. She would have been eliminated early on.
Although she had only been with Qin Muling for a short time, the benefits she had gained far exceeded her expectations. Qi Shuyu and Su Yunmo, who were originally on the same level as her, had fallen behind significantly. Perhaps it wouldn't be long before she could catch up to Xue Bingxuan and the others.
"As long as you understand it in your heart, just remember not to talk about it." Second Senior Sister Cheng Yulan gave Yu Binghua a glance. She no longer dared to continue advancing her cultivation, so she used all the clear-colored rain she obtained to optimize and enhance her physical, mental, and spiritual aspects. Every bit of improvement counted.
"If there's another round, maybe I can reach the pinnacle of the Heart Demon Realm," Qin Muling muttered. He still followed the same method as before, taking three parts for himself and distributing the rest to the Innate Primordial Spirit Seed. As a result, his physical, mental, and spiritual aspects were optimized and improved by about half, and his cultivation level went from the fourth level of the Heart Demon Realm to the sixth level.
However, the gap between the Heart Demon Realm, Destiny Realm, and the True Immortal level was still huge. It couldn't be caught up with in just a day or two. So Qin Muling understood that he still had to rely on others for a long time before he could turn the tables in front of his senior sisters.
Moreover, even if he surpassed his senior sisters, there was still the Master above them. There were also the various Elders. And above them, there were even Emperor Xin Yu, Emperor Qing Huan... It felt like there would never be a day of breakthrough.
It is even more important not to mention what disastrous consequences would occur if the mysterious owner of Genesis Star Palace found out about it in advance. It is really hard to say.
Therefore, Qin Muling felt that until he reached the level of Quasi-Saint Emperor, he could only choose to endure, otherwise, even if the three Emperors of Dao Court joined forces, they might not be able to save themselves when the truth came to light.
After a quarter of an hour, the gradually decreasing clear raindrops falling from the dome disappeared completely.
At this time, the more than nine hundred cultivators in the field not only recovered from their injuries, but also reached their peak state in terms of energy and spirit. Their cultivation levels had also improved to varying degrees, and many cultivators had directly broken through to a higher realm. Their aptitude and potential had also undergone a noticeable transformation and sublimation.
Some cultivators were already considering whether to stop while they were ahead and voluntarily withdraw. After all, they had already gained enough benefits so far, and their status in their sects and families would definitely rise when they returned. Their future path would be bright.
If they didn't withdraw, the next round of tests would undoubtedly be unimaginably terrifying. If they couldn't hold on and perished here, wouldn't all their previous efforts and gains be in vain?
In this dilemma and hesitation, time quietly passed.
"They're here!"
Qin Muling suddenly said, as a kind of mysterious and indescribable celestial sound resonated in his soul. He was shocked to find that his body had changed.
Looking down, he saw a faint blue flame sprouting from his dantian, enveloping his whole body in flames in an instant.
"What is this?"
Qin Muling was surprised and was about to use his means to extinguish the flames, but found that no matter what kind of divine ability or spell he used, it was useless. Not only himself, but the two senior sisters beside him also had flames appearing on their bodies.
Looking around, nearly a thousand cultivators were all engulfed by this strange blue flame. No matter how hard they struggled, they couldn't break free.
"This flame seems to be extraordinary. It has no heat and doesn't seem to harm the soul or the physical body. It's really strange. Could it be another kind of special test?"
Cheng Yulan calmly analyzed the situation. Although it was the first time they encountered such a situation, it didn't make her lose her composure. The tower spirit of the Cloud Dao Seeking Pagoda didn't have the intention to kill all the cultivators from the beginning, so there was no need to worry too much.
Qin Muling calmed down and carefully felt the characteristics of the blue flame. He found that it was actually fueled by his own mana, but it didn't have any negative effects on his body or soul. It didn't even affect his cultivation or the recovery of his depleted mana.
Moreover, as time passed, the consumption of mana seemed to slowly increase. Of course, with Qin Muling's abundant mana, he could sustain the burning of the blue flame for two or three hours without any problem. If his extraordinary recovery speed was taken into account, he could almost support it indefinitely.
After confirming this repeatedly, Qin Muling informed the two senior sisters of his findings and speculations. Their experience and knowledge were more abundant, and perhaps they could see something different.
"Let's wait and see. The tower spirit should have further actions," Cheng Yulan pondered. "This flame is probably the screening mechanism for this round. It's estimated that less than ten percent of the people can withstand it. Anyway, with Junior Brother here, we will have no problem holding on until the end."
Qin Muling shook his head slightly. "I think if thirty people can hold on in this wave, it would be good enough. After all, their pill resources have been exhausted. Besides relying on their cultivation, they have no other means to replenish themselves."
The two women thought about it and agreed. With Junior Brother's mana recovery speed, none of the cultivators present could compare to him. Moreover, even if it wasn't enough, the three of them still had plenty of pill resources on them. They could definitely hold on until the final stage.
The surrounding environment quietly changed, and boundless darkness slowly surged in like a substance, engulfing all the cultivators in a few breaths.
Under the influence of the dark domain, a strong sense of death, despair, and decadence welled up in the hearts of the cultivators, almost uncontrollable.
Qin Muling secretly deduced and couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. The souls of cultivators were generally powerful, but they still couldn't withstand the erosion of this dark domain. Over time, it was possible for their minds to become deranged or even go insane.
In his sea of consciousness, the Innate Primordial Spirit Seed slowly rotated, casting a soft and hazy radiance, warm and bright. It had a miraculous effect of stabilizing the soul and strengthening the origin, benefiting not only himself but also his two senior sisters, preventing any inner demons from arising.
The other cultivators around him didn't have such good fortune. Under the influence of the dark domain, the consumption of their mana was accelerated, and there were signs of significant loss of vitality and spirit.
In the boundless darkness, more than nine hundred humanoid torches were clearly visible, some bright and some dim, making it clear who was strong and who was weak.
Especially Qin Muling and the other two, their radiance was dazzling, as if they were humanoid golden crows, even causing the surrounding darkness to melt and dissipate.
However, this situation didn't last long. With the continuous consumption of mana and insufficient replenishment, the green flames on many cultivators gradually dimmed.
"Don't let the flames on your body extinguish, otherwise something very terrible will happen."
In the distance, Chi Yeling, the first genius of the Qilin Clan, whispered. At this time, only about twenty companions remained by his side, and the rest had been eliminated.
The flames on his body were hot and bright, rising several zhang high, almost comparable to Qin Muling's current state. However, considering the difference in their cultivation levels, it wasn't surprising.
"Young master, we really can't hold on any longer!"
A powerful member of the Qilin Clan said helplessly. His mana was on the verge of depletion, and his supply of elixirs had already been exhausted. They were at their wit's end.
"In that case, let's withdraw."
Chi Yeling said. His intuition as the young master told him that once cultivators allowed this eerie darkness to approach them, it would be a luxury to survive. Their souls and bodies would be devoured by something terrifying, leaving nothing behind.
Rather than dying without a trace, it was better to give up directly and still have a chance to survive.
"Alright, we'll listen to the young master."
After weighing their options, more than half of the twenty or so strong cultivators around them made their choice and expressed their intention to withdraw. They were immediately sent out by the Tower Spirit. The remaining people still had the strength to persist, so they decided to wait and see.
However, decisive and wise cultivators were ultimately in the minority. Most people still held onto a glimmer of hope and remained silent even after their mana was depleted and the flames on their bodies were extinguished.
"They're finished!"
Qin Muling said softly. In his Divine Ability's perception, dozens of indescribable beings quietly appeared, using the darkness as cover and swiftly approaching, their target being the cultivators whose flames had been extinguished.
These creatures had bodies several zhang long, resembling crocodiles, with wide mouths and terrifying fangs. Their aura was elusive and difficult to fathom, but it was definitely not lower than the Immortal Ascension realm.
"Ah ah ah—"
A series of extremely miserable screams resounded in the darkness, filled with despair and unwillingness.
The mistakes have been corrected. Please vote for this chapter and recommend it.
(End of this chapter)