Wan Lei and Fang Xiaoyu arrived at the Seven-Colored Passage, surrounded by a crowd.
Before the Wind Attribute Passage, Wan Lei meticulously explained its characteristics to Fang Xiaoyu, avoiding the embarrassment he’d encountered last time due to unfamiliarity.
“Remember to use the Wind Blade Escape Technique.”
Wan Lei reminded her via telepathy.
A few figures were still struggling forward in the Seven-Colored Passage. When they saw thousands of disciples from the Five Elements Hall watching a girl about to enter the passage, they were somewhat surprised.
“She must be the child of some important figure, coming for assessment right after ascending to immortality? That’s why she’s drawing so much attention.”
“I wonder how many days it will take her to pass.”
These people had not witnessed Wan Lei’s assessment; that had been half a year ago.
“Are you ready?”
Wan Lei produced a timer. Although there was a timer at the end of the passage, he worried the old men there might not be prepared.
“I’ll call out ‘start’.”
Fang Xiaoyu bowed slightly, poised at the entrance of the passage, ready to sprint. Wan Lei stood beside the passage, also ready.
The Wind Attribute Passage was on the far left. Wan Lei could be very close to Fang Xiaoyu. Their stances were identical, and one might mistake them for being in a race.
“Ready… Go!”
Wan Lei slammed the timer. Then, he and Fang Xiaoyu simultaneously unleashed the Wind Blade Escape Technique, transforming into two blurs. One entered the passage, while the other, outside the passage, vanished simultaneously.
The observing disciples hadn’t even registered what had happened before the figures disappeared.
“Damn it, chase after them!”
Someone shouted, and immediately flew over, followed by everyone else, in a massive surge.
However, they soon discovered, to their dismay, that many of them, even while flying freely outside and experiencing the immense pressure within the passage, couldn’t match Fang Xiaoyu’s speed.
“Is this what a true prodigy looks like?”
The old men at the end of the passage watched, dumbfounded, as a small dark figure rushed towards them. Before they could even see what the person looked like, two figures landed before them simultaneously.
“How long?”
Wan Lei asked the old men, holding his timer.
“Ah? Oh dear, I forgot to start the timer. This…”
“It’s fine, I started mine. Record this. It’s exactly thirty seconds.”
Saying that, Wan Lei pulled Fang Xiaoyu towards the next stage.
“How was it? Not bad, right?”
Wan Qingyi continued to boast.
“Humph, cheating.”
Ruo Shuiqiu snorted coldly, but she didn’t demand a re-assessment, as the rules didn’t prohibit the use of divine abilities.
However, Fang Xiaoyu was the only one to pass the Five Elements Hall assessment using the Wind Blade Escape Technique. After all, to learn the Wind Blade Escape Technique, one had to first join the Five Elements Hall.
The disciples behind them were all stunned, and cries of astonishment erupted.
“Did I see that right? Thirty seconds? The record has been broken again?”
“Is this even human? That’s an impossible speed!”
“Big event, the first stage assessment breaks the record again.”
“Are both of them this fierce? Is the wife stronger than the husband?”
“Not necessarily. Fang Xiaoyu used the Wind Blade Escape Technique during her assessment. I saw Wan Lei’s assessment video, and he didn’t use it. But Wan Lei knows the Wind Blade Escape Technique, as you all saw during the fight yesterday morning. So, Wan Lei was at a disadvantage in this competition.”
“Then why didn’t he use it back then?”
“Are you stupid? He wasn’t a disciple of the Five Elements Hall then. If he had used it, wouldn’t he have been arrested and thrown into prison? Don’t forget, he came to the Five Elements Hall to break into the prison.”
“Then who taught them that forbidden art? And they learned the forbidden art, broke into the prison, and killed so many disciples, yet they are still safe and sound. Tsk tsk tsk.”
At this moment, Fang Xiaoyu had already started climbing the second stage. Flight was not permitted here, but Fang Xiaoyu’s running speed was still remarkably fast.
Wan Lei accompanied her throughout, holding the timer, and they climbed upwards together.
This time, everyone could finally keep up. Many were speculating whether Fang Xiaoyu could break Wan Lei’s record of twenty-nine minutes.
“After reaching eighty thousand steps, illusions will appear. They are silent and impossible to guard against. I was caught by surprise last time and spent a full five minutes breaking free from the illusion.”
“What was the illusion you encountered?”
Fang Xiaoyu asked as she ran.
“Uh… that’s hard to say.”
Fang Xiaoyu glanced at Wan Lei in surprise. Seeing his slightly embarrassed expression, she wondered if it had something to do with her.
As Wan Lei was feeling awkward, he suddenly saw Fang Xiaoyu stop beside him, staring blankly ahead.
Everyone knew the illusion had arrived.
Wan Lei’s heart leaped into his throat.
However, after just one minute, everyone saw Fang Xiaoyu’s face first reveal an expression of pleasant surprise, then sheer ecstasy, before it turned somewhat strangely playful. Finally, with an eye-roll, Fang Xiaoyu’s eyes regained their lucidity.
When she saw the people around her, her gaze held a hint of disappointment, her expression grew solemn, and she silently continued her upward sprint.
“What kind of illusion did you just experience? Why were you fine at first, and now you’re in a bad mood?”
“When you tell me about your illusion, I’ll tell you about mine.”
Fang Xiaoyu snorted and, in one breath, raced to the summit of the hundred thousand steps.
The time taken was eighteen minutes and forty seconds.
This was a third less than Wan Lei’s time, earning her another round of thunderous applause from the crowd.
Without delay, Wan Lei brought Fang Xiaoyu to the arena.
At this point, the referee steward had already arrived on the stage and said with a smile,
“Our Five Elements Hall welcomes another peerless prodigy. Congratulations! Wan Lei was like this when he came last time. So, this time, shall we select one person from among you to fight?”
Before anyone could volunteer, Wan Lei stood up and spoke.
“Steward, I don’t think that’s appropriate. Fang Xiaoyu has Origin-level talent. She broke records in the first two stages. For such a monstrous prodigy, she must fight someone of equal caliber to truly test her abilities.
And our Five Elements Hall’s other Origin-level talent is myself. I am untalented, but I am willing to step forward and face this lady!”
Upon hearing this, the steward and the surrounding crowd all wore peculiar expressions.
“Are you genuinely going to fight?”
“Then… alright, it’ll be you. Fight well.”
“Thank you, Steward.”
Wan Lei’s expression was solemn, and his aura erupted, causing a palpable unease.
However, as soon as he flew onto the stage, he immediately collapsed, heavily injured and spitting blood.
“Ah! I lost! You attacked sneakily! I couldn’t even withstand one move from you. You’re too strong. I lost, I lost.”
Silence fell upon the mountaintop.
This performance was too fake!