"I heard the restriction set on Mount Xuanxuan was personally established by Grand Venerable Lin Yi, and below is a test of a person's character. Judging by the looks of it, it seems difficult to pass."
"It's only been a short while, and some participating disciples have already failed. The danger involved is unimaginable. I wonder if the remaining disciples can successfully pass this trial and meet the passing standard."
"More than ten participating disciples have already retreated, unable to bear the failure. At this pace, it seems unlikely."
"..."
As disciple after disciple was sent tumbling down, the leaders of the various factions watching could not help but murmur amongst themselves.
The weakest of these participating disciples were at the advanced stage of the Transformation Realm, comparable to themselves. The speed at which they were failing now undoubtedly instilled a sense of awe in their hearts.
Meanwhile, Li Xuan, also caught in the emotional turmoil, had a flash of inspiration. The originally bloodshot eyes instantly receded.
"I promised my senior brothers and sisters that I would live well, and they are not truly dead. Sooner or later, I, Li Xuan, will step onto the peak of the mountain, avenge them, and bring them all back to life!"
Li Xuan's low voice gradually echoed, and his aura trembled. The emotions of self-reproach and unease within his heart instantly dissolved. When he looked up again, Li Xuan's eyes had regained their clarity. Then, under everyone's watchful gaze, he once again stepped towards the stairs above.
Furthermore, Li Xuan moved at an extremely fast pace, surpassing the participating disciples standing at the highest point in the blink of an eye.
"Look quickly, a contestant has actually overtaken!"
"Who is this person? How did they pass the test below so easily? Looking at it, are they preparing to enter the next stage of the stairs?"
"Five new阁主 (ge zhu - pavilion masters) are to be chosen from these contestants. If they all falter at this step, it would be too much to bear. It's just that I didn't expect this contestant to recover so quickly, truly admirable."
"Isn't that Commander Li Xuan? My heavens, among so many people, it's Commander Li Xuan who woke up first!"
"Brother Qiu, look quickly, it's Commander Li!"
"..."
As Li Xuan made his move, the leaders of various factions and the disciples of the Five Pavilions in the viewing area began to discuss with shocked exclamations. Gong Hanfeng and the other team members were even more excited at this moment. After all, Li Xuan was their commander, and they, as his team members, naturally benefited from his prestige.
"I didn't expect a disciple from the Wood Pavilion to break through first. It seems this person will pass the assessment easily," Grand Venerable Chen Peng said with a look of surprise at Li Xuan from the high platform.
Grand Venerable Mu Lanxin smiled and replied, "This little fellow has indeed given this Venerable quite a few surprises."
"Although this person can pass, whether they can reach the summit of the mountain remains to be seen," Grand Venerable Jin Guangshuo said.
"This Venerable actually thinks it's possible that this boy will give us a big surprise today. After all, in the past ten thousand years, no disciple has successfully climbed to the summit."
"However, this disciple named Li Xuan has been very eye-catching since he arrived at our Tian Yi Pavilion. In terms of talent and potential, he is among the best. Madam Grand Venerable, do you think this person can succeed?" Grand Venerable Zhang Chao asked with a smile.
Mo Ningxiang smiled faintly and replied, "I naturally hope that a disciple can successfully climb to the summit, but this is not something that can be achieved just because I say so. In my opinion, this person is indeed extraordinary. However, for the final result, let us patiently wait and see."
At this moment, Li Xuan, who had already reached the halfway point up the mountain, suddenly stopped. Looking at the stairs before him, Li Xuan felt a strange sensation he couldn't quite describe.
It felt as if the moment he stepped forward, something would inevitably happen. Feeling this way, Li Xuan pondered for a moment before finally lifting his foot and taking a step.
Boom!
A rumbling sound echoed, and Li Xuan's figure actually disappeared from the stairs.
"Brother Qiu, why did Commander Li disappear?" Seeing Li Xuan vanish, Gong Hanfeng immediately asked anxiously.
"Perhaps the assessment at the halfway point is different. Your Grand Venerable Madam and the others did not show any signs of surprise, so I assume it's fine." Qiu Jiuqian shook his head, but he still guessed a thing or two.
After hearing Qiu Jiuqian's words, Gong Hanfeng and the others finally relaxed. Indeed, at this moment, Mo Ningxiang and the others on the high platform showed no signs of surprise at Li Xuan's sudden disappearance, indicating they had already known this would happen.
At the same time, Li Xuan, who had disappeared from the stairs, now appeared in a stone cave. Although it was a stone cave, it was so dim that Li Xuan couldn't see everything clearly.
In his sight, several stone platforms were scattered around. Within these stone platforms, a winding stream flowed gently. Looking at everything before him, Li Xuan felt a bit curious about where this place was.
"Young one, you have arrived."
Just then, a hoarse voice suddenly entered Li Xuan's ears. Upon hearing this, Li Xuan looked up and saw, at some unknown time, an old man in a grey robe had appeared on a stone platform.
"This junior, Li Xuan, greets Senior," Li Xuan, greatly startled, hurriedly bowed to the old man and called out.
"You are quite fortunate to have come here. Old man, let me ask you, are you willing to become a powerful figure, holding the power of life and death, and become a ruler?" the old man asked Li Xuan calmly.
"What does Senior mean by that?" Li Xuan frowned slightly, clearly confused by the old man's words.
The old man paid no attention to Li Xuan's expression and then said, "If you are willing, this old man can teach you a peerless divine art. As long as you master this art, in this Cloud World, you will be a formidable force, capable of anything."
"If you are not willing, this old man will teleport you out. Ask your heart, what will be your choice?"
Li Xuan's expression became more solemn. Facing such a great temptation, it was impossible for Li Xuan not to be moved.
However, the old man before him was quite mysterious, and his pronouncements were so grand that they left Li Xuan somewhat perplexed. Li Xuan knew that such a windfall from heaven would not be so simple. The old man did not speak further as Li Xuan remained silent.
"May I ask what Senior requires of this junior?" After a long pause, Li Xuan asked with a deep breath.
The old man slowly said, "This old man only requires you to do one thing, and that is, after successfully mastering this art, to kill one of the Grand Venerables within the Tian Yi Pavilion. As for who it is, this old man does not care."
Li Xuan was shocked. Looking at the scarlet glint in the old man's eyes, after a slight pause, he suddenly revealed a smile.
"So this is the assessment at the halfway point. I didn't expect I almost fell for it." Li Xuan slowly spoke, while the old man's face showed clear signs of panic.
"I'm sorry, I refuse."