Chapter 7: The Cruel Initiation Trial

Thus, he fled in disarray, not even harboring the thought of seeking revenge

The person maintaining a standing posture could not help but feel secretly relieved that they were not like that portion of people, and naturally, there was a hint of pride in their heart

A teasing voice rang out, and Xiao Feng looked up to see a handsome young man in white warrior attire standing two zhang away, his arms crossed over his chest. His black hair was casually tied back with a purple ribbon. At that moment, a hint of a lazy smile played at the corners of his mouth as he looked at their group with a mocking gaze

Yan Li and Wu Zhongmou arrived together at the training square outside the Great Wilderness Palace. Yan Li turned back to glance at Wu Zhongmou, who then stopped in his tracks, while Yan Li stepped into the training square.

Lin Jingyun's gaze swept over Xiao Feng's dust-covered attire, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes. The Xiao family, relying on their connection to the royal family, had been particularly arrogant in the Nanyu County, showing no regard even for the city lord's face. It seems that today they have suffered a hidden loss, not daring to make a sound.

On what basis? On what basis are we being eliminated

Idiot! someone muttered softly

The Land of Desolation, with clearly defined levels

The royal family of the Dayun Empire, the Li family, boasts numerous experts, and the current emperor is indeed the foremost among them

A trace of fear appeared in Xiao Feng's eyes, and he hurriedly said, "Go, quickly help me leave this place!"

Today marks the annual entrance trial of the Great Wilderness Palace. Over the past few days, the number of young men and women gathered in Luoxia Town has reached a new high, totaling 30,000.

A few days' time passes in the blink of an eye

Great Wilderness Palace, Martial Arts Square

Once one breaks through the Yuan Realm, their identity and status will receive a corresponding elevation. Generally, the heads of small families and the leaders of minor sects will have attained the cultivation level of the Yuan Realm.

As the four martial artists from the Yuanjing realm pounced towards him, he suddenly felt an overwhelming force crashing towards him that was impossible to resist

Ah, it is an elite disciple!" exclaimed the knowledgeable young man.

Xiao Feng was helped up by his subordinates, feeling a stiffness and pain throughout his body, and he was unable to mobilize even a fraction of the true energy in his dantian. Coming from a noble background, he had never endured such humiliation, and he immediately shouted in anger: "Bastards! I will kill them!"

Among this group, only Wu Zhongmou is by Yan Li's side today, while the maid Ling'er and the other guards remain in the town

The Great Cloud Empire has four administrative levels: Central, Provincial, Prefectural, and County.

A hint of coldness flashed at the corner of Wu Zhongmou's mouth as he casually waved his hand

Feeling the sharp gaze of the other party, the tall and strong youth felt a chill run through his body, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar despite the blazing sun.

Fool!" he said with some disdain.

At this stage of adolescence, no young person concedes to another; everyone around them is a competitor. Therefore, among the throngs of tens of thousands, surprisingly few engage in mutual communication

Under the leadership of the young man in purple, a large group of young boys and girls marched vigorously into the Great Wilderness Mountain. Yan Li's gaze occasionally swept over the crowd, hoping to find Lin Jingyun and Long Ziyue

The practitioners at the Profound Realm are considered to be among the highest echelon of experts, earning the respect of the world. Some heads of medium-sized families possess only the cultivation of the Profound Realm, yet these medium-sized families are already capable of serving as the lords of county cities

Xiao Feng's eyes narrowed slightly, "Lin Jingyun, is that you... Are you also here to participate in the Great Wilderness Palace trial?"

The voice of the young man in purple once again resounded, filled with coldness, "Do not think that those remaining can become outer disciples of my Great Wilderness Palace. The entrance trial consists of three stages, and only those who pass all three stages are qualified to become disciples of this palace. Now, everyone, heed my command and follow me."

Get lost! Do you still want me to take action?

The outer disciples who appeared at the edge of the square at the very beginning could not help but reveal a hint of disdainful smiles upon seeing these young individuals

Having lived for three lifetimes, if the ages of these three lives are summed, he is already over one hundred years old. Therefore, even after waiting for a full hour, he remains neither arrogant nor impatient, and even closes his eyes to rest under the scorching sun.

A discontented voice arose, drawing the attention of the crowd. It was the first to take a seat, a tall and well-dressed young man. Feeling the gazes directed at him, he felt a slight sense of pride and raised his head arrogantly

Ordinary individuals without the inheritance of martial arts can only achieve the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement throughout their lives. Those with exceptional talent may have the opportunity to join certain minor clans or small sects, with the hope of breaking through to the Yuan Realm

You, Lin Jingyun, have been remembered by me, and I will come back to settle the score with you later. Let's go!" Xiao Feng glared fiercely at Lin Jingyun and quickly left with a group of subordinates

Thirty thousand people, instantly eliminating more than half, but this is merely the beginning

Whoosh

Under the intense gaze of the young man in purple, the tall and strong youth dared not utter another word, turning to leave silently. The other eliminated boys and girls all wore expressions of dejection as they left in silence.

As the foremost sect of the Great Cloud Nation, the scale of the training ground at the Great Wilderness Palace is naturally beyond question, accommodating hundreds of thousands of people with ease

Bang bang bang bang

In the blink of an eye, half an hour has passed, and at least half of the young boys and girls can no longer endure it; some sit, some lie down, and others run to the edge of the square to seek shade under the trees.

However, he was disappointed. Although nearly 20,000 out of 30,000 were eliminated, there still remained 10,000. It was indeed too difficult to find two individuals among the 10,000.

Those participating in the introductory trial are all youths under the age of sixteen, among which the majority are around thirteen or fourteen years old, with the youngest being ten and the oldest being sixteen. Once one exceeds the age of sixteen, they are no longer eligible to participate

Half an hour later

A quarter of an hour later, under the guidance of the young man in purple, the group of young people arrived at a spacious clearing, where a powerful and sacred aura faintly emanated, causing everyone to feel a tightening in their hearts... before them appeared a magnificent heavenly ladder that seemed to reach the clouds...

Oh, isn't this Young Master Xiao Feng? Why do you look a bit disheveled?

The four individuals soared into the air like straw, only to fall three zhang away. The remaining few martial artists, all of whom were merely at the Qi Refining stage, exchanged glances in bewilderment, not daring to take action. Meanwhile, the young man in black was already stunned, standing frozen in place without moving.

Young master, be cautious with your words! The other party is likely a master of the Profound Realm

Lin Jingyun shook his head, glanced at the inn where Yan Li was located, and then stepped away

Although Xiao Feng is merely a dandy disciple, he is not a fool. A person who can employ a master of the Profound Realm as a steward must undoubtedly be an extraordinary scion of a prestigious family, one that is beyond the reach of his own county-level family.

Four experts of the Yuanjing realm rose from the ground, and one of them stepped forward to advise.

In the vast and surging crowd, each youth's face was marked with desire and excitement. Even though they knew that among the thirty thousand participants, at most one-tenth would be able to pass the trial, it could not dampen their enthusiasm and determination to join the Great Wilderness Palace

As soon as these words were spoken, those young boys and girls who had not remained standing all displayed expressions of frustration, regret, and unwillingness. At that moment, everyone finally understood that the entrance trial had already begun as soon as they entered the training square; it was just that no one had realized it.

I announce that anyone who does not maintain a standing position will be eliminated. Wherever you came from, you may return there now

Oh!

Around the training square, a group of young men dressed in green, bearing finely crafted long swords, are pointing and gesturing at the young boys and girls participating in the trials. This group is none other than the outer disciples of the Great Wilderness Palace

A young man in splendid attire began to shout in dissatisfaction, and as he spoke, he tore open his collar and sat down on the ground

How is that possible? Are you allowing Young Master Xiao to come, but not allowing me to come

In this continent where martial prowess is esteemed, neither military generals nor officials managing cities can assume their roles without the corresponding level of cultivation

Wu Zhongmou's gaze was sharp and piercing as it swept over the remaining few, and he coldly shouted

In the blink of an eye, another hour has passed, and it is already noon. The scorching sun is baking the youths in the training ground, and some of the more impatient individuals have begun to voice their complaints loudly, with a portion even retreating to the shade of the trees in the training ground to cool off

What? Master of the Mysterious Realm?

Lin Jingyun could not help but exclaim, "Strange, how has this fellow changed his temperament? If it were usual, this fellow would definitely..."

As the crowd waited, time slowly passed, and some youths began to show signs of impatience. Today, Yan Li, dressed in a blue warrior outfit, appeared quite calm. Although he was only fourteen years old, he had already reached a height of 1.75 meters, and it was only through his youthful features that one could discern he was still a young man on the verge of adulthood.

The entire surface of the training ground is paved with a type of hard granite, and in the center of the square, there is a circular platform that stands two zhang high

A vast and mighty flow of people surged directly towards the Da Huang Palace Martial Arts Square

Indeed, the young man in purple on the stage cast a gaze as sharp as a knife towards the other, his expression turning cold, "Why should I? Just because I am the examiner for this entrance trial!"

Seeing someone take the lead, the other youths followed suit, sitting down one after another, and some even began to engage in conversation with each other

In the Great Wilderness Palace, there is a clear hierarchy. According to the sect's regulations, outer disciples are uniformly attired in blue robes, and any violation will result in punishment. Inner disciples wear white robes, elite disciples are dressed in purple robes, while core disciples may wear whatever attire they choose

What is going on? The people from the Great Wilderness Palace have not yet appeared! It is so hot! I can't stand it any longer!

The warriors of the Xiao family felt as if they had received a great amnesty, and they all fled in disarray.

A figure flashed by, and suddenly a silhouette in purple appeared on the high platform in the center of the square

Get lost