Chapter 87 - Ninth from the Bottom (1/2)

Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon

The sloppy man smiled and said, “Senior Sister Qingyu, don’t ask too much of them. These geniuses haven’t served in the military. They will perform much better after five years on the battlefield.”

“What we need are geniuses. Cultivation time for geniuses is very precious. How can we let them slowly hone themselves on the battlefield?” said the cyan-clothed woman.

“We can discuss and determine the ranking after the second trial is over,” said King East River. “Let’s begin the second trial. This is the most important test.”

“Yes.” The cyan-robed woman and the sloppy-looking man nodded.

There was only one final test left.

If the demon-slaying was to determine geniuses’ true combat strength and combat talent, the second trial was to determine a genius’s potential.

…

The geniuses were floating again. They flew with the Godfiends and finally landed on a vast mountain.

“I’ll give you an hour to rest.” King East River looked at the exhausted geniuses. Many geniuses had bandaged their bloody wounds. “In an hour, we’ll carry out the second trial! This is Archean Mountain’s final assessment. Once it’s over, we’ll decide the twenty who will be admitted to Archean Mountain.”

Meng Chuan and company sat down in lotus positions immediately. Quintessential Essence circulated through their bodies as they recovered their energy.

“It’s the final assessment.”

“Archean Mountain Godfiends must reach the Great Solar realm at the very least. If one doesn’t have the potential to become a Great Solar Godfiend, there’s no need to nurture them.” Marquis Southcloud and the other Godfiends chatted by the side. Although there were many Godfiends in the Great Zhou Dynasty, most of them weren’t Great Solar Godfiends.

The Great Solar realm was the Body Tempering Godfiend lineage’s theoretical limit.

For instance, Fairy Meng, Yun Wanhai, and others were only outer sect disciples of Archean Mountain. They were lucky enough to become Godfiends. Most of them were Indestructible Godfiends. Even Jadesun Palace Lord was only at the second Firmament—the Indestructible realm. Jadesun Palace Lord came from Archean Mountain. He cultivated a powerful Godfiend body and had a robust foundation. This allowed him to withstand simultaneous attacks from a third Firmament demon monarch and multiple second Firmament demon monarchs.

This was the standard of Archean Mountain disciples. With a strong foundation and strength, one could typically stay alive even if they were fighting someone one realm higher! Furthermore, reaching the Great Solar realm was just the first goal.

Jadesun Palace Lord was very young. Ultimately, he was far from reaching his limits. He was temporarily in charge of defending an ordinary city.

…

Meng Chuan recovered as he restored his Quintessential Essence fully.

“An hour has passed.” King East River’s voice rang out.

The geniuses sitting cross-legged opened their eyes. They immediately stood up and looked at King East River. Their families and friends, as well as the many Godfiends, were filled with anticipation.

“The final trial is to test your heart.” King East River pointed at a huge altar in the distance. The altar was a four-cornered pyramid. Each side was lined with over a hundred steps, and they continued to the top. The altar was made of limestone, and there were mottled marks on them. Clearly, it had a long history.

“This is the Darkness Altar. Once you step onto the altar, you’ll find yourself trapped in darkness. You need to maintain your lucidity in the darkness. The higher you go, the more outstanding you will be. If you sink into the darkness, you will fail.”

“Alright, let’s begin,” said King East River.

Meng Chuan and the others hesitated for a moment before they split up and walked up to the Darkness Altar. There were twenty people on each side. Soon, someone took the first step up. A faint black fog immediately rose up from the limestone steps and seeped into the person’s body. The person trembled, and he hesitated for a moment before continuing to advance. The others also climbed the altar step by step. Black fog rising from beneath their feet seeped into their bodies.

Boom!

Meng Chuan took a step forward. A faint black fog rose from the limestone steps and seeped into his body, quickly spreading towards his head.

Meng Chuan felt his head spin. He felt like he was in a nightmare. Many demon monarchs and bloodthirsty Skydemons charged over. The demon monarchs and Skydemons had terrifying auras that far exceeded Demon Monarch Poison Pool’s. Meng Chuan felt his body stiffen as though it was very difficult for him to move.

Walk. Continue walking. It’s all an illusion. An illusion. Meng Chuan persuaded himself constantly. He forced his body to move, but his body was stiffer than an 80-year-old man. He struggled to advance.

As he took a step forward, the black fog—that seeped out from the limestone steps—increased. It constantly entered his body, affecting his body, soul—everything.