557 Lets Begin! (1/2)
Zhou Chudao noticed Dugu Lin's stare. He grimaced slightly and sighed secretly. If not for his master's insistence that he participated in this trial, he wouldn't have done so.
Why am I inflicting this on myself… Zhou Chudao shook his head. He resembled a peasant. With a hump on his back, he looked even more ordinary. His Dao partner, Huang Yunshan, on the other hand, dazzled like a star. Her alluring beauty blinded as she batted her eyes. She was seductive without planning to be, causing many cultivators' hearts to race. They couldn't help themselves. Huang Yunshan not only possessed a devilishly beautiful face, but she also had an extremely alluring figure. Her slim waist swayed as she approached. Those who stared at her felt an itch inside them that they couldn't scratch.
Even Kong Dao couldn't help but spare a few glances at her…
The expression on Zhou Chudao's face grew more bitter at the sight. He shook his head as he walked towards You Ran's faction with his Dao partner at his side. He shut his eyes so that he might see no evil and hence, escape frustration and annoyance.
Wang Baole had glanced at Huang Yunshan's figure as well. However, unlike Kong Dao, his eyes soon landed on Zhou Chudao instead. He might look ordinary, but Wang Baole trusted his gut. He could sense Soul Qi on Zhou Chudao—one that was invisible to the eyes of others!
The Dark Sect called it Soul Qi. It was a unit of measurement for someone who had killed many people and was tainted by the presence of those vengeful souls. Wang Baole could sense an extremely strong Soul Qi on Zhou Chudao. His appearance, his slightly bent back, and the way he carried himself might make him seem like an honest and decent man, but in reality… based on Wang Baole's assessment, he was someone who definitely had his hands stained by the blood of many.
That's quite interesting. I thought Dugu Lin was the most powerful amongst all the Vast Expanse Dao Palace disciples. I didn't expect that there's also this Zhou Chudao, who's skilled at concealing his true self! As Wang Baole lost himself in thought, the bells began to ring again. Everyone in the public square fell silent. The spectators also quieted down when they saw silence descend upon the public square.
Wang Baole withdrew his gaze and stood together with Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao, eyes staring in front of them. The bell rang nine times amidst the silence. The doors to the great hall before them opened, and from within walked out a dozen Nascent Soul realm cultivators!
The disciples stared ahead respectfully as soon as they appeared. They didn't look at the crowd as they lined up on two sides and saluted the great halls.
”Greetings to the Elders!” As their voices rang in the air, everyone both inside and outside the public square lowered their heads and saluted the great halls. With Feng Qiuran in the middle, Mie Liezi on the left, and You Ran on the right, the three Elders walked out from the great halls slowly!
Energy waves that surpassed that of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator immediately exuded from the three of them. The winds stirred, and the clouds shifted. The heavens transformed. An enormous hurricane appeared in mid-air, rumbling and roaring as if it could devour everything in sight. Every disciple was shaken at the sight and overcome with awe.
Wang Baole gathered his spirit energy around him, lowered his head, and extended his greetings as well. Mie Liezi's voice rang out across the entire public square.
”The top three victors to emerge in the trial will receive a leaf from the Hyacinthus Tree. They will earn the right to enter the Worship Palace Pavilion and leave their names on the Dao Plate, thus becoming a true disciple of the Vast Expanse Dao Palace!”
”Disciples who have written their names on the Dao Plate will be gifted a different status. They will be able to use their identity tokens to control the great array formation of the ancient sword to a limited degree. Only those… who have their names written on the Dao Plate can be considered… a true cultivator of the Vast Expanse Dao Palace!” Mie Liezi's voice was filled with gravity and authority as it rang out in the public square, and the tinge of murderous violence coloring it prevented anyone from trying to question his authority.
Feng Qiuran stood beside him, with no expression on her face, not saying a word. You Ran smiled beside her and said nothing as well. The three of them had clearly discussed this beforehand. Mie Liezi would host the trial. Even if Feng Qiuran had been reluctant at first, she had obviously agreed to this arrangement. They must have come to some kind of arrangement.
After Mie Liezi was done speaking, his eyes shone with a fierce light. His voice lowered, and when he spoke again, it was as if he was casting a spell.
”The trial will take place… in a minor array formation that is a part of our sect's greater array formation—the Endless Possibilities Array Formation. As for the rules… listen carefully, for I will only say them once!”
As soon as Mie Liezi said that, every participant on the public square began to look at him attentively. Wang Baole cleared his mind and stared ahead in full concentration as well. Together with Zhao Yameng and Kong Dao, they listened carefully to the rules of the trial.
The rules were clearly very important. Without them, the trial would seem unfair. After all, out of the six hundred participants, there were those at the early-stage, mid-stage, and late-stage Core Formation realm.