Chapter 1887 (Raw 1898): Easily Pa.s.sing
After taking ten steps forward, one would pa.s.s the second stage.
Just as everyone felt slightly doubtful, they heard a sword hum. A ring of blue light radiated from under Elder Tian Yun’s throne.
“Bang!”
As the ring of light swept out, an irresistible force sent everyone, including Xiao Chen, flying.
“Ka ca! Ka ca!” The Dao disk behind Xiao Chen shattered.
The other cultivators who comprehended Great Dao Energy ended up like Xiao Chen, the Dao disks behind them shattering immediately.
As for those who did not comprehend Great Dao Energy, they were knocked to the ground, falling on their knees and vomiting blood.
Xiao Chen’s expression changed for the first time. He looked at Elder Tian Yun, sitting on the throne, and shock flashed in his eyes.
What a terrifying Dao Might! The person with the strongest Dao Might that Xiao Chen had seen was the little monk Yan Chen.
However, this Elder Tian Yun’s Dao Might was not only stronger than the little monk’s, but his usage of it also seemed to have reached the acme of perfection.
It had apparently attained the limit of the Sword Dao’s Great Dao Energy.
This Elder Tian Yun was impressive. He might even be slightly stronger than the Soaring Dragon Marquis. He was definitely at least a thousand years old already.
The dense and vast Dao Might was like a toy in Elder Tian Yun’s hands. He controlled it easily, stopping it right in front of Xiao Chen and the others, not a step more or less. His control was even more terrifying than the Dao Might itself.
“Let’s begin. Stop wasting time,” Elder Tian Yun said casually as he looked at everyone.
Xiao Chen thought for a while before he pushed his hand forward. He immediately felt an invisible resistance.
In the process of pus.h.i.+ng his hand forward, s.p.a.ce rippled like water. It looked like Xiao Chen’s arm sank into water, turning blurry.
“Whoos.h.!.+ Whoos.h.!.+ Whoos.h.!.+”
Just at this moment, someone took three steps forward. It was Xiao Jinyu, who mocked Yi Qianyun earlier.
Xiao Jinyu’s body was as straight as a sword, and his aura focused on one spot, becoming like the tip of a sword as he proudly stood tall.
This action immediately spurred those still hesitant to step forward. They wanted to enter the area where Elder Tian Yun spread his Dao Might.
At this point, everyone knew that this Elder Tian Yun before them was a major character.
This was a time to prove themselves. No one was willing to lag behind.
However, when these people truly entered, they realized that it was not as simple as they imagined. They only took two steps, and their bodies became covered in b.l.o.o.d.y wounds.
Sword wounds!
This was the Sword Great Dao. As one advanced, one’s physical body would suffer damage from sword intent at every moment.
If one advanced without even using Veritable Essence Energy to s.h.i.+eld one’s body, one would probably die before managing ten steps.
Most people found this difficult. However, there were some who could advance easily like Xiao Jinyu.
The Flaming Cloud County’s Fang Tianyi, the Qin Clan’s Young Master, Qin Yan, and four or five other people were not willing to fall behind. They brought out all that they had—short of activating their bloodline—wanting to surpa.s.s Xiao Jinyu.
On the other hand, Xiao Jinyu sped up with every step he took. He was in no rush, moving stably.
However, after Xiao Jinyu had taken five steps forward, the pressure he faced from the Dao Might grew increasingly stronger. With every succeeding step, the pressure more than doubled.
By the seventh step, the relaxed expression on his face disappeared, leaving incredible grimness.
Xiao Jinyu gave off a resplendent sword light, clas.h.i.+ng with the Dao Might around him. At every moment, it seemed like thousands of swords were clas.h.i.+ng.
“Ding! Ding! Dang! Dang!” The clangor rang out endlessly.
It already became incredibly difficult at this step. Now, Xiao Jinyu did not even dare to raise his foot rashly.
The others were no better. After five steps, they all no longer had any energy to spare on thinking about how to prove themselves.
They all had grave expressions, just wanting to finish taking the ten steps.
“Senior Brother Yi, look. That person still has not taken a step.” Just at this moment, the core disciple that Xiao Chen injured spoke up while pointing at Xiao Chen.
Yi Qianyun smiled coldly and said, “It’s normal. With his cultivation, he has no way of comparing with the others. Of course, he still has his physical body advantage. At most, he will be able to take five steps. If he takes more than that, he will die. Haha! He is rather wise and did not move rashly.”
“What else is he thinking? No matter how he thinks about it, can he instantly break through to Holy Venerate? He should just quickly give up and stop making an embarra.s.sment of himself.”
Indeed, it was as the core disciples said. Xiao Chen had a huge disadvantage before the Dao Might as a result of his cultivation.
If Xiao Chen activated his Azure Dragon bloodline, he could easily take ten steps.
However, he did not want to expose his bloodline power this soon. So, he was trying to think of another method.
As the others already moved and Xiao Chen still had not taken a single step, he immediately piqued many people’s attention.
Naturally, Elder Tian Yun was no exception. However, he only gave Xiao Chen a glance before ignoring him.
The weak was not worth wasting time on.
Others might see this as a joke and take pleasure in it. However, Elder Tian Yun would not waste any time on it. Right now, he was observing the people doing their best to advance through the Dao Might.
Elder Tian Yun nodded to himself. He had discovered a few pretty good seeds.
Actually, this test had been intentionally made harder.
In the past, as long as one was a Holy Venerate and could receive a palm strike, one could become a core disciple.
However, this year was different. There would be intense compet.i.tion at the end of the year. There would be a contest among the seven palaces for the slots to enter Ancestor Dragon City.
Ancestor Dragon City, the core of the empire. The Dragon Race ancestral temple was there, and it had the most complete Dragon Race inheritance. It contained the vast acc.u.mulations of the empire.
Furthermore, there were also remnants from the Great Desolate Eon. The ancient dragon palaces there recorded the history of the Dragon Race, chronicling their past glory.
Aside from the peak experts of the Dragon Race, only the outstanding among the six Divine Dragon bloodlines could enter Ancestor Dragon City.
After that would be the Dragon’s Gate’s outer sect. Every two years, there would be a chance to gain a number of allocated slots.
As long as the Heavenly Dragon Palace had one person that entered Ancestor Dragon City, these heaven-cla.s.s Elders would receive great rewards from the Dragon Race’s upper echelon.
These were rewards for nurturing talent and were exceptionally attractive. The entire Heavenly Dragon Palace would receive various benefits as well.
“Whoos.h.!.+”
However, just as Elder Tian Yun focused on Xiao Jinyu, Qin Yan, Fang Tianyi, and the others, a dreamlike purple saber light containing two kinds of Great Dao Energy shot straight forward.
“Pu ci!”
The saber light instantly tore a hole in the dense Dao Might, opening a path.
However, this path disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
The path disappeared practically the moment the Dao Might scattered the purple saber Qi.
However, that instant was already sufficient for Xiao Chen.
“Whoos.h.!.+ Whoos.h.!.+ Whoos.h.!.+”
Xiao Chen took ten steps in quick succession, surpa.s.sing everyone in front of him. Then, he landed in front of Xiao Jinyu, who was about to take his ninth step.
Just like that, by the time the Dao Might covered the path again, Xiao Chen had already easily dashed forward ten steps.
Then, Xiao Chen brought out his Divine Dragon War Body, flooding his Dragon Might into every part of his physical body, his bones, marrow, skin, blood, and flesh. The heavy Dragon Might filled his entire body, making him as heavy as a mountain as he resisted the pressure from the Dao Might.
“d.a.m.n! How is that possible?!”
“He’s cheating. This definitely has to be considered cheating!” the core disciple beside Yi Qianyun shouted.
The people still struggling in the Dao Might also revealed extremely upset expressions.
Xiao Jinyu’s expression was the best. He had clearly been in the lead, but Xiao Chen actually surpa.s.sed him so easily.
This turn of events dismayed Xiao Jinyu’s proud heart.
“Boom!”
Elder Tian Yun waved his hand and dismissed the Dao Might, ending this stage early.
At the same time, he gently tapped the air. Aside from the frontmost twenty people, those who were behind were all flicked into the air.
Elder Tian Yun gave Xiao Chen a deep look before speaking softly.
“The second stage ends here, then. Those who are left standing pa.s.sed this stage.”
His words kicked up a commotion. This was because Xiao Chen was among the twenty.
“I can’t accept this. How could he pa.s.s the test after cheating like that?!”
A man who was sent flying stood up and said with extreme dissatisfaction, “Give me a chance, and I can do the same as him too.”
“Is that so?”
Elder Tian Yun gently patted the armrest of the throne. Then, a strand of sharp sword Qi shot towards the person who spoke.
While it looked like a casual move, it contained startling sword intent. Before that person could draw his sword halfway, he got knocked back.
The inherited Dao Tool flew out of that person’s hand, leaving him dumbfounded.
“My strike is comparable to the saber strike that he just sent out. You can’t even clearly see it, yet you are not embarra.s.sed to say that you can do it. Go back and practice more.”
Elder Tian Yun impatiently waved his hand. The Sovereign Personage Will contained in the palm wind sent that stunned person flying.
That person landed at the top of the ten-kilometer-long stairway and rolled down towards the foot of the mountain.
“Young man, your saber skills are pretty good.” Elder Tian Yun gave some praise with a smile when his gaze fell on Xiao Chen again.
The rest of the candidates felt deep envy.
This was the first time Elder Tian Yun praised someone. To think that the one he praised was this middle-stage Star Venerate mixed-blood dragon.
How could they accept this wholeheartedly?
More importantly, this meant Elder Tian Yun valued Xiao Chen. In the future, when Xiao Chen entered the sect, he would receive many benefits.