by Translator: BornToBe; Author: Ordinary Magician (平凡魔术师); Licensed From: 17k
Long Chen patted Guo Ran on his forehead. His Spiritual Strength poured into his mind-sea.
After undergoing that inhuman torment, Guo Ran had almost gone insane. That was very normal, as his will was the weakest of the five of them. He had only managed to endure with the thought of being able to stand in the limelight. Now that the pressure suddenly disappeared, signs of insanity appeared.
“It’s over. All the suffering you went through was worth it. Your light will blind the whole world. The name Guo Ran will shake the hearts of others. No one will be able to eclipse you!” Long Chen used an extremely soft voice, using something similar to hypnosis to calm down Guo Ran’s taut nerves.
“Can I surpass you, boss?” asked Guo Ran.
“You little brat, you were just acting!” Long Chen kicked Guo Ran into the distance. “Beat him up for me!”
“No!!! Boss, I was just joking. Don’t take it so seriously!” begged Guo Ran upon seeing Gu Yang and the others rub their fists and pull up their sleeves.
Long Chen was about to say something when his arms shook slightly. Lei Long and Huo Long had stealthily returned. It seemed no one had noticed them.
The two of them both expressed their excitement. The general meaning was that this was their first time being so full.
But Long Chen knew that this wasn’t Lei Long’s first time. It was just that what it had eaten before was just bones, while now it was eating meat. However, it truly was the first time for Huo Long. Long Chen finally sensed a berserk power from it. That was the true level of power an Earth Flame should possess.
“Huo Long, since you’re full, don’t just laze around. Help me refine pills.” Long Chen needed a huge amount of Enlightenment Palace Pills. No, not a huge amount, an ocean’s worth.
He had only just given Huo Long its mission when Meng Qi, Tang Wan-er, and the other Dragonblood warriors walked over.
“How do you feel?” Long Chen smiled.
“Amazing. I feel like a completely different person.” All the Dragonblood warriors were excited by their gains. Not only had their physical bodies been tempered, but even their spiritual yuan had become purer and vaster. Furthermore, some of them had even gained a somewhat impure elemental energy.
The tide was actually able to give them such immense benefits. They could almost count as elemental cultivators now.
“A completely different person? Yes, that’s right. I feel like I’ve shed several layers now.” Guo Ran bitterly laughed.
“But it was all worth it. I feel like my body has undergone a heaven-toppling transformation.” Gu Yang clenched his fist. When he beat himself in his chest, a drum-like sound rang out.
Yue Zifeng, Li Qi, and Song Mingyuan were also smiling excitedly. Although they had experienced a hellish torment just now, the profit was worth it.
“Guo Ran, although your constitution is very ordinary, after undergoing that suffering, your will has become much firmer, and although your physical body can’t compare to Gu Yang, it’s now many times stronger than an average Dragonblood warrior. Don’t forget your profession. If your base power has multiplied this much, then you’ll be able to… Hehe, you understand!” laughed Long Chen.
“I understand, I understand!” Guo Ran’s head was still in a muddled state from the pain, but with Long Chen’s reminder, he couldn’t help feeling ecstatic. His strongest point was his armor, and that armor multiplied his strength. However, that was based on his base strength.
If his physical body had increased in power this much, then with the multiplication of his armor, his current strength must have reached a point that even terrified him.
“Then wouldn’t I be able to dominate Celestials?!” Guo Ran was incomparably excited. His eyes were full of anticipation, as if he could already see himself wearing his golden armor, trampling a Celestial under his feet.
“There really is no curing you.” Long Chen shook his head.
“Long Chen!” Suddenly, a cold cry rang out.
Long Chen looked in the direction of that voice to see Shui Guanzhi icily staring at him.
“Do you dare to have a life and death battle with me?!” People were startled. Shui Guanzhi was actually challenging him so quickly after his loss.
Zhao Wuji, Yue Qianshan, and Zhong Wuyan were the first ones to comprehend why he would do this. They watched from a distance, expressionless.
Long Chen suddenly laughed. “I’ll accompany you in a life and death battle any time you want. I know you must have obtained some benefits from the core of the storm zone, benefits that have made your power increase quite a bit. However, you should get your affairs in order first, because when you are defeated by my hands again, I will take your life!”
His words were arrogant, but having already defeated Shui Guanzhi once, no one thought he was just boasting. If Long Chen had wanted to kill Shui Guanzhi at that time, and if no one had stopped him, there would no longer be a Shui Guanzhi.
Shui Guanzhi’s expression was incomparably dark. This was his greatest humiliation. A grand rank two Celestial had actually been defeated, and by someone that wasn’t even a Celestial.
Long Chen was correct. Shui Guanzhi had gained a more profound understanding of the water element. Even his water runes had changed slightly, making them stronger than ever.
He was still unconvinced by his defeat. He had been careless. If he had treated Long Chen seriously from the start, perhaps the conclusion would have been reversed.
Now, his power had increased, while Long Chen had wasted his time helping others. He was confident in being able to kill him, so he immediately challenged him to a life and death battle, wanting to kill him to wash away his humiliation.
How could Long Chen not understand Shui Guanzhi’s thoughts? So he wanted Shui Guanzhi to go ask for the Dao Sect’s permission. That was to avoid still not being able to kill Shui Guanzhi at the end.
Even Long Chen had to use his full strength to fight Shui Guanzhi. Furthermore, he had already revealed so many of his trump cards. Shui Guanzhi was definitely prepared now.
If they fought again, and Long Chen was forced to reveal every last one of his trump cards, then it would be completely not worth it if he still couldn’t kill Shui Guanzhi. But if no one stopped him from killing Shui Guanzhi, then obtaining a rank two Heavenly Dao Fruit would be worth exposing his trump cards.
“All disciples gather. We’re moving on to the second trial.” The vice sect master’s voice rang out and everyone hastily gathered to where they had originally arrived.
“Hmph, count yourself lucky, Long Chen. But remember, your life is mine. I might take it any time,” said Shui Guanzhi icily.
That infuriated Gu Yang and the others. They all took out their weapons. Shui Guanzhi really knew how to boast.
Long Chen waved his hand, stopping them. “It’s still the same phrase. Whenever you want to die, come find me. I will send you on your way free of charge!”
Although his expression was calm, Shui Guanzhi had truly infuriated him. Long Chen had now completely seen through his temperament.
This idiot was precisely a spoiled brat. He had been pampered from a young age, and now he thought of himself as the center of the world. Everything was supposed to revolve around him.
Such a person was an idiot, but such an idiot would always do many idiotic things. For example, previously, he had been unable to do anything to Long Chen, so he had targeted the Dragonblood Legion.
He had no scruples about doing something so despicable. He had no taboos, and if he allowed this idiot to continue living, he would very likely do something like that again. Long Chen would prefer to not give him that chance.
Originally, with the primal chaos bead’s power, Long Chen should do his best to go slaughter Celestials and gather Heavenly Dao Fruits. But he did his best to avoid that. That would make him a greedy killer, and eventually, he would become captive to his greed. If he couldn’t keep his heart clear, then one day, he would do something he would regret.
&n
bsp; But Shui Guanzhi was definitely an exception. Killing him wouldn’t make him feel the slightest bit bad. Looking at his back, Long Chen smiled icily.
Six hours after they had all gathered, the world suddenly trembled. The scenery around them changed and they appeared at a large mountain valley. Mist completely obscured the inside of the valley.
“This is the second trial: the Nine Netherworld Path!” announced the vice sect master.
Chapter 724 Goofing Off
The mountain valley appeared both real and illusory at the same time. It seemed like a painting that was constantly fluctuating. It was clearly there, yet it somehow felt unreal.
Mist filled the valley, making it impossible to see what was inside. But it somehow felt like endless mysteries were waiting to be explored inside.
“This is the Nine Netherworld Path. It is different from the first trial. This trial is focused on a person’s soul and will. Furthermore, there is great danger inside, and there is the possibility of dying at any time. So I would advise people with weak Spiritual Strength to not participate.”
Hearing the vice sect master’s words, the Dragonblood warriors all looked at Gu Yang. Gu Yang sighed. It seemed this trial had no affinity with him.
His Spiritual Strength was too lacking. To avoid him being instantly killed by even an ordinary soul cultivator, Guo Ran had made him a protective soul item, and Meng Qi had personally poured her soul energy into it.
The vice sect master continued, “The Nine Netherworld Path is filled with countless dangers. Illusions appear at every corner. If you can’t distinguish between what is real and what is an illusion, you will lose your life. Don’t think that this trial is the same as the Xuantian Sea. This trial is created from Spiritual Strength. I’m sure you can imagine just how many souls are required to activate such a huge trial!”
Even Long Chen’s heart shook. This trial required souls to activate? Could it be that they had gathered the Spiritual Strength left by dying experts?
“I’m sure you all remember that the final trial to enter your monasteries was battling those Corrupt corpses. Those corpses are gathered from the battlefields of the Righteous and Corrupt paths. The souls that are comparatively complete are sealed in the corpses and used as a trial.
“But on the battlefields of the true experts, the majority of the experts have their souls extinguished in the battle. Their leftover Spiritual Strength is then gathered to activate the Nine Netherworld Path.
“So the Nine Netherworld Path contains endless grievance and resentment in it. You’ll run into all kinds of dangers. If you sense a danger to your life, you can crush the jade plates that were distributed to you previously. Then you’ll be automatically transported out.
“However, you absolutely cannot assume that this jade plate will save your life. The majority of the dangers inside are targeted toward the soul. It’s very likely that you won’t even have a chance to crush the jade before dying!” warned the vice sect master.
Everyone’s hearts felt heavy, especially those people without powerful Spiritual Strength.
But the Nine Netherworld Path was one of the Xuantian Dao Sect’s trials. The benefits inside had to be immense. Although the vice sect master had only mentioned the dangers, opportunity and risk existed together. This was definitely an opportunity that couldn’t be missed.
“Finally, let me warn you about one last thing. You absolutely, absolutely cannot try to see your future in the trial.” The vice sect master’s gaze roved across Long Chen and the Four Heavenly Geniuses.
Zhong Wuyan and the others’ hearts trembled. To make the vice sect master warn them so solemnly, this matter had to be incredibly important. They firmly remembered his warning.
After a couple of hours, the mountain valley in front of them stopped fluctuating. The vice sect master waved his hand. “The trial of the Nine Netherworld Path begins now!”
But this time, people were clearly much more cautious. There weren’t any fools who charged in. The Xuantian Dao Sect’s trials were kept as a secret from the disciples, and none of them wanted to be the tester for others.
“Long Chen, let’s go. I can sense there’s something I want inside.” Meng Qi pulled Long Chen and Tang Wan-er toward the valley.
Long Chen gave the others a warning before the three of them entered. The valley entrance wasn’t huge, being only a hundred meters wide. The heavy mist inside possessed powerful spiritual fluctuations.
Meng Qi, Tang Wan-er, and Long Chen entered the mist together. The other disciples were constantly paying close attention to them, so they were all shocked once they entered. At that moment, their three spiritual fluctuations completely disappeared, almost as if a monster had swallowed them. They felt a chill as this was too strange. But seeing the vice sect master’s expressionless face, they could only summon their courage and walk in as well.
Long Chen had been holding their hands the whole time, but when he entered the mist, he suddenly felt his hands become empty. At the same time, the mist faded to reveal a mountain path.
The mist was still extremely heavy, and he could only see a few meters in front of himself. This mist was extremely strange. His Spiritual Strength was unable to go through it. There was no way for him to activate his divine sense.
Suddenly, a roar came from behind him. Long Chen hastily turned back to see a thirty-meter flame leopard attack him.
Long Chen was startled. How was it that he hadn’t sensed this leopard approaching him? He hastily punched out.
But his fist went straight through the leopard’s body.
“It’s a spiritual attack!” As expected, this leopard was nothing more than soul energy, and it directly attacked his soul. Long Chen snorted. Forming a hand seal, a spiritual arrow shot out of his forehead and struck the leopard.
The leopard immediately transformed into incredibly pure Spiritual Strength and surged toward Long Chen. He was somewhat startled, and he cautiously absorbed a strand of that Spiritual Strength.
“How pure!” Long Chen was shocked. The leopard had actually transformed into pure Spiritual Strength when it was killed, and it was the kind of Spiritual Strength that could be absorbed to strengthen a person’s soul.
“Unfortunately, this thing is useless to me,” he sighed.
His cultivation path was different from other people’s. This Spiritual Strength actually contained a trace of energy that increased a person’s mental realm. But he cultivated the Nine Star Hegemon Body Art, and his Spiritual Strength increased with his cultivation base. As for comprehension? He had no need for it. He had no bottleneck to speak of, so he had no need for comprehension.
But that flame leopard had truly been extremely lifelike. Furthermore, it was impossible to sense spiritual fluctuations here. Even Long Chen had thought it had been a real Magical Beast.
Long Chen followed the path. Occasionally, more spiritual beasts would attack him. But they were each killed in one blow by him.
He realized the benefits that the Nine Netherworld Path gave. He didn’t know how they had done this, but they had gathered the resentful spirits from the battlefields and turned them into pure Spiritual Strength. The Xuantian Dao Sect’s foundation was shocking.
At the same time, he felt excitement for Meng Qi and Tang Wan-er. The two of them had powerful souls, and the benefits they could obtain here were unimaginable. That was especially true for Meng Qi. This place was practically a holy land for her.
As he advanced, the spiritual Magical Beasts became stronger. But it was nothing to Long Chen.
After walking for a long time, a surprising figure appeared in front of him.
“Shui Guanzhi!”
Long Chen was surprised to run into Shui Guanzhi here. Shui Guanzhi didn’t say a word; however, he suddenly formed hand seals, and a huge water prison appeared around Long Chen.
“Break!” Long Chen roared and his Spiritual Strength surged out. The water prison was instantly broken. But at the same time, Shui Guanzhi disappe
ared and a transparent figure appeared in his stead.
Long Chen shot out a spiritual arrow that caused that figure to explode, filling the air with pure Spiritual Strength.
Long Chen had truly been startled to see Shui Guanzhi here. But as soon as Shui Guanzhi had used a magical art, he had noticed some clues. The Nine Netherworld Path was special, and other than soul energy, no other energy could be used. There was no way for Shui Guanzhi to use a magical art.
So as soon as Shui Guanzhi had attacked, Long Chen had released his Spiritual Strength, destroying the illusion of Shui Guanzhi.
After that figure was destroyed, Long Chen sensed a faint aura that made it seem like that figure had had some kind of faint intelligence. It was extremely strange.
Long Chen couldn’t be bothered to absorb the Spiritual Strength from that figure. This Spiritual Strength was useless to him. As long as he didn’t use too much of his Spiritual Strength, there was no need for him to absorb it. He quickened his footsteps as there was something he wanted here.
While Long Chen was rapidly advancing, the other disciples had also entered the Nine Netherworld Path. There were three others that stayed behind with Gu Yang. They were all people with incredibly weak Spiritual Strength. If they entered, then just an ordinary spiritual beast would kill them.
These four people were all stocky fellows who seemed to specialize in brute force. They looked at each other sympathetically.
The vice sect master waited until everyone had entered the Nine Netherworld Path to take out a strange chessboard. This was no ordinary chessboard. In truth, it was a map.
The map revealed an extremely complicated and interweaving labyrinth. There were countless dots of light that slowly appeared.
Each of those dots represented a disciple. With so many dots, no one could tell who was who.
“Eh, why is that dot so much brighter than the others?” asked a monastery head.
“This disciple killed comparatively more spiritual beasts and absorbed more Spiritual Strength than the others. For someone to already have such a huge lead at the very start, who could it be?” One of the monastery heads who had attended the trial multiple times explained.