Trial Begins

Suddenly, a dazzling white light shot straight into the vast sky like a sharp arrow. Then, a huge yellow character—"Yellow"—appeared on the mysterious God Testing Stele.

This strange sight was like thunder on a clear day, drawing startled cries from the surrounding crowd. And the one who had triggered this shocking phenomenon was actually a female disciple of the Crimson Sun Sect.

The woman wore a hood, and a veil as thin as cicada wings covered her face, making it impossible to see her true features. Yet she remained composed, without the slightest trace of panic. Only the faint tremble in her eyes revealed a hint of barely restrained excitement.

The Crimson Sun Sect woman casually swept her gaze over their Senior Brother Hong, then stepped gracefully toward the stone platform and entered the protective barrier without the slightest obstruction.

The woman glanced indifferently at Zhang Tie but said nothing. She simply sat down cross-legged, closed her eyes, and entered a meditative state.

Just as the Crimson Sun Sect woman sat down, another brilliant white pillar of light surged into the clouds like a dragon emerging from the abyss. Then, the pillar instantly shifted from pure white to a vivid blood-red, while a striking red character—"Profound"—appeared clearly upon the God Testing Stele.

Zhang Tie looked up again. It was none other than the imposing Senior Brother Hong of the Crimson Sun Sect. His face was filled with arrogance, as though everything lay within his grasp, as though this was only natural and should have been so. Then he strode toward the Teleportation Array.

When Senior Brother Hong reached the protective barrier, he stepped through without hesitation and entered as though it took no effort at all. He stopped steadily several zhang away from Zhang Tie. The dozens outside also halted their tests and swiftly gathered into a row, each holding their breath and staring intently, as though they all sensed that something spectacular was about to happen.

"Hand over all your tokens, and I may spare your life," Senior Brother Hong said sternly, his eyes fixed on Zhang Tie like lightning.

The Crimson Sun Sect female disciple not far from Zhang Tie also rose abruptly at his words. Together with Senior Brother Hong, she stood on one side each, faintly forming a pincer formation around him.

"You want the tokens? Then come and take them yourself. But let me warn you first: this is an ancient Teleportation Array left behind from ancient times. If we start fighting here and I accidentally destroy some of the runes or array inscriptions, do any of you have someone capable of finding the necessary materials and restoring it?" Zhang Tie remained seated calmly on the ground without even raising his head. Unhurriedly, he continued, "Of course, if you believe you can kill me in an instant, then feel free to try."

"Hmph! Can't you act like a real man and go outside to fight Senior Brother Hong fair and square? Hiding in here all the time—what kind of man does that make you?" the Crimson Sun Sect woman behind Zhang Tie shouted furiously.

"Hehe, you, a female Body Refining cultivator covered in lumps of flesh, are actually talking to me about what makes a man. No wonder you've wrapped yourself up so tightly. Are you too ashamed to show your face?" Zhang Tie said with a mocking smile.

"You shameless bastard!" The girl in red robes seemed to have had her sore spot struck. She instantly lost control, her pretty face flushing red as she glared at him and cursed, "I'll tear you to pieces!" With that, she charged forward recklessly, intending to fight Zhang Tie to the death.

"Enough! We'll put this matter on account for now and settle it after the trial ends." Senior Brother Hong frowned and barked sharply. Though the woman in red was burning with rage, she did not dare defy him. She could only force down her anger and return resentfully to her spot, sitting back down. Her chest still heaved, showing that her fury had yet to subside.

"The Crimson Fire Sect truly is different from the rest. Every one of you has such a fiery temper, always shouting about killing people at the slightest provocation. What imposing prestige," Zhang Tie sneered. Senior Brother Hong merely snorted coldly and said no more, though his expression grew increasingly grim and a chilling gleam flickered in his eyes.

Seeing that there would be no entertainment after all, the onlookers could only return dejectedly to their places, line up again, and continue the tests one after another.

In less than an hour, everyone had completed their tests. There were eleven people with Yellow-grade aptitude and only two with Profound-grade aptitude. Naturally, Zhang Tie was not included among them, because nearly everyone had concluded that he possessed only Yellow-grade aptitude.

The other person with Profound-grade aptitude had a rather peculiar appearance. His hair hung loose and disheveled, his skin was as pale as if he had just recovered from a long illness, and beneath his thick brows were narrow eyes. His hooked nose stood high, while his blood-colored lips made him look particularly eerie.

He wore a black robe and carried an enormous black coffin on his back, one far wider than his own body. With a single glance, one could tell that he was undoubtedly a disciple of the Corpse Refining Sect.

Ever since Zhang Tie saw this Corpse Refining Sect disciple, he had been full of doubts. Why do these people always carry such heavy coffins around? Don't they get tired? Why not put them in a Storage Pouch? Could it be that they can't be stored inside? Is it because it looks cool?

Zhang Tie shook his head, trying to cast those chaotic thoughts from his mind and not dwell on them any further. At present, the two sides were roughly evenly matched, so no conflict would break out within the Teleportation Array for the time being, and it would be difficult to start a fight outside as well. Thus, everyone quietly waited for the trial to begin.

And so, everyone cultivated on their own, remaining at peace with one another. Although disciples from several more sects arrived during this time, including one from the Hundred Blossoms Sect, none of the latecomers possessed Yellow-grade Body Refining aptitude or above.

The long wait of nine days finally came to an end.

While everyone was still immersed in the quiet peace of seated cultivation, the nine stone pillars on the Teleportation Array suddenly erupted with dazzling white light without warning. Then, the runes across the array began to glow slowly with mysterious spiritual radiance like awakened serpents. The surrounding Spiritual Qi seemed drawn by an invisible force and surged madly into the two mouths of the monster-like figure at the center of the Teleportation Array.

About a quarter of an hour later, while everyone was still immersed in extreme shock, the bodies of every person within the Teleportation Array were instantly enveloped in a gentle white light and vanished without a trace. At the same time, the nine stone pillars on the array erupted with even more dazzling white light, shooting straight into the heavens.

At the far end of the pillar of light, the outline of another mysterious space could faintly be seen. Countless palaces stood scattered throughout it, each exquisitely crafted with carved beams and painted rafters, breathtakingly beautiful, as though they were the dwellings of immortals.

Just as everyone was utterly astonished and shaken by the dreamlike sight before them, the white pillar of light and the strange scene at the edge of the sky suddenly vanished completely, as though everything had always been peaceful and nothing had ever happened.

With this group of powerful Body Refining cultivators teleported away, the disparity in strength among those remaining became instantly apparent. Whether in numbers or individual strength, the Corpse Refining Sect and Thousand Puppet Sect held a clear advantage.

A fierce battle erupted at once like an exploding volcano. Fireballs, ice spikes, flying swords, massive hammers, puppets, zombies, and all manner of spells and magic artifacts filled the entire area like scattering blossoms. Maniacal laughter, shouts, and cries of despair tangled into a chaotic mess. Those fleeing scattered like startled birds, while their pursuers pounced like hungry wolves, leaving the scene in complete chaos.

Meanwhile, several li away, an ordinary-looking youth with dark skin looked back and listened to the fierce sounds of battle coming from near the Teleportation Array. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly as he muttered, "Hmph, the tokens are gone, and they failed the test anyway. What are those idiots still staying there to watch?" With that, he rose on the wind and vanished without a trace within a few breaths.