Beihe World Star, First Stage Trial Passed!
Under the Zhao Prince's Residence, in the Wind River Grotto Heaven, there stands a towering tree that seems to be covered with golden eyes.
"Metaphor~"
An eye opened within the tree's heart, and dark golden ripples spread forward along the void.
A thousand miles away from the Thousand Illusion Tree, a black-haired youth sat cross-legged on a flat boulder.
Faced with the overwhelming pressure from all sides, the young man closed his eyes, his brows unmoved, like a reef in a raging torrent.
Suddenly, the Thousand Illusion Tree stopped shaking, and a phantom image of a middle-aged man dressed in scholar's robes emerged from its core.
"Your Emperor Lord Realm, there are only three years left before the Primordial Convention begins. You still need to rush to the Beihe World Star."
It's time to end this training.
"That's pretty fast." Zhao Xing immediately opened his eyes and glanced at the panel.
Name: Zhao Xing
[Realm Level: Perfected Minor Mystic Power Realm]
Occupation: Agricultural Official
[Dojo: Lunar Yin First Tier]
Age: 4210
[Remaining lifespan: 2.99 epochs]
[Giant Yang Clone (Small): Mystic Power Sixth Tier]
[Slaughter Thought Blade (Small): Ninth Order of Divine Power]
[Mind Bell (Small): Mystic Power Sixth Tier]
[Marrow Extraction Divine Power (Minor): Fifth Tier of Divine Power]
[Purple Light Eight Disciplines (Small): Perfection of Supernatural Powers]
[Three Gods Fate Palace (Small): Perfect Supernatural Powers]
[Soul Heaven Vision (Small): Mystic Power Sixth Tier]
[Divine Fire Turtle Transformation (Small): Fifth Tier of Supernatural Power]
"Over a hundred years of cultivation have yielded remarkable results." Zhao Xing was very satisfied. His practice in killing the Octagonal Demon Turtle had significantly improved his mental and spiritual abilities.
As for the Great Divine Power Five Finger Mountain, I haven't learned it yet, so it doesn't appear on the panel.
Zhao Xing waved his hand forward, and the Thousand Illusion Tree immediately withdrew its supernatural power. Then its size shrank rapidly, and it was soon only half a person's height, landing in Zhao Xing's palm as if it had grown on his hand.
Zhao Xing appeared at the entrance of Wind River Grotto Heaven in a flash.
Then they saw a majestic black dog standing at the entrance of Wind River Grotto Heaven, next to which was a red goat and a large cat with black and purple markings.
"Meow~" Proud Sky Cat jumped onto Zhao Xing's shoulder and lay down.
The Howling Sky Dog jumped onto Zhao Xing's arm, then sniffed at the Thousand Illusion Tree and even licked it with its tongue.
"Get out of here, you stupid dog!" The Thousand Illusion Tree shook its branches, sending the Howling Sky Dog flying.
"Meow~" The Howling Sky Dog let out a strange cry and immediately climbed up Zhao Xing's arm, lying down on his right shoulder.
"~~" The Inverted Sheep with red fur on its head missed a good spot and cried out in frustration.
"Woof woof~" Sky Howl stretched out his paws, mercilessly mocking the little red-haired boy.
The Illusory Heaven Sheep glanced at Zhao Xing's various positions before finally jumping and standing on Zhao Xing's chest.
As long as it's not at a 90-degree angle, it can land anywhere!
Zhao Xing smiled gently, reached out and picked the lamb, placing it in a spot next to Howling Sky Dog.
Upon exiting the Grotto-Heaven, one finds a considerable number of people already waiting inside the Zhao Prince's Residence.
Including Liu Tianning, Long Xiao, Chen Shijie, Mi Fu, Ye Yukong, Lu Ying, Xia Jing —almost all the important officials of the Great Zhou were here.
Faced with the Red Star Empire's once-in-three-thousand-years grand event, Ji Che temporarily suspended his field investigations and ordered his men to return. He only brought a limited number of people, including Ji Si and Wei Hong, who remained in the field.
"Zhao Xing, you're finally out." Long Xiao was in full military uniform. "We need to hurry. There are only three years left before the start of the new year. It will still take us several months to get to Beihe World Star."
"What's the rush, little guard?" Xia Jing said slowly.
"You!" Long Xiao glared angrily.
"Ha ha ha ha."
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Is everyone here?" Zhao Xing asked.
"All the people who registered for Great Zhou are here," Lu Ying said. "A total of 312 people."
"Then let's set off." Zhao Xing waved his hand, and a Realm Boat shaped like Mountain Cat appeared. Immediately, all 312 people entered the interior of the Wildcat Realm Boat.
After entering the Realm Boat, Zhao Xing began to review the detailed rules announced by the Primordial Convention through the Star Mirror.
[Imperial citizen Zhao Xing is welcome to register for the Primordial Convention]
The Primordial Convention consisted of four rounds of assessments.
The first round of assessments will take place on the administrative Realm Star of the empire's various Higher Star System.
[Your assessment location is: Beihe Star System, Beihe World Star.]
Registration has closed. A total of 724.1 billion people registered for this registration in the Beihe Star System.
"The Beihe Star System only has a little over 700 billion stars."
Zhao Xing registered as soon as the registration channel opened.
At the time, hundreds of millions of people signed up in just three minutes, but a century later, only over 700 billion people signed up.
Seven hundred billion seems like a lot, but the Beihe Star System contains more than a trillion Yin Yang Twin Stars, not to mention countless Realm Star and Star Continent.
However, the Life-Bearing World Star and Star Continent are much smaller. All of them, large and small, together amount to only a little over 80 billion.
"The Milky Way Galaxy has 400 billion stars, and the Beihe Star System is only slightly larger than the Milky Way Galaxy. Its development level is far inferior to that of the Beiye Star System where Jing Yan is located," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
"A registration fee of 10,000 Red Star Coin? Just collecting registration fees alone would be a huge income."
However, compared to the previous dozen or so sessions, this number has been declining year by year.
"The fiscal deficit of the Beihe Star System is continuing to grow..."
"Lai Empire's development has reached a bottleneck. No wonder they're so eager to expand into new territories."
Zhao Xing flipped through various data. As the Grand Minister of Agriculture, looking at all kinds of data, especially financial data, had become an unconscious habit.
This Primordial Convention is absolutely fair and impartial. All participants are at the Source Origin Realm, and no participant may use their own Dao Soldiers, Pet Beast, or Plant Soldier.
[After the first round of assessments concludes, the second round will begin 100 years later, taking place in the twenty-eight top-tier star systems of the Red Star Empire.]
The second round of assessments has concluded. The third round will begin after 100 minutes, at the same location.
[The third round of assessments has ended. The fourth round will begin after 100, and the assessment location will be the ' Primordial Beginning Realm '.]
There are a total of four rounds of selection. Once you reach the fourth round, you can go and take a look at the Primordial Beginning Realm.
If you want to stay and continue your studies, you need to pass the fourth round.
"According to the calculations of the ' Great Derivation Divine Weapon ' and the situation in previous years, out of the more than 700 billion people in the Beihe Star System, only about 15,000 people will be able to pass the test."
"The competition is fierce."
Of the more than 700 billion people, the Great Derivation Divine Weapon predicts that only 15,000 will pass the test.
"However, with the start of this grand event, many top-tier forces will be going to the Beihe World Star to conduct assessments. The entry requirements for these top-tier forces are much lower than those in the Primordial Beginning Realm."
In short, there are still many ways to cultivate oneself.
At the same time, Ten Thousand Hearts Island also began its assessment in various administrative star systems.
If you can't get into the holy site, you can try other places.
In short, the Beihe World Star is currently bustling with activity.
With 312 people from Great Zhou, it's not like they'll make a wasted trip; it's good for them to broaden their horizons.
Three months later, the Wildcat Realm Boat had already entered the Beihe World Star.
As the center of the entire Beihe Star System, the Beihe World Star is a top-level Realm Star, but because the entire system is not large, it is only rated as a "Higher Star System".
Under orderly guidance, Zhao Xing and the others entered the Realm Star and saw seventy-two huge light gates on the Boundary Wall of the Beihe World Star, as if they were embedded in the Boundary Wall.
"The seventy-two gates of light are the seventy-two entrances to the assessment site."
"Which area were the teachers assigned to?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Entrance 9," Liu Tianning pointed to the sky. "And you?"
"Number 8," Zhao Xing said. "Is anyone else using the same entrance as me?"
"Me," Chen Shijie said.
"Me too." Xia Jing, Mi Fu, and Ye Yukong also stepped forward.
There are a total of 23 people, all in court number 8.
"There are only two years left in the countdown. We can go inside to prepare for the battle." Zhao Xing put away the Mountain Cat Realm Boat.
In fact, the entrance had already started twenty years ago, so Zhao Xing and his group were considered to have arrived relatively late.
"I wish you all success in completing the game."
"Action!"
With a whoosh, 312 people flew into their respective entrances.
Under the vast starry sky, Zhao Xing appeared on a floating platform with an oval-shaped light shield, surrounded by clouds and mist, with a portal behind him.
Zhao Xing looked up and saw the number 9510 written on the door, along with a countdown to the start of the assessment.
"Buzz~"
At the top of the door frame was a crystal ball. When Zhao Xing entered, a light and shadow appeared, accompanied by a sound.
"I am the spirit of the Great Derivation Divine Weapon. Your every action is under surveillance. After the assessment begins, please do not do anything that violates the assessment rules, including but not limited to consuming pills or using equipment—."
Zhao Xing listened quietly.
After repeating this three times, the spirit of the Great Derivation Divine Weapon fell silent.
Zhao Xing turned around and looked around.
Because of the fog all around, it was impossible to see the outside world, let alone know what the assessment would entail; the only thing visible was a starry sky above.
The fog will only dissipate once the assessment officially begins.
Zhao Xing didn't look at it for long. He closed his eyes to rest and adjust himself to his peak condition.
The third to last day before the start of the first round of the Primordial Convention.
"Metaphor~"
Within the crystal sphere atop the portal, the spirit of the Great Derivation Divine Weapon reappeared.
It emitted a gentle light, awakening Zhao Xing, who was meditating.
"The assessment will begin at 7:00 AM two days from now. Please be prepared."
Zhao Xing opened his eyes and looked at the side of the light gate.
At this moment, a stone tablet rose up at the foot of the gate of light. On it was a line of gray text:
[Current remaining population: 712 billion]
Since the assessment has not yet started, the numbers have not changed.
"I have to hold out until only 15,000 people remain before I can possibly pass," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "The longer I hold out, the better."
The figure of 15,000 is a predicted number for the Great Derivation Divine Weapon, and it may not be accurate.
In the highly competitive Beiye Star System, this number is 890,000, depending mainly on the density of cultivators.
The most prosperous Imperial Capital Star System requires 80 million people to pass the first round! This is because the spiritual environment of the Imperial Capital Star System is better, resulting in the birth of more geniuses.
Of course, in order to prevent citizens of high-spiritual-energy star systems from registering in other regions, the Primordial Convention will verify their identity and household registration. Those whose identities have changed within the past three thousand years can only return to their place of origin to participate in the registration.
The assessment intensity in star systems with high spiritual energy is naturally higher, allowing their potential to be tapped earlier. Conversely, the assessment intensity in star systems with low spiritual energy is lower, leaving much untapped potential.
"As expected, the First Stage in this year's assessment will be a ' Thousand Illusion Tree '."
"I wonder what level the Thousand Illusion Tree in the Beihe Star System is," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
"I remember the Thousand Illusion Tree in the Imperial Capital Star System is at the mid-stage of the Yin Yang Dao Domain Realm, and the floating platform will keep getting closer, which will gradually intensify the mental impact."
Zhao Xing possessed a Thousand Illusion Tree, which he had been using for cultivation for the past hundred years.
People from the Great Zhou would occasionally come to Wind River Grotto Heaven to cultivate, but Zhao Xing did not force them.
The difficulty of the assessment is there; even if you prepare in advance, if you lack talent, you will still be eliminated. Forcing it is pointless.
Two days later, the spirit of the Great Derivation Divine Weapon delivered a majestic voice.
"The assessment begins!"
As the sound faded, the surrounding clouds and mist instantly dissipated.
"Metaphor~"
In the starry sky ahead, a colossal tree appeared, its branches blotting out the sun, radiating golden light like the Solar Yang itself.
Countless dark gold leaves, with veins resembling eyes, almost filled the entire starry sky.
"Whoosh~" The Thousand Illusion Tree shook its leaves, and the mental impact was everywhere, piercing into the barrier.
Zhao Xing didn't even blink.
"At a distance of 100 million miles from the Thousand Illusion Tree, this intensity is about the same as a tickle."
Zhao Xing doesn't need to worry about getting injured. There's a recovery Magic Array inside the barrier. If he gets injured and can't hold on, he'll be immediately moved away and given recovery treatment, which will eliminate him.
Zhao Xing glanced at the stone tablet next to the light gate and blinked.
Because the number of remaining people displayed on the stone tablet suddenly dropped to 600 billion.
"So many people were eliminated in just one second?"
"There are so many people joining in the fun."
"Ten thousand yuan is still money."
The assessment has just begun and the intensity is very low; it's only the first stage. Anyone who has undergone willpower training can easily withstand it.
However, many people were still eliminated due to the unexpected circumstances.
"The assessments at the Primordial Convention, whether for the first or Third Realm, are all conducted together. The First Stage's test of spiritual will is the same for everyone, regardless of profession."
Dao Domain Realm Dao Domain Realm do not participate because they are usually over ten thousand years old, which no longer meets the threshold. Moreover, if Dao Domain Realm were to guard Desolate Territory, even Five Elements Dao Domain Realm cultivator could exchange two or three thousand years for the opportunity to enter the Primordial Beginning Realm for further study.
The Grand Mystic Power Realm is extremely rare. Among a billion Third Realm, not everyone might be able to break through to the Source Origin Realm and continue their cultivation there. The Primordial Beginning Realm is for those with Major Divine Ability.
"I wonder if there are two thousand Major Divine Ability in this year's Beihe Star System?" Zhao Xing wondered. Without any data to refer to, he didn't know.
However, even those with Major Divine Ability are not guaranteed to pass the test. It is possible that the Major Divine Ability they cultivate may not be suitable for passing the test.
For example, even though Zhao Xing has now mastered the Great Divine Power Five Finger Mountain, it is of no use to the willpower barrier; he still can't withstand it.
"Boom!"
After the first day, the platform began to move forward.
Zhao Xing also saw countless points of light; those were other contestants, but he couldn't make them out very clearly.
The barrier protects the participants from interfering with each other.
"There are still over 300 billion left." Zhao Xing glanced at the remaining number of people, closed his eyes, and began cultivating.
Zhao Xing was relaxed, but it was a different story for others.
The Thousand Illusion Tree's innate Major Divine Ability power, the "Thousand Illusion Eye," constantly erodes everyone's mind.
On the first day, 54 people in the Third Realm the Great Zhou were eliminated.
"Indigo brush~"
After being eliminated, these people were all thrown out.
They returned to a resettlement area on the Beihe World Star.
"The mental and physical challenge is really difficult." After appearing, King Qin Feng of Beichen couldn't help but sigh.
In the Profound Yellow World, he was among the first batch of experts to break through to the Rule Realm. Back then, it was his queen and brother-in-law who were turned into chickens and dogs by Zhao Xing.
"King Beichen, you've been eliminated too?" A military officer looked at King Beichen, Qin Feng.
"I am ashamed." North Star King shook his head.
"It seems that simply pursuing strength is not enough; training the mind and will is also very important," another Qi Sect general sighed.
In the Third Realm, their main pursuit is to explore the treasures within their bodies, and they focus all their energy on this.
Everyone knows that willpower and mental strength are weaknesses, but not everyone tries to make up for them.
"Normally, I think buying a treasure for self-defense is enough. Can my own Ascetic Practice and cultivation really compare to a treasure forged by a master craftsman?"
"When operating in groups, Qi Sect Martial Practitioner are usually paired with teammates from the Soul Path."
"With the protection of the Dao soldiers, I don't feel that this is a weakness."
"Looking at it now, I realize it was really necessary," North Star King remarked.
I was instantly defeated on the first day; the experience was completely unenjoyable!
I paid 10,000 Red Star Coin for registration, and only played for one day. I'm so embarrassed.
"What the North Star King says is true," many military officers echoed.
In reality, it's just talk.
Without demand, there is no motivation for cultivation.
Assessment is assessment, and reality is reality. In reality, with powerful protectors around, who would Ascetic Practice arduous spiritual cultivation?
Why not take the Shortcut? Isn't that just self-torture?
Of course, there are also those like the North Star King who seriously considered undergoing intensive mental training in the future.
Beiye Star System, under the starry sky, on Floating Platform 10000.
Yu Tianqing looked at the Thousand Illusion Tree, somewhat bewildered.
"It's begun? Is this tree the test?"
"Strange—I don't feel anything at all."
A thousand years have passed, Yu Tianqing's [Eye of Insight] has become much stronger, but it is still in the early stages of development.
After the assessment began, he felt nothing for the entire day.
They even mistakenly believed that they didn't feel anything because they were under a powerful illusion.
"We still need to cheer up."
Yu Tianqing muttered to himself.
In the same place, Jing Yan frowned.
"The First Stage is mental fortitude, which is quite troublesome."
Jing Yan had once vowed to improve his mental will in the Realm Transmission, but after going back in time, he forgot about it.
He has now reached the Third Realm, but he is not particularly outstanding in this aspect.
Faced with numerous competitors, Jing Yan was not confident that he could survive until the end.
"If I could enter the Primordial Beginning Realm to cultivate, and spend three thousand years cultivating, I might be able to break into the top ten thousand in the succession order."
"However, my willpower is only at the fourth level, just past the beginner stage."
"Let's give it a try." Jing Yan began to cram at the last minute, using the Thousand Illusion Tree to cultivate his willpower.
On Liu Tianning's floating platform in the Beihe Star System.
Liu Tianning emptied his mind and body, letting the power of the Thousand Illusion Tree impact him.
He cultivated a divine power of will called "Mirror Heart Lake," which was also purchased from Ten Thousand Hearts Island and is a prerequisite for the Major Divine Ability "Mind River."
Unlike Zhao Xing, Liu Tianning began cultivating in this area a thousand years ago when he came to the Red Star Empire.
Because Liu Tianning had suffered from the aftereffects of the Straw Man Art during the Profound Yellow World, it was Zhao Xing who resolved the trouble Derivation God Art.
Even after entering the cosmic realm, Liu Tianning still enjoyed studying various Straw Man Art.
To avoid repeating the same mistakes, he also attached great importance to spiritual cultivation, even placing it as the top priority in his spiritual practice.
"If your heart is like a clear mirror, but it is disturbed, you will quickly realize that you have been attacked." Liu Tianning stared at the Thousand Illusion Tree, calm and composed.
"The Mirror Heart Lake is now complete, but how can one grasp the Major Divine Ability Mind River?"
"This Thousand Illusion Tree at Zhao Xing's place seems to be different."
Liu Tianning pondered for a moment, then decided to lower his guard and take the initiative to meet the attack of the Thousand Illusion Tree.
A ripple stirred in Liu Tianning's heart, and a series of illusions appeared in his eyes.
He walked consciously on the lake of his heart, and with each step he took, ripples appeared beneath his feet.
Liu Tianning observed and reflected upon the text.
As time went by, the floating platform gradually approached the Thousand Illusion Tree.
The difficulty of the assessment has gradually increased, and the number of people eliminated has also increased rapidly.
Beihe World Star, 82451 Floating Platform.
Xia Jing's face turned bitter.
He rubbed his eyes and found that what he saw was no longer the Thousand Illusion Tree, but a giant fish-beast in front of him.
The giant fish opened its blood-red maw, its teeth like sharp saw blades, spraying corrosive mucus.
Xia Jing could almost smell the strong fishy odor.
"Damn it! I'm not afraid of eating fish anymore, so why do I keep having these illusions?" Xia Jing cursed, determined to strengthen his resolve.
Time flies, and a year and nine months have passed since the assessment began.
"Boom!"
Floating platform 9510, moving forward again.
Zhao Xing opened his eyes and looked at the stone tablet beside him.
[Remaining number of participants: 2,150,045.]
"Only two million people remain."
"The mental impact of the Thousand Illusion Tree is already very high."
Before this, Zhao Xing didn't need to use the "Slaughter Thought Blade" to resist at all.
By relying closely on one's own "mental resilience," one can maintain a clear mind.
But now, he had no choice but to begin using his willpower to suppress the distracting thoughts that kept rising in his mind.
Otherwise, this distracting thought would drive him to voluntarily withdraw from the portal, thus eliminating him from the game.
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Zhao Xing's eyes glowed red as he began to suppress the distracting thoughts arising in his mind with killing intent.
Soon, the thought of quitting disappeared from his mind.
"One year and nine months, I wonder how many people are left in the Great Zhou," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
In the central area of Beihe World Star, there is a Beihe King's Residence.
Inside a magnificent golden hall of the Prince's Palace, Beihe King Yang Lin of the Northern River was looking at a huge water mirror.
As a star system lord appointed by the emperor of the empire, the Beihe King is at the Reincarnation Realm and has already experienced fifty-six Reincarnation trials.
Even with such a powerful figure, the Beihe King still treated the two figures in the hall with great respect.
One is Zuo Qiyu, the "Primordial Envoy" of the Primordial Realm, who is the Si Nong of the Original Self Sect in the Reincarnation Realm.
The other figure was a Mechanical Puppet made entirely of silver, which was a variant of the Great Derivation Divine Weapon called "Chen Jiu".
The Great Derivation Divine Weapon is a mechanical divine object, and its variants are categorized according to the twelve two-hour periods of the day, each with different functions.
The Mechanical Puppet Chen Jiu possesses the full strength of Emperor Lord Level, and is therefore also known as Emperor Chen Jiu. These two are the "chief examiners" sent by the Empire to be in charge of the assessment in the Beihe Star System.
"That's about enough," Emperor Chen Jiu said. "Beihe King, move the space within this realm."
"Yes." The Beihe King nodded and immediately began to cooperate.
"Left Envoy, please raise the power of the Thousand Illusion Tree to the early stage of the Five Elements Dao Domain Realm." Chen Jiu then looked at the Primordial Beginning Envoy, Zuo Qiyu.
The latter was dressed in a white robe embroidered with various plants, and had a somewhat sinister and eerie aura on his face.
Facing Emperor Chen Jiu, he simply gave a soft "hmm".
"That's enough," Chen Jiu said. "Next, we'll eliminate everyone until only 50,000 remain."
At the beginning of the third year after the assessment began, the power of the Thousand Illusion Tree began to increase.
All the floating platforms moved closer to a range of five thousand miles, and then it activated its second innate Major Divine Ability, [Tree Heart Puppet].
Zhao Xing was originally sitting cross-legged, but now his legs seemed to want to stand up.
"Um?"
T
Zhao Xing immediately pressed his hands against his feet, and the red light in his eyes grew even stronger.
The shaking in her legs stopped quickly.
"The Tree Heart Puppet has activated."
"The forms of psychological attacks have changed."
"The first year was the Thousand Illusion Eye, a pure shock to the soul."
"In the second year, the Thousand Illusion Eye began to trigger various illusions and activate all kinds of human emotions."
"In the past two years, the focus was on consciousness itself, but now it has begun to affect the body, and has penetrated to the level of 'life instinct'."
Zhao Xing took a deep breath and intensified his Slaughter Thought Blade, but his legs were still trembling.
At this moment, his legs seemed to have a mind of their own, every muscle wanting to escape.
"Mind interfering with reality—this is influencing the Life Great Dao through the path of the mind," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "They've used this move; the assessment should be in its final year."
The closer it got to the end, the stronger the attacks emitted by the Thousand Illusion Tree became.
Originally, Zhao Xing only needed to guard his mind, but now the Thousand Illusion Tree bypassed him and directly affected his body.
"It's like a martial artist's fighting instinct, a sense of crisis. Sometimes, before you even see the enemy, your body has already reacted."
Zhao Xing immediately began to strengthen his control over his legs, suppressing the sudden 'survival instinct'.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Xia Jing suddenly dodged, her legs springing up as she leaped backward.
In an instant, they jumped through the portal and appeared in the outside world.
"Damn? How did I get out here?"
At the same time, a large number of cultivators appeared at the seventy-two entrances in the sky.
"It still couldn't hold on."
"I couldn't help myself."
"The Path of the Mind influences the Life Great Dao? It seems my cultivation on Ten Thousand Hearts Island is still insufficient."
"Only 800,000 people were left. We couldn't hold on. But with this ranking, I can use it as a stepping stone for other forces."
"Sigh, there won't be another chance. Next time, I won't be old enough to meet the requirements."
Many practitioners sighed deeply.
At this moment, a new batch of eliminated contestants arrived at the place where the contestants from Great Zhou had settled.
"Your Majesty, of our 312 people, only five remain inside. They are Grand Minister of Agriculture Zhao Xing, Grand Commandant Luo King, Agriculture Minister Liu Tianning, Agriculture Minister Chen Shijie, and Grand Dancer Master Ji Mengjun."
Ji Che, dressed in strange clothes, stood on the other side of the Star Territory. He couldn't help but ask curiously, "There are five more?"
That's pretty good. Lu Ying, how were you eliminated?
Lu Ying said embarrassedly:
"Your Majesty, I used the Void Weaponization to summon eight hundred Mechanical Puppet to guard me, but just now... these eight hundred Mechanical Puppet carried me out."
"Clearly, I just gave the wrong instruction unintentionally."
"Hahahaha." Ji Che laughed loudly, "I was just thinking about whether I could trap myself there to pass the level, but it seems that method won't work either."
To pass the challenge, the contestants used a variety of methods.
However, no matter the method, it is ultimately controlled by people.
Without additional treasures to aid them, it's impossible for a person to trap themselves to death.
Knock yourself out, that won't work either; if you can't stay conscious, you'll still be eliminated.
"Lu Ying, don't be discouraged. What number were you among those eliminated?"
Lu Ying replied, "The Star Mirror shows that I was the 1,360,000th person to be eliminated."
"This ranking is already quite good. If you can't enter the Primordial Beginning Realm, you can enter the ' Mysterious Machine Hall '," Ji Che comforted him. "---Alright, Ji Si and I have important matters to attend to. We'll report back to me after the first round results are available."
"Yes."
October of the third year after the assessment began.
Zhao Xing is only a thousand miles away from the Thousand Illusion Tree.
"!"
Zhao Xing suddenly punched himself in the cheek with his left hand.
Kick your right foot towards your left foot.
"Boom!"
Zhao Xing fell to the ground.
At this point, the Thousand Illusion Tree's attack power had become outrageously high.
Almost every cell in Zhao Xing's body was screaming for escape.
Driven to the limit by the Slaughter Thought Blade, which interacted with the Thousand Illusion Tree, Zhao Xing even wanted to kill himself.
"Bite!"
A three-dimensional clock appeared in Zhao Xing's mind.
When the pointer points to Rat Hour.
His murderous intent subsided slightly, and his consciousness returned.
"My name is Zhao Xing, and I am undergoing the first round of assessments in the Primordial Beginning Realm. It is now the end of the third year since the assessments began."
With his consciousness returning to normal, Zhao Xing took a deep breath and quickly regained control of his body.
He glanced at the stone tablet.
[Number of remaining users: 14821]
The numbers freeze, and the stone tablet turns gray.
"Buzz~"
+
In an instant, all the unusual sensations vanished.
After experiencing the final wave of intense attacks.
The First Stage trial of the Primordial Beginning Realm has finally come to an end.
"Congratulations, Zhao Xing of Fengdu World Star in the Wuye Constellation. You have passed the first round of selection in the Primordial Beginning Realm."
Chen Jiu's voice rang out from inside the crystal ball on the portal.
He sent clearance information to 14,821 people at the same time.
"You passed the test."
Zhao Xing felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders.
This final surge of attacks really bothered him.
Although it hasn't reached its limit yet, if it continues to endure, it probably won't last much longer.
"After the first round, you have 97 years to prepare."
"In the last three years, time needs to be set aside to embark on a journey from the Beihe World Star to the twenty-eight top star systems to participate in the second round of assessments."
"Good luck."
After hearing this, Zhao Xing was repelled by a tremendous force.
In the next instant, he appeared above the Beihe World Star.
"I wonder if anyone from the Great Zhou has passed the test." Zhao Xing scanned his surroundings.
Because the top-level Realm Star range is very large, Zhao Xing was also unable to see the 14,821 people who had passed the test.
Swish~
Zhao Xing headed towards the place where he had stayed three years ago.
"The first round of assessments in the Primordial Beginning Realm has concluded." The voice of the Beihe King echoed throughout the entire Beihe World Star. "A total of 14,821 people in the Beihe Star System have passed the First Stage."
A buzz erupted as various forces on the Realm Star erupted in excitement.
"It's finally over!"
"Quickly, go check the list and see if any independent cultivators are on it."
"People of the Mysterious Machine Hall, listen to my command! Immediately search for the qualified Mechanism Master and poach them with huge rewards! Whoever can persuade one person will be rewarded with 10 billion Red Star Coin."
"I am Lan Yue, the head of the Green Field Merchant Guild of Commerce. Immediately collect the list and gather information. Invest in any of these 14,821 people who are running businesses."
"Hahaha, my son Landis has passed the test! As a reward, all citizens will receive one thousand Red Star Coin!"
With the First Stage trial of the Primordial Beginning Realm over, the 14,821 people immediately became the focus of everyone's attention.
Standing out from over 700 billion people, they definitely have a bright future.
Those looking to invest and those looking to poach talent are all making their moves.
On the Great Zhou side, they were also waiting anxiously.
The last wave of eliminated players and those who passed the test emerged around the same time, and they still don't know how many of the five from Great Zhou passed the test and how many were eliminated.
The list will be released later; they are really looking forward to it.
Whoosh whoosh~
Soon, Zhao Xing, Luo King, Chen Shijie, Liu Tianning, Ji Mengjun all appeared at the temporary rented manor of Great Zhou.
"They're here! They're coming out!"
The high-ranking officials of the Great Zhou, who had been waiting impatiently, immediately came out to greet them.
Zhao Xing and his group of five arrived at the manor around the same time.
"Grand Minister of Agriculture, Grand Commandant —how are you?" Lu Ying asked eagerly.
Zhao Xing smiled and said, "I passed."
Liu Tianning calmly said, "I got through by luck."
Ji Mengjun shook her head and said, "I was lucky. I was only three steps away from the exit—if I had been any later, I would have been eliminated."
"I was just one step away from elimination," Luo King said with lingering fear. "Before I lost consciousness, I collapsed against the portal frame, but the spirit of the Great Derivation Divine Weapon still determined that I had passed."
Chen Shijie spoke last, saying with some regret, "I'm ashamed to say that I couldn't withstand the final wave of attacks."
Five to four! Four players from the Great Zhou have successfully completed the challenge!
A joyful cheer erupted from the crowd.
Everyone cheered and celebrated, while Zhao Xing patted Old Chen on the shoulder. "That's already pretty good. There's still one more chance. We can always come back in three thousand years."
"Hmm." Chen Shijie remained sullen.
"By the way, Old Chen, what rank do you get on the Star Mirror?"
If you clear the level, you will not be ranked.
Only when you are eliminated will it show which number you were eliminated in.
"When I was eliminated, there were only 16,245 people left," Chen Shijie said.
Zhao Xing was speechless; no wonder Old Chen was so regretful.
16245, that's extremely close to the level required to complete the game.
If Chen Shijie had held on for even half a second longer during the final attack, he might have scored.
Unfortunately, it was just a little short.
It's no longer fair to say that Old Chen's problem was a lack of ability; he was just a bit luckier. For example, if the Primordial Beginning Realm needed a thousand or so more people, Old Chen would have been able to get in.
Zhao Xing didn't know what to say, so he patted Old Chen on the shoulder, then changed the subject, looking at Liu Tianning: "Teacher, how far are you from the Light Gate?"
Liu Tianning said he was lucky, but based on Zhao Xing's understanding of Liu Tianning, he was probably being a bit modest.
"I didn't actually do much during the final wave of attacks," Liu Tianning said with a smile.
"Didn't move much?" Zhao Xing was taken aback, then asked telepathically, "Teacher, has your Mirror Heart Lake Divine Power reached its peak?"
The Mind Lake Divine Ability is different from the Slaughter Thought Blade. Liu Tianning's divine ability is more defensive, while the Slaughter Thought Blade is more offensive. That's why Zhao Xing went to the trouble of buying another one, the Mind Bell.
Liu Tianning said, "I have actually already reached the perfection of the Minor Divine Ability. The reason I didn't move this time is mainly because I was slightly touched by the Major Divine Ability ' Mind River '."
"What?" Zhao Xing's expression was somewhat strange. "Teacher, did you... remember anything else? Like some unfamiliar scenes or people?"
Liu Tianning was taken aback. "No, what's wrong?"
"It's nothing, just asking."
Liu Tianning had gained some insight into the Major Divine Ability Power Technique, which was quite rare.
However, this is also related to the fact that he has been focusing on the Way of the True Self since entering the universe version.
On the contrary, Zhao Xing carried a heavy burden throughout, and although he eventually received the benefits promised by Qing Yuzi and the gifts from Wu Tian, he also lost a lot of cultivation time, and the knowledge he needed to acquire was very diverse. In some aspects, he was even surpassed by Old Liu.
"Grand Minister of Agriculture." Just as we were talking, Grand Craftsman Official Lu Ying suddenly said, "A lot of people have suddenly come to the manor, saying they want to see you, Grand Commandant, Grand Commandant Lord Liu, and Lord Ji."
"Who is it?" Luo King asked.
Lu Ying examined the Star Mirror; this place was rented by him, and he had also connected to the manor's Magic Array.
"There are many, including well-known merchant guilds in the Beihe Star System, Ten Thousand Hearts Island, Primal Chaos Martial Hall —and even people sent by the Lord Beihe."
Zhao Xing laughed and said, "They're nothing more than lobbyists trying to poach talent and opportunistic businessmen, but we can't refuse these people. At least for now, we have to give them face."
"Lu Ying, please make arrangements and invite the guests in one by one according to their portion sizes."
"Yes." Lu Ying nodded.
Afterwards, Zhao Xing briefly exchanged opinions with Luo King, Liu Tianning, and Ji Mengjun.
"If it's a gift from a minor power, then there's no need to accept it. The Great Zhou's treasury has plenty of money now; there's no need to create unnecessary karma for a small amount of money."
"You can deal with those who try to poach your employees, but don't easily agree to contracts that bind you deeply."
"We can accept the gift from the Beihe King. We are, after all, his citizens. This is simply a reward. With him protecting us, we don't need to refuse or worry about offending anyone."
Zhao Xing shared some of his personal experiences, and then the four of them split up to take action.
Zhao Xing allowed Luo King, Liu Tianning, Ji Mengjun to accept gifts freely, but he himself did not intend to accept many.
Except for the gifts sent by Prince Yang Lin of Beihe King, which he accepted, he politely declined all other gifts.
Old Master Zhao has very high standards; he'd only accept gifts from the Beihe King, since the Great Zhou relies on the Beihe Star System for its livelihood. He doesn't care about the other forces; he's not short of that small amount of money.
He refused all offers to poach his people. Aside from the Primordial Beginning Realm, Zhao Xing had no other choice.
This approach simply leaves the persuader with the impression of being arrogant, without offending anyone. The intention is to give gifts and build Good Karma relationships; there's no need to force a cause-and-effect relationship.
"This junior thanks the Beihe King for his kindness. Please take care." After seeing off the messenger who brought the gift, Zhao Xing closed the door and stopped entertaining guests.
He turned around, took out the Star Mirror, and contacted Jing Yan and Yu Tianqing to inquire about the situation.
"I passed." Yu Tianqing said succinctly.
"I barely made it through," Jing Yan said thankfully. "I was almost eliminated."
"How many people passed through the Beiye Star System?" Zhao Xing asked.
"Seventy-two hundred thousand people," Jing Yan said.
"The Beiye Star System is a really nice place," Zhao Xing said.
"The First Stage is already this difficult," Jing Yan said. "I wonder what the Second Stage will be like."
He was originally full of confidence, but now he has no confidence at all.
"Old Yu, do you think the First Stage is difficult?" Jing Yan asked casually.
"It's difficult, isn't it?"
"Oh, you're putting on an act now? You even need a question for this?" Jing Yan said disdainfully.
Only Zhao Xing felt that Yu Tianqing had been relatively restrained in his speech.
Before the Eye of Insight, the First Stage was indeed as easy as drinking water for him.
Back then Yu Tianqing could roam freely in the Realm Transmission! He was completely unaffected.
Now, after a thousand years of development, the amplification brought by the innate divine Major Divine Ability is even stronger, so the First Stage is really not difficult for Yu Tianqing.
"Alright, I need to go prepare for my seclusion." Jing Yan waved his hand. "See you two in 97 years."
"Brother Jing, Zhao Xing, I'm going too," Yu Tianqing said.
"See you in ninety-seven years." Zhao Xing nodded. The second round would be held in one of the Empire's twenty-eight top star systems. The Beiye Star System was adjacent to the Beihe Star System, and Zhao Xing estimated that he would be able to meet Jing Yan and Yu Tianqing in the second round.
"In the second round of selection, we'll be divided into professions and choose between two competition zones: combat and support," Zhao Xing thought to himself.
"I choose the combat zone. The Second Stage of the test will require me to select a variety of Plant Soldier to fight."
"My plans for the next hundred years will shift in focus. The aim is to enhance combat effectiveness!"
"There are three directions: first, the ' Marrow Extraction Divine Power '; second, the ' Giant Yang Straw Man Art '; and third, the Major Divine Ability ' Five Finger Mountain '."
"If I could master the Great Divine Power Five Finger Mountain, then I would possess my ultimate trump card."
"The Marrow Extraction Divine Power can also produce amazing effects, with a certain probability of generating super units."
"The Giant Yang Clone serves as a regular combat force."
Having made the plan, in the first year after the assessment, Zhao Xing rented a training ground on the Beihe World Star and began a ninety-seven-year training period.