Half a Day Without a Sound
Outside the Trial Tower, Liu Shuyao and the other disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect looked at the name on the first floor displayed on the huge screen— Hua Qiang.
From the moment Hua Qiang stepped into the tower, their eyes were fixed on those two words, ready to climb all the way up, constantly surpassing others, and finally reaching the highest peak.
They didn't expect Hua Qiang to be able to break through the Trial Tower and pass through all the levels, but... at the very least, he should surpass everyone and reach the top of the list!
However, even after an hour or two, Hua Qiang's name still hadn't been moved.
Outside the Trial Tower, the disciples of the Azure Cloud Sect gathered together, looking up at the Trial Ranking, their eyes filled with tension and anticipation.
Sunlight shone on the tower, reflecting a dazzling light, and also reflecting the doubts and speculations in their hearts.
On the leaderboard, the names of many challengers flashed, and the rankings kept changing. Only Hua Qiang's name remained firmly on the first level, as if it were nailed to the spot, and it did not move an inch for a long time.
In an instant, the crowd erupted in chaos, with disciples whispering amongst themselves and a flood of speculation and teasing.
A disciple dressed in a blue robe with a youthful face tugged at the hem of his senior brother's robe, his eyes filled with confusion and worry, and whispered, "Senior brother, what do you think is wrong with the Supreme Elder?"
This first hurdle has been stuck for so long, a whole hour, and there hasn't been a single movement.
Could it be that the trial leaderboard is malfunctioning and unable to update the Supreme Elder's progress in real time?
Yuchi Yan frowned, gently patted the man's head, and scolded him, "Don't talk nonsense. Look, everyone else's rankings are changing normally, so why is it that Supreme Elder's ranking is problematic?"
However, his gaze never left Hua Qiang's name on the leaderboard, and his eyes also revealed a hint of confusion.
"Alas!" A slightly older disciple sighed and shook his head, saying, "What on earth is going on? The Supreme Elder is always so powerful, how could he be stuck at the first hurdle?"
"Could it be that she's asleep inside?"
Upon hearing this, a burst of laughter immediately erupted from the surrounding crowd.
Someone in the crowd chuckled softly with a hint of mockery, "Hehehe, maybe the Supreme Elder was too tired last night."
Think about it, the Supreme Elder. During the day, he has to teach us disciples and handle sect affairs, and at night he might even have to study profound martial arts techniques...
Hehehe, we're all men, you know how it is!
These words drew another burst of laughter from the surrounding disciples. The laughter contained both teasing of the Supreme Elder and the tacit curiosity and imagination that young people shared.
"You bunch of brats, what nonsense are you spouting here!" A Dharma Protector Elder, hearing his disciples' discussion, frowned and loudly rebuked them.
However, his rebuke did not completely silence the disciples' discussion; it only made the noise a little quieter.
Although the disciples kept their mouths shut, their speculations did not stop.
Some disciples secretly wondered if the Supreme Elder had encountered some extremely difficult problem in the first stage, perhaps even beyond his capabilities.
After all, this trial ground is mysterious and unpredictable, and each test may hide unexpected dangers and challenges.
Some disciples speculated that perhaps the Supreme Elder deliberately lingered on the first level in order to seek a special opportunity or comprehend some unique supernatural power, but this cultivation method was too secretive for them, the younger generation, to understand.
Despite the various jokes and speculations about Hua Qiang's situation, their eyes still revealed respect and trust for the Supreme Elder.
In their hearts, the Supreme Elder Hua Qiang was a profound and powerful figure. Even with this perplexing situation, they believed that he must have his own plans and arrangements.
Meanwhile, inside the first level of the Trial Tower, no one knew what kind of situation Hua Qiang was experiencing; only time would tell.
Hua Qiang looked up at the empty space ahead and said calmly, "Continue, next level!"
The sound echoed in the empty space.
In an instant, a violent distortion of light and shadow appeared in the air, as if time and space had been forcibly torn apart.
Immediately afterwards, twenty Clear Wind Wolf slowly appeared in the swaying grass not far away.
As soon as they landed, they began to howl in unison, their piercing cries seemingly piercing eardrums, instantly filling the silent place with a chilling atmosphere.
Then, these Clear Wind Wolf opened their blood-red mouths one by one, their eyes flashing with fierce light, and pounced on Hua Qiang like arrows released from a bow, their sharp claws carving deep marks on the ground.
Hua Qiang remained calm and composed, casually waving the Thunder Thunderclap Blade that gleamed with a cold light in his hand.
In an instant, thunder roared, deafeningly loud, and dazzling lightning bolts danced like silver snakes, intertwining and flashing in the air.
In this fierce strike, Hua Qiang cleverly incorporated a trace of the mysterious and unpredictable Law of Gravity.
The blade energy that cleaved out seemed to possess a tangible substance; wherever it struck, the pressure in that space increased dramatically, and the air itself seemed to be compressed, becoming incredibly heavy.
The twenty attacking Clear Wind Wolf suddenly felt their bodies sink, and their originally agile movements instantly became staggered and sluggish, as if they had sunk into a bottomless swamp.
Each step required a great deal of effort, making the movement slow and difficult.
The wolves seemed to sense this dangerous and powerful force; their eyes revealed inexplicable panic, and even deep fear.
Pfft! Pfft!
A series of sharp blades slicing through flesh rang out, blood splattering everywhere. In the blink of an eye, these Clear Wind Wolves were decapitated and fell into pools of blood, turning into wisps of black mist and dissipating.
"Continue!" Hua Qiang's voice rang out again, firm and powerful.
And so, he made it through one level after another, and soon he was standing on the tenth level.
The scene before him made him squint slightly.
Suddenly, a hundred even larger and more ferocious Level 1 Demonic Beast, the Clear Wind Wolf, appeared in his field of vision. They bared their fangs and claws, grinding their teeth and sucking blood, surrounding Hua Qiang completely.
These are a bunch of mini-bosses!
Hua Qiang's eyes showed no panic, only excitement. This wave of killing had yielded some Slaughter Points, though few. But once the monsters reached higher levels, those Slaughter Points would amount to a lot.
A few minutes later, Hua Qiang's Thunderclap Blade trembled, and a drop of blood was ejected.
"Continue!"