When everyone heard the words "First-tier Peak-grade Earth Origin Spirit Pill," astonishment appeared on their faces.
Even the children of nobles, and even the imperial prodigy Chu Yang, were no exception.
The Earth Origin Spirit Pill was a unique pill of the Azure Star Academy. It was highly effective for martial artists below the Core Formation Realm and could greatly increase their chances of forming a core.
The Azure Star Academy's first test, which targeted one's state of mind, began.
On the high platform stood a stone stele.
The stele contained a wisp of a powerful expert's spiritual pressure!
Those undergoing the test had to place their palms against the surface of the stele, directly withstand that expert's spiritual pressure, and then channel their own origin force into the stele while in that state.
The stele had seven colors!
Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple!
Only those who could withstand the spiritual pressure within the stele and light up its orange radiance would be considered to have passed the first test of mental fortitude.
Of course, if someone could light up the yellow, green, or even cyan radiance, it meant that their state of mind was even stronger. Their performance in the test would be recorded, and after they entered the Azure Star Academy, they would naturally receive certain preferential treatment.
Everyone advanced in sequence according to the number plaques they had received when registering.
The first to take the stage was the genius Chu Yang of the Great Chu Imperial Family. With an arrogant expression, he stood before the stele and pressed one hand against its surface.
In an instant, the stele lit up with red radiance!
After a few blinks, the stele lit up with orange radiance!
Several more breaths later, dense yellow radiance spread from within the stele!
Moreover, after the yellow radiance blossomed, green radiance gradually surfaced across the stele's surface!
In the end, Chu Yang lit up the cyan radiance within the stele!
Once the cyan radiance lit up, Chu Yang immediately withdrew his palm. He still appeared calm, but a trace of panic flashed through his eyes. This was already his limit. If he tried to light up the blue radiance, the powerful expert's pressure within the stele would crush his spiritual will.
Chu Yang's lighting of the cyan radiance drew countless gasps of amazement.
"As expected of the prodigy of the Great Chu Imperial Family! He's truly formidable!"
"The pressure within this stele is terrifying. Even Chu Yang could only light up the cyan radiance. It seems the cyan radiance is the limit of this round of testing. There's no way anyone can do better than him."
"First place definitely belongs to Chu Yang. That First-tier Peak-grade Earth Origin Spirit Pill is his."
"I'll be satisfied if I can light up the orange radiance. Orange means passing. I wouldn't dare ask for or dream of anything more."
One participant after another stepped forward to take the test.
Su Guang of the Su Household lit up the green radiance.
Su Xin of the Su Household, meanwhile, only lit up the yellow radiance.
Those tested first were all children of nobles from the Great Chu Dynasty. Their talents were excellent, and their cultivation conditions were also outstanding, so most of them passed smoothly.
But there were also a very few whose mental fortitude was truly terrible. One child of a noble with Primal Energy Realm cultivation could not even light up the orange radiance. Then the spiritual pressure within the stele shattered his will. Clutching his head, he rolled and wailed on the ground, screaming and shouting wildly like a madman.
The collapse of one's spiritual will could, at best, leave one mentally muddled for a period of time; at worst, turn one completely into an idiot; and in the most severe cases, directly annihilate one's soul and cause death!
After the children of nobles completed the first test one after another, the success rate among those who came afterward plummeted. Many could not light up the stele's orange radiance and were eliminated in the first test.
Moreover, quite a few of those eliminated suffered greatly. Their spiritual wills were struck by the pressure contained within the stele, and there were even cases where their souls were truly annihilated, resulting in death.
"Xu Lan!"
At that moment, an Azure Star Academy disciple called out Xu Lan's name according to the registration order on the list.
Xu Lan appeared extremely nervous and uneasy. She was only at the third level of the Sea of Qi Realm. Failing the test would be a minor matter; what she feared was that her spiritual will would be unable to withstand that pressure and collapse...
"Lan, keep it up. You can do it." Huang Hu encouraged her.
Xia Wuji spoke up. "Don't think too much. Face it with a normal state of mind. The more nervous and afraid you are, the less able you'll be to withstand it."
His voice was clearly very calm, but when it reached Xu Lan's ears, it seemed to carry a special power. She truly stopped feeling nervous.
Xia Wuji had used a little spiritual-force technique to soothe her mind.
Xu Lan walked onto the high platform and underwent the test of her mental fortitude. After a moment, she lit up the orange radiance. She still wanted to challenge the yellow radiance, but after trying for a while, she truly could not withstand the stronger pressure and could only give up.
Even so, she had passed.
After Xu Lan came Huang Hu.
"Brother Xia, I'm going up first."
"Mm. Face it with a normal state of mind." Xia Wuji reminded him.
He once again used a spiritual-force secret technique to soothe Huang Hu's mind. It was not helping him cheat, only allowing him to better display his true condition.
In fact, quite a few of those who failed had been unable to pass because they were nervous and uneasy.
Huang Hu's performance was somewhat unexpected. In one burst of momentum, he directly lit up the yellow radiance. A low growl came from his throat, and after a moment, he actually lit up the green radiance!
After lighting up the green radiance, Huang Hu looked as though he had just been hauled out of the water. He gasped for breath, then became excited and exhilarated!
"Xia Wuji!"
The Azure Star Academy disciple called out Xia Wuji's name.
Xia Wuji walked toward the high platform.
Huang Hu had just come down from the high platform.
"Brother Xia, I'm looking forward to seeing your performance!" Huang Hu said.
His instincts told him that Xia Wuji would definitely perform very well.
The Su brothers, standing at the very front not far from the high platform, were also staring at Xia Wuji.
Only now did they finally learn the name of this arrogant fellow.
Cold light flickered in both brothers' eyes. If not for the circumstances, they would have crippled this detestable fellow the moment they first saw him!
"This Xia Wuji is the fellow who made Su Xin suffer a huge loss."
"Tsk, when I registered just now, I saw the information he entered. He's only at the fifth level of the Sea of Qi Realm!"
"Is it really true that he's only at the fifth level of the Sea of Qi Realm? How could he have dealt with Su Xin, who was at the first level of the Primal Energy Realm, with a single sword?"
"I heard Su Xin was careless."
"Cultivation doesn't mean everything. Didn't you see? Someone at the Primal Energy Realm couldn't even pass the test of mental fortitude just now."
The people around them discussed animatedly.
When Su Xin heard that Xia Wuji was only at the fifth level of the Sea of Qi Realm, then recalled the scene of nearly being pierced through the throat by Xia Wuji's sword, he felt increasingly humiliated!
He had always believed that he had simply been too careless that day!
At that moment, Xia Wuji had already arrived on the high platform and stood before the stone stele. He extended one hand and pressed his palm against its surface.
At once, a powerful pressure erupted from within the stele and charged straight into his mind. In the unseen realm, it was as though a gigantic palm had appeared in his spiritual world.
That invisible palm descended, seeming like the vault of heaven itself was collapsing.
However, Xia Wuji's spiritual will transformed into an unparalleled divine sword that could rend the heavens and split the earth. Terrifying sharpness blossomed, its cutting edge unstoppable, and in an instant it tore apart the oppressive great hand seal!
The stele remained completely motionless.
Not even a hint of light blossomed.
"Hahaha, trash!" Su Xin, who had lit up the yellow radiance, was the first to roar with laughter. "Today, he's the only trash who can't even light up the red radiance!"
"With mental fortitude like that, he still dared to take the test?"
"Overestimating himself! Ignorant of good and bad! He doesn't know how high the heavens are or how deep the earth is!"
His elder brother Su Guang nodded. "With mental fortitude like this, he's rotten to the core!"
The crowd erupted in an uproar. Indeed, this was the first person who could not even light up the stele's red radiance. No one could understand it. How could there be someone in this world with such terrible mental fortitude?
Huang Hu and Xu Lan were both stunned. They felt that something was wrong... Xia Wuji had given them an extremely steady impression. How could this have happened?
"If you can't do it, then get down here! Why waste everyone's time up there and make a fool of yourself, you piece of trash?" Su Xin continued to shout at the top of his lungs.
Even the Azure Star Academy disciple responsible for the first test of mental fortitude could not stand it anymore and said, "Come down. There are still others who need to take the test..."
But before he could finish speaking,
the stone stele suddenly trembled.
In the next instant, a vast expanse of dense purple radiance shot out from within the stele and soared into the sky!
The uproar throughout the entire venue vanished in an instant, plunging into deathly silence!
Everyone stood dumbfounded, staring at the purple rays of light sweeping across the sky... Great waves surged through their hearts!
Before you continue