The moment the green-robed elder finished speaking, he casually released a treasure shaped like a jade pot. It rose into the air, soaring above Gale Force Canyon. Suddenly, the pot spun rapidly, spraying green mist in every direction. The mist was like a paintbrush; wherever it passed, clouds, fog, and even the distant sky itself seemed to be painted over.
In the blink of an eye, the dim sky turned a deep blue-green. Five stone stairways stretched straight up into the heavens, arranged like the petals of a plum blossom and each a different color, matching the jade bands worn on the arms of the five teams.
The green-robed elder pointed toward the stairways. "The second trial is very simple: climb those stairs. Of course, it's dangerous. Once you go up, there's no turning back. Life and death will hinge on a single thought. Anyone who wishes to withdraw may still do so. No one will consider those who withdraw failures. A wise man knows when to yield; life has more than one road, and charging straight ahead isn't the only way."
The green-robed elder spoke calmly, with a gently persuasive air. Everyone could hear the sincerity in his words.
But now that the moment had come, no one would choose to give up. Even though they all knew that these seemingly simple stairs must conceal some mystery, could they be more terrifying than the Gale Force Canyon they had just passed through?
What was more, they had learned to cooperate and support one another. With more than a dozen Yin Venerables gathered together, what a tremendous force they made! Surely nothing under heaven could stand in its way.
Most importantly, the enticement of this imperial examination was simply too great. Passing this trial meant clearing the preliminary round and