Chapter 190
It should be noted that even among the top 100 geniuses from the holy lands present, not one of them had been granted the Dragon's Den Token.
Even Qi Mingdao, who is renowned and hailed as the number one among the younger generation, doesn't have that qualification!
"But have you all considered this: if Princess Xiao rose to prominence because of the guidance of the elders of the Holy Academy, how did she grow to this level in just one year, to the point that she could suppress all the geniuses of our Hundred Sacred States?"
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
At this moment, the top ten geniuses also emerged from the Trial Tower.
They all looked surprised when they saw the rankings on the stone tablet.
"Xiao Minghuang, is the Southern Border genius that Master mentioned a year ago?"
"Jian Chen, that name sounds familiar."
"Ye Ruoshui, Lin Wanqiu..."
"Ru Lu, it seems there's some connection to the Western Lands..."
The top ten geniuses, with their broader perspectives, offered some conjectures upon seeing these names.
"Heh... Qi Candidate, it seems you're out of luck for first place this time."
Lin Tianyang, dressed in white, looked like a handsome young gentleman, with a smile on his lips, but his words were sarcastic and unpleasant.
"It's none of your business!"
Qi Mingdao spoke calmly, dressed in a purple robe, his face solemn, exuding an aura of authority and power, like a monarch of a kingdom, standing above all others.
Lin Tianyang snorted coldly, ignoring Qi Mingdao, and looked at the gray-robed youth who had just walked out of the Trial Tower.
"You are Jian Chen? I've heard my uncle mention you before. I've heard you have some skill in swordsmanship. Would you dare to spar with me?"
As soon as Jian Chen stepped out of the Trial Tower, he felt a playful gaze fall upon him.
"My sword is too weak; it needs more training."
After saying that, he left without looking back.
All that remained were the bewildered crowd.
218. Surpassing a Generation [Please Subscribe!]
Weak?!
Lin Tianyang's expression changed drastically.
The second-place finisher in the Trial Tower actually said he was too weak?
So what about those who ranked even lower?
However, Jian Chen did not argue with him and quickly left the place.
The rankings for the Trial Tower have been finalized.
Almost all the trial participants emerged from the tower.
After leaving the Trial Tower, Ye Ruoshui and Lin Wanqiu found each other and waited quietly in a secluded corner.
"Huh! Why hasn't Xiao Minghuang come out yet?!"
The crowd searched the entire area but couldn't find the mysterious Princess Xiao, which puzzled them.
At this moment, Qi Mingdao looked at the ranking stone tablet and slowly said:
"I finally reached the 90th level. The guardian of the 91st level was too powerful, seemingly a forbidden genius from our era. I tried more than ten times, but was instantly killed by him with a single palm strike each time."
"That's amazing?!"
The crowd gasped in astonishment, never Qi Mingdao would be instantly killed by the guardian in a single move.
"Indeed, the guardian of the ninety-first level seems to be a prodigy from ten thousand years ago. I once saw his image in the clan's trial realm."
Su Changge, a direct descendant of the Dongling Su Clan, spoke up, saying that he ranked fourth in the trial and his true strength was no less than that of Qi Mingdao, who ranked second.
The cultivators present all knew that within the sacred lands and aristocratic families, there existed secret realms used for disciples' trials, which could replicate the images left by their predecessors for future generations to fight and hone their skills.
Strictly speaking, the Trial Tower is also a kind of trial realm, but it brings together almost all the geniuses of the entire Eastern Pole since ancient times, so it is more difficult and has a higher value.
This is why many holy lands, noble families, and dynasties send their core disciples to the Holy Academy.
This place gathers all the most prestigious lineages in the Eastern Pole!
Regardless of which faction's legacy it represents, a dungeon can be found within the Holy Academy.
It is precisely this open, inclusive, and tolerant attitude that has allowed Dongji to survive for so long, and even for its traditions to flourish!
"First place: Xiao Minghuang! Ninety-first floor!"
At this moment, the ranking stone tablet suddenly changed.
Everyone gasped in shock.
"Princess Xiao... she really defeated the guardian of the ninety-first floor!"
"She has transcended our time!"
"To be born in the same era as Princess Xiao, is it a blessing or a curse?"
The crowd was buzzing with discussion.
The guardian of the ninety-first floor, as confirmed by Su Changge, is undoubtedly a forbidden prodigy from ten thousand years ago.
He was capable of instantly defeating all the geniuses present, yet he was defeated by Xiao Minghuang.
Xiao Minghuang's strength has surpassed that of everyone present!
Everyone present sighed in admiration.
Even someone as strong as Qi Mingdao couldn't help but feel a bitter taste in his mouth. "Such a genius, perhaps only the inner court's prodigies have a chance to fight him?"
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
The Holy Temple is divided into an outer court and an inner court.
The disciples of the outer court are all at the Divine Sea Realm and the Spirit Seed Realm.
The disciples of the inner court are at the Primal Embryo Realm and the Nascent Soul Realm.
Once one's cultivation breaks through the Nascent Soul Realm and reaches the Life and Death King Realm, one must choose whether or not to continue staying in the Holy Academy.
A regular disciple can become a steward, and as their cultivation level increases, they can apply to be promoted to elder.
If you choose to leave the Holy Academy on your own, or return to your original sect, or find your own way, the Holy Academy will no longer interfere.
However, there are also many disciples in the Nascent Soul Realm who lack talent and have no foundation, and have no chance of breaking through to the Life and Death Realm in this lifetime. They start to cultivate relationships while in the Nascent Soul Realm, and even if their cultivation level is low, they can become stewards, and from then on, they can be considered to have a proper job.
Disciples of truly powerful forces rarely fail to break through to the Life and Death Realm.
Therefore, the Inner Court is the most competitive place in the Holy Academy.
Xiao Minghuang could indeed overpower them, a generation above, within the Spirit Seed Realm.
But whether placing it in the inner courtyard would cause any trouble remains to be seen.
Although their generation is not as good as Xiao Minghuang, it does not mean that all the disciples of the various holy lands, noble families, and dynasties in the entire Eastern Pole are inferior to Xiao Minghuang.
"It has been more than fifty years since the last Holy Academy admission ceremony. This period of time is not long, but it is by no means short either. Princess Xiao may be able to defeat us, but a gap of fifty years is probably not so easy to bridge!"
Su Changge slowly, his expression indifferent.
No one knows exactly how many of the previous generation's geniuses, and even those from before, are hidden within the inner courtyard. So, if Princess Xiao wants to dominate the inner courtyard, it's probably still a long way off!
Just as everyone was discussing it...
The ranking of the stone tablets suddenly changed again.
"First place: Xiao Minghuang! Ninety-second floor!"
However, this time everyone was prepared and would not be as shocked as before.
"Your Highness must be the strongest!"
In a secluded spot, Ye Ruoshui was filled with excitement.
"I'm not entirely sure about Your Highness's current strength either."
Lin Wanqiu muttered to herself.
During that year, they spent most of their time in seclusion. Even when they came out of seclusion and met, they rarely exchanged ideas about cultivation and mainly used the time to enjoy moments of pleasure.
Therefore, her understanding of Xiao Minghuang was still based on what it was a year ago.
At that time, Xiao Minghuang was already able to kill ordinary Primal Embryo Realm cultivators.
As for just how strong Xiao Minghuang has become, she could only speculate.
However, considering that she can surpass everyone in this generation, it is likely that no one within the Primal Embryo Realm would be a match for Xiao Minghuang!
Next, under everyone's watchful eyes, Xiao Minghuang slowly but steadily climbed above the ninety-first floor. After a full three days, she finally ascended from the ninety-first floor to the ninety-ninth floor.
This also means that she is now facing the strongest and final guardian of the highest level of the Trial Tower!
Everyone looked at the name Xiao Minghuang with awe.
The atmosphere in the room immediately became more serious.
Everyone is watching to see if Xiao Minghuang can defeat the final guardian and reach the summit!
Inside the tower.
"Call--!"
Xiao Minghuang's body trembled slightly, and the palm holding the sword was covered with cracks, from which thin lines of blood dripped onto the floor made of lapis lazuli.
Her face was deathly pale, and she exuded an aura of weakness.
"The guardian of the hundredth floor is so powerful!"
Her voice was hoarse.
Previously, the guardians of floors ninety-one to ninety-nine, while not weak, were still considerably inferior to her.
But the guardian of the hundredth floor, with just a tree branch, repelled her with a single blow!
Even more impressively, the powerful sword intent pierced through her magical artifact, injuring her hand!
Just as the defenders were about to launch their second attack, Xiao Minghuang decisively ended the challenge.
She knew that even if she continued fighting, victory was impossible; it would only increase her exhaustion.
She needs to adjust herself and prepare again to have any chance of victory.
219. The Embryonic Shadow Realm [Please Subscribe!]
"It seems it's time for me to raise my cultivation level."
Xiao Minghuang took a deep breath.
With her foundation, she could have broken through long ago, but she had been busy lately and had been putting it off. She had originally planned to break through after passing the first trial, but now it seems that she has no choice but to improve her cultivation level immediately.
Only after improving one's cultivation level will one have a sufficient chance of success when facing the guardian!
Without hesitation, she took out a large number of spirit stones from her storage bag and set up a Spirit Gathering Formation on the spot.
Then, he took out many pills and piled them up beside him for later use.
With everything prepared, Xiao Minghuang sat cross-legged and began circulating his cultivation technique, starting his attempt to break through the bottleneck.
It's called a bottleneck, but in reality, these barriers between minor realms are practically nonexistent for Xiao Minghuang.
Her foundation is so deep that breaking through is effortless for her.
Even Spirit Gathering Formation and pills are unnecessary. The spiritual power generated by the Heavenly Rank Five Elements Spiritual Root, the Innate Pure Yang Fire Spirit Body, and the Pure Yang Fire Spirit Seed is enough for her to break through several minor realms. The reason for preparing arrays and pills is only to be on the safe side.
As a massive amount of Spiritual Qi brewed within his body, it continuously spurred the growth of a fifteen-inch-tall spiritual seed.
With each breath, the spirit seed grew at a visible speed, and a rich spiritual light emanated from around her.
As the spiritual seed sprouted, the spiritual power within Xiao Minghuang's body became increasingly solid, and her strength rapidly increased.