Earth Rank Sacred Stairway! Ling Yiran's Strength
"What are you standing there for? Announce the result!"
Yun Tianci's voice reached the ears of the trial elder, who had already turned completely to stone.
Only then did the trial elder come back to his senses.
After countless dizzying ups and downs today, even a Nascent Soul Realm powerhouse like him felt some discomfort in his heart!
"Con... congratulations, young friend Lin Yu! Heaven Rank talent! You have passed the test!"
The testing elder's trembling voice also brought many of the spectators back to reality.
Xiaobai, Lin Yu!
These two young people, whom no one had ever heard of before.
Their strength was actually this terrifying!
After today, these two names would spread throughout the empire's entire Eastern Region!
Perhaps even throughout the entire Great Yan Empire!
"It's just talent. What's there to be proud of?"
"Without real strength, any talent is nothing but warfare on paper!"
Tang Yu glared furiously at Lin Yu and Xiaobai, making no attempt to conceal the killing intent in his eyes!
These two had stolen the dazzling glory that should have belonged to him!
Now, even the lackeys who had once fawned over him had run over to Xiaobai and Lin Yu!
"Those damned fence-sitters!"
Tang Yu cursed viciously, "In the next stage, I'll show you that all this bullshit talent is nothing but nonsense!"
"Next, we will begin the second stage of the sect admission assembly: the sacred stairway climb!"
"The results of the sacred stairway climb will determine your final placement, as well as your disciple rank after joining the sect!"
At this moment, the trial elder's voice rang out again.
Hearing this, the few dozen cultivators remaining on the grounds were all incredibly excited!
After years of effort, they had finally fulfilled their wish of entering the Qianyuan Sect!
But this was not enough!
Because the next round, the sacred stairway climb, was the most crucial step in determining their fate!
This sacred stairway climb would determine their rank within the sect!
The gap between the lowest-ranked White Rank Disciples and the highest-ranked Red Rank Disciples was like that between fireflies and the bright moon!
Higher-ranked disciples could also enjoy far more cultivation resources!
Although there were other ways to raise their rank after entering the sect, those were slow and difficult!
Thus, securing a better result on these sacred stairways was extremely important!
"Haha, this sacred stairway climb will really be worth watching!"
"Indeed! With such outstanding disciples in this batch, the sacred stairway climb is bound to be spectacular!"
"I think Lin Yu and Xiaobai might keep breaking records!"
"Not necessarily! That earlier talent test only measured talent."
"These Qianyuan Sacred Stairways are a genuine test of practical ability! It's really hard to say how things will turn out!"
"That's right, that's right..."
The spectators began discussing it again, all talking at once.
Quite a few people had high hopes for Lin Yu and Xiaobai!
But some also expressed doubts. After all, the previous test had only measured talent.
Great talent did not necessarily mean strong overall ability!
The results of this Qianyuan Sacred Stairways climb would reveal the real substance!
"In the final stage, you must climb our Qianyuan Sect's Qianyuan Sacred Stairways!"
Meanwhile, the trial elder began explaining the specific rules.
"There are four Qianyuan Sacred Stairways, ranked Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and Yellow!"
"Each sacred stairway has one hundred and eight steps!"
"When trial participants enter a sacred stairway, they will be subjected to its pressure! The higher the stairway's rank, the stronger the pressure!"
"Each participant may choose a sacred stairway to climb according to their own strength!"
"You now have five minutes to try out the difficulty of each rank of sacred stairway!"
As the trial elder spoke, none of the cultivators looked surprised. Clearly, they had already known what the trial entailed.
Once the trial elder finished speaking, the cultivators headed toward the sacred stairways.
Most chose to try the Yellow Rank and Black Rank Sacred Stairways first!
Based on past experience, the vast majority of participants chose stairways of these two ranks!
Among those who chose the Earth Rank Sacred Stairway, people who could reach the thirtieth step were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns!
As for the Heaven Rank Sacred Stairway, getting past the twentieth step was even harder!
Thus, although the Earth Rank Sacred Stairway and Heaven Rank Sacred Stairway carried very high score weightings, few people still chose them.
Indeed, there were only a handful of people standing before the Earth Grade and Heaven Rank Sacred Stairways!
The spectators also watched the eager new disciples curiously.
Their attention was particularly focused on Lin Yu and Xiaobai!
What would they choose?
Without anyone realizing it.
Lin Yu and Xiaobai had already become the undisputed focus of the entire gathering!
"The official trial begins!"
Some time later.
The time allotted for trying out the stairways ended.
At the trial elder's command, the sacred stairway climb officially began!
"Final result: Yellow Rank Sacred Stairway, step 65!"
"Final result: Yellow Rank Sacred Stairway, step 38!"
"Final result: Mystic Rank Sacred Stairway, step 46!"
"..."
Nearly twenty cultivators completed the sacred stairway climb, yet not a single one had chosen the Earth Grade or Heaven Rank Sacred Stairways!
The spectators seemed somewhat disappointed as well. After all, only the Earth Grade and Heaven Rank stairways were worth watching.
"Next, Tang Yu!"
The trial elder called Tang Yu's name, but this time, far fewer people paid attention to him.
It had taken just this one brief trial for his bustling doorway to become so deserted that sparrows could gather there!
A bunch of blind, shortsighted fools!
Tang Yu cursed viciously inwardly.
Although he had already decided to find an opportunity to kill Lin Yu and the others afterward.
That did not stop him from using his strength to reclaim his standing in this stage!
"I choose the Earth Rank Sacred Stairway!"
Tang Yu roared, as though trying to sweep away all his earlier gloom!
"Participant, you do not need to shout your choice of sacred stairway. Please proceed directly to the corresponding stairway."
Yet the trial elder's reply left Tang Yu so frustrated that he nearly spat blood.
Upon hearing the trial elder's reply, faint snickers rose from the surroundings.
The dignified Young Master Tang Yu of Spirit Ice City had actually become a laughingstock!
Before this sect admission assembly began, who could have imagined it?
Clearly, after a series of outrageous antics, Tang Yu had completely lost everyone's favor!
Now that he had announced his challenge of the Earth Rank Sacred Stairway, more people were probably waiting to laugh at him!
"Final result: Earth Rank Sacred Stairway, step 26!"
Five minutes later, the trial elder announced Tang Yu's result without expression.
With Golden Core Fourth Tier cultivation, reaching the twenty-sixth step of the Earth Rank Sacred Stairway was indeed a fairly good result.
Yet the applause and cheers Tang Yu had expected never came.
The leading role in this sect admission assembly had already changed hands completely the moment Xiaobai produced golden light during her earlier test!
But Tang Yu could not accept this cruel reality!
"It's all because of those two..."
Tang Yu stared at Xiaobai and Lin Yu like a venomous snake. These two were the chief culprits behind his loss of glory!
And Ling Yiran had to be included too!
"Hehe, I'd like to see which of you three can surpass my result!"
"So-called talent is nothing but an illusion you use to deceive yourselves!"
The savagery on Tang Yu's face grew ever more pronounced. Before killing Lin Yu and the others, he had to torment them mercilessly in spirit first!
"Next, Ling Yiran."
Hearing the trial elder's voice, Ling Yiran walked resolutely toward the Earth Rank Sacred Stairway!
At this moment, Ling Yiran had only one thought in her heart.
He's watching me.
To stand beside him, I must become stronger...
Ten minutes later, under everyone's astonished gazes, Ling Yiran finally withdrew from the Earth Rank Sacred Stairway.
By now, fine beads of sweat covered Ling Yiran's delicate little face, and she looked utterly exhausted.
Yet a relieved smile appeared on her face.
"I did my best..."
Beneath the setting sun, the young woman's fair face looked incomparably beautiful.
This was her answer to her own two years of persistent cultivation!
"Final result: Earth Rank Sacred Stairway, step 42!"
The trial elder announced Ling Yiran's final test result, a clear note of approval in his voice!
Ling Yiran paid no attention to her result, instead turning her head to look silently toward Lin Yu.
This girl was expressing the affection buried deep in her heart in her own way.
"Next, Xiaobai!"
The testing continued, and the trial elder finally called Xiaobai's name!
In an instant, countless gazes from all around focused on Xiaobai!
Xiaobai and Lin Yu's performances were the true final main event!
Both possessed Heaven Rank talent!
But talent and strength could not simply be equated!
No matter how powerful a talent was, if it could not be converted into strength, it amounted to nothing but empty talk!
Now, in this sacred stairway trial, they would finally get to see the real substance!
Everyone watched with tremendous anticipation.