No one expected Gongsun Xie to say that.
For a moment, everyone around fell silent, glancing at Gongsun Xie and then at Wang Yan.
An idea spontaneously arose in everyone's minds.
Is this... going to be a duel?
Gongsun Xie didn't even glance at the people around him; his eyes were fixed solely on Wang Yan. He completely ignored the attitudes of the others and spoke with a smile that concealed a hint of disdain.
"I want to remind Fellow Daoist Wang beforehand that the Pagoda of a Hundred Saints is not like the Stele Forest Stele Forest. The dangers within are countless times greater. I hope Fellow Daoist Wang will act according to his abilities."
He emphasized the last few words, "Do what you can."
The smile on Wang Yan's face had faded.
Even if he were slow-witted, he could see that Gongsun Xie had never had any good intentions from beginning to end.
What does "acting within one's means" mean?
Isn't this just a way of questioning his abilities, implying that he's weak?
Now let's look at Gongsun Xie himself.
He didn't think there was anything wrong with what he said at all. After a casual smile, he turned around and stepped directly onto the teleportation array leading to the Pagoda of a Hundred Saints.
In the blink of an eye, they disappeared into the tower.
Gongsun Xie, who was the first to step into the tower, had only an unwavering determination in his eyes, completely forgetting about Wang Yan.
He didn't care what Wang Yan was like.
I don't want to get involved.
Anyway, it's unlikely that it will cause any major trouble.
This time, he is determined to break into the top 100, so as not to let down the time he has spent preparing so hard.
It would also be good for Senior Lin to take a look...
Their prodigies from the Great Cosmos Holy Academy are no less talented than you, a disciple of Sword Domain expert.
A fiery glint flashed in Gongsun Xie's eyes as he disappeared outside the tower.
Those outside could only see his movements through the light emanating from the tower.
The Pagoda of a Hundred Saints may seem unremarkable at first glance, merely a gray tower imbued with ancient charm. However, once someone ventures inside to challenge it, outsiders can truly discover the pagoda's profound mysteries.
When no one enters, it is just an ordinary tower.
But once someone enters, the entire tower will immediately light up, like an ancient temple that is glowing.
The milky white light that illuminated the first floor immediately caught the attention of everyone else.
Everyone was well aware of this.
This is Gongsun Xie attempting to break through the tower.
The tower on whichever floor he passes through will light up.
The Trial Towers in the Eastern Continent all follow a similar approach, making them easy to understand.
Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly, gazing at the gradually rising white halo.
layer.
Two floors.
Three floors.
Gongsun Xie advanced with unstoppable momentum, and layer upon layer of light illuminated the tower, continuous and ever-flowing.
The people inside seemed tireless and tireless, with each floor of the tower lighting up at an astonishing speed.
This speed surprised many students and masters who were eagerly anticipating his ascent of the tower.
"Wow, that's fast!"
"Senior Brother Gongsun's speed in this Pagoda of a Hundred Saints challenge is many times faster than last time. Could it be that our Great Cosmos Holy Academy is about to produce another genius who can make it into the top 100?"
"Gongsun has been in seclusion for three years. Last time, he stopped short of the top 100. This time, he will surely advance further. We'll just have to see how far he can go."
"Excellent, excellent, as expected of Gongsun Xie, I knew I hadn't misjudged him."
The Pagoda of a Hundred Saints lit up layer by layer, its speed becoming increasingly stable, rising at an almost perfectly balanced pace.
Wang Yan watched the rising milky-white halo, then slowly withdrew his gaze, having roughly made a calculation in his mind.
Then, he turned his head slightly and looked at Lin Xuan beside him.
Those eyes shone with light and a smile as she softly called out, "Master, this disciple is going."
After many years, I reunited with my teacher.
Although so much time has passed, today I feel as if we've never been apart.
As always, their master waited outside for his fellow disciples. They entered various trial grounds to reclaim glory for their master.
This feeling brought Wang Yan's heart, which had been wandering for two or three years, back to peace.
He exuded an extremely strong sense of confidence and high spirits.
The other students around him were not ignoring him.
Although Gongsun Xie's tower-climbing feat is worth watching, Wang Yan is, after all, a celebrity in the Great Cosmos Holy Academy!
Moreover, many people know Wang Yan Wang Yan and have met him.
only...
They looked at Wang Yan, and couldn't help but doubt their own eyes.
Is she doubting whether she has ever truly known Wang Yan?
Otherwise, who is this confident and spirited young man who appears before us today?
Is this still Wang Yan?
In their memories, Wang Yan was gloomy, cold-blooded, ruthless, and someone to be avoided.
He resolutely rejected any of the holy teachers, and even more so, he rejected all the students' attempts to curry favor.
A person carries many burdens, walks alone on their own path, and struggles to survive.
No one could break down his defenses, enter his heart, or get close to him.
But Wang Yan was gentle now, with a smile on his face that he had never shown before, and even seemed to be expecting praise.
this...
That's way off!
Lin Xuan, however, did not care about what others thought.
He looked at his second disciple, patted him on the shoulder, and encouraged him, "Go."
Although he didn't say anything, he believed that his disciple would definitely not let him down.
Wang Yan also understood Lin Xuan's meaning.
He immediately laughed, nodded emphatically, turned around without hesitation, and followed Gongsun Xie into the Pagoda of a Hundred Saints.
After Wang Yan entered, his level of the Pagoda of a Hundred Saints also lit up.
However, the halo is black.
At the same time, two names slowly appeared on the stone tablet outside the tower.
'Trial participant inside the tower: Gongsun Xie.'
'Trial participant inside the tower: Wang Yan.'
The two names are one before the other, one white and one black.
This is a mechanism that the Pagoda of a Hundred Saints deliberately retained to differentiate them.
However, compared to the white halo, the black halo rose at a remarkably slow pace.
It was incredibly slow, climbing up little by little, and it took a long time before the black halo moved to the second level.
Seeing this, many people who still had high expectations for Wang Yan couldn't help but shake their heads, their eyes showing a hint of disappointment and a sigh of "as expected."
This was probably within their expectations.
After all, although Wang Yan is Senior Lin's disciple and has exceptional talent, there is always someone better, and compared to Gongsun Xie, he still has a considerable gap to close.
Many even felt a faint sense of pride.
Is Wang Yan inferior to Gongsun Xie?
That's normal!
Who could blame them when Gongsun Xie was the strongest member of their Great Cosmos Holy Academy?
Even the disciples of the Sword Domain experts cannot compare to him!
The stone tablet beneath the Pagoda of a Hundred Saints is covered with countless names, a testament to the pride of the Great Cosmos Holy Academy.
The name Gongsun Xie, which has emerged, will become the next source of pride for everyone.
They stared intently at the stone tablet and the Pagoda of a Hundred Saints, as if trying to see through the pagoda and see the figures inside attempting to pass through the trials.
Although they couldn't see through it, the rapidly rising halo still greatly shocked everyone.
Almost everyone's eyes were drawn to the white light.
The white light rose so fast that someone couldn't help but let out a soft gasp of surprise.
"Look! Senior Brother Gongsun has already reached the twentieth floor!"
Twentieth floor.
Almost everyone stared intently at the white halo.
Many of the holy masters gasped, unable to quell the horror in their hearts.
That's a full twenty floors!
Although it wasn't much, it was a breakthrough of twenty levels in one go, with a remarkably stable speed and long-lasting momentum.
It could even be said that they didn't have this kind of strength when they were young.
Thinking of this, the holy masters couldn't help but get excited.
Could it be...?
Could it be that their Holy Academy is really going to have a genius break into the top 100 today?
On the other hand, the disciple of that Sword Domain expert has only reached the third level, and his aura is dim and weak. Just by looking at him, you can tell that he will probably give up and retreat soon.
Looking at the highly anticipated Gongsun Xie, his aura was like the blazing sun, full of vigor and vitality. It was clear at a glance that he had not yet reached his limit and still had plenty of energy left.
As Gongsun Xie continued to rise in rank, more and more students and holy masters received the news and gathered here, looking expectantly at the Pagoda of a Hundred Saints, their eyes filled with excitement and a hint of joy brewing within them.
"Upon reaching the forty-ninth level of the Pagoda of a Hundred Saints, Gongsun Xie shall be the number one prodigy of our Taiyu Divine Dynasty!"
"Just one step away, just one step away! Once you cross this threshold, you, Gongsun Xie, will be one of those listed on the Stele of a Hundred Saints! You will surely attain Saint Realm!"
They couldn't help but be excited.
Any one of the people on the Stele of a Hundred Saints was an invincible existence back then, with few rivals among their peers!
If Gongsun Xie becomes one of them, it means that their Great Cosmos Holy Academy will not only produce an extraordinary Saint Realm expert in the future, but may even produce another Great Saint!
but...
As everyone was filled with anticipation and excitement, even ready to celebrate, the white halo lingered on the forty-ninth floor for a very long time, to their astonishment and disbelief.
So long...
The white halo went from stable and balanced to weak and dim, and then slowly faded away.
Like a candle flickering in the wind, it dissipates with the slightest breath.
Vanished without a trace.
Everyone's expression froze.
It failed!?
This was something no one had anticipated.
Someone couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, "How could this be...?"
"How could this be...?"
However, before his shouts had even completely subsided, everyone saw the white halo, which resembled an extinguished candle flame, tremble and flicker as it reignited, as if making a final, desperate leap upwards, gripping the edge of the fiftieth floor tightly, and then rapidly spreading upwards.
The fiftieth floor.
It lit up amidst the incredulous gazes of the crowd.
It not only became brighter, but it was also hotter and more terrifying than before!
At the same time, ripples suddenly spread out from the Pagoda of a Hundred Saints, the white ripples accompanied by the sound of bells, as if it were a premonition, or as if it were a declaration.
Everyone instinctively looked in the direction of the stone tablet.
At the very bottom of the stone tablet, a flash of white light appeared, trembling slightly, and a name suddenly appeared.
Gongsun Xie ascended the Pagoda of a Hundred Saints, to the fiftieth level!
A brand new name!
And it's a name that everyone is extremely familiar with and eagerly anticipating!
At this momentous time, they finally ascended to the Hundred Saints Tower Stele Ranking!
"I... I didn't see wrong, did I?"
"The fiftieth floor!? It really is the fiftieth floor!"
"Senior Brother Gongsun succeeded... Senior Brother Gongsun succeeded!!"
"Senior Brother Gongsun has made it onto the Hundred Saints Ranking!"
In an instant, everyone became excited.
It is no exaggeration to say that this was a scene worthy of being recorded in history.
Nearly a thousand years, a thousand years!
Finally, someone from the Great Cosmos Holy Academy has once again broken into the top 100!
You should know that even the two Great Saint who left from this place back then couldn't do it when they were young!
One can imagine how difficult it was to Pagoda of a Hundred Saints.
Witnessing this scene firsthand, Dongfang Muxue had rushed over upon hearing the news, also showed a subtle change in expression, becoming amazed and her eyes filled with admiration.
She never expected that there was such a monstrous talent in the Great Cosmos Holy Academy.
I'd never even heard of this before...
Dongfang Muxue's eyes flashed, and she immediately made up her mind.
Regardless of why such a person was previously unknown, now that she had discovered them, she was determined to win them over. Otherwise, if the Eldest Imperial Prince were to win them over, the consequences would be dire.
but...
Right now, what she cares about most is not this Gongsun Xie.
He was, in fact, a disciple of Senior Lin.
Thinking of this, Dongfang Muxue couldn't help but look at the other dark, cold light of the Pagoda of a Hundred Saints, a hint of doubt in her eyes.
Compared to Gongsun Xie's unstoppable momentum and overwhelming force, to be honest, she couldn't see what was so praiseworthy about this Senior Lin.
after all...
He's so slow.
He was moving slowly, seemingly no different from the other ordinary students climbing the tower.
He's taking his time; it's already this late and he's still stuck on the twelfth floor.
Gongsun Xie has already broken through the fiftieth level, but Wang Yan hasn't even reached the fifteenth...
Thinking of this, Dongfang Muxue couldn't help but shake her head slightly.
That's enough.
I'm probably overthinking it.
Where in this world can you find so many prodigies? Even for a peerless powerhouse like Lin Xuan, finding a disciple as monstrous as Gongsun Xie is no easy feat.
Although Wang Yan is considered a genius, this is the Great Cosmos Holy Academy, a place where geniuses gather.
Even among geniuses, there are differences in skill level.
Perhaps Wang Yan is indeed remarkable. Just as the intelligence she received stated, he is very diligent and hardworking, and without relying on any Cultivation Resources, he can still grow taller and taller like bamboo.
However, this was before Gongsun Xie was born.
And Gongsun Xie...
Dongfang Muxue let out a soft breath, her eyes revealing a determined look.
In such a short time, Wang Yan had only just climbed to the thirteenth floor, while Gongsun Xie had already reached the fifty-seventh floor!
Fifty is a major hurdle.
Extremely difficult.
After successfully breaking through, he still had the strength to advance seven more levels!
It wasn't until the fifty-eighth level that he reluctantly extinguished the flame of his challenge.
At the entrance of the Hundred Saints Pagoda, a figure slowly emerged—it was Gongsun Xie!
Meanwhile, on the nearby stone tablet, his name slowly climbed upwards until it stopped at a position near the upper downstream.
Everyone looked in that direction simultaneously.
Gongsun Xie's final ranking was...
Seventy-four!
One hundred saints, seventy-four!
In an instant, everyone held their breath, their eyes widening in astonishment, almost as if they were dreaming!
Shocking!
Beyond shock, there is nothing but shock!