Chapter 356: The End of the First Match

The moment Duan Rong pressed down the heel of his slightly raised left foot, his body began to tremble like chaff in a sieve.

He clutched his head with both hands, his body hunched over, and a dull, painful roar issued from his throat.

Duan Rong slowly withdrew his right foot, which had been about to take a half-step and had already touched the Altar, and only then did the trembling of his body gradually cease.

Although Duan Rong was hunched over with his hands clutching his head, his eyes were very clear, and there was not a trace of a painful expression on his face.

At this moment, his Divine Soul felt no sharp pain at all.

But since he had already decided not to step onto the Altar, he had to put on a sufficient act to bring it to a close.

Although Duan Rong had retreated back to the eighth step of the stone stairs, he still clutched his head with both hands and hunched his body, appearing as if he were still enduring immense agony.

Not far from the White Line, Xiao Yu gazed at Duan Rong, her eyes as urgent as scorching fire.

If it were not for her own weak Divine Soul, which was still under the pressure of the Divine Soul at this moment, she would have already rushed over.

Just a moment ago, as soon as she had wanted to move, she felt her vision blur and nearly fainted.

Xiao Yu barely managed to steady herself, turned her head to look at Ximen Kankan beside her, and said, "Hurry over and go check on him!"

Ximen Kankan said with a mournful face, "I can't even cross the Red Line; how am I supposed to go check on him when he's at the Altar?"

Only then did Xiao Yu realize that she had been blinded by urgency.

Ximen Kankan also saw Xiao Yu's anxiety and comforted her, "It's fine. It's not a big problem. Look, that kid Duan Rong hasn't even fainted yet."

Duan Rong stood there and indeed slowly straightened his waist, but his brows were tightly furrowed, and at this moment, there was a deep sense of fear in his eyes.

On the Lone Peak in the southeast of Yougu.

The moment Duan Rong retracted that half-step, the intense interest that had originally been in Chu Qiushan's eyes instantly dissipated.

He shook his head slightly and said, "It seems I made a wasted trip today. It has been one hundred and eighty years, and in the end, there is still no second person who can step onto this Altar!"

Just as Duan Rong retracted that half-step, there was another person on the Lone Peak whose internal reaction was far greater than that of Chu Qiushan, who was currently filled with disappointment.

That was the head of the Ruling Sect Justice Division, Yang Sixuan, who was standing in front of the chair at the far east end of this row of seats.

Yang Sixuan at the east end and Lin Youjian at the west end were the two Elders with the least seniority among all the Elders of the Elder Council.

The moment Duan Rong retracted that half-step, the sharp glint in Yang Sixuan's eyes finally faded away.

Back in the day, on this very Altar, he had been just like Duan Rong, nearly stepping onto the Altar.

But for that final half-step, the moment he lifted his foot, he fainted on the Altar.

Therefore, watching Duan Rong inside Yougu just now was like a flashback in time; he saw his own reckless self from back then attempting to step onto the Altar.

This was only one reason.

The other point was that if Duan Rong had succeeded in stepping onto the Altar just now, it would mean that this child's Divine Soul strength was very likely stronger than his own.

And three years ago, in the Dungeon of the Ruling Sect Justice Division, when he used the Hand Seal of Soul Illumination on him to interrogate the case, his eyes did not seem to go blank immediately at that time. It was only after one breath that a look of confusion appeared.

Just as Duan Rong was about to step onto the Altar, Yang Sixuan recalled this scene and felt alarmed.

Because he suddenly thought that Duan Rong might have been acting at that time to deceive him.

If that were the case, he must retry this case. Since Duan Rong had deceived him and fabricated testimony, it meant he was very likely deeply involved in the case of Shang Xiangyu and Pan Yong, or even one of the participants.

Although Duan Rong stepping onto the Altar would make him a genius of the Sect, as the head of the Ruling Sect Justice Division, it was his duty to thoroughly investigate major cases of the Sect.

It was just that Duan Rong not only failed to step onto the Altar just now but even retracted half a step; his performance could be said to be not even as good as his own back then.

In other words, the Divine Soul strength of the two when stepping onto the Altar in Yougu should be at least on par, or perhaps he himself was slightly stronger than Duan Rong.

And for these past ten-plus years, he had been continuously practicing the Womb Treasury Sutra. Seen from this, in the Dungeon three years ago, his Divine Soul strength must have been stronger than Duan Rong's, so it would have been impossible for Duan Rong to truly resist the Hand Seal of Soul Illumination.

And at that time, Duan Rong did not immediately have blank eyes under the Hand Seal of Soul Illumination, which precisely showed that his Divine Soul was still quite powerful, which is why he was able to nearly step onto the Altar today.

But even if his Divine Soul was powerful, as long as it was weaker than his own, the Hand Seal of Soul Illumination would ultimately be able to successfully control his soul and make him spit out all the secrets in his heart.

As for whether Duan Rong's Divine Soul strength could be related to the Womb Treasury Sutra.

Yang Sixuan directly dismissed this point.

The six rare medicines that Pan Yong stole and exchanged were all auxiliary medicines for the Womb Treasury Sutra; Yang Sixuan believed this was absolutely not a coincidence.

This behavior of Pan Yong must be related to the Womb Treasury Sutra.

Yang Sixuan's speculation was that Pan Yong was likely acting under the instructions of Shang Xiangyu. Perhaps Shang Xiangyu had obtained a portion of the Womb Treasury Sutra himself, or perhaps he knew someone who had obtained the Womb Treasury Sutra, and thus used the auxiliary medicines to make some kind of deal with that person.

But at that time, Duan Rong had only been in the Sect for a little over a month; how could Pan Yong have handed the medicines for the Womb Treasury Sutra to a newcomer like Duan Rong?

Moreover, even if Duan Rong were truly practicing the Womb Treasury Sutra, he could not have achieved anything in three years.

Because the Womb Treasury Sutra is so difficult to practice. Regarding this point, he had deep personal experience; for any level, without three or four years of hard work, it was simply impossible to achieve success.

Just as Yang Sixuan was deep in thought, Chu Qiushan suddenly turned his head, his gaze passing over the crowd and fixing on Yang Sixuan. "Sixuan, I remember you back then. You fainted on that Altar, didn't you?"

Yang Sixuan cupped his hands and smiled, "The Sect Master has a good memory. I truly do not wish to mention my ugly display from back then again."

Chu Qiushan also smiled slightly. He only occasionally showed a smile when speaking with Yang Sixuan.

Yang Sixuan could be considered a trusted aide promoted and cultivated by Chu Qiushan himself. If it weren't for his lack of seniority, the position of the next Sect Master would definitely be his.

How would it ever be the turn of Zhu He and Lv Zhongtang to fight and scramble over there?

Chu Qiushan said, "This child's Divine Soul might be on par with you in Yougu back then. But when it comes to the firmness of the Dao Heart, he is far inferior to you!"

Chu Qiushan naturally saw that when Duan Rong's last half-step was only slightly raised, his Divine Soul had already reached its limit. At that moment, he must have experienced profound fear of death.

But in the end, he chose to retreat.

Yet when faced with the same experience, Yang Sixuan had fearlessly stepped out that final half-step.

Although he ultimately failed to step onto the Altar and instead fainted on it.

But his Dao Heart was like iron; in Chu Qiushan's view, the importance of this point was perhaps even greater than Divine Soul talent.

Chu Qiushan said, "This child's temperament is mediocre; I predict that thirty years from now, he will likely just fade into the crowd."

Yang Sixuan said, "This subordinate believes that on the path of cultivation, being too obsessed often leads to getting lost within it. A peaceful temperament sometimes allows one to see more clearly the delicate relationship between oneself and the operation of the world."

Chu Qiushan was slightly stunned; Yang Sixuan had never spoken a false word in front of him. What he said at this moment must be what he was deeply thinking in his heart.

This was also the reason why he liked Yang Sixuan so much.

Chu Qiushan savored Yang Sixuan's words, his expression shifting slightly. "Lost within it?"

He could not help but ask himself in his heart. "All these years, have I been too obsessed?"

Zhu He heard Yang Sixuan's words, stood by Chu Qiushan's side, and raised his eyes to look toward Yang Sixuan. He felt that Yang Sixuan's words resonated deeply with his own heart, only if he were to say them himself, he could not have spoken as thoroughly as Yang Sixuan.

"This Yang Sixuan is not simple!" Zhu He secretly thought to himself.

Zhu He secretly felt that although Yang Sixuan's qualifications were too shallow to compete for the next Sect Master position in six years, after another fifty years, he feared that the position of Sect Master would surely be within this person's grasp.

Duan Rong's eyes were filled with a thick sense of fear; on the Altar, Jiang Hanyan seemed to wake from a dream.

After Duan Rong retreated half a step, the fanaticism in her eyes gradually faded, and the look she gave Duan Rong returned to coldness.

Just as Jiang Hanyan was about to continue playing the zither, a distant and powerful horn sound suddenly rang out within the Yougu.

This horn sound was the signal that the first round of the assessment had ended.

The moment the horn sounded, several teams of people suddenly appeared, holding Crossbows, their figures as fast as ghosts, darting into the Yougu.

Looking at their attire and Escort Waist Tokens, they were indeed people from the Ruling Sect Justice Division.

It could be seen that at the entrance of the canyon where Duan Rong was, two teams of people were guarding the Red Line and the White Line respectively.

Yang Yi strode toward a piece of bluestone, stood on top of it, and shouted: "Stand still, everyone! No one is allowed to move! If anyone moves again at this time, we, the Ruling Sect Justice Division, have the right to execute you on the spot!"

The Crossbow Arrows in those Crossbows actually had limited lethality against these Martial Artists, but those Crossbow Arrows were all coated with powder; whoever was shot would be marked on their body.

Only Yang Yi could come up with such a crooked idea.

After Yang Yi finished shouting, he turned his head to glance at the back of Duan Rong at the Altar, muttering: "Is this guy really that powerful?"

Yang Yi never imagined that Duan Rong, who looked so unremarkable, had almost stepped onto the Altar, becoming the first person in one hundred and eighty years to do so.

Although he was half a step short, that was already enough to have left countless people behind.

With this kind of talent, entering the Elder Council in the future should be no problem. Once in the Elder Council, wouldn't he be like his second uncle, Yang Sixuan, becoming a high-level member of the Sect?

Previously, when investigating the case of Shang Xiangyu and Pan Yong, Duan Rong had been locked in the Dungeon for over a month.

This guy wouldn't hold a grudge against me, would he?

No! It seems I must find an opportunity to properly curry favor with him.

At the moment the ending horn sounded.

At the four giant statues in the Yougu, the sixteen figures sitting cross-legged on the heads, shoulders, feet, and ground of the statues suddenly opened their eyes and stopped chanting and forming seals.

They picked up the incense burners emitting wolf smoke in front of them, gave them a light twist, and an iron lid covered the inner wall, sealing the incense burners tightly, with only wisps of thin smoke emerging from the edges of the incense burners, dissipating with the wind.

As the wolf smoke dissipated, the eyes of the four giant statues were hollow, no longer emitting faint blood-colored light.

And the Divine Souls of those Registered Disciples within the Yougu suddenly relaxed; the Divine Soul pressure that had been weighing on them vanished in an instant.

Xiao Yu let out a breath of stale air; she really wanted to run over there to see Duan Rong, but at the Red Line three zhang away, a team from the Ruling Sect Justice Division was holding Crossbows, staring at them like tigers watching their prey.

And not far behind them, at the White Line, there was another team of people.

Just as the wolf smoke dissipated, a black light suddenly flashed across the peak in the southeast, swift as a shooting star, and landed on the Altar in the center of the Yougu.

Lin Youjian wore a plain robe, her expression cold and stern; she stood beside Jiang Hanyan, staring at Duan Rong.

Duan Rong was standing on the Eighth Tier of the stone steps; almost the moment the Divine Soul pressure dissipated, the person before him had arrived in a flash.

Duan Rong looked at Lin Youjian; he knew this person was a powerhouse of the Dongming Realm and must be one of the Elders of the Elder Council.

With the Divine Soul pressure gone, Duan Rong's body had returned to normal; he cupped his hands and said: "Greetings, Senior!"

Lin Youjian looked at Duan Rong's well-behaved appearance and nodded slightly: "The talent is not bad, it's just that the person is a bit ugly."

Duan Rong was slightly stunned and twitched the corner of his mouth; he did not expect this cold-faced female Elder to start evaluating his appearance the moment they met.

Beneath her veil, Jiang Hanyan clearly looked at Duan Rong with interest and smiled slightly.

She stood up and cupped her hands toward Lin Youjian: "Master."

"Hanyan, stand aside and watch carefully." After Lin Youjian finished speaking, she sat cross-legged in front of the black ancient zither that Jiang Hanyan had placed on the Altar.

Lin Youjian's fingers hovered over the zither, steady as stone, nimble as water. This was Duan Rong's true feeling at this moment; he did not know why those fingers gave him such a strange sensation.

Duan Rong's eyes suddenly jumped. Is this Law Power?

Just at this moment, Lin Youjian's fingertips plucked the zither strings.

A short, high-pitched clear sound rose from the Altar of the Yougu, shooting straight into the clouds.

Everyone in the Yougu fell silent.

Their Divine Souls all produced a sense of joy.

And in this silence, Lin Youjian plucked a second sound.

This second zither sound was still short, but it was not directed upward; instead, it echoed within the Yougu...

Just like dropping a pebble into a silent lake, ripples spread out in layers...

Within the Yougu, everyone who heard this zither sound felt their minds instantly clear.

And just after the second zither sound spread out in layers, those who had originally fainted and fallen to the ground in the Yougu all slowly woke up.

Lin Youjian had only plucked two sounds, just two notes without a melody, yet they possessed such immense power.

Duan Rong stood at the Altar, looking at the people waking up on the ground on both sides, his eyes full of shock.

Law Power, how miraculous is it?!

On the Altar, Jiang Hanyan looked at her master with admiring eyes.

Lin Youjian slowly stood up, looked at Jiang Hanyan, and said: "Hanyan, let's go."

"Yes." Jiang Hanyan carried the ancient zither on her back; as she stood up, she could not help but glance at Duan Rong.

Lin Youjian embraced Jiang Hanyan, turned into a black light, flashed in an instant, and like a shooting star, streaked out of the valley from the southeastern sky.

Duan Rong stared blankly at the place where the two had disappeared, his eyes filled with longing.

He was not thinking about Jiang Hanyan's beauty, nor was he thinking about Lin Youjian's grace; he was thinking about that black ancient zither, wondering exactly what Tier of Spirit Tool it was. Could he devour it?

He was simply too curious about that zither-sound Soul Technique!

Very quickly, Yang Yi, leading the people from the Ruling Sect Justice Division, had already divided the Registered Disciples within Yougu into three piles.

Duan Rong and the others who had crossed the Red Line were one pile, gathered on the Altar, totaling only eleven people.

The second pile, consisting of people like Xiao Yu, Shen Mizhi, and Ximen Kankan who had crossed the White Line, stood surrounding the Altar.

The remaining third pile of people were those gathered at the various valley entrances; these were all people who had failed the first assessment.

This third pile of people was the largest, with nearly seventy percent of the Registered Disciples gathered at the valley entrances.

People from the Inner History Department were currently on a large bluestone, calling out to them, telling them that they had been eliminated and could leave the Sect.

Many people had dim eyes and ashen faces.

Duan Rong stood on the Altar, looking at the dense crowd of people gathered at the valley entrances.

These people were merely cannon fodder, or perhaps just corvée laborers.

Because this first test could have been conducted at the very beginning when they entered the Sect, and the result would hardly have changed in the slightest.

But if that were the case, there would be seventy percent fewer people to do manual labor for the Sect.

Of course, these people were not without gains; at the very least, they had obtained True Qi Realm martial arts Secret Manuals within the Sect, and could exchange Contribution Points for Pills to assist their cultivation. Once they left the Sect, those Pills would not circulate in the secular world at all.

And after these people left, in less than a month, another batch of Registered Disciples would arrive at the mountain from various places, one after another, to fill the vacancies left by their departure.

It was just like harvesting leeks, one crop after another.

(End of chapter)