Chapter 51: The Seventh Peak

However, the pupil of the eye that had opened on the divine remnant in the sky was cross-shaped.

And this illusory eye was a vertical slit.

As for their power, the difference was like that between a blazing sun and a firefly; the former could instantly mutate an entire region into a forbidden zone, while the latter could only form a deterrent to shake one's mind.

Of course, this must be related to the fact that what formed the illusory eye was merely a drop of blood diluted countless times; one imagines that if it were pure blood, the power would be even more terrifying.

But regardless, even if the true eye were to appear, compared to the divine remnant, it would still be a difference of heaven and earth.

Even so, the shock it brought to Xu Qing was incredibly intense. His body was only one aspect; what truly stirred his mind was that this matter shattered his perception.

"Could it be that the Seven Blood Eyes can already take flesh and blood from a god?"

"This is impossible... The two give me the same feeling, but they are clearly not the same one. So, is there a high probability that there are beings similar to gods in this world?"

This speculation made Xu Qing's breathing even more rapid. He stared at the illusory eye on the bluestone, a strong desire for knowledge about this world rising in his heart.

At the same time, following the roar of the pressure, the people on the plaza spat out blood one after another. Swaying and on the verge of collapse, most could not hold on and were waved away by the horse-faced cultivator.

Soon, only three people remained holding on.

Zhou Qingpeng was not among them. The three included Li Zimei and a plain-looking youth. Although the youth's clothing was not like that of a scavenger, it was merely simple, clearly coming from a small town.

At this moment, he had clearly reached his limit in this endurance. Soon, blood spilled out, and he had to give up, followed by Li Zimei.

As for the last of the three, it was naturally Xu Qing.

Willpower can be faked.

But this time, in front of this cold existence similar to a god, Xu Qing did not want to fake it.

He instinctively did not want to submit to the other party.

So he stared at the illusory eye, his whole body tense, his heart beating with unprecedented violence, coordinating with his will to resist the illusory eye.

"Under the gaze of the divine remnant, I struggled to survive. How can the pressure formed by this drop of infinitely diluted blood make me submit now!"

Bloodshot veins slowly appeared in Xu Qing's eyes. His body trembled, and his flesh and blood seemed to be screaming at this moment. Yet, under the suppression of his powerful will, honed in the slums and tempered in the forbidden zone jungles, he kept it firmly under control.

And at this moment, on the entire plaza, he was the only one still resisting. This scene caused the minds of all the testers around to shake violently, and they looked at Xu Qing in shock.

Even the horse-faced middle-aged man and the other two cultivators had their gazes fall upon Xu Qing, their expressions surprised.

Because the time Xu Qing had held on was already very long.

And in this year's test, after a month of progress, up to now, only three people had held on as long as Xu Qing.

"I wonder if this child can survive the final wave of eruption."

"In this year's test, no one has succeeded in this stage yet."

As the three middle-aged cultivators transmitted their voices to each other, the golden liquid on the bluestone had already dissipated by more than half. But... just as it was about to dissipate completely, the illusory eye that had manifested upon it suddenly moved, and its gaze actually changed from diffuse to locking onto Xu Qing.

An even more terrifying pressure gathered entirely upon Xu Qing at this instant, like a god wishing to make all things submit, a roaring, overwhelming force of suppression.

Xu Qing's whole body trembled violently, his head feeling as if it were being pressed down by a mountain, and it slowly lowered.

This scene made the three cultivators' expressions tighten as they watched carefully.

Yet, in the process of bowing his head, Xu Qing's body trembled even more violently, and finally, he slowly raised it again. With the veins on his forehead bulging, his blood-colored eyes revealed a wolf-like coldness, and even more, an unyielding spirit.

The moment he looked at the illusory eye, the seventh level of body tempering from the Sea Mountain Technique also erupted within him at this moment, rapidly manifesting behind him, and soon formed a pitch-black, hulking shadow.

This shadow was several zhang tall, entirely black, with spiral horns on its head. Beneath its purple eyes, its blood-red maw opened abruptly, emitting a silent roar toward the illusory eye.

Roar!!

Xu Qing let out a low roar as well, and at this moment, he made intangible contact with the illusory eye on the bluestone.

The next moment, his whole body shook, as if a heavy hammer had struck his brain. As he spat out blood, the hulking shadow behind him dissipated, but the illusory eye on the bluestone also blurred at this instant and finally dissipated.

It was all over.

Xu Qing's breathing was rapid. Enduring the headache, he struggled to stand up after a long while, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, cupped his fists toward the three middle-aged cultivators who were watching him with deep meaning, and turned to walk silently off the plaza.

Around the plaza, the people who had previously failed to hold on all looked at Xu Qing as if he were a monster, each of their faces filled with disbelief and horror.

"Blood energy... blood energy forming a shadow? This only appears at the Great Perfection of body tempering, comparable to the Great Perfection of Qi Condensation!" It was unknown who said this, the voice echoing with uncertainty.

The next moment, sounds of gasping rose one after another.

Only Xu Qing stood there silently, eyes closed, feeling the pain in his mind slowly dissipating, and faintly, it seemed as if a stronger perception was being born.

Like forging, after a thousand hammerings, a sharp edge is revealed.

This second test was, in fact... also like this, containing good fortune within. It was just that those who could obtain it were few and far between.

This startled Xu Qing. After checking carefully, he found that he really did seem much sharper in perception than before, as if his will had become more resilient. He had no way to prove the latter, but his feeling could not be wrong.

"Very good!"

On the plaza, the three middle-aged cultivators in charge of the test all looked at Xu Qing with appreciation, and the horse-faced cultivator even nodded at him.

"Your name is Xu Qing, right? Those who can survive the final suppression of the second test will have a significant increase in their mental power. Using the blood of a divine creature as a whetstone, the will honed will be incredibly resilient!"

"Divine creature?" Xu Qing looked at the horse-faced cultivator.

The other party did not explain, withdrew his gaze, and said no more. At this moment, the third test began.

The one presiding over this third assessment was the last of the three.

This person had a round face and very small eyes, but the glint in his eyes was very sharp. After stepping out, he swept his gaze over the crowd and spoke indifferently.

"The third test is actual combat, fighting against exotic beasts within an illusion array."

Speaking of this, the round-faced middle-aged man pointed at Xu Qing.

"Xu Qing, you don't need to participate. Your body tempering has actually reached the level of blood energy manifesting as a shadow, already possessing the combat power of a Great Perfection. There is no difference whether you participate in this third test or not. You are permitted to pass the first test without examination."

Once his words were out, the other testers around were envious, but they had nothing to say. The hulking shadow behind Xu Qing just now had already completely intimidated them.

"Many thanks, Senior." Hearing this, Xu Qing lowered his head and bowed deeply with cupped fists.

He was not good with words, but he knew that when facing kindness, one must be polite.

And so, the third test began soon after. Watching the others step onto the plaza one after another, Xu Qing simply sat cross-legged to recuperate his spirit. By the time the third test ended, his spirit had also recovered by more than half.

And through this recovery, Xu Qing deeply realized that his perception seemed to have doubled compared to before.

Specifically, he could instantly perceive the slightest movement within a certain range around him. This scene made his heart beat faster, and a sharp glint appeared in his eyes.

"The honing of the will actually has such a reward... I must try controlling the shadow when I go back; it should be more flexible."

While Xu Qing was deep in thought, the third test ended quickly.

Everyone returned to their original positions, waiting for the results nervously and anxiously. Xu Qing also stood up and looked at the three middle-aged cultivators who were communicating with each other.

"It's a pity that the First Peak requires a specific token..." Xu Qing looked down at the token in his hand. He did not know which peak he would be assigned to next.

Before long, the announcement began. Of the sixty-plus people, a small half were eliminated.

Those who were eliminated all had pale faces. Having failed the entrance test, they were told they must leave the Seven Blood Eyes within an hour; if they exceeded the time, they would be erased by the array.

The term "erased by the array" made Xu Qing's eyes shrink, and it also made those who were eliminated look extremely bitter.

But leaving was not the only choice.

They were told that if they had enough spirit stones to purchase contribution points, they could also live in the main city, though the cost was the same as for commoners: thirty spirit coins or thirty contribution points per day.

As for the disciples who passed the test, although the consumption was also thirty contribution points per day, they gained the right to purchase cultivation resources from the Seven Blood Eyes.

Xu Qing was a bit ignorant about this and did not understand it very well, but he believed he would be able to figure it all out soon.

Not long after, the remaining people who passed the assessment were told their assigned peaks one after another as the horse-faced cultivator spoke.

"Zhan Han, First Peak."

"Zhao Chungang, Third Peak."

"Zhou Qingpeng, Seventh Peak."

Among them, five were selected for the First Peak, three for the Seventh Peak, and the remaining five peaks mostly had six or seven people each.

As the horse-faced cultivator's voice rose and fell, Xu Qing waited silently. He did not hear his own name.

Until shortly after, Xu Qing raised his head, his gaze tightening.

"Xu Qing, Seventh Peak."

After the horse-faced cultivator read Xu Qing's name last, he swept his gaze over the young men and women in front of him and spoke indifferently.

"Each of you who passed the test is rewarded with one thousand contribution points, and the one ranked first this time is Xu Qing, rewarded with ten thousand contribution points."

Hearing this, Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief. He felt that the Seventh Peak was also very good, and at the same time, he was shocked by the amount of the reward.

He secretly calculated that contribution points were equivalent to spirit coins; ten thousand contribution points meant ten thousand spirit coins, which, if converted into spirit stones, would be ten spirit stones.

"So much!" Xu Qing was a bit surprised.

At this moment, after the horse-faced cultivator finished speaking, he took out a jade slip and operated it. Soon, Xu Qing felt his token shake. When he looked down, the pattern on the front of the token twisted on its own, turning into the ancient character representing ten thousand.

But soon, the number changed to nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine, one point less.

Xu Qing's eyes narrowed.

The other disciples who passed the test here also noticed the change in their own tokens one after another. Each of them had a look of emotion, and following the summons of the horse-faced cultivator, they were taken away in batches.

The round-faced cultivator beside him walked toward Xu Qing. After approaching, he scanned his token and smiled slightly.

"Don't look at it, I'll introduce it to you in a moment."

Saying this, he summoned the other disciples who had joined the Seventh Peak, called Xu Qing, and walked toward the mountain path leading to the Seventh Peak.

"Let's go, I'll take you into the mountain gate of the Seventh Peak. You must cherish this, because this might be your only time going up the mountain!"