Chapter 644: The Second Round, Heart-Questioning Pool

Zhou Yan also did not know how to explain it.

How could he know why Ye Lin was running so fast?

The assessment time for the Heaven-Ascending Ladder is three days, and the first morning hasn't even passed yet, but that kid is crawling forward desperately as if he's gone mad... oh no, crawling forward.

There is no reward for rushing, so what is this kid after?

Amidst the confused, shocked, and bewildered gazes of the crowd, a bloody, indistinct object writhed at high speed, quickly leaving everyone behind.

Xiao Qingming's expression was somewhat strange.

Originally, he could have taken first place on the Heaven-Ascending Ladder with a leisurely stroll, but now that Ye Lin has pulled this stunt, he can only settle for second.

It's not that Xiao Qingming is inferior to Ye Lin; if he were to disregard his image and use both hands and feet, Ye Lin would certainly not be faster than him.

It's just that such a method, even if it leads to victory, is not dignified.

Taking first place with a leisurely stroll earns the admiration of thousands.

Taking first place by using hands and feet means being gossiped about for a lifetime after climbing a ladder.

Xiao Qingming wants to show off, but he doesn't want to be an eyesore.

"Forget it, there are two more rounds ahead; I shall take back first place then." Xiao Qingming shook his head.

Gu Qianxue and Ye Chen clearly had the same thought; geniuses have the pride of geniuses. Others climb the Heaven-Ascending Ladder, while you crawl up it—what kind of behavior is that?

In the blink of an eye, two and a half hours passed quietly.

The Heaven-Ascending Ladder had already been stained red with blood.

The Heaven-Ascending Ladder, which originally possessed an ethereal, immortal aura, now looked to have an added sense of grimness.

"Just how much further is it?"

Ye Lin vaguely felt that his body was already reaching its limit against the terrifying pressure of the Heaven-Ascending Ladder.

More importantly, as the altitude increased, various strange illusions began to appear around Ye Lin, blocking his path forward, which caused his speed to slow down somewhat.

If this continues, his physical body will inevitably collapse on the spot.

He must think of a way; otherwise, should he bribe Zhou Yan again? He still has plenty of Immortal Source Stones anyway.

Just as Ye Lin was pondering a way to break the deadlock, he suddenly felt the pressure around him drop sharply.

Ye Lin tentatively stood up; gradually, he even felt the surrounding pressure disappear completely, as if the Heaven-Ascending Ladder had turned into an ordinary staircase.

"Huh?"

Ye Lin couldn't help but let out a soft sound of surprise, his face full of confusion; he even couldn't help but jump a few times on the Heaven-Ascending Ladder.

This scene also caught the attention of the nine Peak Masters and everyone present.

"What is going on? This kid suddenly became immune to the spiritual pressure of the Heaven-Ascending Ladder? What evil technique did he use?"

"It doesn't seem to be an evil technique... it's just that he bled too much, and the Heaven-Ascending Ladder, having been drenched in a large amount of fresh blood, has developed an affinity for him."

"This works too? The Heaven-Ascending Ladder has been open for so long, and this old man has never seen such a way to pass! This kid's vitality is truly incredibly astonishing; he can still jump around after losing so much blood."

"No wonder he had to use such an unsightly method to climb the ladder; was all of this already within his calculations? I fear he will break the fastest record for the Heaven-Ascending Ladder!"

"This kid is not simple! Although he is only at the Great Perfection of the Spirit-Gathering Realm, with this kind of temperament, he will surely become a great power in the future!"

"I am becoming more and more curious about his natural constitution!"

The nine Peak Masters were filled with emotion, and their gazes toward Ye Lin were different now, carrying a bit more admiration.

Just a moment ago, they were all wondering why Ye Lin wanted to pass the test in such an undignified way; they didn't expect that they were on the first floor, while Ye Lin was on the fifth!

In this way, all of the kid's strange actions from just now could be explained.

The other disciples participating in the assessment also looked at the figure at the very front with complex expressions.

Only now did they understand what it meant to say that a genius is always lonely!

If Ye Lin hadn't personally taken the field to demonstrate it for them, they could have racked their brains and never imagined that besides brute-forcing it, there could actually be such a way to solve the Heaven-Ascending Ladder.

Many cultivators who were confident in their own vitality had their gazes instantly become firm.

Question Ye Lin, understand Ye Lin, and now, they want to become Ye Lin!

Numerous cultivators prostrated themselves on the ground, imitating Ye Lin's appearance, and began to crawl upward in a dark and twisted manner.

In an instant, the Heaven-Ascending Ladder was filled with the figures of countless maggots.

This method was indeed extremely effective; the climbing speed of many cultivators soared instantly, and they did not stop even when the ladder was stained with blood.

And as more and more people joined in, a waterfall of blood even appeared on the Heaven-Ascending Ladder.

Looking at this scene, Zhou Yan felt a darkness before his eyes.

This... this isn't right, is it?

The Heaven-Ascending Ladder round initially tests a cultivator's physique and cultivation base, and when nearing the summit, it begins to test the cultivator's willpower.

But now, how did it turn into a test of whose health bar is thicker?

Ye Lin had not yet realized that he had single-handedly warped the entire style of the event.

Realizing the spiritual pressure had vanished, he rushed upward without a second thought; without the obstruction of spiritual pressure, climbing to the top of the ladder was just a matter of a few breaths for a cultivator.

After standing at the top of the ladder, Ye Lin looked at Zhou Yan and asked.

"Elder Zhou, I have passed, right?"

"Mm."

Zhou Yan replied with a dark face; he didn't need to think to know that after this, the Heaven-Ascending Ladder round would definitely need to be redesigned.

Ye Lin beamed with joy and waited at the top of the Heaven-Ascending Ladder.

Three days later, nearly half of the cultivators failed to reach the top and were all eliminated.

This was still the result of many people learning Ye Lin's "crawling and bleeding" method; otherwise, in previous years, having one-third of the people reach the top of the ladder would have been considered a good result.

Zhou Yan waved his hand, and the ladder disappeared; in its place was a pool of water like a mirror, without any ripples, and everyone was suspended above this pool.

"The second round, the Heart-Questioning Pool."

Zhou Yan stood with his hands behind his back.

"The Heart-Questioning Pool questions the Dao Heart! This second round tests nothing else, only whether your Dao Heart is resilient! The Heart-Questioning Pool will temporarily seal your memories, and you must face the deepest fears within your hearts!"

As soon as the words fell, everyone present began to fall downward like dumplings, with the sounds of splashing echoing incessantly.

"Let's see what kind of illusions that Ye Lin will face; if he has any unspeakable secrets, he will certainly not be able to escape the interrogation of the Heart-Questioning Pool."

"Take a look at that Xiao Qingming as well; he is a good seedling, his talent is not a problem, and his character must also be passable, otherwise he will instead become a scourge to the common people of the world!"

"Bring up Gu Qianxue and Ye Chen's as well!"

Soon, four images appeared before the eyes of the nine Peak Masters; these four were clearly the most watched individuals among this batch of disciples participating in the entrance assessment.

The Peak Masters first looked at Xiao Qingming; the deepest fear in his heart was when he almost died in the jaws of a demonic beast at the age of six.

The Heart-Questioning Pool pulled him back to that year when he was six, and based on his memories, wove a brand-new illusion.

What Gu Qianxue and Ye Chen encountered was similar to Xiao Qingming, basically all life-and-death crises.

But when they saw Ye Lin's illusion, the nine Peak Masters couldn't help but be stunned, with question marks appearing neatly above their heads.