Chapter 555: Choosing the Statues

Ye Liuyun also couldn't figure out how the portraits on these stone pillars suddenly gained souls.

But at least they felt like the statues had no ill intent.

"Choose the strongest statues if you can!" Yu Haotian sent a transmission voice to Ye Liuyun, reminding him.

"Huh? What does that mean?"

Ye Liuyun didn't really get it. Could it be that we have to choose statues next?

He glanced at the others; besides those who had previously taken part in the martial contest, everyone else looked just as clueless as he did.

These hundred people were still in the secret realm, and the secret realm still hadn't given them any hints.

This stage was originally the last chance for the top hundred geniuses to boost their strength with luck.

They were to select statues on the stone pillars according to their luck, temporarily using them as each genius's guardian, allowing these geniuses to beforehand comprehend the power of Imperial Rank, Honored Rank, and even Divine Rank.

At the same time, these hundred geniuses could also use this power to contend for the secret realms they liked.

Outside the secret realm, Yao Xinghai and the elders had thought that this year's martial contest would see over a hundred people able to receive the inheritance.

However, seeing that everyone outside the top hundred had been sent out of the secret realm, they couldn't help but feel disappointed, yet there was nothing they could do.

"It seems no matter how many inheritances there are, those outside the top hundred are also destined to have no affinity with them!"

Yao Xinghai sighed and could only continue watching the martial contest's progress as a spectator. The secret realm hadn't opened yet, so they still couldn't interfere with the contest.

At that moment, some inheritances had also begun to gradually connect with the secret realm.

The secret realm and those connecting inheritances each extended an illusory shadow passage, linking together to form a bridge to the inheritance, passable by people.

Some inexperienced geniuses, seeing the bridge open, rushed toward that passage regardless of what inheritance it was, and scuffles broke out in the process.

Ye Liuyun had also wanted to join the scramble, but then he saw Yu Haotian, Lie Hongxia, Meng Wentian, and many others who had participated in the previous martial contest looking at those scrambling with mocking eyes.

"It's not that simple!" Ye Liuyun realized instantly, stood still on the spot, and also held back Liang Xue, Lei Ming, and Long Nv.

"Let's just take a look first and see! Anyway, there are plenty of inheritances. These newly connected ones are obviously not especially strong."

As he was speaking, he saw a genius of the Heavenly General Seventh Layer knock aside two scrambling people nearby with a palm each, then rush ahead toward the passage.

But just as he was about to charge into the passage, he seemed to meet some resistance—with a bang, he was bounced straight back.

This sudden change caused the people closely following him to abruptly stop their steps.

"Hahaha!" At that moment, a few experienced geniuses burst out laughing. "Idiots, with your current strength you simply can't get in!"

The boy who had been flung back wasn't hurt at all! But he was tossed about, wobbling as he stood up, and asked in confusion, "How then can we get in?"

But this time, no one paid him any attention. Those who knew the situation obviously didn't want to tell them beforehand.

"Could it be that we need to rely on the statues' guardians to get in?"

Ye Liuyun's golden pupils noticed that these people's gazes were now scanning those statues, and some were already communicating with them via divine sense.

So he too took another careful look at those statues.

The statues' size usually correlates with the size of the stone pillars.

"The larger the pillar, the stronger the statue's power!"

After the statues gained divine sense, Ye Liuyun could now faintly feel their strength; after a brief comparison, he discovered some patterns.

So he next focused on finding the largest pillars, but the bigger the pillar, the weaker the divine sense within it.

As for the five tallest pillars, so far they've shown hardly any reaction, and the divine sense they contain is also extremely faint.

Besides those five tallest pillars, there are over ten that are slightly smaller; these pillars already possess some divine sense—though not strong, it's sufficient for rudimentary communication.

Ye Liuyun shared these findings with Liang Xue, Lei Ming, and Long Nv in real time. At that moment, they too were observing the many stone pillars, seeking their own Guardian God Seal.

"Hey brother, quick look—is that a Thunder Dragon Beast?" Lei Ming suddenly cried out, asking Ye Liuyun.

Ye Liuyun followed her gaze and, sure enough, it was a Thunder Dragon Beast on the second‑largest pillar. Given the current situation, if the biggest pillars' divine sense isn't strong enough, choosing these pillars is undoubtedly the best option.

Ye Liuyun nodded. "Sure, pick it later—it should be an excellent match for you."

"Then I'll take the golden dragon beside the Thunder Dragon Beast!" Long Nv also sent a transmission voice to Ye Liuyun.

"Good!" Ye Liuyun hadn't yet had a chance to examine what the statues above were.

"Xue'er, which one are you preparing to pick?" Ye Liuyun asked Liang Xue.

"I don't know either! I have no idea who those statues depict or what attributes they have!" Liang Xue's voice sounded anxious.

"Don't rush; it probably hasn't started yet, otherwise someone would already have chosen."

Having said that, Ye Liuyun finally began to scrutinize the statues on the pillars.

The five largest were, respectively, a man leaning on a sword, a man holding a hammer, and the remaining three: one a monstrous form of the Demon Race, one a Qilin beast, and another a strange beast Ye Liuyun didn't recognize—its shape resembled that of an Earth Demon Dragon, but it bore a dragon's head.

On the somewhat smaller pillars, the statues included men and women, demons and beasts; among them were the Thunder Dragon Beast suited for Lei Ming and the Golden Dragon suited for Long Nv.

"You can try picking a female one." Ye Liuyun suggested to Liang Xue.

That female statue was carved lifelike, resembling a fairy; at least in appearance, it matched Liang Xue very well.

Liang Xue also nodded in agreement. "Sure, I'll give it a try—but I don't know how to choose!"

"I don't know either; let's first see how others are choosing." Ye Liuyun gathered his focus and began paying attention to the experienced geniuses inside the secret realm.

Seeing that they weren't doing anything yet, he also relaxed and reassured those nearby: "They haven't started either, so don't rush."

While they were waiting, suddenly the luck of these people began to glow.

And as Ye Liuyun's divine sense perceived more, the secret realm's former barrier that blocked divine sense disappeared—they could now communicate with these statues.

It has started!