Many people chose to drop out, and by nightfall, only a little over six hundred remained within the light barrier.
"Ti's up!"
The envoy from the Tianyang Sect stood up and reached out his hand—a bead floating in the air descended from the sky. "Smack!" The bead landed steadily in the hand of the Tianyang Sect's envoy. At the mont the bead flew down from the sky, the light barrier that covered the crowd disappeared along with it.
"Thump! Thump..."
All six hundred or so people fell onto the ground, their mouths wide open, tongues lolling out, panting heavily. Each face was pale as a ghost, drenched in sweat, a picture of utter misery.
"It's impressive that you could endure until the end," praised the Tianyang Sect's envoy, "To withstand such high temperatures and scorching heat for a whole day with mortal bodies is no easy feat." As he spoke, the envoy produced an elixir, "Dissolve this pill in water, and each of you take a sip; it will restore your strength." With a flick of his finger, the pill turned into a shooting star, falling into a pond and dissolving swiftly out of sight.
In the center of the plaza was a small pond, planted with so lotuses, mainly for ornantal purposes, but now it had beco everyone's life-saving water.
People rushed to the pond, bending down to drink greedily.
After drinking the water, everyone regained their energy, and their bodily fatigue was swept away.
"How miraculous!" soone exclaid, "Miracle dicine indeed!"
"Rest well, everyone. We'll comnce the third test early tomorrow morning." Dropping this remark, the Tianyang Sect's envoy left on his sword.
...
"Gao Fei, thank you! If it weren't for your encouragent today, I definitely couldn't have lasted until the end," Zhu Xiaoliang said with a look of gratitude.
"Do we really still need to say thanks between us?" Gao Fei smiled, "Let's go drink and eat at. I've been starving all day."
"Right, drink and feast! Hearty drinks, big bites of at, enjoy it to the fullest, and revel in it!" Zhu Xiaoliang laughed heartily.
A mont later, a fire was lit. Gao Fei and Zhu Xiaoliang sat around it, with plenty to eat and drink, laughter ringing out endlessly.
"If life brings joyful drinking, one should not let the golden cup face the moon alone!" Gao Fei, in high spirits, began to recite poetry, "Living in this world, one should be carefree and joyous! Without letting life hold any regrets!"
"Well said!" Zhu Xiaoliang nodded vigorously, "Drink to the fullest today, for tomorrow is uncertain! To us— may we not return until we're drunk!"
"Cheers!"
After a heavy bout of drinking, both n collapsed inebriated on the ground, holding their wine jars and falling into a deep slumber.
...
Dawn broke quickly.
The sky was overcast, with no sun in sight, and the north wind howled, causing branches and leaves to sway.
The envoy from the Tianyang Sect approached, riding on his longsword, "The day before yesterday, we tested mory; yesterday, endurance; and today, we're testing your ntal fortitude."
"ntal fortitude?" everyone wondered aloud, confused, "How do you test that?"
"Whoosh!"
The Tianyang Sect's envoy flicked his wrist and threw out a bunch of array flags. These flags were inserted into the ground at various positions, and with a "Puff!" a puff of white smoke was released from the flags, instantly covering the entire plaza in dense fog, obscuring everything from view.
"The test begins now!" The envoy's icy voice emanated from within the fog.
"What test?"
"A test in the mist?"
"Is it like yesterday's? Whoever endures the longest in the fog passes?"
"It can't be that simple."
...
The crowd murmured among themselves, filled with disbelief and fear when facing the unknown.
"Zhu Xiaoliang, no matter what you see, stay calm inside. Don't believe any of it because everything you see will be false," Gao Fei cautioned in a low voice. The mont the fog appeared, he imdiately realized this must be an Illusion Array, capable of producing various illusions and catching one off guard.
"Did you figure out sothing?" Zhu Xiaoliang asked quietly.
"Don't ask too much," Gao Fei shook his head, "You just have to listen to ; I'll never harm you."
"Okay, I'll listen to you."
"Rember, whatever you see, don't believe it. Mark my words, mark them well!"
...
Before long, so people began to talk nonsense, even coming to blows. Gao Fei was right; it was an Illusion Array that plunged people into a boundless illusionary realm. Those with weak willpower would inevitably suffer.
To ordinary people, this Illusion Array was highly dangerous, but for Gao Fei, it was child's play. He had advanced from the Qi Gathering Stage step by step to the Golden Core Stage, experiencing countless events, his ntal fortitude honed to be exceptionally strong. Such illusions could not affect him at all.
If it were not for the loss of his cultivation, and the need to find a Secret Manual to repair his Dantian, Gao Fei would never have participated in the test. No matter how renowned the Tianyang Sect was, it could not attract Gao Fei.
After discovering the loss of his cultivation, Gao Fei started searching for the Demon God Heritage, hoping to find a thod within it to repair his Dantian, but... he found nothing in the end. The so-called Demon God Heritage was just the soul mory of the Demon God, which, after eons of erosion, beca fragnted.
Much of the secret knowledge, including the thod to repair the Dantian, had vanished.
Since the Demon God Heritage couldn't help Gao Fei, he had to find another way.
He initially planned to search for Spiritual dicine to repair his Dantian, but it was too difficult to find. In the end, with no other options, Gao Fei settled for joining a Sect to search for a Secret Manual with a thod to repair his Dantian.
...
"Son, where have you gone? Why haven't you co back?" Ahead appeared a middle-aged woman, Gao Fei's mother, "Co here, let your mother have a good look at you."
Gao Fei stood still, because he knew this was an illusion, not reality.
"Son." His father appeared as well, "Hurry over here. Your mother and I miss you. Co, co closer."
"Gao Fei, I miss you."
"Gao Fei, I want to hug you."
"Co here and talk to ."
...
Su Xiaorou, Liu ngyao, and others also appeared one after another, what they said was more or less the sa, all calling Gao Fei over.
Gao Fei stood quietly in place, motionless, without a word.
After a long standoff, his parents disappeared, followed by Su Xiaorou and the rest...
"To think such a low-level illusion could confuse , that's underestimating ," Gao Fei muttered to himself.
After waiting a bit longer, the white mist finally began to dissipate...
Looking around, Gao Fei suddenly froze, "Are only this many people left?"
Over six hundred people had participated in the assessnt, now only more than two hundred remained, the rest had been eliminated. Tens of thousands had co, but in the end, only a little over two hundred were left; the ratio was astonishing.
"Emissary, please show rcy and accept into the Sect."
"Emissary, didn't you say you would recruit three hundred people? There are only a bit over two hundred who passed the assessnt..."
"Please give another chance."
...
The eliminated ones pleaded miserably.
"Tianyang Sect adheres to the principle of preferring shortage over excess," the Tianyang Sect emissary said indifferently: "Since in the end, a little over two hundred people passed the assessnt, that's how many disciples we will recruit this year."
"Emissary, please have rcy, I beg you."
"When I say no, it ans no! Leave now and stop wasting ti here."
"Emissary..."
"Do not anger , or the consequences will be severe," the emissary's face darkened: "If you are not reconciled, then co back in ten years."
Seeing the Tianyang Sect emissary's unyielding attitude, with no room for negotiation, the eliminated ones could only turn around and leave.
"Rest here for the night. I will co fetch you in the morning," the Tianyang Sect emissary said, waving his sleeve before departing on his longsword.
...
"I finally made it! It really wasn't easy!"
"From now on, I'm also a cultivator! I will practice diligently, striving for ascension to the Immortal Realm, to proudly live as long as the heavens and earth."
"My goal isn't that grand. Reaching the Transcendance Tribulation Stage would be enough for ."
"Just getting to the Nascent Soul Stage will satisfy ."
A bunch of people chattered non-stop, selected ones were in high spirits.
"Gao Fei, thank you," Zhu Xiaoliang ca over to express his gratitude: "If it weren't for your reminder, I definitely couldn't have persevered to the end." It was after hearing Gao Fei's words that Zhu Xiaoliang was able to hold on to his original intention and not be fooled by the illusions.
"We're friends, it's only right to help each other," Gao Fei smiled: "From now on, we are fellow Sect brothers."
"Right, fellow Sect brothers," Zhu Xiaoliang nodded: "You are the senior brother, and I am the junior!"
"Everyone!" a handso man said loudly: "How about we hold a celebration tonight? To celebrate passing the assessnt and officially becoming disciples of the Tianyang Sect."
"That's a great idea, I agree!" Soone shouted in agreent.
"I agree too!"
"I have no objections."
"We are all going to be Sect brothers soon; we should get to know each other well."
"Those with wine bring wine, those with at bring at, and those without either bring energy, let's all start preparing."
...
In a short ti, fires were set up one by one.
A group of people sat around, drinking from big bowls, eating at by the mouthful, singing loudly, in high spirits!
"Zhu Xiaoliang, now you can be at ease," Gao Fei said with a smile: "After entering Tianyang Sect and learning so skills, you can go and seek revenge on those bandits."
"Not gonna lie, I still feel like this is all a dream," Zhu Xiaoliang chugged a drink: "How did I pass the assessnt? How could I join the Tianyang Sect? What rits or abilities do I have!"
"Don't talk like that," Gao Fei patted Zhu Xiaoliang on the shoulder: "Don't underestimate yourself, you're great! You're no less than anyone else! Have confidence in yourself."
"You're right; I'm just a little too self-deprecatory," Zhu Xiaoliang said: "From now on, I'll face everything bravely, no matter what difficulties I encounter, I'll face them with my chest held high."
"Co on, let's drink!"
"Drink!"
...
The celebration continued until deep into the night, most people got drunk, with only a few managing to stay sober.
Gao Fei lay on the ground, staring at the starry sky, deep in thought. Tomorrow, he would join the Tianyang Sect. He hoped he could smoothly obtain the spell manual to repair his Dantian without any mishaps.
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