Chapter 704 - Test (6)
On the Wall of Storm.
A palm print was clearly visible.
There was finally a distinct mark on the one-hundred-meter-wide Wall of Storm!
After a brief silence, the onlooking experts on both sides suddenly burst into cheers that sounded like surging mountain torrents.
"Fantastic!"
"Hahaha! We did it!"
"The first mark has appeared!"
Uplifting cheers like these surged toward the periphery of the plaza in the fashion of an enormous tidal wave.
For a while, the entire plaza erupted with the joyous cheers of the Heaven Wasteland diplomatic corps. Everyone was brimming with fighting spirit and confidence, as though their long-held worries had been completely swept clean by this palm print.
"It's only the first mark, big deal. Truly a bunch of lower domain bastards. Until there are ten marks, it'll be failure that greets you." The leader of the guards, Huang Lin, sneered, revealing a look of disdain and ridicule on his face.
However, there was an added tinge of fear in the way he looked at Yan Buhui.
Although Huang Lin had great confidence in his own strength, he was uncertain whether he could leave such a clear palm print on the Wall of Storm. It was evident to him that the white-haired and white-browed man with a demonic aura was not beneath him in strength, and thus had to be taken note of if the Heaven Wasteland diplomatic corps was to be dealt with.
...
On the test platform in the middle of the plaza.
After careful examination, Shangguan Wu and Huang Tayun declared that the first mark was valid.
Yan Buhui did not pay much attention to this verdict, seemingly because he had long expected this result. He kept a calm face that showed no hint of surprise, and stared fixedly at the spot on the wall where the palm print was, somewhat lost in thought as if he had gained some comprehension.
Time flew by.
The subsequent attempt went a whole lot smoother.
Brandishing the empress sword and firing up her imperial qi, Empress Yu Xiaoxing swiftly left a mark as long as an index finger on the Wall of Storm.
Shangguan Wu approved the mark after personally examining it.
The second mark had been achieved.
Being a mark personally left by the Heaven Wasteland Domain's first empress, it undoubtedly served as a stimulus that greatly uplifted the morale and will of the envoy mission.
The First Princess Yu Junqing followed shortly after.
The former top expert of the Heaven Wasteland Human Race imperial family left a slightly lighter but nevertheless vivid sword mark on the left-hand side of the wall.
Next in line was the Heaven Wasteland Domains top martial maniac, Hu Jue.
He appeared to have gained some comprehension while withstanding the offense of the Wall of Power earlier on. A palm print appeared on the wall as soon as he delivered a palm strike close to where the First Princess' mark was.
Like giant waves that surged high into the sky one after another, the cheers and vigor of the envoy mission ran ever higher.
Everyone appeared excited like never before. They saw within these successively appearing marks the dawn of ultimate victory shining upon them.
In front of the Wall of Storm.
"Hey, your turn. That fat hen won't have any feathers left if you keep combing." Wen Wan used an elbow to nudge Ximen Yeshui, who had been combing his parrot's feathers all this time.
The latter gently prodded his finger, compelling the parrot to return to his shoulder.
"Heh heh, this is simple, watch," he said with great confidence. Clenching his fist in the air, a three-pronged halberd that emanated a cold pale blue light materialized in his palm at once.
He then shook his arm without first approaching or examining the wall.
Amid the roaring noises of tidal waves, the halberd shot out like a beam of blue flowing light.
Boom!
The Wall of Storm made a loud explosive noise.
After been shocked, the halberd flew back toward him.
In an ostentatious fashion, Ximen Yeshui most elegantly raised his hand and caught hold of the halberd.
A halberd mark which was a finger's length deep could be distinctly seen on the wall.
The crowd cheered with great apprehension.
Ximen Yeshui had made it looked too easy. His strength seemed to increase several times with the pale blue halberd in hand, allowing him to leave a mark on the wall as if it was child's play. This was simply shocking to everyone.
Including Ye Qingyu.
"This fella has been hiding his strength all this time."
Ximen Yeshui's background and apprenticeship had always been a mystery, but he always came out ahead regardless of how tough the opponent or challenge was. Today's performance all the more impressed Ye Qingyu, who could not help wondering exactly which secret sect in the Heaven Wasteland Domain could have nurtured a monster like this.
"Haha, you truly are a secretive dark scholar." To one side, Wen Wan laughed as he reached both hands out to catch hold of two giant blood-red battleaxes which suddenly appeared in the air.
Ho!
The formations on the battleaxe fired up and burst forth a red beam toward the wall.
Boom!
A loud noise rang out from the body of the wall.
The battleaxes hacked upon the same spot synchronously.
Leaving a highly distinct mark on the wall.
The battleaxes flew back into the hands of a smiling Wen Wan, who shot a challenging look at Ximen Yeshui.
The latter winced a little but immediately tittered and said, "I never thought someone who eats noodles everyday could have such strength... Ironic to call me secretive when you're even more so."
The Heaven Wasteland diplomatic corps had already begun cheering once more.
Ye Qingyu could not help throwing a few more glances at Wen Wan.
The performance of this crazy noodle-eating demon had surprised him as well.
Wen Wan has never displayed strength like this... Could it mean that this Great Divine General has also been concealing his strength all along?
If so, could the other Great Divine Generals be doing the same?
Ye Qingyu became a little perplexed.
By this time, there were already six marks on the wall!
Thunderous cheers and applauses which seemed like they could shake the mountains burst out on the plaza and went on endlessly.
With a hint of impatience and anger in his eyes, Huang Lin, who had been watching on disdainfully, could barely remain standing on his feet.
How did these lower domain bastards leave marks on the wall successively and so easily?
Impossible!
How can a lower domain have these kinds of experts?
However, the real scenes before his eyes made him a little uncertain.
Just as he was lost in thought, yet another loud noise rang out on the plaza.
In front of the Wall of Storm.
The figure who was carrying a giant hammer and panting mildly was none other than the Brute King of the desert, Shi Potian.
The giant hammer had gouged a dent which was the size of a fingernail on the wall in front of him.
On the test platform.
"A lil' small it may be... but clear it is. Approved!" Shangguan Wu delivered his verdict after careful review.
"Great!"
"Let's press on!"
"Everyone, victory is near!"
"The experts in the middle of the plaza once again let out uplifting cheers.
"It's my turn to try."
The top expert of the White Mountain Black Waters Brute Race, Jin Tuodao, walked to the front of the crowd with a Black Waters Long Knife in his hand.
Bam!
Yet another loud noise rang out from the Wall of Storm.
"This..." Slightly breathless, Jin looked at the fine, hair-like knife mark on the wall with some apprehension.
I'd clearly struck out with all my might. How can there only be such a tiny mark? Didn't know that the wall is this tough.
The other experts watching on from the sides also felt somewhat perturbed and uncertain.
Although they could clearly see the mark with their own eyes, they could not be sure of the test officials' judgment.
Shangguan Wu walked down from the test platform he had been standing on throughout and came to the wall.
He carefully examined the knife mark together with Huang Tayun.
Silence.
The crowd held its breath.
As if they were angels waiting for divine judgment, everyone remained perfectly quiet.
"I declare this mark... valid," Shangguan Wu spoke in a flat yet assertive tone.
"What? Such a fine line counts as well?" Huang Tayun exclaimed as two beams of cold light instantly formed in his eyes, giving away his dissatisfaction with the verdict.
"Yes. As thin as it is, its depth meets the test criteria, and hence the verdict." Shangguan Wu spoke with absolute certainty after turning to face the crowd, looking dignified.
Cheers and yells.
Both within and without the plaza, the Heaven Wasteland diplomatic corps let out even more uplifting exclamations.
Eight valid marks already.
Victory was getting nearer!
Aside from Ye Qingyu, there was also the Sea Demon Race War God, Dragon Turtle Big Demon, remaining.
Because he had no problems standing firm within the red line zone during the fury of the storm earlier, the watching crowd expressed tremendous confidence in him.
He stood two meters in front of the wall with an incomparably solemn expression on his face, when all of a sudden, he tossed the turtle shell, which size he could change at will and on which a golden luster flickered, toward the wall.
Bam!
A thunderous sound was heard.
The onlookers raised their heads and looked at the wall in anticipation.
However, no mark appeared where the turtle shell had struck on the wall.
Instead, a tiny crack appeared on the turtle shell, which was rated as the toughest shield in the Sea Race for several hundred years, after it fell at the base of the wall.
Swaying his body, the Dragon Turtle Big Demon opened his mouth and shot out a stream of blood. The turtle shell was the body part most important to his foundation, and so a crack like this would certainly weaken his foundation. But what made him feel most disappointed and depressed was the fact that no mark appeared on the wall despite paying such a huge price.
Failure.
His facial expression was one of extreme agony.
He gently wiped away the aqua-colored blood stains at the corners of his mouth. With a weak aura, a shaking body on the verge of collapse, and a face of shame and guilt, he turned around and said, "Wuzhao Empress, Lord Ye... I tried my best... I'm incapable..."
The Dragon Turtle Race was well-known for its defensive excellence, but their offensive ability was mediocre. Despite trying so hard that the turtle shell cracked, the Big Demon's attempt ended in failure.
Ye Qingyu hurriedly caught hold of him.
The onlooking envoys revealed a sense of regret on their faces, but not one of them blamed this elder, who had compromised his foundation in trying.
There were still only eight marks left on the wall so far.
Among the participants, only Ye Qingyu had not made his attempt.
However, he was but one person, and only had one chance.
In other words, even if Ye Qingyu successfully left a mark, there would only be nine marks on the wall, and the Heaven Wasteland Domain would have no other way to meet the test criteria.
It was as if all voices and noises ceased abruptly in front of the Wall of Storm.
The atmosphere became rather quiet and low-spirited.
What could be done?
The hundreds of people in the middle of the plaza were the top-level experts carefully handpicked from the entire Heaven Wasteland diplomatic corps. Even if the remaining people were to attempt one after another, it was certain that none of them would be able to leave a mark on the wall.