"Ahhh!" A voice filled with horror shrieked with indignation and fear. The sound was so loud that many turned their head curiosity. What they saw caused their scalps to numb and their pupils to constrict.
A woman was on the 3rd step...or what was originally a woman. Her cultivation base radiated an initial-Qi Unification aura, but her entire body was pressed down so much that she seemed flat. Her bones were crushed to powder, her blood spewed out violently, and her head seemed like it was smashed with a hammer as half of it seemed to have been pounded in.
"Holy sh-" A young man was about to scream when another similar sound resounded nearby. Turning around, the first thing he saw caused his eyes to tremble with intense disbelief and fear. An originally fat man was turned into a literal pancake. If one looked closely, they still wouldn't be able to discern arm from limb.
The hearts of everyone nearby and even on the 2nd step raced at a rapid pace.
Those two were dead after their initial scream.
"..." Lin Feilin was nearby, her eyes filled with wariness and fear. At this point, she was contemplating whether she should continue. This very thought crossed everyone's mind. However, someone from the fourth floor mockingly shouted.
"Fools! If you're too old, too weak, step the hell down or lose your worthless, little lives." He coldly snorted, ignoring all the gazes and continued forward with little pressure. Quite a few had discontented gazes after being called fools and worthless, but no one said anything in reply. The scene just now left them visibly shaken.
For many, his words enlightened them. The ages of these two were likely nearing the eligibility limit yet their cultivation were underwhelming. Those in a similar situation calculated their ages and cultivation base in an estimated comparison.
About several ten thousand people just stopped. They returned to the base of the steps, watching others. Not all of them were old or weak, instead, they were going to calculate other's achievements and their own capabilities.
This was smart. As long as there was someone around their age and cultivation base who could pass the 13th step, they would try. If they died in their attempt, they would just leave. What reason did they have to risk their lives?
Lin Feilin couldn't do so. She was remarkably young and had a high cultivation base, she had a belief she could reach at least the 13th step in these circumstances. Not to mention, Ya Qinqan had already reached the 4th step. If she could do it, so can she. After all, she didn't want to be eclipsed by her rival.
Shi Xuanji didn't even consider his failure yet. His intention was to experience the pressure personally, if it felt too heavy to resist, he would no longer ascend. His life was a priority after all. A young daughter and weak wife awaited his safe return.
Outside, at the Xiantu Emperor's banquet, Yan Zaizen was watching with rapt attention. His hand, however, never stopped as he ate more and more cake. Eke, Grimm and Moana were placings bets on how far their disciples and descendants will achieve.
"One drop of heavenly liquid," Grimm confidently bet on his most talented disciple reaching the highest step out of everyone else.
"I'll match." Eke said, a soft smile on his face. If anyone saw this, they would see a sly old man.
"Hmph." Moana coldly snorted. She wasn't confident enough to bet on any of her participants. However, she disliked being left out. Yan Zaizen found this funny as he discontented expression was cute, he turned towards Shin Xuanji with a smile. Many may not have noticed him, but he was truly decent. He was about seventy years old, had an initial Origin Core cultivation base, and a Perfect Nascent Soul. From his inspection, this test heavily relied on those three factors.
With all this, he could easily match a heavenly-tier force genius. If given two hundred more years with proper resources, it's possible he could reach the mid-Origin Core Realm.
An hour passed.
Lin Feilin & Ya Qinqan: 10th Step.
Shin Xuanji: 11th Step.
"Oh?" Yan Zaizen was a little shocked by how Shin Xuanji exceeded the two beauties. Not to mention, he didn't seem too pressured. Instead, he was cautiously moving forward. "That's odd…" Yan Zaizen felt something was off.
"You're considering just three factors, but the steps place pressure onto the physical body as well. It seems this boy is cultivating blood laws. That's a bodily law. If he reaches a high enough level, he can refine his body with blood qi in a similar fashion you can refine yours with life qi." Pinaka commented. The moment she did, Yan Zaizen came to a realization.
Since body refinement can't be appropriately measured unless inspected deeply in person, he neglected it. He softly nodded in acceptance of his oversight.
"His blood qi is exceptionally powerful for his age and cultivation base," Pinaka said once more with interest suffused in her voice. "It seems to contain dense blood law energy, it may be at the perfect-Force level. It's possible...he's super close or at the Manifestation level." Pinaka, as a true spirit, could best a sixth-floor Heavenly Shrine expert in deducing a laws aura in the soul even behind a screen.
"Oh?!" He was surprised.
That was exceptional. Lin Feilin was slightly older but she only reached the initial-Force level. Laws were divided into four stages: Initial, Minor, Major, and Perfect. As for the Force-level, it depended on one's comprehension of the base law that the concept originated from. This was why Yan Zaizen's death concept rose in the Deep Mines. He comprehended deeper into death law rather than the concept itself.
This was also why soul and time law was easy to rise to the Manifestation-level. He had direct links to time and soul law in the chaotic space and brain respectively. Unbeknownst to him, Shin Xuanji also had a regalia to ponder over.
"In that case, with a cultivation at the initial-Origin Core Realm, both of the first two trials will be easy for him." Yan Zaizen commented, his eyes flickering with intense anticipation.
"Haha, so little? I, Xian Li, bets three drops of heavenly liquid!" A man bolstered with a bragging expression. It drew everyone's eyes as they realized who he was. This man was a first-floor Heavenly Genesis expert and belonged to the Xiantu Emperor's direct force. It seems everyone was making bets in their own social circles.
"Oh? You scared? Do any of you dare to bet with me?" He traced his eyes around in disdain. He was fairly confident his disciple would take first place in his specific circle and many here. The confidence in his gaze was dazzlingly obvious.
Yan Zaizen directly stepped forward, "I'm willing to bet, but I'm curious if you dare." He was softly smiling at this.
When Xian Li saw who stepped forward, his arrogant gaze immediately dropped several thousand notches and turned immediately respectful. "Sir Yan Zaizen, I do dare. I just hope…" his words trailed off purposefully. Yan Zaizen was chuckling inwardly.
"You don't have to worry." Yan Zaizen waved his hand and a small, golden bottle filled with liquid appeared. In it was 73 drops of heavenly law liquid. "How about this, I'll let everyone make a bet with me. If my choice loses to yours, I'll match your bet. If I win, it's mine. I'll even refrain from picking someone above a heavenly-tier force."
He looked towards the crowd and they were shocked, but many looked at the bottle with greed. A person stepped up, it was a beautiful woman at the peak-True Essence Realm. "One drop." She took out an even smaller bottle that contained one drop of liquid.
Before long, he had many, many takers. A person asked, "What if you run out of liquid Sir Yan Zaizen?" Yan Zaizen smiled, "Depending on how much I owe, I'll owe that person a favor."
"One hundred drops of heavenly liquid." An old man near the Xiantu Emperor declared. Everyone's eyes drew to the old man and everyone was shocked. He was Mo, the second-floor Heavenly Genesis expert that serves the emperor only.
Yan Zaizen smiled at this, nodding in acceptance. "Any others?" At that moment, everyone realized the circumstances and felt this was an important time, not to mention Yan Zaizen was at a disadvantage. If he couldn't pick any from heavenly-tier forces, they had a massive advantage. Many believed he loved to recklessly gamble, and thus decided to take this opportunity.
Before long, there was already over five hundred drops against him. "Then, who will be chosen?" He asked curiously.
"If I may speak, Sir Yan Zaizen, you said we could pick anyone. What if two or more people pick the same person or you pick the person we'll pick?" Xian Li asked, his eyes shone with a sly glint.
"It's a bet against me, not against others. You can pick whoever you want, even the same. You can also pick first. As long as I lose, I lose." These words caused many eyes to light up in succession. Many of those lights contained deep greed and contempt.
"Xiantu Yu," one person who bet two drops called out.
"Xiantu Yu," another called out, he bet five drops.
"Xiantu Yu," even Xian Li called out that name, betting eleven drops.
Everyone, literally EVERYONE, who bet called out that one name.
Yan Zaizen was curious about who that was, but he simply kept his casual expression with a slight smile. "I see. I pick Shin Xuanji." Yan Zaizen calmly declared.
Who?
This name caused many to be confused. However, Yan Zaizen pointed towards a boy dressed in a blood-crimson outfit and an Oni mask. Then, he smiled. He knew that a first-floor Heavenly shrine required one hundred drops for each concept embedded within, outside of materials for the physical structure itself which were far easier to obtain.
As for these drops, typically, they would take a century for a first-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivator to refine one without support. With an average lifespan of one hundred and fifty thousand years, this wasn't much. However a hundred years was still a hundred years.
He was making preparation for his future ascension. Not to mention, Pinaka had already given her guarantee towards Shin Xuanji. Out of everyone there, not a single person could match him in terms of potential. After all, the Manifestation level was typically something even peak-True Essence experts after tens of thousands had trouble reaching.
Four hours later.
"Impossible! Could he be cheating?"
"Who is this boy?! He puts the Xiantu Yu, the direct descendant of the Xiantu Emperor so far behind?!"
"Holy...how can he be so young yet so…"
Prince Renlong: Exit at 12th Step.
Ya Qinqan: Exit at 17th Step.
Lin Felin: Exit at 17th Step.
Yan Qiu: Exit at 22nd Step.
Xiantu Yu: Exit at 27th Step.
SHIN XUANJI: EXIT AT 30th STEP!!
With a single trial, a single step, he eclipsed all others! As the world was stunned, Yan Zaizen had a dense smirk of satisfaction on his face. With the greediest smile imaginable, he chuckled loudly.
"Time to pay up!"