916 - The Divine Phoenix’s Trial (1)
“Absolute Monarch of Heaven…”
After they recognized the man, the person’s face changed slightly.
Absolute Monarch of Heaven was one of the extraordinary talents of the younger generation in Central Mainland. He possessed outstanding talents and was ranked near the top of the Honor Roll List.
Ye Qingtang’s eyes followed everyone’s line of sight and slowly landed on the Absolute Monarch of Heaven. When she saw the face of the man, Ye Qingtang was stunned.
The purple-haired man before her was so familiar…
In Ye Qingtang’s previous life, she became sworn siblings with six brothers, one of whom was the Absolute Monarch of Heaven before her!
Ye Qingtang never thought that she would meet the Absolute Monarch of Heaven at this place.
As she looked at him sitting cross-legged by the stream and his long, purple hair dancing in the wind bewitchingly, reminiscence filled her.
Memories of the time spent with the six sworn brothers flooded her mind.
Those were the few memories from her past life that were worth looking back on.
Although many scenes filled her mind, Ye Qingtang quickly looked away at this instant.
In this life, she did not have any relations with the Absolute Monarch of Heaven yet, and he was not her sworn brother. It was thus better to not look at him for too long or else it would arouse the suspicion of the Absolute Monarch of Heaven.
“Haha, I was wondering who it was. So it is the Absolute Monarch of Heaven… However, Absolute Monarch of Heaven, how do you know so much?” The man in black armor looked at Absolute Monarch of Heaven and asked with a smile.
However, Absolute Monarch of Heaven no longer gave any response.
The man in black armor did not gain any reply, and he did not say anything more either.
“When is the trial starting…”
At this instant, many powerful figures exchanged a look. The Divine Phoenix spoke just now, but it was only one sentence, and it did not make any sound again after that.
Currently, no one could give any answers, and the only thing they could do was to wait. As for when they had to wait until, no one was clear. After all, the Divine Phoenix did not give any more hints.
Ye Qingtang was not anxious. Seeing that the trial for the inheritance of the Divine Phoenix had not opened, she was not as restless as the others. Instead, she found a quiet place to sit and consolidate her martial cultivation.
No one could conjecture the Divine Phoenix’s meaning. Since that was the case, all she needed to do was to wait patiently and not waste energy
Presently, Ye Qingtang’s martial cultivation had already entered the Yin Yang Perfected Lord Third Heaven and was steadily advancing towards Yin Yang Perfected Lord Fourth Heaven. In no time, she could make a breakthrough to the Fourth Heaven.
Time ticked away. The bright sky turned dark and back bright again. This cycle continued for about half a month.
As time passed, every minute became unknowing torture to the people within the screen.
For the entire half a month, the Divine Phoenix never appeared.
The patience of the people awaiting the inheritance of the Divine Phoenix eroded away bit by bit.
No one knew exactly when the trial for the inheritance of the Divine Phoenix would begin. Remaining within the screen, it was as though they were waiting for a destiny so far in the indefinite future. They did not have any clue about it and did not know its deadline.
In this half a month, some cultivators ran out of patience and left the land of inheritance halfway. However, when they returned and tried to step into the screen again, they were isolated outside and could no longer enter the screen at all.
Everyone understood the current situation. Once anyone of them left the land of inheritance, it would be impossible for them to enter it again. Yet, even if they remained in the land of inheritance, the inheritance of the Divine Phoenix did not appear.
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917 - The Divine Phoenix’s Trial (2)
The passing of time gradually became a form of torture.
One would not have the opportunity to obtain the inheritance of the Divine Phoenix should he leave, but if he remained, no one knew when would the wait end.
The wait was so long it seemed forever…
Until a month later, several cultivators lamented and left. All of their patience had been eroded by this indefinite wait.
With the continuous departures, only two-thirds of the trialists remained in the land of inheritance.
Apart from the endless wait, procuring food was a significant issue as well. Although it was said that one’s need for food would reduce as the cultivation realm increased, they still needed to consume something.
While everyone had a space ring, which powerful figure would store large quantities of food in their space ring?
The little amount of food that they brought was quickly depleted.
Fortunately, there were wild fruits nearby that could replenish their energy. Otherwise, no one could persevere this long.
Two months later, the Divine Phoenix’s voice appeared once again.
To the masses within the screen, its voice could be claimed to be heavenly.
“Congratulations, you all have passed the first round of the trial,” said a scarlet virtual image that appeared in the sky.
After hearing the Divine Phoenix’s voice again, everyone was delighted but also dumbfounded when they heard what the Divine Phoenix said.
Congratulations, they have passed the first round of the trial?!
What did that mean?
Very quickly, the people understood the meaning behind the Divine Phoenix’s words.
Ever since they entered the land of inheritance, the trial of the Divine Phoenix had already begun!
It was, however, that no one knew about it.
The endless, indefinite wait was the first trial that the Divine Phoenix gave them.
Those cultivators who had already left were equivalent to those who had not passed the first round of the trial.
Ye Qingtang opened her eyes slowly. Two months was not torture to her.
“Everyone has been here for about two months and must be extremely exhausted already. Please come with me.”
After saying that, its scarlet figure floated ahead immediately.
Noticing the situation, everyone, including Ye Qingtang, followed after the Divine Phoenix without hesitation.
About an hour later, everyone followed the Divine Phoenix and reached a small bamboo forest.
As soon as they entered the small bamboo forest, the aroma of food entered their noses.
Just the aroma was enough to cause one to salivate.
Moreover, these were people who had been eating wild fruits for two months.
When everyone looked up, they noticed a huge long table not far away from them.
That long table could seat hundreds of people. All sorts of rare and exotic delicacies from around the world were displayed on the table.
After leading the group here, the Divine Phoenix said gently, “You all have only been relying on wild fruits to fill your stomach over the past two months. All of you must be very tired and famished right now. Please take a seat.”
After hearing the Divine Phoenix’s orders, everyone immediately dispersed and took a seat.
“Please,” the Divine Phoenix said.
Everyone had been eating wild fruits for two months and did not have much of an appetite With the Divine Phoenix present, they did not dare to overly display their desire for food.
However, since the Divine Phoenix had already spoken, some cultivators expressed their thanks and immediately wolfed down the food, as though they wanted to make up for the fine delicacies they did not eat in the past two months at one go
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918 - The Divine Phoenix’s Trial (3)
However, as those cultivators were eating heartily, some others frowned and did not take any action.
Seated at the side of the long table, Ye Qingtang looked at the delicacies plainly without any intention to consume them.
“Why are you all not eating?”
Sensing the behavior of those people, the Divine Phoenix’s eyes landed on Ye Qingtang, and it asked in confusion.
Ye Qingtang slowly stood up and replied with cupped fists. “I just think it is a little strange; thus, I did not start eating.”
“Strange” The Divine Phoenix was taken aback. “So you’re saying that these delicacies are poisoned?”
Upon hearing that, the cultivators who were wolfing down the food stopped eating immediately and looked at the Divine Phoenix in shock. This Divine Phoenix could not have really poisoned the delicacies, could it…
“It’s not that I think you poisoned us.” Ye Qingtang shook her head and said slowly. “I just feel that it’s a little odd only.”
“Tell me what is odd,” the Divine Phoenix said calmly.
“How could there be food in this mystic realm? Let’s talk about this wine first. It requires specialized brewing, and there are no ingredients in the valley that could make it, let alone the technical process of making the wine.” Ye Qingtang explained slowly and continued.
“Even if the ingredients are available, I believe that you may not know how to make wine. Even if you do know, you may not have the tools… Next, these delicacies have a delightful appearance and smell. However, you do not have a physical body. How can you make these items? Moreover, the Divine Phoenix clan is adept at illusions… Hence, I feel that all of this is probably an illusion which you created, Lord Divine Phoenix.” Ye Qingtang looked up slightly at the Divine Phoenix with clear eyes.
“Illusion?”
After hearing Ye Qingtang’s explanation, the cultivators who were eating their hearts out found it rather unbelievable. If this was an illusion, it was a little too real. The taste of the wine and delicacies still lingered in their tongues.
Moreover, there were so many of them present, and the Divine Phoenix did not have any chance to execute an illusion on them.
Naturally, it was a different affair if the Divine Phoenix was incredibly powerful.
“You think that this is an illusion?” The Divine Phoenix looked at Ye Qingtang.
“It’s only my guess. I cannot be sure.” Ye Qingtang replied.
“What about you?” The Divine Phoenix looked at Yin Yang Child.
“Me? I’m afraid you would poison me.” Yin Yang Child replied straightly.
“You?” Very quickly, the Divine Phoenix looked at Black and White Holy Son.
“My body constitution is special. I don’t need to eat or drink.” Black and White Holy Son replied with a slight shrug.
“What about you then?” The Divine Phoenix looked at the Absolute Monarch of Heaven a while later.
“I’m not hungry,” replied the Absolute Monarch of Heaven.
The majority of the people at the scene thought that it was a little strange. Due to their habitual cautiousness, they did not begin eating
“What about you? Why did you eat?”
A moment later, the Divine Phoenix looked at the cultivators who consumed the food.
“Why?” The cultivator who was pointed out by the Divine Phoenix was slightly dumbfounded. “Didn’t… Didn’t you ask us to eat…”
“You?” The Divine Phoenix looked at another person.
“I’m hungry!” That cultivator replied.
“Mhm… I understand now.” The Divine Phoenix nodded after gaining the answers.
As the Divine Phoenix finished its sentence, the small bamboo forest shattered like glass pieces.
Everyone’s expressions changed drastically when they returned to their senses.
Currently, they were still beside the stream of the mountain valley. Where were the delicacies from before?
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919- The Divine Phoenix’s Trial (4)
Everyone looked around their surroundings. The stream before their eyes was more than familiar. From the very start till the end, all of them had never left this place at all!
“Illusion?!”
Several cultivators who were proficient in illusion techniques were completely shaken.
They were extremely accomplished in the field of illusions and definitely could sense it if an illusion technique was cast on them.
However…
The illusion cast by this Divine Phoenix was simply flawless and was no different from reality. It was as though they entered the illusory space from reality in a second without any signs of it!
Who could have sensed that such a sophisticated move was an illusion?!
“How can this be?!”
The cultivators who consumed the delicacies a while ago were dumbstruck.
After feasting, they clearly felt the wine passing down their throats and the delicacies filling their stomachs.
How… could this be an illusion?
This was too frighteningly real!
The Divine Phoenix had passed away with the True Dragon many years ago.
Currently, this scarlet virtual image was merely the last trace of the spirit of the Divine Phoenix. Could it be that the last remaining spirit of the Divine Phoenix was so powerful?!
How terrifying was this power!
If the Divine Phoenix wanted to use the illusion technique to massacre them, it could do that in an instant.
If the Divine Phoenix wanted to do harm, everyone at the scene would already have died!
“It’s a pity that you all are not cautious enough… I told you all to eat, and so did you all. If I told you all to die, would you all listen obediently as well?” The Divine Phoenix sighed as it looked at those cultivators who ate heartily and were currently at a loss right now.
A few cultivators were a little baffled. Of course, there was no problem in following the orders if they were told to dig in and feast, but it was definitely impossible if they were told to die…
Without giving the cultivators a chance to speak, the Divine Phoenix shook its head rather disappointingly. “You all are not cautious enough, and the inheritance of the Divine Phoenix must not land in the hands of careless and impatient people.”
After it spoke, the cultivators’ bodies exploded instantly and turned into chopped pieces.
“Ah…”
Many cultivators were left agape by what they saw. Even if they did not pass the Divine Phoenix’s assessment, it did not… did not get to the point where it had to kill those people, did it?!
Who knew if they could pass the assessment? If they were unable to, wouldn’t they… die as well?!
At this moment, everyone could not help but begin to feel that… the cultivators who left out of impatience at the very first round of trials were extremely lucky.
Although those people did not pass the first round, they did not have to worry about their lives…
“Currently, the inheritance of the Divine Phoenix has already begun. From the second round onward, victors can obtain the inheritance of the Divine Phoenix while failures only have the fate of death. Anyone who is afraid can withdraw.”
The Divine Phoenix announced coldly.
“I withdraw!”
A lady took a step forward immediately and said after a moment of hesitation.
Only one person could obtain the inheritance of the Divine Phoenix. In that case, out of the remaining thirty plus people, only one person could live!
Who was willing to gamble with their lives?
“May I ask how many people will eventually obtain the inheritance of the Divine Phoenix?” A young man asked with a frown.
“Only one.” The scarlet figure replied.
“If that’s the case, I will withdraw as well.” The young man lamented and shook his head.
“Forget it, it seems that the inheritance of the Divine Phoenix and I have no fate. I will withdraw too.”