He was currently at the fifth layer Alpha-Origin stage, and though his true battle power did not lose to an eighth layer disciple, there was still a tremendous disparity when compared to the Divine Dwelling stage.
Fortunately, there were two tries, which gave him a higher probability of selecting an Alpha-Origin stage opponent.
Zhou Yuan let out a bitter laugh. He truly did not know what to do if he ended up with a Heavenly Sun or Divine Dwelling opponent.
He shook his head and made a quick prayer, before walking forward to the center of the three stone pillars, where a stone needle was found.
Zhou Yuan gripped the stone needle as he took in a deep breath to suppress the anxiety in his heart. In the end, he fiercely gritted his teeth and gave the needle a powerful push.
Bzz bzz!
The needle began to spin, rapidly turning between the three stone pillars.
As time passed, the needle gradually started to slow down.
Zhou Yuan’s gaze was glued to the end of the needle.
In the end, it slowly came to a halt.
Zhou Yuan’s expression was quite ugly as he slowly lifted his head. A numbing sensation seemed to explode across his scalp as his hands and feet turned ice-cold. The needle was pointing at the Heavenly Sun pillar!
He had been unlucky enough to select the strongest one.
“God damnit!”
Zhou Yuan clenched his jaw as a curse escaped from the cracks between his teeth.
The power of the Heavenly Sun stage could squish him with a single swat. There was no way in hell that he would pass.
Zhou Yuan gloomily raised his head and gazed at the figure atop the Heavenly Sun stage pillar. Although the latter was akin to a statue, merely looking at it made him feel a tremendous amount of pressure.
“I can’t possibly beat that…” Zhou Yuan shook his head.
“Fortunately, I still have another chance…”
Zhou Yuan slowly lifted his hand and grasped the stone needle once more with the intention of pushing it to reselect his opponent.
He gripped the rough stone, but just as he was about to push, he suddenly remembered old Xuan’s words when he first entered the mountain trial.
“Remember what you said earlier.”
Zhou Yuan’s hand paused.
Old Xuan would obviously not tell him something unimportant.
“What I said earlier…”
Zhou Yuan fell silent. He had begun to recall his earlier words.
“Are you confident?”
“There is no such thing as absolute confidence, but I will neither be afraid nor retreat in the face of any difficulty."
Zhou Yuan’s expression fluctuated indeterminately as he mumbled, “Be unafraid?”
He admitted that fear had risen in his heart when the needle pointed towards the Heavenly Sun pillar earlier, because he had felt that it was an unwinnable opponent.
Hence, his very first response was to spin the needle again.
But if he were to spin it again and go for the retry, it would also mean that he had been afraid and retreated in the face of the Heavenly Sun stage.
Was retrying really the correct choice?
Would this test really give him a second chance?
Or… was the so-called ‘second chance’ merely a trap?
There was only silence in the ancient hall.
Zhou Yuan’s hand lay on the stone needle, but was ultimately unable to make himself push it. After a long silence, he finally raised his head and let out a drawn-out sigh, before releasing his grip little by little.
He took two steps back, looking at the pressuring figure atop the stone pillar as he muttered,
“If I die, I die… Heavenly Sun stage, do you think I’m afraid of you…”
He abruptly raised his finger, and pointed at the figure as a thunderous shout boomed in the hall.
“Heavenly Sun stage!”
“I shall be you!”
Chapter 492 Heavenly Sun
Zhou Yuan’s shout echoed in the ancient hall. It was as this very moment that the presence less figure atop the Heavenly Sun pillar faintly trembled.
The eyes that had been shut for only god knew how long slowly opened at this moment.
Boom!
The entire hall began to shudder the instant they opened, as a dreadful Genesis Qi pressure engulfed the place. Under this pressure, even space itself began to warp and distort.
Zhou Yuan’s expression changed drastically as he stumbled several dozen steps back. He forcibly steadied his body, an incomparably ugly expression on his face as he looked towards the figure.
The pressure from the latter’s body felt as heavy as a mountain.
“Is this the terror of the Heavenly Sun stage?”
Zhou Yuan tightly gritted his teeth as a horrified noise escaped from the crevices between them. In the Cangxuan Sect, elder Shen Taiyuan and the rest were experts at this level, but they usually restrained their presences, giving Zhou Yuan no chance to gauge their might.
But with the figure now beginning to release the full presence of the Heavenly Sun stage, Zhou Yuan finally realized how tiny and weak he was before it.
Under Zhou Yuan’s extremely grim gaze, the figure slowly stood up on the stone pillar. Eyes completely devoid of emotion were cast towards Zhou Yuan, and a cold, empty voice rang out, “Are you the one who wants to challenge me?”
A drop of cold sweat appeared on Zhou Yuan’s forehead as he replied with a forced smile, “Not really.”
If it was not because he had been forced, there was no way he would challenge a Heavenly Sun stage expert unless he was tired of living!
However, the figure obviously paid no heed to Zhou Yuan’s answer, because the choice was already fixed once he was activated.
His empty, soulless eyes locked onto Zhou Yuan as his clothes began to flap loudly without any wind. His foot slammed into the ground, causing the entire hall to shake.
Rumble!
The terrifying Genesis Qi pressure grew greater and greater, like a ten thousand ton tsunami that could shatter a mountain, as pulse after pulse hammered against Zhou Yuan’s body.
Crack!
The stone tiles under Zhou Yuan’s feet cracked and shattered, the pressure nearly forcing him to his knees, as eerie creaking noises emanated from his bones.
His expression was a mix of fear and terror, as the Genesis Qi in his body frantically surged out in an attempt to defend against the pressure.
He never imagined that a Heavenly Sun stage expert would not even need to do anything else. Just the pressure alone had nearly extinguished all the fight he had in him.
Even taking a single step forward at this moment was going to be unbelievably difficult, let alone exchanging blows with the Heavenly Sun stage expert under this tremendous pressure.
This trial was basically hopeless!
“Back down.”
The figure on the stone pillar looked down from above, its soulless eyes watching Zhou Yuan bitterly struggle.
These words made Zhou Yuan bite down even harder, his fists clenching tightly, as slivers of red slowly appeared in his eyes. He had experienced so many hardships and tribulations ever since arriving at the Cangxuan Sect.
He had also invested so much blood, sweat and tears in order to become the chief disciple of Saint Genesis Peak, and earn the opportunity to enter the sealed main peak.
Was everything really going to end here?
He refused to accept it!
He lifted his head with great difficulty, and stared at the figure looking down at him from above. His breathing turned deeper and rougher as red colored the whites of his eyes. The Heavenly Sun stage was indeed very terrifying, but even it could not make him willingly give up.
“It doesn’t matter how powerful you are. You may be able to defeat me with a casual flick of your hand, but to make me willingly give up is… IM! POS! SI! BLE!”
As the final syllable was roared, Zhou Yuan pushed against the
frightening pressure and took a step forward, causing wounds to tear open on his skin.
However, he paid no heed to them, merely continued to stare at the figure atop the pillar.
Another step, and another step.
The floor beneath his feet cracked and shattered as more and more wounds appeared on his body, eventually covering nearly every inch of his skin. However, Zhou Yuan did not stop, but instead continued his advance towards the stone pillar.
The figure atop the pillar watched him struggle with apathetic eyes, as if looking at an ant, but did not make any move to stop the former.
“Are you not going to attack? Because you feel I’m not worthy?”
“Do you really believe this Genesis Qi pressure can scare me off?”
Zhou Yuan forced out step after step, his blood-drenched body ultimately arriving below the stone pillar. He looked at the figure that was still staring at him with indifference, as a sinister smile appeared from the corners of his mouth.
Though the pressure was terrifying, Zhou Yuan had a certain stubborn pride. If he were to lose his courage even before the other party attacked, he would be shaming all the years of effort he had put in.
“Since you’re so arrogant… let me have a taste of just how powerful the Heavenly Sun stage is!”
His roar resounded in the hall as Zhou Yuan’s feet suddenly arched a little. In the next instant, all the power in his body erupted without any reservation, crushing the floor below him as his figure charged into the air against the dreadful pressure, heading straight for the figure looking down at him from above.
He was akin to a mad wolf, desperate to give his opponent a few bites even if he died.
Courage and ruthlessness were things that Zhou Yuan had never lacked.
Swoosh!
He figure soared into the air, ultimately arriving at the top of the pillar.
The eyes of the Heavenly Sun figure faintly rippled at this moment, as a seemingly cruel arc rose from the corners of his lips. The figure slowly raised a hand and aimed it at Zhou Yuan.
An extremely terrifying attack condensed at the center of its palm.
This scene basically spelled despair.
However, only surging red and ferocity could be seen in Zhou Yuan’s eyes. He did not care about the Heavenly Sun figure’s attack, and only wanted to make the latter know that he would lose with dignity even if he failed.
ARGGHHH!
Zhou Yuan roared as he unleashed a ferocious punch. Genesis Qi surged out, accompanied by a sonic boom as it ruthlessly smashed into the outstretched hand of the Heavenly Sun figure.
Even though he knew he would receive a frightening counter attack in the next instant.
However, there were times that he must not back down.
At the very least, he would have forced the Heavenly Sun figure into action, instead of being forced to kneel and losing all of his courage from that Genesis Qi pressure alone.
In the face of despair, the thought of conceding never once crossed Zhou Yuan’s mind. Instead, he only thought of throwing everything he had to tear open a path amidst the crushing despair.
In this way, even if he failed, he would at least have no regrets.
Thud!
Fist and palm met at this moment.
The entire world seemed to fall silent.
However, while Zhou Yuan was waiting for the terrifying counter attack, he saw the Heavenly Sun figure tremble faintly for a moment, before slowly disintegrating like a shadow under his fist...
The frightening counter he had expected did not appear.
Zhou Yuan’s fist landed on empty air as his body fell onto the top of the stone pillar. His face was filled with confusion as he turned around to look at the still fading figure behind him.
The cruel smile on the Heavenly Sun figure had disappeared, replaced by what appeared to be a look of gratification.
“You’ve passed.”
Chapter 493 Third Trial Passed
Zhou Yuan’s figure stood atop the stone pillar, his face half dazed and half lingering ferocity, as he gazed at the slowly disintegrating Heavenly Sun figure behind him, unable to return to his senses for quite some time.
The Genesis Qi pressure from the figure had been so terrifying that Zhou Yuan had nearly been overwhelmed, but why had it been broken in a single blow like the reflection of the moon in the water?
“Passed?”
Zhou Yuan lowered his head to look at the bloody wounds on his body. The earlier scene had not been an illusion of any kind, and that dreadful pressure had been the real deal.
Zhou Yuan looked again at the disappearing figure with tightly furrowed brows. It was a long time later, before the faint glow of understanding rose within him.
“This trial was perhaps not a test of whether I could defeat the Heavenly Sun figure, but if I had the courage to attack even when faced with an expert at that level...”
In the face of that frightening pressure, an ordinary person would be overwhelmed by fear, and would only try to desperately hang on or give up. For them to voluntarily initiate an attack, an astronomical amount of courage was required.
One would also need a spirit that refused to bow down even in such a despairing circumstance, and the tenacity to do all one could to find a sliver of survival.
If Zhou Yuan had decided to respin the needle earlier, he would have likely failed even if it landed on the Alpha-Origin figure.
Of course, if Zhou Yuan had lost his courage, and chosen to back down in the face of the Heavenly Sun figure, it would be a failure as well.
The road of the strong was paved with difficulties and countless desperate situations. If one lacked the courage and ruthlessness to push oneself to the limits, won’t it be very difficult to break free from encirclements and ascend to greater heights?
Zhou Yuan took in a deep breath as he calmed his churning emotions. Only now did he fully comprehend the meaning behind old Xuan’s earlier words.
One could not be afraid in this trial.
If fear had existed while making a decision or when facing the Heavenly Sun figure, it would have been impossible for him to pass.
Fortunately, Zhou Yuan had ultimately succeeded.
Rumble!
While Zhou Yuan was tightly clenching his fist, a muffled rumble suddenly sounded behind him in the hall. He raised his head, and saw the tightly shut bronze doors slowly begin to open.
“Third trial, pass!”
At the same time, a familiar robotic voice echoed.
The Genesis Qi in Zhou Yuan’s body vibrated, shaking off the blood on his body. With a push off his toes, he gently landed on the ground and arrived in front of the bronze doors.
As he looked at the doors, he knew that behind them was the true entrance into the main peak.
After a year of tough training, the day had finally come where he would reap the fruits of his labours.
At such a time, even Zhou Yuan could not help but feel emotions well up in his eyes. He cast away all hesitation as he walked forward and stepped inside.
“Second Saint Rune, here I come!”
Dong!
The instant his foot crossed the threshold, the sound of a loud ancient bell rang out, echoing across the mountains.
…
Some time earlier while Zhou Yuan was still bitterly struggling in the third stage.
Numerous gazes in the Cangxuan Sect were focused on the main peak.
However, due to the seal, even sect master Qing Yang and the five peak master were unable to discern what was happening inside.
Everyone could only wait patiently for the final outcome.
This wait was undoubtedly quite boring, causing numerous disciples to chat out of boredom.
“Is he really up to the task? It’s already been so long. All the previous chief disciples never took this long, right?”
“That’s why all of them failed.”
“Heh, as if taking a longer time equates to success.”
“I’ve heard that the three trials of Saint Genesis Peak were personally set by the patriarch back then. Any disciple with great aspirations could challenge it, and receive the patriarch’s personal guidance if they passed. One must know that this is the same guidance only sect master and the other peak masters would enjoy back then!”
“Yeah, in the golden age of our Cangxuan Sect, innumerable geniuses have attempted the trial, but only tiny number of them managed to pass.”
“It’s a trial that even the numerous geniuses of that era failed to pass, how difficult do you think it will be for Zhou Yuan?”
“In my opinion, Saint Genesis Peak’s main gates will still remain tightly shut.”
“……”
Countless whispers continuously spread across the mountains.
On the dilapidated old plaza, Shen Taiyuan and Lu Song’s disciples wore grave expressions on their faces. They were naturally itching to retort after hearing the many whispers, but the words were ultimately unable to leave their mouths.
Because they clearly understood how difficult this trial was. If not, Saint Genesis Peak would not have declined more and more with each passing year.
Zhou Yuan was indeed a very outstanding disciple, but even they did not believe that he would succeed.
The only thing they could do now was silently wait for the results.
In contrast to their anxious waiting, Lu Hong’s disciples watched with the cold eyes of a bystander, while Lu Hong wore a sneer on his face. Zhou Yuan had been the cause of their current predicament, and Lu Hong naturally hated the former. However, he did not dare to take any action due to the laws of the sect.
But if he could watch Zhou Yuan fail this trial, it would definitely release some of the negative feelings in his heart.
Aren’t you supposed to be very awesome? You even managed to take the chief disciple position, but at the end of the day, won’t it all end in failure?
Next year, the various chief disciples from the other peaks would be allowed to participate. When that happened, what face would Saint Genesis Peak have left?
High up in the sky.
Sect master Qing Yang and the five peak masters were seated on their glowing lotuses, their deep gazes focused on the majestic misty main peak. They could naturally hear the spreading whispers, but did not take any steps to curb them. After all, they likewise clearly understood the difficulty of passing three trials.
Dragon Prince Yuan c1-1251 Page 267
