Tale of an Ordinary Cultivator

With the sudden increase in difficulty, Bo Fei and the other two applicants were effectively eliminated from the competition.

They had already been struggling to find any of their assigned tokens before, so how could they possibly do so now that the tokens were further split into three?

Not to mention them, even Zhao Yunxiao and Ze Qifa slowed down significantly.

Unlike before, it was no longer a matter of just locating an assigned token and reporting on it.

Now, they had to find all three matching pieces before they could report on a single token!

“G-6 turned green, blue, and yellow.”

This time, it was Zhao Yunxiao who took the lead.

However, he did not let this get to his head. After all, he fully understood that he could have simply gotten lucky by being the first to find these three matching pieces.

“G-5 turned two-thirds yellow, one-third black,” Ze Qifa followed up soon after.

As the two of them continued to report on the tokens, albeit at a slower pace, Bo Fei and the other two could not help but stare at them in disbelief.

At this point, they had just about given up on the test.

All they could do was marvel at how these two fellow outer disciples were capable of such an inhuman feat!

In contrast, Zhao Yunxiao could not bear to divert his attention at all.

To him, this was already more than just a test.

More so than that, this was an invaluable training session that could serve to hone his spiritual sense further.

He definitely could not let it go to waste!

Clap-!

“All right, that marks the end of the second part!” the administrative deacon finally announced after a long wait.

Next, he gently tapped the wooden tablet that had been laid out on the floor.

Weng-!

With a slight buzzing sound, the flying tokens slowed down dramatically, slowly descending from the air and falling gently upon the wooden tablet.

It looked just like it did prior to the start of the test, only that the tokens had all been split into three.

Huu-!

Zhao Yunxiao and Ze Qifa simultaneously let out a deep breath as they relaxed and started regulating their breathing.

“All right, time for the last part of the test!” the administrative deacon said. “Follow me!”

Just like before, there was no time for rest between the different parts.

In a way, this arrangement gave the other three applicants a slight advantage since they had been resting for a while, but there was nothing that could be done about it.

After all, this could be seen as a form of strategy as well!

It did not take long before they arrived at the final spot.

As opposed to the two earlier parts, there was no equipment or tool to be seen.

Instead, there was a huge emblem drawn on the ground – one with numerous circles obviously marked out within.

“The opening of the Four Symbols Mystic Realm is not something that only lasts an hour or two. As an observer, you need to be able to execute your task while enduring the exhaustion that comes with prolonged periods of exertion,” the administrative deacon explained. “Therefore, the final part that you will be facing is a test of your endurance.”

Huu-!

Bo Fei subconsciously let out a sigh of apprehension upon hearing that.

Endurance test.

Just from the sound of it alone, he could already foresee a painful and gruelling test ahead!

At the same time, Bo Fei could not help but steal an envious glance at Zhao Yunxiao.

When he heard the word ‘endurance’, he immediately thought of Zhao Yunxiao.

Within their circle, everyone knew that Zhao Yunxiao’s strongest trait was his persistence and endurance.

This guy truly got lucky.

It would appear that, after his good performances in the previous two parts of the test, this one would be in the bag as well!

On the other hand, Zhao Yunxiao turned solemn the moment he heard that it would be an endurance test.

It was as Bo Fei had thought – Zhao Yunxiao could accept losing in every other aspect, but definitely not in terms of endurance.

However, he was not nearly arrogant enough to think that he would be the best at this, either.

That was the reason why he turned solemn – because he had steeled his resolve to do his best to come out on top!

“The test is straightforward – all you have to do is stay in one of the circles for as long as you can,” the administrative deacon explained. “There will be a heavy pressure applied on you during this time, and you can use any means necessary to resist it as long as you do not affect the other applicants. However, the moment you surrender, or if any part of your body exits the boundary of the circle, your progress will end right there and then. This time, I will not be ending the test until everyone is done.”

It was a straightforward test, indeed.

But what the administrative deacon did not know was that he would soon regret saying that last sentence...

“Understood, senior.”

“Good,” the administrative deacon nodded after hearing the acknowledgement from the applicants. “Now, go and take your place in any of the circles. Don’t worry about which one to choose – there are no differences anyway.”

Following his instructions, the five applicants each took their place in a circle of their choice, all of them sitting in a cross legged position.

“There will be no practice round this time,” the administrative deacon cautioned. “Get ready. I am starting the test now.”

“Seven Stars Holy Scripture!” Applicant B immediately shouted.

The next moment, rays of golden light suddenly burst out from every single one of his orifices, making him seem more like holy statue than an actual living person.

Zhao Yunxiao watched on in envy.

Seven Stars Holy Scripture – a light element technique created by a holy warrior in order to contend against the forces of evil, capable of greatly improving one’s defences.

Since the administrative deacon had already said that they could use any means necessary, Applicant B had all the right in the world to use this technique to improve his defences.

If only he had a technique like that as well...

No, he should not be distracted from his path.

Right now, he had to focus on improving his overall physique. Getting a powerful defensive technique should be left for later.

Otherwise, he would only be able to choose a weaker technique since he would be incapable of executing a stronger technique to its fullest potential.

This was an extremely short-sighted move that would ruin the vision of his path altogether!

Then again, even if he had mastered a technique the Seven Stars Holy Scripture, Zhao Yunxiao would not have used it immediately like Applicant B did.

After all, every technique needed to be fueled by a corresponding supply of energy.

Without knowing just how intense was the pressure that they would be facing, using a defensive technique in advance might just result in unnecessary waste of energy and stamina.

That was not a wise move at all.

Weng-!

Accompanied by a low buzz, the emblem started to emit a faint golden light. Zhao Yunxiao quickly closed his eyes and braced himself for the impact that was to come.

He carefully drove his dantian into action, channelling essence energy to form a defensive layer around himself.

This was the most basic form of defence that a cultivator could muster.

And then the pressure hit.

“Damn it!”

“Ugh!”

As if they had planned this in advance, Bo Fei and Applicant A cursed and groaned in unison as they felt the heavy load fall upon their shoulders.

No, it was not just on their shoulders.

Instead of coming from above, the pressure fell evenly on every single part of their body. It was almost as though the air around them was compressing upon them, threatening to squeeze them into a tiny ball of meat!

Even Zhao Yunxiao could not help but furrow his brows.

If he were to compare this to the Silver Rain Waterfall, this was probably the same as the pressure after nine increments.

It was a level that Foundation Building realm cultivators could simply forget about attempting, and even regular Essence Gathering realm cultivators like Gu Qiansi would not be able to last for long!

Perhaps it was the right choice for Applicant B to have executed the Seven Stars Holy Scripture in advance after all...

As if that was not enough, Zhao Yunxiao could also feel that the pressure was gradually increasing with every minute that passed.

So, it was not just about resisting a constant pressure.

In order to do this in the most efficient manner, he would have to channel just enough energy at every given moment, continually adjusting his energy output to neutralise the increasing external pressure.

That would be the key to lasting long in this test!

Through the array, all of the immense pressure was being applied directly on the applicants.

Watching from the outside, everything appeared all silent and peaceful, without any indications of anything adverse. This made it seem extremely incongruent with the expression of obvious discomfort that the applicants were wearing on their faces right now.

However, the administrative deacon was well aware of just how much pain the applicants were in.

It did not take long before the pressure finally got through to some of the applicants.

“I give up!” Applicant A hurriedly stepped out of his circle.

He was drenched in sweat at this moment. His face was pale, and his breathing was irregular.

It was obvious that he had already pushed himself to the absolute limit, yet that still proved to be inadequate.

Thankfully, the pressure ceased the moment he left his circle, granting him the sweet sense of liberation that he had been yearning for.

As though triggered by Applicant A’s voluntary forfeit, Bo Fei stepped out of his circle just a few moments later.

“Damn, this is impossible!” Bo Fei cursed through his heavy pants, before lying down flat on his back the moment he exited his circle.

His current state was no different from that of Applicant A.

That left Zhao Yunxiao, Ze Qifa, and Applicant B who were still in the running, all of them trying to last as long as they could.

Zhao Yunxiao’s breathing remained steady.

Physical and mental fortitude – these were the traits that he was most confident in, and it was not without reason.

Even though Bo Fei and Applicant A had already dropped out, he still did not feel that the current difficulty was anywhere near his limit.

He could feel the pressure continue to climb further.

But even if he took this rate of increase into consideration, Zhao Yunxiao was still absolutely confident of being able to last for a really long time!

In his eyes, this was akin to a free attempt at the Silver Rain Waterfall.

No, that’s not exactly correct, either.

If he really had to compare the two, then this form of training was even better than that of the Silver Rain Waterfall.

After all, the pressure from the Silver Rain Waterfall came directly from above, while the pressure from this array was applied evenly across the entire body.

This allowed Zhao Yunxiao to train his body in an even manner, not neglecting any parts that could very well end up turning into a point of weakness.

When you looked at it that way, this so-called test could be considered the perfect form of endurance training!