Chapter 80

The cultivators following Qin Tang noticed the scene in the distance and were all startled.

"Truly a bunch of idiots, we told them they encountered a strange phenomenon, yet they still tried to escape. They really don’t know what death means."

"Among them, I recognize one person, a Foundation Establishment cultivator named Sun Kai Rong. This person’s Dao techniques were quite remarkable, and I didn’t expect him to die so quietly."

"Strange, why didn’t we see any anomalies in heaven and earth when they died?"

"Is this your first time hearing about strange phenomena? Under the influence of a strange phenomenon, its own rules apply. Most common knowledge becomes ineffective. So we must be more cautious."

"Thank you for your guidance, fellow Daoist."

...

As they walked, they communicated with their divine senses, their expressions varied.

Before long, Qin Tang led everyone into a tall building.

In the center was a straight passage.

On both sides of the passage were small compartments.

Each room had no other decorations.

There were only five wooden beds simply placed inside.

"Alright! Everyone rest here tonight! Gather in the square early tomorrow morning!" Qin Tang turned to everyone and said.

After saying that, he shook his head and walked out.

"By the way, remember to go to bed early!"

His voice faintly echoed again after his figure disappeared.

Seeing the strange phenomenon disappear, the cultivators on the scene finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Most of them found a room to stay in with people they were familiar with.

Sikong Yi and Baili Chen naturally stayed in the same room.

Li Fan didn’t force himself to join them but chose another room nearby.

There were already two people in the room.

These two also knew each other and were communicating with their divine senses.

Li Fan didn’t greet them.

He lay down on the bed, the Xuanhuang Heart Cultivation Mantra running through his mind, clearing all杂念.

Before long, he fell into a deep sleep.

The two who were still talking were taken aback at first.

Then, they seemed to realize something, their faces turning pale with fear.

So, they stopped talking and forced themselves to fall asleep.

But not everyone could敏锐地察觉到即将发生的事情.

Many were still discussing the day’s events and their aspirations for the treasures that might exist in the new Yunshui Heavenly Palace ruins with their companions.

They were so excited that they couldn’t fall asleep.

Time passed bit by bit.

No one knew how long it had been.

Suddenly, all the lights in the tall building went out.

In the darkness, Qin Tang’s voice echoed faintly.

"Oh, the new recruits this time aren’t very obedient."

"I said to go to bed early."

"Why are there still so many people not resting at this hour?"

"It won’t be good if you delay tomorrow’s test."

"Since you can’t sleep, I’ll help you."

"Pu!"

"Pu!"

"Pu!"

Terrifying sounds kept ringing out.

No one knew how many cultivators died without even a scream.

At this moment, everyone finally realized that Qin Tang’s earlier words, "Remember to go to bed early," were not a joke.

But it was too late.

The life force of many cultivators kept disappearing.

Some wanted to shout and wake up those who were already asleep.

But their voices were cut off as soon as they started.

Slaughter and death spread in the darkness.

Under this terrifying atmosphere, some cultivators who hadn’t fallen asleep couldn’t take it anymore.

Their auras surged, ready to fight Qin Tang to the death.

Qin Tang coldly snorted, seemingly angered.

Blue light flashed and then went out.

Thus, these cultivators who wanted to resist were eliminated without a ripple.

After killing these people, Qin Tang’s mood seemed to improve a bit.

"Ah, this job is really tiring. If it weren’t for the disappearance of the sect master, senior brothers, and sisters, I wouldn’t have to do this."

"Boring, really boring. I might as well go drink!"

Qin Tang’s words were incoherent, and his actions were whimsical.

His voice gradually faded, and the surviving cultivators in the building all breathed a sigh of relief.

But no one could be sure when Qin Tang would return.

So, they all tried to fall asleep as quickly as possible.

But...

Sleep is something that people who often suffer from insomnia deeply understand.

If you don’t have any mental burden, you can fall asleep easily.

But if you keep thinking about it and force yourself to sleep, you will likely wake up just as you’re about to fall asleep.

Moreover, many of these cultivators were used to meditating instead of sleeping.

They had clearly lost the ability to sleep.

So, even though they knew they would die if they didn’t sleep, many still couldn’t fall asleep.

Seeing that the life-threatening Qin Tang could return at any moment, they had no choice.

They regretted not learning a few sleep-inducing spells before coming and decided to knock themselves out to try to get through.

Unfortunately, in Qin Tang’s eyes, sleeping and being unconscious were clearly two different things.

So, when Qin Tang returned in the middle of the night, it was another bloody scene.

The next morning, when Li Fan woke up, he saw the bodies scattered throughout the building.

As expected, Jiao Xiuyuan didn’t make it through this round.

His head was separated from his body, lying there quietly.

Li Fan naturally didn’t feel any pity for him.

Without delay, Li Fan headed straight for the square from the previous day.

After the lesson from the previous day, the cultivators didn’t wander around and gathered in the square.

The crowd was sparse, and the surviving cultivators were less than two-thirds of the previous day.

So many casualties before the trial even officially began.

The survivors were pessimistic about what was to come, their faces gloomy.

Li Fan knew this was just the beginning.

In the end, only less than one-tenth of the first batch of cultivators entering Yunshui Heavenly Palace would survive.

In the crowd, Li Fan also saw the figures of Sikong Yi and Baili Chen.

He glanced at them but didn’t linger.

He quietly waited for Qin Tang to arrive.

Before long, Qin Tang appeared before everyone again.

He held a wine gourd, drinking heavily as he walked.

"Good wine! Good wine!"

Qin Tang shouted happily, then looked at the surviving cultivators in the square.

"Good, it seems everyone is here."

"So, let’s officially begin the first test."

His eyes narrowed, as if recalling something.

"My master once said that there are three things most crucial in seeking immortality and Dao."

"Natural talent, character, and fortune."

"My master believed that among these three, natural talent is the most important."

"But I disagree."

"I believe that among the three, character is the most important."

"So, the three tests I arranged are all related to character."

Qin Tang slowly spoke, leading everyone into a pavilion.

The pavilion had three floors.

On the first floor where everyone was, there were over a hundred bookshelves.

Each bookshelf was filled with books.

Everyone looked closely.

"The Flying Cloud Illusion Book," "The Thunder Escape Technique," "The Green Wood Revival Art"...

Each book was a cultivation technique.

Everyone’s breathing quickened.