Chapter 46

With the command of the middle-aged man in purple, the entire square once again boiled with excitement.

Countless disciples sprang into action, rushing towards Thundercloud Mountain, fearing that if they were a step late, they would be outdone by others.

Thud! Thud!

Most of the first batch of disciples who ran up Thundercloud Mountain suddenly knelt on the stone steps, their originally rosy faces instantly turning pale.

"What's going on?" Many disciples didn't understand what was happening, but when they stepped onto the first layer of stone steps, they immediately realized. A massive force pressed down on everyone, like a huge mountain, threatening to crush them.

Soon, some disciples couldn't hold on any longer. Their spiritual energy, which had been used to resist the pressure, was already depleted, and they fell weakly onto the stone steps. In the next moment, a white light rose from beneath their feet, and then, with a flash, these disciples disappeared.

Although no one knew where they had gone, one thing was certain: they had been eliminated. Only those who could walk the ninety-nine stone steps under this immense pressure would pass the test.

"Hmph! A bunch of idiots!" Some powerful disciples sneered.

Before long, nearly eighty percent of the outer disciples were eliminated, leaving only a few who continued to persist, and some who had not yet stepped onto the stone steps.

"About time, let's go!" Jiang Yulong and others stepped forward, beginning to climb the stone steps. On the other side, Lin Xuan and the disciples from the South District also stepped onto the stone steps.

"Heavy!" Ding Xiaopang gritted his teeth.

"Damn, I'm about to be crushed!" Hou Xiaoshou cursed.

Pour your spiritual energy throughout your body and pay attention to the consumption! Lin Xuan didn't feel too strained, and he kept reminding his companions.

One step, two steps, three steps... After the tenth step, the pressure suddenly increased, and Ding Xiaopang and others couldn't hold on any longer, turning into white light and dispersing.

"Brother Xuan, you must pass!" The voices of Ding Xiaopang and others echoed nearby.

Lin Xuan nodded and continued alone, moving quickly, drawing the attention of those around him.

"Damn! Where did this powerhouse come from, running so fast!" Some were surprised.

"Idiot, wait until your spiritual energy is depleted, then you'll be crying!" Others were dismissive. This first test, besides evaluating the outer disciples' strength, also examined their perseverance and strategy.

Those with higher strength could naturally leave quickly, while those with average strength, as long as they maintained the balance of spiritual energy production and consumption and endured the pressure, could ultimately succeed.

However, whether these disciples could endure was uncertain.

Ranking first was Shangguan Liuyun, who strode forward with his hands behind his back, occasionally stopping but quickly resuming.

Following him were Duan Fei, Jiang Yulong, and others, who were also far superior to other disciples, but their expressions were not relaxed.

"Hehe, the pressure doubles every ten steps, reaching nine times the original pressure at the end. And this pressure is different for everyone, the stronger the individual, the greater the pressure they receive!" Jiu Ye suddenly said.

"It seems this isn't just a simple test of strength, but also of potential, perseverance, and other aspects."

"Everyone's is different?" Lin Xuan was taken aback, looking at the first-place figure, his face showing emotion for the first time.

"Yes, this is a battle, a battle with oneself! Break through your limits, and you will advance to the next level!" Jiu Ye said.

"Then let's do it!" Lin Xuan said firmly.

By the time they reached the forty-third step, the speed of all the disciples had generally slowed down, and many were recovering their spiritual energy on the spot. There was no way around it; this was equivalent to four times the pressure, and no one was exempt.

Still in first place was Shangguan Liuyun, standing like a spear on the sixty-third step, silently recovering his spiritual energy.

Below him was Duan Fei, on the fifty-seventh step.

Jiang Yulong, on the fifty-fifth step.

Shen Qian'er, on the fifty-fifth step.

...

Lin Xuan stood on the forty-third step, his face somewhat pale, but his breathing was not disordered, indicating he was not fatigued. However, he did not continue to climb.

When he stepped onto the fortieth step, Jiu Ye's voice echoed in his mind, informing him that the stone steps contained a faint electrical force.

"This mountain is called Thundercloud Mountain, and it's not surprising that it contains electrical force." Jiu Ye said, "Xuanzi, your opportunity has come. As long as you absorb the electrical force and refine it into your spiritual energy, you will have lightning-attribute spiritual energy."

Lin Xuan followed the instructions, pausing at each step to absorb the electrical force from the stone steps according to the method provided by Jiu Ye.

A thin blue arc of electricity emerged from the stone steps, entering Lin Xuan's feet and then his body, moving wildly.

Sss!

The blue arc, once inside Lin Xuan's body, behaved like a tiger returning to the mountains, moving wildly and releasing its electrical force, causing Lin Xuan to grimace in pain.

"Hmph! With such weak skills, you want to challenge Senior Jiang? I advise you to scram!" A disciple from the Divine Might Group passed Lin Xuan, gloating, "You can't even handle this pressure, you're really trash!"

Lin Xuan closed his eyes and focused, completely unaware of what was happening outside. He was concentrating on gathering his spiritual energy to contain the blue arc.

The Divine Might Group disciple, seeing no reaction from Lin Xuan, assumed he had given up and coldly snorted, moving on to higher steps.

At this moment, inside Lin Xuan's body, the blue arc was enveloped by green spiritual energy, forming a ball and temporarily isolated. Lin Xuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and curiously observed the blue arc.

Jiu Ye said from the side, "Judging by its power, this lightning is not too weak. Fortunately, it's just a thin strand, not the entire source. Otherwise, with your current cultivation, you wouldn't be able to subdue it."

"What should I do now?" Lin Xuan asked.

"First, refine this strand." Jiu Ye guided, "Use the Fusion Technique from the Longevity Sutra to integrate it into your spiritual energy."

Lin Xuan understood and began to run the Longevity Sutra, slowly refining the electrical force...

Outside, on Thundercloud Mountain.

More and more disciples passed Lin Xuan, including many from the Divine Might Group. When they saw Lin Xuan, they all showed disdain. Some who had heard about Lin Xuan's challenge to Jiang Yulong shook their heads at his performance.

"Hmph, still want to fight the Divine Might Group? You're asking for death!" Yan Kong on the fiftieth step sneered.

"Once we become inner disciples, we can crush him with one hand!" Hua Yangping on the forty-ninth step had a fierce look in his eyes.

At this moment, Lin Xuan opened his eyes, a smile appearing at the corners of his mouth, and he stepped onto the forty-fourth step.

"He moved, he moved!" Nearby disciples who were resting turned their heads, eager to see the strength of the youth who dared to challenge the Divine Might Group.

However, to their surprise, Lin Xuan stood on the forty-fourth step and closed his eyes again.

"Just one more step, and he's smiling like that, what a weirdo!"

"Originally thought the person who dared to challenge Jiang Yulong would be powerful, but it turns out to be just a fraud!" The nearby disciples no longer paid attention to Lin Xuan.