Chapter 85

Walking at the forefront were Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De, but they were moving with great difficulty. Every step they took was so heavy, and the group of about three hundred people that had originally followed them was now reduced to just a hundred.

The square was still stained with blood, all from the disciples who couldn't bear the pressure and vomited!

After half an hour, Shen Xiang was drenched in sweat. Although he hadn't moved, the pressure he endured was not insignificant. Now, only a dozen people remained on the square.

Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De, one old and one young, were still leading the way, but blood was already trickling from the corners of their mouths, and their bodies were drenched in sweat. This was indeed a terrifying test of endurance!

Shen Xiang had once heard Yun Xiaodao say that over the years, many times no one had passed the second test!

Time passed bit by bit. Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De were only about ten paces away from the Pill Elder, but each step they took was so difficult, as if their feet weighed a thousand pounds.

Zhang De could no longer bear it, and he knelt on the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood. However, he still knelt and slowly moved forward. At his age, he had endured much ridicule for staying outside for so long. Now, with just a little more to go to pass the second test, he could not give up!

Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De had both been eliminated in this test before. They deeply understood its difficulty, so when they learned that Shen Xiang was being "specially treated," they knew Shen Xiang was in trouble!

Although Yun Xiaodao was only sixteen, he was more capable than Zhang De and managed to walk through. He reached behind the Pill Elder, and the pressure instantly disappeared. He lay on the ground, panting heavily, and swallowed a handful of pills to quickly recover, as the third test would be even more terrifying!

"Old Zhang, hold on!" Yun Xiaodao clenched his fists and shouted, knowing the hardship and understanding the desire to pass the test.

"Ah..." Zhang De let out a loud roar, finally "walking" to the other end of the square on his knees. At this moment, the others fell one by one, choosing to give up, and some were even seriously injured.

Out of the three hundred people, only two managed to pass the test! Shen Xiang had always stood behind them, witnessing the miserable and helpless departure of those who gave up.

Now, only Shen Xiang had yet to start. The crowd couldn't understand why the Pill Elder, who was high and mighty, had a bias against Shen Xiang. Although Shen Xiang's actions were all very surprising, they believed it was something he had to do!

"Shen Xiang, it's your turn! You can still choose to give up now, otherwise, you will surely suffer greatly, and it might even ruin your future," the Pill Elder's voice was icy cold. The crowd found it hard to understand why she hated Shen Xiang so much, after all, Shen Xiang was just a minor figure, and it seemed unnecessary for a prominent figure of the Chenwu Continent to hate him.

Shen Xiang himself didn't know what he had done to offend this mysterious Pill Elder.

"I will never give up!" Shen Xiang's voice was firm and powerful, echoing in all directions. At this moment, the onlookers realized that Shen Xiang was also enduring the pressure, yet he could still stand straight. This kind of strength was beyond their comparison.

Around the square, many people had not left, including True Martial Realm experts, inner disciples, and outer disciples who had just failed the test. They all wanted to see how the Pill Elder would treat Shen Xiang.

"Then let's begin!" the Pill Elder said in a low voice.

As soon as she spoke, a wave of scorching heat surged through the square. What shocked everyone most was that the thick, sturdy stone slabs on the square began to undulate like the sea.

Then came a violent tremor, as if the entire Taiwu Sect was shaking. The thick stone slabs on the square shattered with the tremor!

The next scene made everyone gasp. The specially made stone slabs instantly turned to powder, and unexpectedly, there was a layer of metal-like material beneath them, looking very sturdy.

An old man picked up a piece of stone and threw it into the square. In an instant, the stone turned to powder. This pressure was even stronger than what Yun Xiaodao and the others had experienced, and it was also extremely hot.

"Come to my back, and you will pass this test!" The Pill Elder had been standing there all along, not moving, but she had turned the entire square into a sea of molten lava.

Shen Xiang's sweat increased, and he could feel the pressure was several times greater than before, which was very life-threatening.

The crowd held their breath, watching Shen Xiang. Flames were burning on his body, and his clothes, unable to withstand the scorching true qi released by the Pill Elder, were instantly burned off.

However, Shen Xiang was unharmed. He could withstand such high temperatures and even released flames to shield the middle part of his body.

Shen Xiang's well-built muscles were bright red. Although the pressure had increased, his back remained straight, and his eyes were still clear. He stared directly at the burning eyes of the Pill Elder in the distance.

Shen Xiang took a step, and his body shook violently. The metal floor was scorching hot, but the Zhuque Divine Power he cultivated allowed him to withstand this burning heat.

Seeing Shen Xiang start to move, everyone was moved. They couldn't believe that Shen Xiang could still move under such conditions. After all, this was something even inner disciples dared not attempt! And Shen Xiang was just an outer disciple, with only the strength of the Ninth Level of the Mortal Martial Realm.

Shen Xiang moved very slowly, as each step was extremely difficult. He used all the true qi in his body to support himself, which was the Qiankun True Qi, but it still made his steps very difficult.

Half an hour passed, and every step Shen Xiang took was clearly visible to the crowd. Although it was a short distance, it felt like Shen Xiang had walked for a hundred years.

"Hmph!" The Pill Elder let out a cold snort, and Shen Xiang spat out a mouthful of blood. Everyone could see that the Pill Elder had increased the pressure.

This was very unfair, and although everyone thought this, they didn't say it. They knew Shen Xiang couldn't complete the journey, but they admired him greatly because he knew the path was very difficult but didn't give up, gritting his teeth and moving forward.

Time flowed slowly, and every step Shen Xiang took shook people's hearts. Everyone thought that after taking one step, Shen Xiang would surely fall, but he didn't. He took step after step, spitting out mouthfuls of blood that evaporated instantly upon hitting the metal floor.

"I said you should stay in the outer sect to train, and you must stay there. I won't let you pass the second test!" The Pill Elder's voice trembled slightly, clearly angry. She hadn't expected Shen Xiang to reach her.

As she spoke, Shen Xiang let out a cry of pain, kneeling on both knees. The Pill Elder was determined not to let Shen Xiang pass and increased the pressure again.

"Although... although I don't know why you are doing this to me, I will never submit to you. I will definitely pass the second test..." Shen Xiang suddenly let out a low laugh and said in a deep voice.

The square was very quiet, and everyone heard his words!

After spitting out a large mouthful of blood, Shen Xiang actually stood up again. He shouted loudly, "I will never bow to you, even if it means my death!"

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