On the Pan Yu Immortal Path, the top tier was only 1,000 meters away from the finish line!
Mo Luo Xue panted slightly, her body glistening with sweat. She could almost see the dense fog that suddenly appeared halfway up the mountain. That was the end of the first stage of the Immortal Path. Whoever reached there first would be considered "superior" among cultivators! Mo Luo Xue took a deep breath and quickened her pace. Gradually, under the shocked gaze of the ugly man, she surpassed several people! She reached the top three among the top tier!
The speed of the top-tier prodigies gradually slowed down as they climbed the mountain. They had switched from sprinting to walking. At this moment, they finally understood what it meant to feel their "legs filled with lead" and their "bodies burdened with a mountain."
"Qi Lao...what's going on?" Xiao Yan panted heavily as he continued to walk. He felt like his feet were coated in glue, and every step required him to exert all his strength to move his legs.
"Xiao Yan, hold on. This Pan Yu Immortal Path is actually a way to test one's spiritual roots. The better your spiritual roots and talent, the faster and further you can walk. It's not just about spiritual roots, you also need immense willpower and a strong physique. As far as I know, you can't actually finish the Pan Yu Immortal Path. Even those with legendary supreme spiritual roots can only be defeated within the last 100 meters. So, I don't expect you to complete this final stretch, but you must exert all your efforts and walk as far as possible!" Qi Lao's stern voice echoed in Xiao Yan's mind. Xiao Yan gritted his teeth and took another step.
"It seems there are many outstanding young talents from the lower realms this time." A middle-aged man in black robes glanced at the top tier halfway up the mountain and exclaimed, "The world is vast, how can there be a shortage of geniuses?"
"I want that woman. Don't compete with me." A man in blue robes stared at Mo Luo Xue, who was struggling to climb the mountain, and said, "Nine points in appearance, eight points in spiritual roots, and nine points in willpower. This woman is worthy of me!"
"Heh, I have my eyes on this woman too. My sect is just lacking a direct disciple. You should find another good match. Why don't you go after Feng Yu Xianzi? Let me guess, you had a disastrous experience with Feng Yu Xianzi last time, so now you're changing targets and settling for second best?" The black-robed middle-aged man sneered. His tone was filled with sarcasm and ridicule.
"You're deliberately trying to provoke me, aren't you?! You must remember, my Chang Feng Sect is the second of the ten major sects, while your Pure Yang Sect? You're only ranked fifth at best." The blue-robed man's eyes flashed with a cold light as he looked at the black-robed middle-aged man. His tone was filled with disdain and sarcasm.
"Xiao Ran, you're too arrogant. In 500 years, the Chang Feng Sect has produced a disciple like you? It seems the second-ranked Chang Feng Xianmen is not living up to its name. In terms of cultivating talents, it's even worse than the last of the immortal sects!" The black-robed middle-aged man retorted. A thick layer of gunpowder filled the air.
"Hey, hey, you two are arguing, and someone else is being caught in the crossfire!" A man in red robes laughed as he looked at the white-clad man in the corner who was closing his eyes and meditating, "The last of the ten major sects hasn't said a word."
"..." Both the man in blue robes and the man in black robes shut their mouths. When it came to matters concerning their sects, they couldn't be reckless. Quarrelling and bickering was fine in moderation, but if they really couldn't reconcile, they would choose a day to fight.
"The first threshold that distinguishes geniuses is coming. The person currently walking fastest on the Pan Yu Immortal Path is about to reach the 500-meter checkpoint. Those who can pass this checkpoint are considered upper-grade 丙等 spiritual roots!" A casual and elegant voice echoed. Everyone unconsciously turned towards the pine tree, "We...should just watch the show." The man on the pine tree, holding a golden elixir wine, smiled with a strange expression.
The white-clad man who was meditating alone in the corner suddenly opened his eyes. A flicker of emotion appeared on his perpetually stoic face. He ignored the top-tier individuals who were about to reach the finish line and looked directly towards the middle-to-upper tier in the distance. Nobody noticed the white-clad man's strange gaze. All eyes were fixed on the good show about to unfold amongst the top tier.
"Look at that brick in front!" Suddenly, a shout came from amongst the top tier.
Everyone looked towards the distance, where a red-brown step abruptly appeared on the ground. It seemed jarring and out of place compared to the surrounding pristine white jade steps.
A proud man who had been leading the way immediately accelerated forward and stepped onto the red-brown step. His face was filled with arrogance, as if he scorned the others' surprise.
"Thump!"
The man suddenly knelt on the step with both knees, his legs buckled. Some people even heard the crisp sound of his kneecaps breaking.
The arrogance on the man's face vanished completely, replaced by shock and disbelief, "This...why?!"
"..." All the top-tier individuals stopped. They watched helplessly as the man knelt on the red-brown step.
"Move for me!" The man roared, his veins bulging, but his knees seemed to have grown into the strange jade step, unable to budge at all. Gradually, his knees bled. The blood seeped into the step, and its original red-brown color slowly turned a blood-red, becoming more 妖異.
"This..." Everyone was shocked. They suddenly understood why the jade brick was an eerie red. This was the place where countless geniuses were forced to kneel!
"I'm a prince!! How can I stop here?! My nation awaits my revival!!" The man howled in anger. An invisible imperial aura surrounded him, but it was of no help in getting him back on his feet. The red-brown jade step was like a hard, heavy door, ruthlessly barring his way.
A figure suddenly moved. He quickly stepped forward, lifted his foot, and stepped onto the red-brown step.
Xiao Yan's expression remained unchanged. After pausing for half a breath on the red-brown step, he stepped over it and continued walking, but his steps were now several times slower! Each step took more than a minute.
The prince's eyes bulged. He roared at Xiao Yan's back in anger, but his knees remained firmly pressed against the red-brown jade brick, unable to move.
Mo Luo Xue watched the man gradually disappearing in the distance with indifference. She looked up and gazed at the dense fog 500 meters ahead, secretly making a decision in her heart.
"Let's go." The Pharmacist's voice suddenly rang in Mo Luo Xue's ears. Before Mo Luo Xue could react, the Pharmacist had already stepped onto the red-brown step with an indifferent expression, and then took another step over it!
"..." Mo Luo Xue chuckled softly. She looked sideways at the ugly man not far behind her, a hint of provocation flashing in her eyes.
The ugly man was furious. He gritted his teeth, staring at Mo Luo Xue's face, and dark thoughts kept popping into his mind.
Mo Luo Xue turned around and no longer paid attention to the man's reaction. She calmly stepped forward onto the red-brown step!
After pausing for half a breath, Mo Luo Xue stepped over the step and continued forward! Her pace was even faster than Xiao Yan, who was currently in first place!
"Not bad, as expected of Mo brother's little sister." The two-faced Pharmacist turned his head and smiled at Mo Luo Xue in the front.
"Same to you." Mo Luo Xue rolled her eyes and ignored the Pharmacist's playful banter.