The ugly man was sweating profusely. Blood-red veins crisscrossed the whites of his eyes, his pupils bulging like copper bells and straining to burst out of their sockets. Even his thick lips turned a purplish-blue. The pain had scrambled his brain, leaving him unable to think coherently. All he could do was open his mouth and howl in agony.
Seeing the ugly man's fate, everyone fell silent. They watched him writhe on the ground, their eyes filled with fear, but strangely, none of them showed a hint of sympathy.
On the path to immortality, if you are weak, if you fail, if you die, no one will pity you.
Mo Yi looked at the ugly man on the ground and furrowed his brow slightly. "He's a master of the Mixed Yuan Realm, isn't he? Even his screams are loud and powerful. He looks like he can wail for hours."
"Medicine Senior Brother, is there any way to make this guy shut up?" Mo Yi scratched the back of his head and shouted towards the group where the Medicine Master stood.
The Medicine Master, still in a state of shock, finally snapped out of it. He squeezed through the crowd, quickly agreeing, "Yes, yes, I have a way!"
The Medicine Master ran straight to the ugly man. He rolled up his sleeves, his right hand forming two fingers that he swiftly tapped on the man's neck. The speed was incredible, his fingers touching the skin one moment and lifting the next. The Medicine Master's expression remained calm, and he seemed capable of further accelerating his movements!
Mo Yi could only watch as the Medicine Master's hands flew, tapping on acupressure points one after another. A conviction settled within him: his friend did have some real skills!
Finally, the Medicine Master slammed his right hand into the ugly man's neck with a loud clap! He then rose, spun, and kicked the man on the temple. The ugly man twitched, and then fainted.
Mo Yi watched with admiration, clapping his hands and praising, "Medicine Senior Brother, you're a master! Your acupressure techniques are divine. With time, you'll surely become a renowned healer!"
But the Medicine Master looked sheepish and said, "Mo Yi brother, you flatter me... I just kept tapping on those crucial pressure points, but I couldn't break through this man's rough skin. In the end, I had no choice but to knock him out. It wasn't a technical feat, anyone who can fight can do it. I'm just showing off, just showing off..."
"Damn it, you robbed me of my admiration," Mo Yi said in disbelief.
No matter how skilled the Medicine Master was, the ugly man truly fainted. The Medicine Master's final kick was brutal and effective, and it seemed the ugly man, even if he was a master of the Mixed Yuan Realm, would be asleep for a few hours. By the time everyone had dispersed, his chance at immortality would be gone.
After the incident with the ugly man, everyone settled down. They observed their surroundings, particularly the cushions on the ground. These gray-black cushions were simple in appearance but incredibly durable! Those eager to test them had tried using knives and axes, but they couldn't even leave a scratch on the cushions.
Mo Yi looked at the busy crowd, his heart pondering. He thought for a moment before clapping his hands loudly. The sound was crisp and clear.
Everyone involuntarily stopped what they were doing and turned to Mo Yi. The scene of him effortlessly taking down the ugly man was still fresh in their minds. Though they didn't know Mo Yi's methods, they could only listen to what he had to say.
Mo Yi swept his gaze across the crowd, saying, "Everyone, I think we're all wondering how we ended up here. I'm just as confused. I was brought here just like everyone else, without any explanation. We have no idea what the immortal cultivators above are up to!"
Mo Luo Xue stood by, arms crossed, observing Mo Yi's speech. She nodded slightly. Mo Yi, in a few short sentences, had placed himself within the crowd, making them subconsciously see him as one of them. It naturally led them to listen to his words. Although Mo Luo Xue didn't know where Mo Yi learned this tactic, she had to admire his eloquence.
"In my opinion, there must be a reason why we were suddenly brought here." Mo Yi spoke with confidence, his eyes constantly scanning the crowd, making eye contact with each person to increase his persuasive power. "Remember the information we received when we stepped onto the path of immortality?"
Everyone was taken aback, then fell into deep thought. Soon, someone exclaimed as if enlightened, "This is the second stage! We passed the first stage, but not everyone could climb the path of immortality, so we were sent directly to the second stage!"
Mo Yi nodded, thinking, "They're not completely stupid after all." He said, "Yes, this is the second stage. Have you all seen the cushions under your feet?"
Everyone subconsciously looked down at the gray-black cushions.
"My suggestion is to sit down and see if anything happens," Mo Yi guided gently.
"We've already sat down, and nothing happened," someone said.
Mo Yi chuckled softly. "What if we all sit together? While we don't know what the immortal cultivators' intentions are, there are countless cushions here. And the number of cushions perfectly matches the number of people present. Isn't this a subtle hint for us to sit together?"
Someone, as if struck by enlightenment, cried out and quickly counted the cushions. He glanced roughly at the crowd and realized that Mo Yi was right, the number of people matched the number of cushions exactly!
"Why don't we listen to this young brother?" someone hesitated.
"We have nothing else to do anyway. Let's all sit down! It won't cost us a few pieces of meat, and the sooner we become immortals, the better! Don't you agree?" A rough-looking man shouted, and the others showed signs of agreement. The man was right, who wouldn't want to become an immortal as soon as possible?
Without further ado, everyone chose a cushion and sat down. Friends sat together, those with bad relations grumbled and chose seats further apart. In an instant, every cushion was occupied.
Mo Yi and Mo Luo Xue sat together. They exchanged glances, then both turned their heads and closed their eyes.
Time passed, second by second. The autumn wind rustled the pine trees in the distance, sending down needle-like green leaves. The pale yellow weeds swayed in the wind, everything settling into tranquility and peace.
Sunlight bathed the jade-paved ground, its gentle rays scattering. An enigmatic formation operated beneath it.
Suddenly, a squirrel chasing fallen pine cones strayed into the crowd. Curious, it scurried through the "forest of people," holding a pine cone, standing upright, and looking at the tall beings with their eyes closed and unmoving.
The squirrel tilted its small head and took a bite of the pine cone. With its tiny brain, it couldn't understand what these tall creatures were doing.
Idle clouds drifted across the sky. The scene was deathly quiet. Everyone had closed their eyes. The restlessness on their faces had disappeared, replaced by…an eerie silence.
【Immortal Ascension Assembly, Second Stage: Sit on the cushions, break free from the nightmare, and stand up to leave. The sooner you break free, the higher your ranking.】