Chapter 2 The Second Round Assessment Ascend Xuan Xuan Mountain
"The second round assessment, ascend Xuan Xuan Mountain," Zhang Chao Supreme stated again after a brief five-minute rest.
As Zhang Chao Supreme's words fell, Li Xuan immediately felt a suffocating silence on the square. Every face bore a solemn expression, clearly indicating that Xuan Xuan Mountain was not an easy peak to conquer.
Before the Pavilion Master Selection Tournament began, Li Xuan had heard about the competition rules and contents of past tournaments from Qiu Jiuqian and Gong Hanfeng. Now that everything remained the same, the second round assessment of ascending Xuan Xuan Mountain naturally still existed.
As for Xuan Xuan Mountain, it was the former dwelling place of the Great Venerable Lin Yi. Legend had it that when the Great Venerable Lin Yi was still in Tian Yi Pavilion, all disciples of Tian Yi Pavilion, regardless of their rank, could attempt to climb it. Those who could ascend Xuan Xuan Mountain would receive personal guidance from the Great Venerable Lin Yi himself. The honor and fortune of receiving personal guidance from a Great Venerable were immense, and thus, all disciples of Tian Yi Pavilion were driven to madness by it. Even the current Supremes had attempted to climb Xuan Xuan Mountain in the past.
After the Great Venerable Lin Yi disappeared, Xuan Xuan Mountain gradually receded. Except for the current Supremes, who could temporarily make it manifest, it was almost impossible for outsiders to find.
"After a hundred years, I can finally see Xuan Xuan Mountain again."
"Back then, Xuan Xuan Mountain was the living and practicing retreat of the Great Venerable Lin Yi; calling it a holy land would not be an exaggeration. To witness it today is truly worthwhile."
"Xuan Xuan Mountain appears once every hundred years for the assessment of their Tian Yi Pavilion disciples. However, in all previous generations, very few could even reach the halfway point. I wonder if anyone will be able to reach the summit this time."
As Zhang Chao Supreme finished speaking, the lords of various factions began to discuss amongst themselves. It was evident that everyone held Xuan Xuan Mountain in awe and anticipation.
"In this round, reaching the halfway point is considered passing. Those who do not meet the standard, combined with the results of the first round, will be directly eliminated after two failures. If only one failure, they may proceed to the next round of assessment."
As Zhang Chao Supreme finished speaking, the other four Supremes, including Bai Suxin Supreme, also rose. To reveal Xuan Xuan Mountain, the combined effort of five Supremes was required. However, even with their combined strength, they could only make Xuan Xuan Mountain manifest for three days, which spoke volumes about the power of the formation set by the Great Venerable Lin Yi.
Rumble!
Bai Suxin Supreme and the other four unleashed their power simultaneously, and a deafening roar echoed across the land. In the sky above, it was as if a giant hand was stirring the sea of clouds.
The next moment, a trembling colossal mountain slowly emerged from the void, appearing before everyone's eyes. Clouds swirled, obscuring all things. Under the shroud of mist, the full extent of Xuan Xuan Mountain was hidden, and a three-meter-wide staircase, winding like a dragon, spiraled upwards around it.
Li Xuan knew that the next assessment was to ascend Xuan Xuan Mountain via this staircase. As for how far he could climb, Li Xuan was uncertain at the moment. After all, in previous tournaments, those who reached great heights on Xuan Xuan Mountain were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.
"Now, the assessment begins!" Zhang Chao Supreme commanded with a wave of his hand, as Xuan Xuan Mountain finally stabilized.
Upon hearing the command, the disciples from various pavilions participating in the assessment immediately moved towards the staircase. Li Xuan glanced at them and then followed suit.
"Xuan Xuan Mountain… When the Great Venerable Lin Yi set the restrictions on this mountain, it stumped many of us," said Chen Peng Supreme, his gaze filled with nostalgia as he looked at the mountain.
"I attempted it five times in my youth, and only once did I barely reach the summit. The Great Venerable Lin Yi's techniques are truly heaven-defying," Jin Guangshuo Supreme nodded with a complex expression.
Mu Lanxin Supreme smiled and said, "I wonder if any disciple this time will be able to reach the summit and break the record of no one ever reaching the top."
"Even we found it difficult to succeed back then. Although the Great Venerable Lin Yi is no longer here, the restrictions and power of Xuan Xuan Mountain remain. To climb to the summit will likely be quite challenging," Zhang Chao Supreme replied with a slight shake of his head.
"Perhaps, miracles can happen," Lin Yunyun Supreme said with a smile, adjusting her hair and looking at the disciples who had already begun their ascent.
Zhang Chao Supreme gave a wry smile and did not continue to argue the point.
On Xuan Xuan Mountain, along the staircase, the 108 participants were now scattered. Each had their own thoughts, and their strengths varied. Under the watchful eyes of the various forces of the Tian Yi Domain, a competitive spirit naturally arose. In less than five minutes, Li Xuan, whose every step was painstakingly slow, was completely left behind.
He looked up at the crowd above and smiled, shaking his head. After experiencing so much and participating in so many assessments, Li Xuan knew the tricks of the trade. Furthermore, how could the restrictions set by a Great Venerable be so easily overcome? Temporary bravado was undoubtedly digging one's own grave. The ascent continued under everyone's gaze.
Time passed, and as he climbed, Li Xuan also sensed the strangeness of Xuan Xuan Mountain. Past events surfaced, childhood humiliations, Li Yao's illness, and more became increasingly clear. A sense of rage gradually grew within him. Feeling this, Li Xuan immediately circulated his cultivation technique to suppress it. At this moment, the disciples who had already surpassed Li Xuan by dozens of steps had their speed significantly reduced. Some even stopped dead in their tracks.
"What a powerful restriction, capable of evoking each person's greatest inner demons," Li Xuan took a deep breath and then directly overtook a disciple ahead of him, continuing his ascent. From the starting point, he had only climbed a little over a hundred steps.
As he surpassed one participant after another, Li Xuan was only twenty-odd steps away from the highest-ranking disciple. However, at this point, the sense of self-blame and helplessness intensified within Li Xuan. If he hadn't maintained a clear mind, he would have long been swayed by these emotions. Accompanying this, Li Xuan's climbing pace also slowed.
In his mind, past events flashed vividly. The scenes of his six senior brothers and sisters falling were incredibly clear in Li Xuan's mind.
"Little junior brother, promise senior brother you'll live well."
"Little junior brother, live well."
"Little junior brother, well… live well…"
The voices of the eldest senior brother, Xiu Zhu, the second senior brother, Wen Boya, the third senior brother, Shen Ziqing, the fourth senior sister, Song Qianyu, the fifth senior brother, Lu Hanchi, and the sixth senior brother, Wang Kun, echoed continuously in Li Xuan's mind. Tears slowly streamed from Li Xuan's eyes, which had already closed.
"These descending steps are designed to test each person's mental fortitude. If the heart is attached to something, it will be countered. Without strong self-control, the path ahead will be difficult to continue. I wonder how many of them can ascend on their own," Zhang Chao Supreme stated slowly from the high platform as the participants stopped moving.
Mu Lanxin Supreme nodded slightly, saying, "In cultivation, the greatest enemy is the inner demon. If the heart is attached, the higher the cultivation, the stronger the inner demon. Only by breaking through these shackles can one go further. The Great Venerable Lin Yi's arrangement must have had deep meaning. For now, let's see their respective comprehension."
Time passed, and the 108 disciples on the staircase of Xuan Xuan Mountain had not moved forward. The weaker ones had already begun to tremble. In less than ten minutes, a disciple lost their footing and fell from the staircase. Falling at this point undoubtedly meant failure.