As Li Xuan stood up, several other figures also rose from different areas of the plaza. Li Xuan glanced around and counted nine others.
Including himself, the number matched the ten Holy Sons. Upon closer inspection, he understood. Each peak had an equal number of spots for its Holy Son representatives.
Currently, he was the only disciple representing Langya Peak.
"The content of this disciple celebration competition is 'Ascent'," the elder announced loudly, glancing at Li Xuan and the others.
As the words fell, a hint of surprise appeared on Li Xuan's face. He had initially expected a battle, not an ascent. However, he was still unclear about the specifics of this "Ascent" and looked at the elder with a question in his eyes.
"Ascent means your spiritual power and even your physical strength will be sealed. You will start from the foot of the mountain, and the first to reach the summit wins. At the summit, there is a Boundary-Breaking Meteor Pill. Whoever reaches it first will obtain the pill. Do you have any questions?"
After speaking, the elder looked at Li Xuan and the other nine people.
"Boundary-Breaking Meteor Pill! My goodness, the reward this time is incredibly generous!"
"Our Xuan Sect will surely welcome another Holy Son-level disciple."
"That's not quite right. While reaching the Dao Integration realm does meet the strength requirement for a Holy Son, without passing the Purgatory Trial, one cannot be bestowed the disciple status."
"..."
As the crowd heard that the reward was the Boundary-Breaking Meteor Pill, a wave of commotion swept through the plaza. Li Xuan finally understood why even Xie Yushan had lost his composure upon hearing about the Boundary-Breaking Meteor Pill as a reward.
However, Li Xuan harbored a suspicion. The Xuan Sect producing such a precious item now likely wasn't for simple reasons. It was highly probable that something had happened to the Holy Sect.
"It's just climbing a mountain, so I have no questions," a robust man in similar crimson attire among the ten said loudly.
His expression showed no sign of pressure, but rather a flicker of excitement in his eyes, as if he had already obtained the Boundary-Breaking Meteor Pill.
Li Xuan, seeing this, subtly shook his head. If it were merely a simple climb, would it be held under such public scrutiny? He suspected that something would undoubtedly happen during the ascent.
Especially after their spiritual power had been sealed. Therefore, this seemingly simple climb would likely be fraught with difficulty.
The elder smiled slightly and said, "If that is the case, prepare yourselves."
With a wave of his hand, the elder summoned a towering peak that descended from the sky, instantly materializing in the air above the plaza. The mountain itself was no different from any ordinary peak, and a winding path leading directly to the summit appeared clearly in Li Xuan and the others' sight.
"Begin the ascent!"
After a moment of quiet contemplation, Li Xuan raised his head again. The ten people who had arrived at the foot of the mountain together had all set off. The fastest among them was already nearly a hundred meters ahead of Li Xuan.
However, Li Xuan felt no urgency. He slowly lifted his left foot and took a step forward.
"I never expected it to feel just like the mountain climbs of my childhood when I gathered herbs." After walking a few steps and finding no other anomalies, Li Xuan felt a sense of relief. As they walked, Li Xuan and the other nine quickly entered the mountain.
After the time it took to brew a cup of tea, the six figures seated on the high platform, including Xuan Yi Xian, looked up simultaneously, nodding with a smile. Gong Zimo waved his hand, and a ray of spiritual light shot into the peak.
*Hummm.*
The peak emitted a glow, and Li Xuan and the ten people within suddenly found the surrounding fog gradually rising. The visibility around them decreased rapidly.
In less than ten breaths, the surroundings were enveloped in a thick mist, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face. The numerous disciples in the Shang Qing Plaza put down their wine cups and watched with great interest.
Although Li Xuan and the others inside the peak could not see their surroundings, the onlookers in the plaza were unaffected.
As the dense fog appeared, Li Xuan and the ten others halted their steps. After a brief assessment, three to five among them began to cautiously move forward.
"I knew this ascent wouldn't be that easy." Li Xuan chuckled wryly, unable to see his outstretched left hand. Relying on his memory, Li Xuan proceeded. However, his speed was significantly slower than before.
Despite the dense fog, the ten individuals moved at a considerable pace. As time wore on, the ten finally emerged from the mist.
However, the distance between the ten had widened considerably due to the fog.
At some point, Li Xuan's ranking among the ten had improved, surpassing two others. As he exited the foggy area, Li Xuan glanced back, then looked up at the summit of the peak before continuing his ascent. His speed was no different from before.
"This first trial, the Mist, has already created a significant gap between the ten. The distance between the first and tenth person is now three hundred meters. The subsequent four trials will likely see this gap widen further," Gong Zimo remarked, glancing at Li Xuan before returning his gaze with a smile.
"None of these ten are weak. Although their spiritual power is sealed, their judgment remains. The next four trials might see changes. Junior Brother Zimo has already acted, so let Junior Brother Yuan Bai take the lead next," Xuan Yi Xian replied with a nod, then addressed Wen Yuan Bai.
"Agreed." Wen Yuan Bai nodded and, with another wave of his hand, sent a ray of spiritual light into the peak. The disciples in the plaza immediately looked on with curiosity.
The ten people on the peak suddenly stopped. Then, spiritual lights shot out from the space around them, instantly appearing before them.
*Boom!*
With a series of rumbling sounds, Li Xuan and the ten others were instantly flung back by a tremendous force. Subsequently, glowing lines of light appeared all around them, interwoven like a net.
The ten, their faces smudged with dirt, stood up. Upon seeing the network of glowing lines, their expressions grew more serious.
"This must be the second obstacle." Li Xuan looked around, shaking his head with a touch of resignation.
The previous attack, while not overly threatening, had altered the surroundings. Furthermore, the trees and other features that had been present earlier were now gone. It was as if they had entered an illusion array.
"It seems we must pass through these lines to continue the ascent," Li Xuan shifted his gaze, carefully observing the lines of spiritual light before him. Although the lines appeared dense, like a spider's web, they were spaced enough for a person to pass through.
Li Xuan did not know the specific threat of these lines, but he could sense that touching them would likely have unpleasant consequences.
After carefully considering the routes through the lines, Li Xuan bent down and began to navigate.
*Sizzle!*
What Li Xuan initially thought would not be too complicated turned out to be otherwise. As he stepped over the third intersecting line of spiritual light, he inadvertently brushed against it. A sensation akin to being struck by lightning surged through him.
In an instant, Li Xuan felt his body become numb. His movements stiffened, and the ensuing pain was intensely real.
"I don't know who's behind this, but if this happens a few more times, my body might become immobile." This unexpected encounter made Li Xuan keenly aware of the consequences of touching the glowing lines. He held his breath, and after his body recovered, he cautiously and slowly began to proceed.
Time passed gradually. For Li Xuan to traverse just ten lines of spiritual light took a full quarter of an hour. During this time, when he passed the eighth line, he touched it again. The pain this time surpassed the sensation from the first instance.
*Hummm.*
As Li Xuan passed through the ten lines of spiritual light, the scenery before him returned to where he had initially stood.
Li Xuan looked ahead and saw that all ten were standing in place. He realized that this second obstacle had imperceptibly trapped them. Only by passing through the ten lines of spiritual light could they continue the ascent.
Li Xuan withdrew his gaze and, seeing that no one among the ten had yet broken through besides himself, strode purposefully towards the summit. The crowd in the plaza, seeing Li Xuan begin to move again, turned their attention to him.
"Junior Brother Yuan Bai's trick has certainly created a significant gap between them. Since someone has passed, it's my turn to act," Mu Qingyu said with a smile, seeing Li Xuan reach the fourth person. The other nine also began to move, and with a wave of his hand, another ray of spiritual light entered the peak.
"Senior Brother Qingyu, I'll act with you," Hong Cheng'en said with a smile, also waving his hand, and another bright light appeared on the peak.
Just as Li Xuan placed his foot down, wooden stakes suddenly appeared. Caught off guard, Li Xuan was pricked by a sharp point on a stake, piercing his shoe sole, sending a sharp pain through his mind.
Furthermore, in the air, stones the size of goose eggs rained down like water. Upon striking Li Xuan's body, they exploded.
Even the usually patient Li Xuan was at his wit's end.
"Son of a bitch!"
Tian Dao Bi: "..."