Minutes later.
The energy fluctuations in the center of the formation slowly subsided. The lightning storm had ultimately been blocked by You Li's corpse puppet.
However, the price paid was a mid-stage Martial God corpse puppet and a late-stage Martial God corpse puppet.
This time, to pass this trial, the Death Spirit Valley had lost a total of six corpse puppets.
Two early-stage Martial Gods.
Three mid-stage Martial Gods.
And their strongest trump card, the Heavenly Ghost, who possessed late-stage Martial God strength.
This cost directly reduced the strength of the Death Spirit Valley by nearly seventy percent.
Therefore, even though You Li had passed the assessment, he felt no joy at all.
He slumped in the center of the formation, his hair disheveled and his body covered in disarray. His pupils were filled with gloom and rage.
Seeing this, the onlookers could not help but sigh.
"Alas! Opportunities stir the heart! Yet, to pursue a fleeting opportunity, they have exhausted more than half their sect's strength. Is this… truly worth it?"
"Indeed! Desire often clouds judgment. Throughout history, how many have fallen prey to it!"
"The Death Spirit Valley is likely to be… annihilated this time!"
"Hmph! Even if they are annihilated, it is their just deserts! These people, who knows how many heinous deeds they have committed!"
"Brother! Speak with caution! What if, within that opportunity…"
"My friend, you speak wisely! I am enlightened!"
"…"
Regarding the tragic price paid by the Death Spirit Valley, the crowd could only offer hushed sighs and watchful observation.
After all, for the vast majority of ancient martial artists, the downfall of the Death Spirit Valley was a cause for great satisfaction.
Within the formation, while You Li had yet to emerge from the profound grief of his losses, a cold mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Congratulations, you have passed the defensive trial!"
"Challenger, please prepare yourself. You are about to witness a brand new world!"
Hearing this voice, a flicker of emotion finally appeared in You Li's eyes. He subconsciously uttered,
"A brand new world!"
His confusion was met with no answer.
The next second, a beam of white light emanated from the center of the formation and entered You Li's glabella.
Immediately after, he lost consciousness.
At the same moment, in the very center of the core area of the Heavenly Guard Land, the southernmost grey orb corresponding to the mysterious formation suddenly lit up.
Not only that, but at this moment, a multitude of people had gathered around this formation.
They were all waiting for the moment when all four orbs would illuminate.
This was perhaps the greatest opportunity within the Heavenly Guard Land.
At the very back of the crowd, a figure cloaked in black stared intently at the central formation, their eyes filled with greed and burning desire.
"Just a little more! Just a little bit more! The fish in the north, you must put in more effort!"
"Hehehehe!"
…
North side of the core area.
This was the only one of the four formations that had not yet been conquered.
"Look! Another one has gone mad!"
"Alas! This must be the ninth person to have lost their mind. I truly wonder what they have experienced!"
"Indeed! Now only five remain in the formation, still in contemplation. I wonder how long they can last!"
"Speaking of which, this trial is truly bizarre! Anyone who challenged it and failed has gone mad!"
"That's true! Even those Martial God powerhouses have not been spared. It's truly terrifying."
"B-Brothers! Quick, look! Abbess Du'an of the Linggu Nunnery seems to have woken up!"
"Could it be that she has passed the trial?"
"…"
At this moment, all eyes were focused on an elderly nun in the formation, clad in a wide-sleeved, round-collared robe.
Abbess Du'an slowly rose, her hands clasped in front of her chest, her eyes closed, as she walked out of the formation.
Most noteworthy was the peculiar smile that played on her lips.
It was somewhat terrifying.
"I save the world and save others, but who saves me!"
She walked at a varying pace, continuously repeating this phrase.
*Bang!*
Her foot caught on an uneven patch of ground, kicking a small stone. With a stumble, Abbess Du'an fell face-first onto the ground.
As she landed directly on her face, her nose made first contact with the ground. In the absence of any defensive measure, a dull thud could even be heard in the air.
It was the sound of bone breaking.
Abbess Du'an's nasal bone had been brutally fractured.
And the bright red blood flowed onto the ground.
Yet, despite this, Abbess Du'an seemed completely oblivious to any pain. Her eyes remained closed, her hands clasped, as she repeated:
"I save the world and save others, but who saves me."
The peculiar smile on her lips remained.
Witnessing this, everyone felt a chill run down their spines, an inexplicable fear gripping their hearts.
"For an Abbess Du'an, a Martial God, to be tripped by a mere stone, it's simply too unbelievable!"
"I can't take it anymore! This formation is too bizarre! If this continues, I fear that we…"
"B-Brother! Don't scare me! We didn't challenge it, so… it should be alright!"
"They say Abbess Du'an has long since seen through worldly affairs, devoid of desire or worry! But now it seems…"
"They say this formation tests one's comprehension. What is it testing?"
"Too bizarre! I… I'm leaving! If you want to wait for the results, then wait slowly!"
"…"
After witnessing even Abbess Du'an driven mad by the formation, some began to lose their resolve.
In a sense, the terrifying nature of this formation completely surpassed the other three.
After all, although the other three trials were fearsome, people knew where the danger lay; it was visible to the naked eye.
But now, when facing this trial, those who challenged it simply went mad for no apparent reason.
Even Martial Gods were not spared!
Who could accept this?
The unknown!
It was often the most terrifying.
Returning to the formation, only four challengers remained.
Three men and one woman.
The most noteworthy among them was the woman in a blood-red dress, her face appearing as if etched with millennia of ice.
Unexpectedly, Hua Yi San, the esteemed Lord of Mount Wangyou and the awe-inspiring Ruthless Martial God, had come to challenge this trial.
Besides her, the other three men within the formation also possessed Martial God cultivation.
Five minutes later.
"Hahaha! I passed! I finally passed!"
At this moment, a slender man suddenly stood up, roaring with laughter, "Opportunity! It is all mine!"
Then, before the eyes of everyone, he charged directly towards the center of the formation.
His eyes were filled with madness.
Just as everyone thought he had succeeded, what happened next left them all stunned.
*Swish!*
Before the man could even approach the center of the formation, a white light streaked through the air. A blood hole the size of a copper coin appeared on the man's glabella.
*Bang!*
Immediately after, his eyes rolled back, and he fell to the ground.