Chapter 398 – Cultivation Examination（16）
The sun was bright the second day.
Su Wan woke up from sleeping meditated. Not long later, she heard the door next to her being opened before the courtyard started becoming noisy.
It seemed like everyone was restless.
When the time came for the second round, a hundred or so candidates all followed the main examiner of the Ziyang Sect to the second round’s examination location, under Ziyang Sect’s mountain.
Ziyang Sect was at the peak of Flaming Mountain which was a really well-known sacred place within Kunlun paradise. Apparently, the Flame Immortal had welcomed the sun and reached dao on this particular mountain. From then on, it had been named as the Flaming Mountain.
Of course, legends were really mysterious yet magical. In reality, however, the Flaming Immortal was just shamelessly pursuing his wife by coming here to watch the sunrise…
“The second round’s examination is really simple. There are 3129 steps from the foot of the mountain to the top. As long as you can reach the top within two hours, you can be accepted into the sect.”
Hearing the words and seeing the high steps, everyone revealed solemn expressions.
The examinations of huge sects were really difficult. Some people here had come here multiple times before. They knew the secret behind this.
Within the short 3129 steps, there were countless tactical formations on their way up and there were five used for the examination.
They would activate many tactical formations which tested one’s wisdom, willpower, and their potential. The more potential a person had, the faster they walked. Naturally, all the sects wanted disciples that met this criteria.
While recruiting the disciples, Ziyang Sect would only activate Illusion Formation. Like its name, it tested one’s heart and nature. If there’s no darkness in your heart, then you’ll be able to walk through quickly. The people who first arrive normally would be valued greatly by the elders after approval. Those who arrived at the latest and came out the slowest had bad natures or malicious intentions. These people normally wouldn’t be chosen by Ziyang Sect.
As the test began, many newbies all got on the steps hurriedly as they saw the sand flowing through the hourglass. But some people stood still before they walked a few steps and their faces turned pale, spitting out mouthfuls of blood, resulting in a backfire.
Seeing that some people had become disabled because of the demons inside their hearts, the old candidates that were at the foot of the mountain sighed. People died every year. It was no strange thing.
It was difficult being a solo cultivator. Everyone put in their best so that they could have a safe place to reside in. Who dare say that their hands were clean and their hearts were innocent after going through all the efforts to become a cultivator?
Su Wan watched as some people already walked a few hundred steps. She sighed deeply and then walked her first step. It was really simple, no different from usual.
Su Wan walked the steps like it was flat ground. She walked up three hundred steps in one breath. Many people were behind her and there were some figures walking ahead of her with difficulty.
Four figures stood side to side at the top. They all wore golden robes, specially for Ziyang Sect’s elite disciples’ robes.
“Great senior brother, the solo cultivators attending the examination this year all seem pretty good. They have good natures too. They’re much stronger than last year.”
“Great senior brother, say, do you think any of them have the chance to advance? And even become elites?”
Hearing the junior brothers’ discussion, Ziyang Sect’s younger generation’s eldest disciple, Zhang Zhengyi, looked peacefully down. “No matter what, as long as they can make contributions to the sect, they’re worthy of being trained.”
Saying this, his gaze landed on a girl clad in purple. She walked swiftly and in the blink of an eye, she reached a thousand steps or so. So quick!
The low-level inner demons couldn’t influence her at all. Then how about high-level inner demons?
People weren’t saints. Everyone had a big or small weak point, no matter what. He didn’t believe that there was a person without a weak point!
When Su Wan reached 900 steps, she also froze seeing the purple silhouette not far from her. Wasn’t that Ye Cheng’s personal servant maid? Who knew she was that strong!
However, one could tell that the girl clad in purple was an impetuous person and didn’t want to be behind.
Su Wan rested for a while. Seeing that the people behind her were about to catch up, she slowly started walking up. 1000, 1100, 1300, 1500… When Su Wan reached 1999 steps, she felt her vision blurring up and she appeared in front of a familiar garden.
This was Su Family’s villa’s back garden. Su Wan heard faint moans from the flowerbed and she subconsciously moved over to hear. There, two people were engaging in the most primitive activity.
Those two people were her sister, Su You, and her fiance, Xing Yi.
“Heh.”
Su Wan sneered. The sneer caused the two people to snap out of their trances.
“Xiao Wan!”
Su You tugged her clothes over to cover her body in a panic. The familiar face now wore a wronged and sorrowful expression.
Su Wan didn’t know that when caught doing the act, the girl could act that way.
“Su Wan, don’t make things difficult for Xiao You. I…”
“You don’t need to say anything. I know you love her. You’ve always only loved her. I’m just her substitute.”
Su Wan smiled and while doing so, she plucked a red rose. The thorn on the rose pricked Su Wan’s smooth and slender finger, leaving a drop of fresh blood.
“Substitute only. Xing Ye, who do you think you are in my heart? You’re not even worthy of being a substitute.”
Su Wan waved her hands and the rose petals fell from the sky. Everything shattered before her and Su Wan walked the 2000th step without hesitation.
After the 2000th step, she started walking really slowly. She couldn’t see that many people besides her either. There were only two figures.
One was still the purple silhouette. Now, she stopped at 2500th step and she couldn’t seem to take another step. The other person who was way ahead should be a man, seeing his back.
Could it be Ye cheng? Su Wan kept feeling like there was a mysterious and dangerous aura on him.
She calmed herself and then continued walking. However, she felt her head hurting and then everything turned fiery.
Within the fire, whether the Qin or Su Family’s people had no way out. They were all crying, scared.
They all died. They shouldn’t be alive.
“This is the wedding gift I prepared for you. The most luxurious fireworks in the world. Li Fei, do you like it?”
Su Wan heard a cold female voice. She turned around to see herself wearing a white bridesmaid dress. She was smiling as she stood in front of a man.
“Xiao Wan, do you know what you’re doing?” Regret flitted over Li Fei’s gentle face. “Everything has been ruined by you. The world will also collapse. Su Wan, no one can survive.”
“This is my wish. If I can’t obtain it, then I’ll ruin it!”
“Su Wan” sneered at the man in front of her. “Wasn’t it better for everyone to die together? We can continue to fight in our afterlives.”
Saying this, she lifted the remote control. As long as she pressed the button, the entire villa would explode and this would transform into fire purgatory.
“Wife, stop playing.”
At the last second, a gentle and pampering voice rang behind her.
This voice was…
Su Wan suddenly turned and the purgatory disappeared. Li Fei also disappeared. Within the fogs, a slender and elegant figure slowly appeared in front of Su Wan.
Su Wan’s heart thumped rapidly. She ran towards the figure disregarding everything else. Close, closer now.
When she finally grabbed his hands, the slender figure slowly turned. Through the fog, she could only see a pair of cold and sharp eyes.
She suddenly opened her eyes.
The fog dissipated and she left the illusion.
A person was standing next to her. His fingers grabbed her cold fingertips.
“Are you okay?”
The cold male voice held a tint of concern in his tone.
Su Wan turned to meet Ye Cheng’s charming and handsome face.