Chapter 84 Does Not Give Up
At the forefront was Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De. However, they were both walking with extreme difficulty, each and every step was very difficult to take and was also extremely heavy. Behind them, there had been originally around 300 disciples but now barely 100 remained.
The entire square was littered with bloodstains. Each was from the blood spat out from disciples who couldn’t endure.
More than half an hour past and Chen Xiang was sweating badly. Although he hadn’t moved, the pressure he was under is not small. Now the only people walking in the square was ten or so.
Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De, the youth and old man were walking in the front. But blood was already overflowing from their mouths, their whole body was also sweating buckets. This endurance test was really fearsome.
Chen Xiang had once heard Yun Xiaodao say that over the many years, the large majority haven’t ever passed the second assessment!
A little time passed by as Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De reached only 10 Zhang away from Elder Dan. Yet each step they now took was extremely difficult, it was as if their foot weighed 10,000,000 Jin.
Zhang De became unable to bear the pressure and kneeled on the ground. He spat out a mouthful of blood, but even while kneeling he was still, like before, gradually and slowly moving forward. He had already stayed in the Outer Sect for far too long. Receiving the taunts of so many, yet now here he was, only a step away from passing the second assessment. There is no way he would give up!
Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De were always eliminated at this test. That’s why they were well aware of its level of difficulty and that's why they were completely certain that after the “Special Care” provided Chen Xiang, it would be hopeless for him to pass the test!
Although Yun Xiaodao was only 16 years old, he was more formidable than Zhang De. He was actually able to walk through and came up behind Elder Dan. The pressure suddenly disappeared as he fell down onto the ground. Panting and struggling to gulp down more air, he quickly swallowed a pill for swift recovery because there was an even more formidable third assessment coming up!
“Old man Zhang, hold on!” Yun Xiaodao clenched both of his fists and shouted. He knew this type of hardship, he understood the depth of the desire to pass through this assessment.
“AHHHHHH!” A long and loud roar resounded. Finally, using his knees to walk, Old man Zhang arrived to the other end of the square. At the same time, many others had chosen to drop down and give up, because of this, they were seriously injured.
Among the 300 disciples that started this test, only two were able to pass the assessment! Chen Xiang had been standing behind them all, he saw with his own eyes how much despair and helplessness was present on those disciples when they choose to give up and leave!
Now only Chen Xiang was left to begin the test. Nobody could understand why Elder Dan would be so biased towards Chen Xiang. Although how Chen Xiang handled the matter was rather surprising, they also believed that he had no other choice!
“Chen Xiang it’s your turn! You still have the option to give up. Otherwise you will definitely suffer excruciating pain and might also ruin your future cultivation!” Elder Dan sounded extremely cold. It was very difficult for anyone to understand why she hated Chen Xiang so much. After all, Chen Xiang was just a minor character, why would a famous person from the Chenwu Mainland hate him?
Chen Xiang himself didn’t know how he offended this mysterious Elder Dan.
“I’m not going to give up!” Chen Xiang’s voice was firm and powerful, spreading out in all directions. At the same time, every genius thought, Chen Xiang had also been subjected to the exact same pressure they had been, yet he is still upright, standing with a straight back. They simply could not compare with this kind of strength.
There were still many disciples in the square who hadn’t left. There were also True Martial Realm experts, these were the Inner Sect Disciples. The Outer Sect Disciples who had just failed the assessment also wanted to see how Elder Dan was going to treat Chen Xiang.
“Then… Let’s begin!” Elder Dan replied in a low voice.
After her statement ended, everyone felt a burst of scorching Qi waves surge in the square. What made everyone startled the most, was how those thick and strong giant bricks in the square began to resemble the sea and started heaving up and down.
It was immediately followed by a severe tremor, it was as if the whole Extreme Martial Sect was shaking. Those thick bricks in the square transformed into powder from that giant tremor!
The next scene made everyone suck in a deep cold breath. These special bricks were actually turned into powder in the blink of an eye! What was totally unexpected was that below those bricks, there was another layer of metal like material that looked far more sturdy.
An old man picked up a brick and threw it into the square. In the blink of an eye, that brick was transformed into powder. This kind of pressure was far stronger compared to what Yun Xiaodao underwent, and in addition to that, it was also extremely hot.
“If you can arrive behind my back, then you have passed this assessment!”
Elder Dan hadn’t taken a single step, but instead transformed the entire square into a sea of lava in the blink of an eye.
Chen Xiang was sweating more and more. He could feel that the current pressure was at least several times stronger compared with the previous one, and was far more terrifying.
Everyone was holding their breath as they looked at Chen Xiang. His body was burnt by the flames, his robes were not able to withstand the scorching True Qi released by Elder Dan. In the blink of an eye, they were instantly burnt into ashes.
But for Chen Xiang, this did not matter. To the crowd’s surprise, he was able to withstand such high temperatures. Furthermore, he also released flames that shielded his body.
Chen Xiang’s fine strong muscles were now burning red. Although the pressure had increased, his back still remained tall and straight. His eyes were still clear as he stared straight at the burning pupils of the far away Elder Dan.
Chen Xiang took a step as his whole body fiercely shook. The metal floor he stepped upon was very hot, but due to him cultivating the [Vermillion Bird Divine Exercise], he was able to withstand this type of scorching heat.
Seeing Chen Xiang begin to walk, everyone watching was deeply moved. Even under such a scenario, Chen Xiang was still able to move. It must be known that even the Inner Sect Disciples watching were afraid to try it! Plus, Chen Xiang was just an Outer Sect Disciple, and was also only at the 9th level of the Mortal Martial Realm.
Chen Xiang walked very slowly because each step was extremely difficult to take. He had to spend nearly all of his True Qi to support his body. This was the Universal True Qi, even so, it was still extremely difficult for him.
Half an hour past as each and every step from Chen Xiang was clearly seen by everyone. Although in reality, it was just a short distance, for Chen Xiang it seemed as if he had been walking for more than 100 years.
“Humph!” The Elder Dan coldly snorted as Chen Xiang spat out a mouthful of blood. Everyone could see that Elder Dan had increased the pressure.
This was very unfair, but although everyone had this thought in their mind, they did not voice it out loud. They knew that Chen Xiang could not walk until the end, however they still admired Chen Xiang. This was because although he clearly knew the road would be nearly impossible, he still did not give up. Clenching his teeth, he once again began to move forward.
Time flowed slowly, each step from Chen Xiang shook everyone's soul. Each time Chen Xiang took a step, the crowd expected him to fall right after. Yet Chen Xiang defied their expectations each and every time, refusing to fall. He took one step after another, each time spitting out a mouthful of blood. As the blood fell on the metal tiles beneath him, it instantly evaporated into thin air.
“I said that you must stay in the Outer Sect to temper yourself. You must be obedient and abide, stay there! I will not let you pass through the second assessment!” To everyone’s surprise, Elder Dan’s voice was trembling. Apparently, she was very angry and also didn’t expect Chen Xiang to be capable of arriving in front of her.
Immediately after her voice was transmitted, Chen Xiang emitted a horrible shriek as both of his knees touched the ground. Elder Dan was determined to not allow Chen Xiang to pass as she once again increased the level of pressure.
“Although…, … Although I do not know why you’re doing this to me. I will never give in to you. I will definitely pass through this second assessment…” Chen Xiang suddenly let out a low laugh and spoke in a low tone.
The square was dead silent and everyone could hear his declaration very clearly.
After Chen Xiang vomited a large amount of blood, he once again stood up to everyone’s surprise, only to see him then shout loudly, “I can die, but I will never bow to you!”