DipNovel Chapter 134, Third Test
Chapter 134, Third Test
Deep within the Radiant Realm, in a grand hall, Xiao Lan hovered above a high platform, expressionless as she watched the bustling crowd. The first batch of trial participants entering the Realm within a Realm numbered in the thousands, but as news spread, more and more trial participants arrived from all corners of the Radiant Realm. Some were already in the Radiant Realm participating in mercenary assessments, while others had just arrived from the outside world via teleportation arrays.
In less than a day, the number of people in the hall exceeded tens of thousands. Most of these people were disciples of various powerful forces, but there were also many independent cultivators. They gathered in small groups, some talking in hushed tones, some resting with their eyes closed, and some observing their surroundings.
Xiao Lan had already announced the rules of the test, but she didn't urge everyone to begin. She knew that more people would come in.
Sure enough, the next day, even more people flooded into the hall.
These individuals were all carefully selected geniuses from various powerful factions. Some were core disciples of the Hundred Tigers Pavilion, some were elites of Northern Dragon City, some were members of the Holy Light Hall of the Ice Sea Divine Kingdom, and some were members of the Imperial Guard of the Black Dragon Mountain Royal Family. Each of them had comprehended either the Domain of Light or the Domain of Wind and was a leader in their respective factions.
"There are more and more people," someone in the crowd whispered.
"I heard that Hundred Tiger Tower sent 3,000 people, North Dragon City sent 2,000 people, and Black Cloud Society and Three Axe Mountain each sent 2,000 people. The four major organizations combined have nearly 10,000 people."
"The two holy lands also sent a lot of people. The Holy Light Palace and Storm Palace of the Ice Sea Divine Kingdom, and the Sun Palace and Wind God Palace of Black Dragon Mountain sent hundreds of core disciples each."
"The sixteen major families were not idle either; each family sent out several hundred people."
"With so many people vying for a single legacy, is it even possible to obtain it?"
"Who knows, but we have to give it a try."
Inside the hall, Xiao Lan hovered above the high platform, expressionless as she watched the ever-flowing crowd. She neither stopped them nor urged them on. The three trials set by their master would not change in difficulty based on the number of people. Only a few would ultimately pass; those who couldn't pass, no matter how many came, would only be sent to their deaths.
"Come in, everyone," Xiao Lan said softly. "The master's legacy needs a destined person. The more people come, the greater the chance of finding that destined person."
As the crowd continued to gather in the hall, deep within the realm within a realm, Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen were excavating the cosmic crystal following Lin Yun's guidance.
The three quietly slipped out of the crowd and circled around to the back of the hall. At the back of the hall was a dark passageway, its walls covered with runes that emitted a faint glow. The passageway was long and winding, its destination unknown.
"Lin Yun said that this passage leads to the lower level of the Realm Within a Realm." Luo Feng walked at the front, his spiritual power extending forward, alert to any possible danger.
"He said there are no restrictions or guardians here," Hong said, scanning the surroundings. "But we still need to be careful."
Thor brought up the rear, sword in hand, ready for battle at any moment.
The three walked along the passage for about fifteen minutes, until a stone door appeared ahead. There were no runes or restrictions on the door; it was just an ordinary stone door. Luo Feng gently pushed it, and the door opened with a click.
Behind the door was a huge space.
The space was several kilometers in diameter, its dome inlaid with countless luminous crystals, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime. The ground was not ordinary rock, but crystal-clear cosmic crystals. Layer upon layer of cosmic crystals formed a small mountain, emitting a faint fluorescent glow. These glows intertwined in the space, creating a dreamlike sea of light.
"My God..." Thor's eyes widened in disbelief. "So many cosmic crystals?"
Luo Feng crouched down and picked up a piece of cosmic crystal. The crystal felt warm to the touch, and he could sense the immense energy it contained. He squeezed it hard, but the cosmic crystal didn't budge—its hardness was extremely high, and ordinary star-level crystals couldn't destroy it at all.
"Lin Yun is right," Luo Feng said. "The Realm Within a Realm is built on the foundation of cosmic crystals. The Guanglan Realm has existed for hundreds of millions of years, and the cosmic crystals deep within the Realm Within a Realm have accumulated to an astonishing amount."
"Stop talking nonsense and start digging." Hong said, releasing robots from his spatial ring to begin cutting the cosmic crystal into square blocks.
Although the cosmic crystal was hard, it could still be cut by the robot. A piece of cosmic crystal, nearly a cubic meter in size, broke off from the vein. He then stored the cosmic crystal in his spatial ring, and the robot continued cutting.
Luo Feng also took out the Sky-Piercing Shuttle. The silver throwing knives darted through the air, precisely slicing through the cosmic crystal veins. The knives were incredibly fast, cutting off several pieces of cosmic crystal with each swift movement.
The three of them frantically dug for cosmic crystals. One spatial ring after another was filled, but the cosmic crystal veins seemed endless, and they could never finish digging them out.
"Luo Feng, how much space do you have left in your spatial ring?" Hong asked.
"Not much left," Luo Feng said. "It'll be full in a little while."
"Me too," Thor said. "Lin Yun told us not to be greedy, and to leave once we had enough."
"Then let's fill it for another 15 minutes," Luo Feng said. "After 15 minutes, regardless of whether it's full or not, we'll leave."
The three continued digging. A quarter of an hour later, Luo Feng's spatial ring was full, as were Hong's and Lei Shen's, until they could no longer hold any more.
"That's enough," Luo Feng said. "Let's go, let's get out of here."
The three retraced their steps and quietly left the realm within a realm. Everyone in the hall was focused on the inheritance, and no one noticed them.
After leaving Tianguang Cliff, Luo Feng crushed the teleportation badge. A blue light enveloped him, and space began to distort. His vision went black for a moment, then brightened again.
He has returned to the teleportation hall on Qiulong Star.
Hong and Thor followed closely behind, appearing in the teleportation hall.
"Let's go, let's go to Bailan Star and wait for Lin Yun," Luo Feng said. Since the inheritance was still in progress at this time, no one suspected whether the three of them had obtained the inheritance, so no one questioned them and let them leave.
The three left Qiulong Star and flew towards Bailan Star aboard the Black Dragon Spaceship.
Just as Luo Feng and his two companions were excavating the cosmic crystal, the trials within the Guanglan Realm were in full swing.
Some of the first people to enter the Labyrinth of Light have already emerged—not through a portal, but by being directly teleported to the second trial area after passing the test. The Labyrinth of Light poses no immediate danger, but requires sufficient comprehension. Even those unfamiliar with the Realm of Light can pass through once they understand its principles, though they will be far slower than those who are experts in the Realm of Light.
About one-third of those who passed the first test were transported to the Wind Trial grounds to face even more brutal trials.
The Trial of Wind is life-threatening. The storm's intensity gradually increases over time; if you can still stand after an hour, you pass. No defensive techniques can be used; you can only rely on your understanding of the laws of wind to counteract the wind pressure. Those without a Wind Domain are simply committing suicide. Even with a Wind Domain, if your comprehension isn't deep enough, it's difficult to survive an hour.
The first group of people to enter the Trial of the Wind numbered approximately 2,931. They struggled to survive in the storm; some collapsed after a quarter of an hour, some persevered for half an hour, and some held on until the very end.
An hour later, less than half of those remaining were still standing. Approximately 1,200 people had passed the second test. The rest either withdrew due to serious injuries or perished in the storm.
Xiao Lan's voice echoed throughout the Wind Trial grounds: "Second trial passed. Prepare for the third trial."
Those who passed the test were transported to a new space. The space was vast, large enough to hold thousands of people. In the center of the space was a stone platform, upon which rested a thin book. The book's cover was bluish-white, without any text, only patterns of wind and light.
"The third test—the introductory stage of the 'Light and Wind Illusion' secret technique." Xiao Lan's voice echoed through the space. "You need to master the 'Light and Wind Illusion' secret technique left by your master within three months. The standard for entry is: being able to create three clones, each clone's speed being twice that of the original body. I will come to test you after three months. If you succeed, you will receive your master's inheritance and treasure. If you fail…"
Xiao Lan didn't continue, but everyone knew what failure meant.
Twelve hundred people sat in various parts of the space, beginning to study the secret techniques. No one spoke, no one interacted; everyone's attention was focused on the books in their hands. They knew that three months would determine their fate.
At the same time, geniuses are being continuously sent into the Guanglan Realm from the outside world.
News of the Guanglan Realm Lord's legacy has spread throughout the entire Black Dragon Mountain Starfield. The legacy left behind by a genius who was the personal disciple of a King-level Immortal, a core member of the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance, and whose Realm Lord level strength was comparable to that of an ordinary Immortal, is enough to make any force drool.
The headquarters of Baihulou, the main meeting hall.
The lord of the Hundred Tigers Pavilion sat in the main seat, a holographic screen in front of him displaying real-time footage of the Light and Mist Realm. A greedy glint gleamed in his eyes.
"How many of the first batch of people who went in passed the first two tests?" he asked.
"Reporting to the Lord, of the first batch of three hundred people, one hundred and twenty have passed the first test, and fifty-eight have passed the second test," the subordinate reported.
"Only fifty-eight people?" The poster frowned.
"Master, the second trial—the Trial of Wind—is extremely difficult. Only those who have mastered the Wind Domain can pass it. Among our people, there are not many who have mastered the Wind Domain."
"Then send more people." The Lord of the Tower stood up. "Gather all the geniuses in the tower who have comprehended the Wind Domain and send them all to the Lightstorm Realm. At all costs, seize this inheritance!"
"yes!"
North Dragon City, Black Cloud Society, and Three Axe Mountain made the same decision. The four organizations continuously sent more people, batch after batch, into the Light and Mist Realm.
The Kingdom of the Ice Sea, atop the Holy Mountain.
An elderly man dressed in an ice-blue robe stood in the center of the hall, with a file about the Lord of the Lightstorm Realm floating in front of him. He was the ruler of the Ice Sea Divine Kingdom, an immortal-level powerhouse.
"Have all the disciples from the Temple of Holy Light and the Temple of Storms been sent in?" the king asked.
"They've all been sent in," a woman in white armor replied. "The first batch of one hundred are all geniuses who have comprehended either the Light Domain or the Wind Domain."
"Tell them that as long as they obtain the inheritance, they can directly become holy sons and enjoy the best cultivation resources of the holy land," the king said. "If they cannot obtain it..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood what he meant.
The Black Dragon Mountain Empire's royal family also learned of the news. The emperor personally ordered the selection of one hundred geniuses who had comprehended the light and wind domains from the Imperial Guard and sent them to the Light and Storm Realm.
The sixteen major realm lord-level families were not to be outdone. These families had been operating in the Black Dragon Mountain Empire for tens of millions of years, deeply entrenched, and each family could easily send out hundreds or even thousands of Eternal Star-level elites. They gathered all the geniuses in their families who had comprehended the Light and Wind domains and sent them to the Light and Storm Realm.
"The first batch of one thousand people has already gone in."
"The second batch of two thousand people is being transferred."
"The third batch of 3,000 people is ready."
Similar messages circulated among the various factions. The teleportation array in the Lightstorm Realm operated day and night, with wave after wave of trial participants pouring into the Realm Within a Realm.
Inside the hall, Xiao Lan hovered above the high platform, expressionless as she watched the crowd pouring in.
She neither stopped them nor urged them on. The three trials set by their master would not change in difficulty based on the number of participants. Only a few would pass; those who could not pass would simply be sent to their deaths, no matter how many came.
"Come in, everyone," Xiao Lan said softly. "The master's legacy needs a destined person. The more people come, the greater the chance of finding that destined person."
As newcomers continued to arrive, the number of people passing the first two tests also slowly increased. The first batch had 1,200 people who passed the second test, the second batch had 300 more, the third batch had 200 more... Day after day, the number of people passing the first two tests gradually accumulated.
One thousand five hundred, two thousand, two thousand five hundred...
Finally, when the third test officially began, the number of people who had passed the first two tests was close to three thousand.
Three thousand people, in the same space, facing the same secret technique, competing for the same inheritance.
"Three thousand people." Xiao Lan's voice echoed in the hall. "Three thousand people have entered the third test. Three months later, whoever can master the master's secret technique will become the master's successor."
"What if many people join?" someone asked.
"If multiple people start learning, then whoever understands it the most deeply will be the successor," Xiao Lan said. "If the depth of understanding is the same, then the person who takes the shortest time wins."
A commotion arose in the crowd. Three thousand people were vying for a single inheritance; the intensity of the competition was unimaginable.
Deep within the realm within a realm, Luo Feng, Hong, and Lei Shen had already left the Guanglan Realm.
The three boarded the Black Dragon spaceship and flew towards White Orchid Star. The spaceship glided silently through the dark universe, its tail spewing pale blue flames.
"Do you think Lin Yun can pass the test?" Thor asked, leaning back in his chair.
"He definitely can," Luo Feng said. "His wind and light laws have both reached the threshold of the origin laws, so the three tests will not be difficult for him."
"But the third test requires mastering a top-tier secret technique within three months." Thor said with some worry, "A top-tier secret technique? Those are the most powerful secret techniques in the universe. Luo Feng, Babata said, how difficult are top-tier secret techniques?"
Luo Feng was silent for a moment, then said, "Babata said that in the universe, those who can create top-tier secret techniques are at least World Lord level experts. Moreover, they are genius World Lords who have existed for billions of epochs. Even so, it would take a very long time to create a top-tier secret technique. To master it within three months is indeed very difficult."
"That Lin Yun..."
"Trust him," Hong said. "Lin Yun never does anything he's not confident about. If he says he's confident, he definitely can do it."
Thor nodded and said nothing more.
The spaceship continued its journey through space. Outside the window, stars twinkled, and the universe stretched endlessly.
Luo Feng leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and replayed his experiences in the Guanglan Realm in his mind. The Guanglan Realm Lord, the personal disciple of the King-level Immortal, a core member of the Cosmic Mercenary Alliance, possessed a level of understanding of the laws approaching that of a Marquis-level Immortal at the Realm Lord stage... Such a genius ultimately perished because of his excessive ambition.
"Lin Yun is right," Luo Feng murmured. "We have to take things one step at a time; we can't rush it."
White Star.
The spaceship landed at the spaceport of Bailan Star. The three of them stepped out of the spaceship and onto the land of Bailan Star.
Bailan Star is a famous icy planet within the Black Dragon Mountain Empire, perpetually covered in ice and snow, with extremely low temperatures. The three found an inn to stay in and waited for Lin Yun's return.
"I wonder when Lin Yun will be able to come out." Thor stood by the window, looking at the snowflakes dancing in the sky outside.
"Three months later," Luo Feng said. "Xiao Lan said the third test has a three-month deadline. After three months, no matter the outcome, he will come out."
"Then we'll wait three months," Hong said.
The three settled down on White Orchid Star. Every day, besides cultivating, they waited. Luo Feng consigned the cosmic crystals he had mined through his teacher's five-star account, ultimately reaping a fortune of nearly a trillion cosmic coins.
With this huge sum of money, Luo Feng purchased the metal combination of the Golden Horned Beast's best cultivation plan, and also bought a set for Lin Yun. In addition, he bought precious nutrient tanks for Hong and Lei Shen, enough for them to break through to the ninth level of Hengxing in a short period of time.