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Chapter 58: Chapter 58: The King’s Will That Lasts a Century
"Haha, I’ll go ahead first!"
As Elder Chen Xuan’s voice fell, a young man immediately strode forward arrogantly.
Brilliant light shone brightly, and behind the young man appeared a humanoid figure of stone. Eight glowing stars shimmered dazzlingly!
"An Eight-star Martial Soul!"
An exclamation burst forth from the warship; countless eyes were filled with envy.
Elder Chen Xuan also nodded slightly.
An Eight-star Martial Soul—such talent would be regarded as a prodigy even in the Xuanyuan Sect. Breaking through the Third Stage of Tongxuan Realm and entering the Awakening Vein Realm wouldn’t be a problem in the future.
Soon after, more people disembarked successively, totaling twenty to thirty individuals.
Among them, most carried recommendation letters, while only a small number had awakened Advanced Martial Souls.
Qin Yuanfeng and Princess Hua were among them.
The difference was that Qin Yuanfeng had awakened a Seven-star Martial Soul, while Princess Hua carried a recommendation from an influential figure of the Great Yue Dynasty’s Imperial Family.
As Luo Cheng was about to disembark, Tuoba Lie suddenly said, "Luo Cheng, you’re disembarking as well?"
Luo Cheng nodded; since he had Yun Mengli’s Identity Token, there was no reason not to use it.
Tuoba Lie grinned and said, "Well, if you’re disembarking, let’s play a little game later."
"A game?"
Luo Cheng was puzzled.
Tuoba Lie pointed towards a distant gorge and said excitedly, "Look at that gorge. It’s the first challenge in the Xuanyuan Sect’s disciple examination—it’s called Heart Refining Gorge!"
"Legend has it that a king once fell there, and the gorge is soaked with the king’s blood. His will has lingered for a hundred years and hasn’t dissipated. Martial artists who enter will be subjected to the pressure of the King’s Will. Inside, cultivation counts for little. It’s all about personal perseverance, mental resilience, and willpower!"
"On the path of martial arts, while Martial Souls are critical, mental fortitude and determination are equally essential."
Knowing much about the Xuanyuan Sect’s examinations, Tuoba Lie went on confidently, "Now, disembarking allows you to skip the first challenge. But, that’d make things boring. How about we have a contest to see who emerges from the gorge first?"
"The lingering King’s Will for a century..."
Luo Cheng mulled over it for a moment, then nodded. "Alright!"
He found the gorge imbued with kings’ blood intriguing as well.
After clearing the first challenge, it wouldn’t be too late to hand over Yun Mengli’s Identity Token.
Ultimately, thirty-seven individuals disembarked early.
Among them, twenty-six held recommendation letters.
Eleven had awakened Advanced Martial Souls!
The two groups stood apart from each other.
"You eleven have awakened Advanced Martial Souls. Your exceptional talents grant you exemption from the first Heart Refining Gorge challenge."
Elder Chen Xuan made this announcement as he turned to assess the remaining twenty-six, instructing them to each present their recommendation letters.
In the end, eight individuals were sent back onto the ship.
The reason was simple—their recommenders lacked sufficient qualifications.
Seeing this unfold, Luo Cheng couldn’t help but think of Yun Mengli.
He wondered whether Mengli’s status qualified him for entry into the Xuanyuan Sect.
However, even if it didn’t, Luo Cheng was unconcerned.
He was confident that, with his own abilities, he could pass the Xuanyuan Sect’s examination.
The eight dejectedly returned to the ship. Elder Chen Xuan descended onto the warship and announced:
"Now, all remaining individuals are to disembark and proceed to the Heart Refining Gorge ahead. This will serve as your first test. Anyone who fails to pass through the gorge within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn will be eliminated!"
Once he finished speaking, Elder Chen Xuan rose into the air and vanished into the misty mountains.
At that moment—
Whoosh!
The people on the deck scrambled off the ship, rushing toward the gorge, desperate not to fall behind.
"What’s the point in running so fast now? Once inside the gorge, I’ll surpass everyone."
Tuoba Lie scoffed disdainfully, then turned to give Luo Cheng a confident smile: "Luo Cheng, I’ll wait for you at the finish line. Don’t keep me waiting too long!"
With that, Tuoba Lie turned and dashed towards the gorge.
Luo Cheng smiled faintly. He genuinely couldn’t figure out where Tuoba Lie got his confidence.
"Let’s see just who ends up waiting for whom!"
Since it was a competition, Luo Cheng would naturally vie for first place!
Swish!
With a tap of his foot, Luo Cheng surged toward the gorge as well.
By the time Luo Cheng reached the gorge’s entrance, most people had already entered.
The gorge appeared as though it had been cleaved open by a sword. The space was extremely narrow, only about ten meters wide, exposing dark red rocks. At the entrance were three vivid, red characters: Heart Refining Gorge!
These characters seemed forged from blood, and a chilling wind occasionally blew out from within, emitting eerie, ghostly sounds that unsettled the soul.
Without further hesitation, Luo Cheng plunged into the gorge.
"Hmm?"
As soon as he entered the gorge, Luo Cheng felt an oppressive force descend onto him.
It was as though an invisible hand pressed down on him, stifling the flow of Essence Energy inside his body! 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
"So this is the suppression of the King’s Will? It’s indeed remarkable."
Luo Cheng could sense his power being suppressed by at least thirty percent, even his very spirit was weighed down.
Just as Luo Cheng marveled at this phenomenon, a sudden change occurred.
Roar!
A dragon’s roar erupted from within Luo Cheng’s Dantian. Instantly, the pressure weighing down on him vanished without a trace, leaving him utterly unrestrained.
"This..."
Luo Cheng froze briefly, realizing what had happened—the All Heavens Dragon Control Technique!
The dragon was the supreme ruler of all creatures; how could it be so easily suppressed!
"Haha, now I might not even be able to avoid claiming first place!"
With a faint smile, Luo Cheng’s figure darted forward rapidly.
"What the hell, how is he so fast?!"
"He’s totally cheating!"
Seeing Luo Cheng take off at an alarming speed, the other participants were wide-eyed in shock, struggling to believe what they’d witnessed.
Upon entering the gorge, they had felt as though a mountain was pressing on them. Forget running—they needed to summon all their strength just to take a single step.
Yet Luo Cheng appeared completely unaffected!
Unconcerned by their thoughts, Luo Cheng rushed forward through the gorge, swiftly overtaking one group after another.
He soon advanced from the rear of the pack to the forefront, where there were fewer and fewer people around.
It was then that the gorge gradually became narrower.
Two to three hundred meters ahead, massive rocks emerged from the gorge, forming a bottleneck—the Gourd Mouth—that only four or five individuals could pass through at the same time.
Behind the rocks stood three figures, hidden from plain view.
Among them was none other than Lu Yan.
Lu Yan crossed his arms, a cold and piercing gaze sweeping over those who approached, exuding killing intent.
"Brother Lu, who’s got the nerve to provoke you and Qin Yuanfeng?"
A young man next to him laughed.
Lu Yan replied coolly, "Some nobody trying his luck. Wait here and teach him a proper lesson—there’ll be rewards waiting for you both afterward."
Upon hearing this, the eyes of the two youths lit up.
Both hailed from Xuanfeng City, and they were well aware of the standing Lu Yan and Qin Yuanfeng held. Especially Qin Yuanfeng, whose uncle was an Outer Elder of the Xuanyuan Sect, and whose elder brother cultivated in the Inner Sect.
If they managed to get on good terms with the two, their futures in the Xuanyuan Sect would certainly be smooth sailing!
With such aspirations in mind, the two immediately flattered:
"Brother Lu, don’t worry! We’ll make him kneel and apologize!"
"That’s right! Today, he’s not leaving Heart Refining Gorge in one piece!"
Hearing this, Lu Yan’s face darkened with a cold smile.
The humiliation he’d suffered earlier in Lingyun Pavilion still lingered in his mind. Today, he could finally make Luo Cheng pay!
Just as Lu Yan was plotting his revenge, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he muttered in a low voice:
"He’s here!"
