Chapter 135: The Twist! Evaluation Concludes!

“Daoist, please don’t mock us. At the time, lending the magical artifact was just a drunken joke, a passing jest. But who would have thought that His Highness Qingyuan actually took it seriously? He immediately produced the artifact on the spot and forced us to sign the contract. If the one-year term expires and we cannot return the artifact, you must have heard of His Highness Qingyuan’s methods, Daoist.”

A faint, bitter smile crossed Cheng Lin’s face as he shook his head helplessly. Only in front of the Gao family’s gate would they be so powerless and coerced, yet dare not show a hint of resentment.

“Of course, I’ve heard. Gao Qingyuan, a prodigy in the world of commerce, known as the woman who plucks feathers from flying geese and leaves wealth in her wake. The craftiest of merchants! She forces sales, passes off inferior goods, bullies the market, hoards rare items! Any ordinary businessman would have been chopped into pieces and tossed into the river to feed the fish long ago for such deeds. But this Qingyuan, she bears the Gao name. As long as the province of Dianchuan remains unchanged, she need not change a single day.”

When speaking of Gao Qingyuan, the goat-bearded Daoist Yunqing’s expression was filled with sighs. Although she was willful and cunning, she was indeed a master of commerce. The Gao family now had nearly half its enterprises managed by her. Coupled with her remarkable cultivation talent, she was already a grand cultivator at the Dao Body stage at a young age, a shining example for women in Dianchuan Province.

“It’s just one magical artifact. What loss does your Cheng family have by acknowledging it?” Daoist Yunqing waved his hand dismissively. Even when Cheng Lin invoked the revered Qingyuan’s name, the old Daoist remained unmoved.

The Divine Mist Sect’s rightful place as the second leading orthodox sect in Dianchuan Province was well-deserved, backed by deep roots and formidable strength. Although the Gao family ruled Dianchuan like local emperors, if the Divine Mist Sect truly took offense, even these local overlords would have to think twice.

Besides, Cheng family had only provoked the young Qingyuan, not the provincial military governor. Such a minor matter was insufficient to make the Divine Mist Sect alter its rules.

Seeing Daoist Yunqing unwilling to concede, Cheng Lin clenched his palms and whispered, “If you’re willing to help the Cheng family with this, name your price, and we will—”

“Presumptuous!” The old Daoist suddenly rose in anger, coldly gazing at Cheng Lin. “Don’t soil my ears with the filthy intentions of your noble families. I’ll say this once more: once the trial begins, life and death are on your own! You can’t hope to get any information about the candidates from me. Furthermore, if the so-called culprit you mention passes through all three trials and becomes a disciple of the Divine Mist Sect, and you so much as attempt to harm him—I guarantee your Cheng family will be obliterated in a sea of thunder!”

With that chilling warning, Daoist Yunqing snorted coldly and swept his sleeves, departing.

“It really will turn into a sea of thunder~” The young temple attendant raised a fist at Cheng Lin, repeating the phrase before hurrying after the departing Daoist.

Cheng Lin remained behind, his face dark and hands tightly clenched.

...

A single palm sent back a monstrous creature shaped like a yak, its huge horns bristling with countless sharp barbs. Qi Xiu flicked his fingers, and a burst of vermilion lightning erupted. The formidable thunderclap terrified the yak-like beast, which screamed and retreated.

Surrounding the jade-white staircase square, hundreds of monstrous creatures prowled, their vicious eyes fixed on this side, ready to launch an attack at any moment.

Today was the final day of the trial.

It seemed all the monsters from the lake bottom had gathered on the island, assembling around the square, poised for one last desperate assault.

---

“My energy is down to less than thirty percent. How about you?” Squinting-eyed, a figure carrying a longbow approached Qi Xiu and Dong Xingzhou, whispering.

“Fifty percent.” Dong Xingzhou caressed his demonic sword and answered shortly.

“Hmm... fifty percent.” Qi Xiu hesitated for a moment before reporting.

In truth, he still had six full mixed-origin pearls within him. Although using thunder magic consumed immense energy, his bodily energy was extraordinarily abundant. Even unleashing thunder magic without restraint only drained the energy equivalent to four of those pearls.

“Not great. Looks like it’ll be tough to hold off this final wave.” Squinting-eyed scratched his head helplessly and shrugged. “I was hoping to rely on them, but it seems hopeless.”

Glancing around at the other candidates who were struggling to recover energy and heal their wounds, squinting-eyed felt some regret.

Actually, whether they held the last wave or not mattered little to the three of them. The trial lasted ten days. With their skills and strength, even surrounded by hundreds of monsters, enduring one day was no great feat.

Their only hesitation concerned the other exhausted and injured candidates.

“Shall we go?”

Shouldering his bow, squinting-eyed raised his hand.

“Let’s go.” Dong Xingzhou drew his demonic sword and stood beside Li Guanqi.

“Given the circumstances, it’s time to leave,” Dong Xingzhou said.

Looking somberly at the other candidates, Li Guanqi sighed deeply and bowed, offering a solemn salute.

“I, Li, failed to command fate, but fighting alongside you all will be remembered for three lifetimes...”

“Enough with the flowery words!” Dong Xingzhou, unwilling to listen to Li’s poetic tone, hoisted him onto his shoulder and strode off.

“You’re not leaving?” Squinting-eyed turned to look at Qi Xiu, who stood with folded sleeves.

“I’ll wait a little longer,” Qi Xiu said with a faint smile, shaking his head slightly.

“Very well. Good luck to you.”

Narrowing his eyes and gazing deeply at Qi Xiu, squinting-eyed chose a path opposite to Dong Xingzhou’s and darted away.

Seeing the two forces depart, the other candidates’ faces darkened as though heavy black clouds hovered above them, emblazoned with the ominous character: “Death.”

“Old Qi, Old Yan, are we done for?” Zhu Mo lay on the ground, staring at the sky, muttering.

“We won’t die. When the time comes, I can use the Wolf Shadow Escape Technique to sneak you into the Shadow Void. But it’s suffocating there, not comfortable.” Yan Baizhe smiled, patting Zhu Mo’s belly gently.

“Come on, old Zhu, I’ve seen every kind of scene.”

“Don’t worry. I have a feeling the trial is about to end.”

Qi Xiu gazed calmly at the clear, bright sky and spoke words that puzzled Zhu Mo and Yan Baizhe.

“End? There are still five or six hours left today.”

“No, my feeling won’t be wrong.”

A trace of certainty appeared in his eyes.

As early as the eighth day of the trial, a faint sensation had arisen in his heart—a vague premonition that the trial would end in an unexpected way.

At first, he had ignored the feeling, but as time progressed, it grew stronger.

---

Until the final day of the trial arrived.

He finally realized this sensation was not conjured from nothing but a subtle enlightenment granted by the karmic laws of the mortal path.

“And even if I’m wrong, it’s just a bloody battle...” Qi Xiu clasped a Bereaved Breeze Charm in his palm, silently planning.

If his premonition failed, he would simply paralyze all the candidates and show these monsters the power of the Star-Absorbing Technique.

Boom—

Suddenly, the ground shook violently as hundreds of monsters charged recklessly.

This was their last attack—and their most terrifying.

Among the beasts were titanic, overwhelming creatures radiating an unstoppable aura, surging in all directions like a colossal tidal wave intent on smashing the remaining candidates on the staircase square.

Five hundred meters!

Three hundred meters!

One hundred meters!

Fifty meters!

As the monsters closed in, Qi Xiu and Yan Baizhe sprang up.

One prepared to unleash the Bereaved Breeze Charm to paralyze all candidates and ruthlessly cleanse the field.

The other prepared to use the Wolf Shadow Escape Technique to lead Zhu Mo into the Shadow Void.

Crack! Boom!—

But just as the monsters were about to step onto the square—

Heavenly thunder descended!

Endless bolts of lightning, thick as water buckets, poured down like a violent storm, suffused with majestic, overwhelming heavenly authority.

The hundreds of monsters didn’t even have time to scream before being struck by the thunder, turning to ashes and dispersing instantly.

[Third Trial Complete!]

That grand, resonant voice rang out again.

This time, for all the candidates, it was like celestial music.

“Damn, I’ve never thought this sound so beautiful!”

“Haha, I made it through! Divine Mist Sect! Here I come!”

“What are you so excited about? Did you master the Palm Thunder Technique? You’re just excited.”

“I don’t care. Even as an outer disciple, it’s still a disciple. At least I won’t have to endure this brutal entrance trial anymore.”

Unexpectedly, there was a last-minute reversal!

Candidates who had already resigned themselves to death erupted in wild joy.

Boom!

Just as everyone eagerly awaited the trial’s conclusion and anticipated being guided into the Divine Mist Sect—

Suddenly, thick, pure-white lightning bolts, as thick as water buckets, crashed down!

They struck every candidate with unerring precision!

“Ah!”

In an instant, screams echoed across the entire lake heart island.

The surging lightning tore through every candidate’s body, unleashing unprecedented pain flooding their minds.

Just as they were about to pass out from the agony—

A calm, composed voice sounded near their ears:

“First lesson upon entering the Divine Mist Sect: Thunder Tamer, Strike with Everlasting Thunder.”

Enduring every cell’s painful groan and suppressing a scream, Qi Xiu rolled his eyes upon hearing the voice.

Good heavens.

The very first thing upon joining the Divine Mist Sect was to be struck by lightning!

...

(End of chapter)