275: Chapter 275: First Trial, Passed.

Elder She Gu was a Void Refinement Stage Late Stage Elder of the Nine-Headed Snake Clan, having cultivated for one thousand two hundred years.

Seeing the miserable state of Shi Yuntian, he felt a bit apprehensive inside, but he did not want to lose face in front of the Human Race.

"I will go."

Elder She Gu slithered to the front of the stone stele, his seven heads raised high, his vertical pupils filled with vigilance.

He did not rush to go up, but instead carefully observed the Sword Intent of those stone-carved Sword Cultivators.

"The Sword Intent of these stone carvings exerts a stronger suppression on the Yao Race."

Elder She Gu hissed.

"Li Qinglian killed only the Yao Race back then; his Sword Intent contains hatred for the Yao Race."

"We have to withstand greater pressure than the Human Race when we go up."

"Then what should we do?"

Elder She Gu did not answer.

He took a deep breath and stepped onto the stone steps.

The Sword Intent of the stone-carved Sword Cultivators surged over, more fierce and violent than before.

Elder She Gu's seven heads opened their mouths simultaneously, spewing out poison liquid, poison fire, poison smoke, poison needles, poison threads, poison miasma, and poison mist.

The seven types of poison intertwined to form a giant poison web, covering the Sword Intent.

The Sword Intent collided with the poison web, erupting with a harsh hissing sound.

The poison web was shredded by the Sword Intent, but the Sword Intent was also partially corroded by the poison web, weakening it somewhat.

Elder She Gu seized the opportunity to spew another layer of poison web, one layer after another, like stacking arhats.

He spewed a total of seven layers of poison web; the Sword Intent broke through six layers but stopped at the seventh.

Elder She Gu breathed a sigh of relief and continued walking up.

But with every step he took, the Sword Intent of the stone-carved Sword Cultivators grew stronger by a fraction.

When he reached the tenth step, the Sword Intent had grown so strong that even the seventh layer of the poison web could not block it.

The poison web was shredded, and the Sword Intent surged over like a tide.

Elder She Gu's seven heads opened their mouths simultaneously, spewing out black beads one by one.

Those were the life-bound poison pills of the Nine-Headed Snake Clan, each one condensing his life's work of poison arts.

The poison pills exploded, transforming into a sheet of black poison mist, shrouding the Sword Intent within it.

The Sword Intent struggled within the poison mist, like a fish trapped in a net.

The poison mist corroded the Sword Intent, and the Sword Intent tore through the poison mist.

The two stalemated for a full cup of tea's time; the poison mist was finally shredded by the Sword Intent, but the Sword Intent was also mostly consumed.

The remnant Sword Intent struck Elder She Gu, leaving tiny sword marks on his pitch-black scales.

Elder She Gu let out a muffled grunt but did not retreat.

He continued walking up, each step difficult, but each step steady.

After walking for about an hour, Elder She Gu also disappeared at the end of the stone steps.

He had also passed the first trial.

On the plaza, there was another uproar.

"Elder She Gu made it through!"

A member of the Nine-Headed Snake Clan shouted excitedly.

Feng Ming was a Void Refinement Stage Middle Stage Elder of the Five-Colored Phoenix Clan, having cultivated for eight hundred years.

She walked to the front of the stone stele, looked at that flight of stone steps, and hesitated for a long time.

She possessed the Nirvana Fire, which could burn everything, but she did not know if it could burn the Sword Intent.

"Let's give it a try." Feng Ming stepped onto the stone steps.

The Sword Intent of the stone-carved Sword Cultivators surged over.

Feng Ming flapped her wings, and the Nirvana Fire ignited on her five-colored feathers.

The flames were golden and the temperature was extremely high, burning the surrounding air until it distorted.

The Sword Intent collided with the flames, emitting a sizzling sound, like water poured onto a fire.

The flames were weakening, and the Sword Intent was weakening.

Feng Ming was delighted in her heart and continued to urge the Nirvana Fire.

The flames grew stronger, and the Sword Intent grew weaker.

She walked up the stone steps step by step, her gait light and graceful, as if dancing.

After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Feng Ming also disappeared at the end of the stone steps.

She had also passed the first trial.

Lei Zhen was a Void Refinement Stage Middle Stage Elder of the Thunder Qilin Clan, having cultivated for seven hundred years.

He walked to the front of the stone stele, did not hesitate, and stepped directly onto the stone steps.

He was a Thunder Qilin, extremely fast, and could use his speed to dodge the Sword Intent.

The Sword Intent surged over; Lei Zhen was surrounded by electric light, transforming into a bolt of thunder, weaving through the Sword Intent at extreme speed.

His speed was too fast, so fast that the Sword Intent could not keep up with him.

He wove through the gaps in the Sword Intent, like a loach swimming through stone crevices.

But the Sword Intent grew denser, and the gaps grew smaller.

No matter how fast Lei Zhen was, he could not be faster than the Sword Intent.

A streak of Sword Intent grazed his body, leaving a bloodstain on his cyan-blue scales.

Lei Zhen let out a muffled grunt, and his speed slowed down.

Another streak of Sword Intent stabbed his hind leg; he stumbled and almost fell.

Lei Zhen gritted his teeth, transformed into a bolt of thunder, and retreated from the stone steps.

He failed.

There were a few more sword marks on his body, blood flowing continuously, but the injuries were not severe.

He was of the Thunder Qilin Clan, with a formidable Physical Body; these injuries were nothing.

Chi Feng was a Void Refinement Stage Middle Stage Elder of the Mystic Ice Chilong Clan, having cultivated for seven hundred years.

He walked to the front of the stone stele, did not attempt it, and shook his head directly.

"I cannot do it. I am not a Sword Cultivator, nor do I have a Cultivation Technique like Xiao Ran's that can devour Sword Intent."

"I will not go to my death."

He retreated to the side.

Que Ying was a Void Refinement Stage Early Stage Elder of the Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow Clan, having cultivated for five hundred years.

He walked to the front of the stone stele and squinted at the flight of stone steps.

He was a Heaven-Swallowing Sparrow and could devour everything. Sword Intent was also a type of energy, so he should be able to devour it as well.

"I will give it a try." Que Ying stepped onto the stone steps.

The Sword Intent surged over; Que Ying opened his giant beak and swallowed it in one gulp.

The Sword Intent entered his belly and rampaged within his body, like a beast trapped in a cage.

Que Ying's complexion turned pale then cyan, his body swelling and contracting.

He gritted his teeth, desperately suppressing the Sword Intent in his belly.

After a good while, the Sword Intent was finally refined by him.

His aura climbed significantly, leaping from the Void Refinement Stage Early Stage to the Void Refinement Stage Middle Stage.

However, it was only for a moment.

The next second, he exploded.

Exploded in the physical sense.

On the plaza, there was an uproar.

All the Yao Race were shocked.

Zhao Tianxiong's complexion finally looked a bit better.

But Xiao Ran had passed, Jian Wuming had passed, Elder She Gu had passed, and Feng Ming had passed.

He, a Void Refinement Stage Late Stage, had actually not passed; this was a resounding slap in the face.

"I must pass too!"

Zhao Tianxiong gritted his teeth, took out a blood-red Medicinal Pill from his Storage Ring, and stuffed it into his mouth.

"Nine-Turn blood burning pill?"

Gu Yue's expression changed.

"Are you crazy? The blood burning pill will burn your Lifespan!"

Zhao Tianxiong ignored him.

He stepped onto the stone steps; the stone-carved Sword Cultivator raised his long sword, and the Sword Intent surged over.

Zhao Tianxiong did not defend; he formed seals with both hands, unleashing the Zhao family's secret technique—Blood Shadow Clone.

His body split into three; three identical Clones rushed in three different directions.

The Sword Intent caught up with two Clones and shredded them, but the third Clone rushed to the end of the stone steps.

The Clone merged with his true self, and Zhao Tianxiong's true self appeared at the end of the stone steps.

He had also passed the first trial.

On the plaza, there was another uproar.

"The Zhao family's Blood Shadow Clone is indeed unfathomable!"

Zhao Tianxiong stood at the end of the stone steps, looked back at the plaza, and a proud smile curled the corners of his mouth.

Although he had used a Nine-Turn blood burning pill, he had regained this bit of face.

Seeing that others had succeeded, the other Cultivators also tried one after another.

Some used death-substitution talismans, some used Clones, some used Magic Treasures, and some used secret techniques.

Some succeeded, some failed, and there were even some who died and came back to life.

But regardless of success or failure, no one truly died.

Cultivators at the Void Refinement Stage had too many ways to save their own lives.

Li Changsheng was the same.

He was not a Sword Cultivator, but he had an Innate Dao Embryo.

The Innate Dao Embryo resonated with the world and could communicate with all things.

He closed his eyes and communicated his will with the Sword Intent of the stone-carved Sword Cultivators.

The Sword Intent sensed his will and did not attack him.

Li Changsheng walked up the stone steps step by step, his gait calm.

Very soon, he also passed the first trial.

On the plaza, there were fewer and fewer people.

Those who succeeded went to the second trial, and those who failed remained on the plaza.

Some were healing, some were discussing countermeasures, and some were watching.

The trial of the first stage lasted for a whole day.

Out of dozens of Void Refinement Stage Cultivators, in the end, fewer than twenty people passed the first trial.