The half-hour rest period was both a recovery and an ordeal for the over two thousand cultivators who had passed the Heart Questioning Illusion Array. Some seized every moment to adjust their breathing, striving to face the final test in their optimal state; others appeared anxious, their gazes occasionally drifting towards the depths of the bluestone archway, still shrouded in mist, feeling both anticipation and fear towards the legendary "Enlightenment Stone Wall."
Ye Chen sat cross-legged on the ground, seemingly resting with his eyes closed, but in reality, the Primordial Dao Foundation Chapter was circulating within him, slowly replenishing the mental energy and spiritual power consumed while resisting the illusion array. His condition quickly returned to its peak, his mind clear. Comprehension? He believed that with the "Heaven Rewards Diligence" system, coupled with the soul foundation from his two lifetimes and the extraordinary perception brought by the Primordial Dao Foundation Chapter, he might not be at a disadvantage in this trial.
Wang Tiechui didn't have as many thoughts. He gnawed on the dried rations Ye Chen had prepared, recovering his strength. For him, being full meant having the energy.
"Time is up!"
Deacon Qingxu's voice was like a solemn bell, drawing everyone's attention. He waved his sleeve again, and the mist behind the archway churned violently, parting to the sides to reveal a peculiar stone wall, a hundred zhang tall and smooth as a mirror. The stone wall was grayish-blue, with no carvings on its surface, yet it naturally exuded a vast, ancient Dao Rhyme that seemed to carry the ultimate principles of Heaven and Earth.
"This is the 'Enlightenment Stone Wall,' a wondrous treasure of Heaven and Earth incidentally obtained by our Azure Profound Dao Sect's Ancestor," Deacon Qingxu said solemnly. "The stone wall has no name, no words, no form. However, those with fate and comprehension can observe its form to understand its spirit, and feel its rhyme to grasp its principles."
His gaze swept over the more than two thousand young and nervous faces below. "The final trial tests comprehension! You must sit before the stone wall and meditate for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. If you can provoke any anomaly from the stone wall, be it radiance, sound, or the manifestation of runes, you will pass. Your performance will be judged based on the scale and quality of the anomaly. Those who have no response after one incense stick will be eliminated!"
The rules were simple, yet extremely cruel. Provoking an anomaly? It sounded mysterious and unfathomable, with no clear standard.
No one hesitated. The cultivators who had passed the previous two trials immediately rushed towards the front of the stone wall, each finding a spot to sit cross-legged, eagerly sinking their minds to try and establish a connection with the massive stone wall.
Ye Chen and Wang Tiechui also moved with the crowd, sitting down in an open space near the edge.
"Tiechui, calm your mind, look carefully at the stone wall, and feel it," Ye Chen whispered a reminder before saying no more. He took a deep breath, pouring all his mental energy into the hundred-zhang stone wall before him.
At first glance, the stone wall was just a stone wall, smooth and ancient, with no special features other than that inexplicable Dao Rhyme.
Ye Chen did not rush. He closed his eyes, not to see with his physical eyes, but to extend his Spiritual Sense, like a gentle stream of water, slowly forward, carefully touching the stone wall.
Buzz!
The moment his Spiritual Sense touched the stone wall, his entire body jolted! It was as if his Spiritual Sense wasn't probing the stone wall, but the entire stone wall had transformed into a boundless, unfathomable vortex, intent on completely devouring his mind!
Before him was no longer a stone wall, but countless distorted, flickering, and shattered lines of light and shadow, in utter disarray, like the chaotic scene at the dawn of Heaven and Earth! A massive, chaotic, yet infinitely profound stream of information violently impacted his consciousness!
【Contacting the high-dimensional Dao Rhyme carrier 'Nameless Stone Wall', information overload! 】
【Primordial Dao Foundation Chapter autonomously operates, spiritual power protects the mind! 】
【Spiritual Sense is under immense pressure, being passively tempered... 】
Even the system's prompts became intermittent. Ye Chen grunted, his face instantly turning pale, veins bulging on his forehead. He felt like a small boat in a raging sea, liable to be shattered by this torrent of information at any moment!
Cannot retreat! He gritted his teeth, clinging to the last shred of clarity in his Spiritual Platform. The Primordial Dao Foundation Chapter was pushed to its limit, and the chaotic spiritual energy constructed a thin yet tenacious barrier in his Sea of Consciousness. At the same time, the Ascension Token in his embrace once again emitted that warm, steady, and peaceful power, like a divine needle stabilizing his mind, which was on the verge of collapse.
After forcibly stabilizing his footing, Ye Chen began to try and find patterns within this chaos of information. The distorted lines of light and shadow, though seemingly chaotic, seemed to reveal a faint, breath-like rhythm if observed from the unique perspective of the Primordial Dao Foundation Chapter, which communicated with hidden meridians.
He stopped trying to "understand" all the information; it was impossible. He began to empty himself, no longer resisting, but attempting to "merge" with this rhythm, to "feel" the "intention" that the stone wall itself wished to convey.
Time trickled by.
More than half of the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had already passed.
In front of the stone wall, it remained silent. The vast majority of cultivators frowned, sweating profusely, clearly having gained nothing. Only a very few began to emit faint glows, or wisps of mist condensed above their heads, provoking minor anomalies that caused the Azure Profound Disciples on the high platform to nod slightly.
Wang Tiechui stared at the stone wall with his large, round eyes for a long time, only feeling his eyes ache and his mind turn to mush. He hadn't seen anything. He scratched his head and decided not to force it. Following the method Ye Chen taught him, he began circulating his Qi and Blood to temper his Physique. However, as his Qi and Blood circulated, the stone wall seemed to ripple slightly, and an extremely subtle, wild, and heavy aura, as if attracted, silently merged into his Qi and Blood. He himself was completely unaware, only feeling warm and comfortable all over.
Meanwhile, Ye Chen had entered a state of profound mystery.
In his "perception," the chaotic torrent of information gradually receded. The stone wall was no longer disordered lines, but transformed into countless tiny, twinkling points of light like stars. Between these points were countless invisible "lines" connecting them, forming a vast and extremely complex "net." This "net" seemed to expound on the operation of some power, the aggregation of spiritual energy, and even fragments of the rules of Heaven and Earth...
Inspired, he attempted to mobilize the wisp of chaotic spiritual energy within him, not following the established path of the Primordial Dao Foundation Chapter, but mimicking the operation of a minuscule structure within the "net" he "perceived."
At first, the spiritual energy circulated with difficulty, and his meridians felt a stinging pain.
Failure, adjustment, and try again...
【Attempting to simulate an unknown Dao Rhyme structure, spiritual power control has improved. 】
【Primordial Dao Foundation Chapter proficiency +5! 】
In the very last moment before the incense stick burned out—
The wisp of chaotic spiritual energy circulating within Ye Chen along the peculiar route finally successfully completed an extremely minuscule cycle!
"Buzz..."
A faint hum, as if from the ancient primordial era, sounded from within him! It did not originate from his throat, but was a self-sounding Dao!
Simultaneously, on the hundred-zhang stone wall in front of him, the area near him, its mirror-smooth surface rippled like water! A faint, almost invisible light with a chaotic hue flashed and disappeared!
Although the anomaly was extremely weak and small in scope, it had indeed provoked a reaction from the stone wall!
On the high platform, Deacon Qingxu, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. His gaze was like lightning, instantly locking onto Ye Chen, a hint of undisguised surprise flashing in his eyes!
"Primordial Chaos, Dao sound self-sounding? This child..." he murmured, and several Late Qi Refining disciples beside him also showed astonished expressions, all looking towards Ye Chen.
Most of the other cultivators were still immersed in their own comprehension and had not noticed this subtle change. Only a few outstanding individuals who had also provoked decent anomalies looked towards Ye Chen's direction with scrutiny and inquiry.
The incense stick burned out.
"Time is up!" Deacon Qingxu's voice rang out, carrying an invisible force that jolted everyone out of their meditative state.
As everyone came back to their senses, their expressions varied. Some were ecstatic, some dejected, and most were bewildered.
Ye Chen slowly opened his eyes, exhaling a long breath of turbid air. He felt mentally exhausted, yet incredibly fulfilled. The comprehension from that moment, though brief, had given him a vague yet entirely new direction regarding the essence of spiritual energy and his understanding of the "Dao."
【Successfully provoked a minor anomaly from the 'Nameless Stone Wall', comprehension recognized. 】
【Preliminary mastery of 'Dao Rhyme Mimicry' technique, Primary. 】
【Primordial Dao Foundation Chapter proficiency +50! Divine Sense Strength increased! 】
【Cultivation: Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, 65/100 】
The harvest was immense!
Deacon Qingxu's gaze swept over those below, finally settling on the cultivators who still had residual anomalies or had attracted attention earlier, numbering about a hundred.
"You hundred people have passed the final assessment and will be recorded as Outer Sect candidates!" he announced solemnly. "The rest are eliminated!"
As soon as his voice fell, a gentle yet irresistible force enveloped the more than one thousand people who had failed to provoke an anomaly and sent them away from the plaza.
The plaza instantly became spacious. Only the hundred lucky individuals who passed the three trials remained, along with the Azure Profound Dao Sect cultivators on the high platform.
Ye Chen stood tall amidst the crowd. Wang Tiechui also stood beside him, looking bewildered. His circulation of Qi and Blood had actually provoked a very subtle resonance from the stone wall, allowing him to barely pass.
Deacon Qingxu's gaze fell on Ye Chen again, lingering for a moment before he nodded slightly and looked away.
"Three days later, at Chen hour, gather here for the final aptitude verification and entry allocation. Disperse!"
Upon hearing this, everyone bowed, and then, with excitement, anticipation, and a hint of fatigue, they began to disperse.
Ye Chen and Wang Tiechui left the Dao Seeking Plaza with the crowd. He knew this was just the beginning. Successfully entering the Outer Sect candidate list meant he had one foot in the Azure Profound Dao Sect. However, the upcoming aptitude verification (the issue of Pseudo Spirit Root), entry allocation, and the hidden dangers lurking in the shadows were the true challenges.
He touched the Ascension Token in his embrace, feeling its warmth, his eyes resolute.
No matter what, he had grasped this sliver of immortal destiny. He would certainly walk the path ahead more steadily.
Meditating at the stone wall, his talent began to show. The door to Azure Profound had opened a crack for him.