Chapter 132
"Is that Li Mo?"
A voice called out, though no one knew who it was.
In an instant, countless gazes turned toward him.
"Junior Brother Li, how did you manage this?"
Ouyang, the senior brother from Ruyi Peak, was also present. He wasn't particularly close to Li Mo, but his curiosity was piqued.
"What do you mean?"
Li Mo followed Ouyang's gaze and replied calmly, "Just do good deeds and don’t ask about the future."
"I saved others, and they gave me their beast tokens."
In other words, a significant number of those who failed to make it into the top fifty had handed their beast tokens over to little Li.
"???"
Everyone looked bewildered.
Weren't people supposed to be treacherous, scheming against each other, and fighting tooth and nail?
You came here to accumulate merit?
The key point was...
This actually works?
"It seems he really did take a shortcut."
Bai Jinghong felt relieved.
He had watched Li Mo fight the giant ape for a while as he passed by.
It was impressive, but he could do the same when he was at the Inner Breath stage, so it was within the realm of what he considered strong.
"I wonder what the next trial will be."
"Speaking of which, this is a secret realm, but why does it feel like a sect recruiting disciples, with so many trials?"
Li Mo walked over to Ying Bing and murmured as he gazed at the towering beam of light.
"Perhaps it was set up before the Blood Phoenix fell."
Ying Bing's eyes were calm.
In any case, she was certain that the Blood Phoenix Essence was here, and that was enough.
As she pondered, Li Mo's gaze swept across her face, and he couldn't help but recall the feedback he had just received.
Hot springs...
If an ice block like her soaked in it, would that misty flower of the rejuvenating spring freeze her?
Hmm...
"Ying Bing."
"Yes?"
"Have you ever soaked in a hot spring?"
"?"
Ying Bing's serene eyes flickered for a moment.
.....
P.S. I'll fix any typos later, thanks for your understanding! If you spot any mistakes, feel free to nudge me to correct them. Much appreciated!
Thanks to all the readers!
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**Chapter 131: The Second Trial - The Bronze Palace**
In that moment, Ying Bing seemed a bit lost in thought.
Certain memories she had pushed to the corners of her mind surged back uncontrollably.
What if this ranking turned out to be the same as last time?
Soaking in hot springs... and having to wear that kind of outfit...
Ying Bing's expression remained impassive, her jade fingers curling tightly around the Frostblade.
"Oi, Ice Block?"
Li Mo waved his fingers in front of her eyes.
Ying Bing looked up, her face serious as she said, "I've never soaked in one, and I never will."
"??"
Little Li scratched his head, puzzled.
Why did Ice Block suddenly change her tune?
This was strange.
"Haah..."
Ying Bing let out a soft sigh, her gaze drifting deeper into the secret realm.
The aura of the Blood Phoenix was drawing closer.
Those images in her mind would never come to pass...
Boom—
The blinding white light dissipated, leaving behind a portal.
Through it, a series of bronze steps could be faintly seen, unlike anything from this era.
Atop the steps stood five palaces.
Each palace was ancient and grand, distinct from the exquisite designs of the Dayu era, appearing rugged and imposing, evoking a sense of reverence.
All the palaces floated in mid-air.
"This must be... a structure from the Great Shang era."
"The former Great Shang worshipped the Bronze Divine Tree, with a hundred birds as their totem. It makes sense that the Blood Phoenix would be loyal to it."
Someone spoke up.
Li Mo turned to see it was Ouyang, the chief disciple of Ruyi Peak.
As soon as he said this, the crowd erupted in excitement, their eyes wide with shock and thrill.
A secret realm from the Great Shang that still existed and was so well-preserved!
The opportunities hidden within it likely exceeded everyone's imagination!
【Second Trial: Ascend to the Clouds.】
【Those who enter the Fourth Palace shall witness creation and immortality.】
The trial's content was quite simple~
These bronze steps and the four palaces were the test themselves.
It was akin to the Stone Steps to Heaven.
No matter if you understood or not, just climb up.
Creation and immortality!
Who dares to speak of creation?
Who would claim immortality?
Such grand claims, combined with the mysterious floating bronze palaces, made everyone believe it to some extent.
Thus, they all stepped forward, entering the portal.
"This secret realm is not what I expected?"
Little Li felt something was off.
Why did it feel like an entrance exam?
The first trial was merely a test of combat strength and cunning, with a hint of encouraging conflict among participants.
Now, the second trial had turned into something similar to the Stone Steps to Heaven.
This wasn't just his wild imagination based on reading novels.
He had been to proper inheritances before.
The one beneath Qingyuan had no bizarre trials at all.
If you weren't chosen by the inheritance, you couldn't even reach the site.
Could it be that he was overthinking it?
.....
Once everyone had entered, the portal vanished.
But those at the front exchanged glances, none willing to take the first step up.
No one wanted to be the guinea pig.
Who knew what might happen if they stepped up? Everyone wanted someone else to take the risk first.
"Hmph, I see you all are just a bunch of opportunists."
Bai Jinghong strode up the steps with his head held high, a proud expression on his face.
Upon reaching the first level, he merely frowned.
There was nothing unusual.
Those behind him exchanged glances before following suit.
At this point, the few remaining members of Qingyuan Sect stood together. Aside from Li Mo and the three others, there was only Ouyang and another true disciple from a different peak, along with Tie Qi.
Li Mo and Ying Bing walked ahead of the group.
As he stepped onto the first step, Li Mo understood.
This was different from the Stone Steps to Heaven.
The Stone Steps tested one's aptitude; the stronger the aptitude, the less pressure one felt.
But this step, once stepped on, brought no pressure at all.
"Is it just a simple path to the palace?"
Just as he thought this, Li Mo felt a whisper in his heart. When he tried to listen closely, it seemed to vanish.
He glanced at the others and found they showed no signs of anything unusual.
It seemed the real test lay within the palace...
"Hahaha, money... so much money, and rare treasures, divine weapons!"
Suddenly, someone exclaimed in wild joy, staggering toward the edge of the steps.
Then, they stepped into thin air and fell.
The abyss below was deep; there was no sound of them hitting the ground, and it was unclear if they had been sent outside the secret realm.
"Hmm?"
Li Mo was puzzled.
Then, before him, he saw stacks of bright red bills laid out.
Li Mo: "....."
The illusion lasted only a moment before vanishing.
Let’s be honest, the money from my past life won’t be spent in this one.
"Money?"
"I just saw an illusion too, it was a divine weapon..."
"Is this trial testing our ability to control our greed?"
....
Those who made it this far were no fools, and they quickly realized what the true test was.
Thus, not many fell after that.
Moments later, most had successfully climbed to the front of the first palace.
Little Master, there’s more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading; it gets even more exciting!
Boom—
The palace opened, revealing a dazzling sight inside.
Countless rare treasures, divine weapons, spiritual herbs, and pills were piled high, along with fist-sized pearls and blocks of red gold, filling the entire palace.
Gulp—
"Goodness, how much wealth is this?"
"My sect's treasury doesn't even have a fraction of this!"
"Red gold! Just one tael can be exchanged for ten taels of gold, and here it’s piled high!"
Everyone present had seen the world, and many claimed to regard money as dirt.
But when it came to wealth, how many could truly remain unaffected?
Practicing martial arts was an expensive endeavor!
In a sense, having money was even more important than having talent.
【Kneel and bow, and you may enter this door.】
....
The stone tablet's message was simple.
Bow a few times, and you could enter to claim the wealth.
In doing so, you would also forfeit the chance to continue the trial.
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