Chapter 144 Disappointed Elders

This also revealed the true terror of the Heart Demon Tower.

While everyone was amazed at Ye Qingchen’s rapid ascent, he had already reached the fourth level of the Heart Demon Tower.

The Illusory Realms created by the Heart Demons grew more realistic with each ascending level. However, Ye Qingchen was a man of extremely resolute will and had prepared for this ordeal. Thus, even when facing the most lifelike illusions, he remained true to his convictions, and his climbing speed did not slow despite the increasing difficulty of the levels.

Two hours had already passed since the Heart Demon Tower opened.

Ye Qingchen still held the record for reaching the highest level, having already arrived at the sixth. Even those at the back of the pack had reached the third level. However, fewer than a quarter of the initial participants remained. This terrifying elimination rate not only proved the difficulty of the Heart Demon Tower but also served to highlight Ye Qingchen’s extraordinary nature.

After entering the sixth level, Ye Qingchen felt a change in the Heart Demon Tower. The Illusory Realms were no longer a simple matter of distinguishing reality from fantasy. Now, not only were one’s physical senses within the Illusory Realm exceedingly realistic, but the Heart Demons also continuously assaulted Ye Qingchen’s sea of consciousness, trying to disrupt his inner state.

This was why Li Qingfeng believed the first five levels were virtually insignificant and that a qualitative change would only occur on the sixth.

For the first time, Ye Qingchen’s climbing speed slowed.

Under ordinary circumstances, a person might easily refuse temptation. However, if that same temptation arises when they are in despair or grievously injured, their will becomes unstable, making them far more susceptible. The situation on the sixth level was just like this. The Heart Demons continuously pressured Ye Qingchen’s sea of consciousness to disrupt his will, while the lifelike Illusory Realms constantly tempted him to submit.

Clinging to his last shred of sanity, Ye Qingchen sat down cross-legged. He then allowed the Heart Demons to assault him, focusing wholeheartedly on seeing through the Illusory Realm.

However, to his pleasant surprise, the Fen Tian Earth Fire that had been lying dormant suddenly erupted. As it blazed, the Heart Demons oppressing Ye Qingchen’s sea of consciousness were burned to ashes. With only the erosion of the Illusory Realm remaining, the challenge became an easy matter for him to handle.

With a loud shout, the Illusory Realms before him vanished, and Ye Qingchen found himself on the sixth level of the Heart Demon Tower.

He had no idea how long he had spent breaking through the sixth level, and he didn’t care in the slightest about setting any speed records. This time, Ye Qingchen did not rush to climb to the seventh level. Since the sixth had undergone such a transformation, he was uncertain what would happen on the seventh. Moreover, the scorching from the Fen Tian Earth Fire made him faintly feel that the strength of his sea of consciousness had been slightly enhanced.

So, Ye Qingchen sat down cross-legged and meditated to comprehend the insights from the experience.

...

"Hmph! No matter how fast one breaks through the earlier levels, they still won’t be able to pass the sixth!" Li Zongrui, who had been closely watching Ye Qingchen’s every move, sneered upon seeing him remain on the sixth level for so long.

Li Susu managed a perfunctory smile.

She knew in her heart that with Ye Qingchen’s willpower, he would never stop at the sixth level. Besides, the Heart Demons there weren’t strong enough to truly torment him. So she waited, anticipating. Waiting for him to climb higher, hoping he would climb higher... so that when he was finally overwhelmed by a backlash from the Heart Demons, she could eliminate this thorn in her side!

As time passed, Ye Qingchen remained on the sixth level without moving.

Li Qingfeng couldn’t help but frown.

Even though there’s a qualitative change at the sixth level, with Ye Qingchen’s talent, he shouldn’t be trapped for this long, should he?

Meanwhile, the group of Elders who had failed to claim Ye Qingchen as their disciple were secretly delighted. They had thought Ye Qingchen was a stunning, heaven-blessed prodigy, which was why everyone had fought over him.

But now, he can’t even pass the sixth level of the Heart Demon Tower. How could someone with such weak willpower be worthy of becoming our direct disciple?

At this moment, among the Inner Sect Disciples participating in the trial, even the slowest had reached the fifth level. More than a dozen had reached the sixth, and even more impressively, four had already reached the seventh.

The Elders present observed the Heart Demon Tower trial every year, so they had a rough understanding of the disciples’ progress. If a disciple spent more than twenty minutes on a single level, their chance of advancing to the next was almost negligible. Someone like Ye Qingchen, who had spent two hours on the sixth level, was almost certainly going to stop there. Furthermore, he would likely be burdened by this failure’s Heart Demon for the rest of his life, never able to escape its shadow.

"This kid is far too arrogant. If he had paused on the earlier levels to seriously comprehend the Tower’s peculiarities, he might have gone further. Now, I’m afraid he can only stop at the sixth level!"

"Alas! With that meteoric climbing speed from before, I really thought our Qingyun Sect had found a treasure. To think he would stop at the sixth level in the end... What a pity, a true pity!"

At this point, the group of Elders had already abandoned the idea of taking Ye Qingchen as a direct disciple, all of them sighing and lamenting his fate.

Only Pavilion Master Liu of the Alchemy Pavilion still firmly believed that Ye Qingchen could once again create a miracle. After all, having witnessed Ye Qingchen’s Alchemy firsthand, Pavilion Master Liu had some insight into his willpower. Combined with Ye Qingchen’s earlier climbing speed, Pavilion Master Liu firmly believed he would absolutely not stop here.

Another hour passed. By now, all the Inner Sect Disciples below the sixth level had been eliminated. Only a dozen or so remained on the sixth level, and just five were left on the seventh. The eighth level remained untouched.

Just then, Ye Qingchen finally moved.

After more than two hours of comprehension, Ye Qingchen had thoroughly analyzed the Heart Demon attacks of the sixth level. He now had enough confidence to face the challenges of the higher levels. Hesitating no longer, he strode towards the seventh level of the Heart Demon Tower.

"He’s moved, he’s moved! That kid has now entered the seventh level!"

As the spectators outside witnessed Ye Qingchen’s name appear on the seventh level, a cheer erupted from the crowd.

Never before had someone remained on a single level of the Heart Demon Tower for over two hours and still been able to continue the trial.

Everyone once again began to buzz with anticipation, looking forward to Ye Qingchen’s subsequent performance.