Chapter 1279 - 663: Passing (2)

The Light Screen displayed two large characters.

"Luoshan," followed by a line of small characters below.

"One stick of incense."

"Passing the assessment within one stick of incense, that’s pretty fast."

Liang Yu evaluated while stroking his chin.

Gu Sheng turned to look at him.

"With this speed, can he get into the top ten?"

Liang Yu shook his head.

"It’s unlikely. Unless he gains an advantage in the third round, it’s very hard to enter Qinghe Holy Land."

He lowered his voice.

"Qinghe Holy Land is only offering ten spots this time, and cultivators from all three squares are fighting for them. Entering the third round just gives you a chance, but finally becoming a disciple depends on the final round’s competition."

"Ten spots..."

Gu Sheng’s eyes sparkled.

"To secure entry, do we need to get into the top three?"

"Exactly."

Liang Yu nodded, a hint of eagerness in his eyes.

"I suggest that you two achieve good results in the array assessment and then represent us in the third round, overpowering the other squares. This way, not only can you secure entry into Qinghe Holy Land, but also win more spots for our fellow cultivators in the third round."

"Leave it to me!"

Ling Xiao said confidently, pounding his chest.

Liang Yu looked relieved.

"Then thank you both."

Gu Sheng didn’t reply, just looked deeply at Liang Yu, his gaze scrutinizing.

Liang Yu felt a bit uneasy under his gaze and chuckled awkwardly.

"Why are you looking at me like that, fellow cultivator?"

"Nothing."

Gu Sheng withdrew his gaze.

"Just curious why you trust us so much."

Liang Yu sighed in relief and laughed.

"To be honest, from the first time I saw you two, I felt you were extraordinary."

Gu Sheng no longer paid him attention, refocusing on the array.

By this time, a third cultivator had already entered the black mist but was blasted out in less than half a stick of incense, even more disheveled than the first.

Seeing this, Ling Xiao patted Liang Yu.

"Don’t mind it, Gu Sheng is just like that."

Liang Yu quickly returned to his cheeky demeanor.

"I understand, I understand, geniuses always have some quirks!"

The examinations at the three squares were progressing simultaneously. Although the second round was much slower than the first, the overall progress was smooth.

In less than two hours, more than sixty percent of the cultivators had attempted the array, with over half failing.

Those who successfully passed the array looked nervously up at the sky—where a giant Light Screen showed the current top ten cultivators and their results.

Liang Yu constantly watched the ranking changes, occasionally exclaiming.

"The top ten all finished around one stick of incense... Tsk tsk, that ’Song Zhengming’ is amazing, it only took him a quarter of an hour to pass!"

Ling Xiao couldn’t hold back any longer and tugged on Gu Sheng’s sleeve.

"When are we going up? I can’t wait to show those Qinghe Holy Land guys that their so-called talent and pride mean nothing to me!"

Gu Sheng finally pulled his gaze back, a slight smile tugging at his lips.

"It’s about time. We now have enough samples to reference."

Gu Sheng’s eyes scanned the half-tested crowd in the square.

His strategy was clear—not to stand out too soon, nor to miss the opportunity by waiting too long, but to go up at the midpoint was the safest bet.

"Haha, then I’ll go first!"

With Gu Sheng’s tacit approval, Ling Xiao eagerly rolled up his sleeves, ready for action.

Gu Sheng grabbed his wrist and sent a secret transmission.

"Remember, control it to about half a stick of incense, don’t—"

"Got it, got it!"

Ling Xiao impatiently waved him off, his perfunctory attitude causing Gu Sheng to frown.

Watching Ling Xiao walk towards the array, Gu Sheng felt a sense of foreboding.

This Ling Xiao was good at everything except handling provocations.

Sure enough, Ling Xiao’s entrance immediately drew the attention of Qinghe Holy Land disciples.

They gathered together, unabashedly pointing fingers.

"Look, that charlatan’s going up!"

"The one that’s always swindling people?"

"I bet he won’t last more than three breaths before getting kicked out!"

The sharp laughter echoed across the square.

Ling Xiao’s steps halted abruptly.

"A bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well!"

Ling Xiao’s voice boomed like a bell, pointing at the Holy Land disciples, cursing them.

"Come down here if you have the guts and let’s have a real fight?"

The whole venue was in an uproar.

Daring to openly challenge the Holy Land disciples at the Qinghe Holy Land assessment site, his boldness was truly astounding!

The Holy Land Disciples who were called out looked livid, and several of them stood up abruptly, Spiritual Power surging around them.

Just as conflict was about to erupt, a vast aura descended from the sky, forcibly separating both sides.

"No private fights in the examination grounds."

The black-robed elder didn’t even lift his eyelids, yet his voice exploded in everyone’s ears like a muffled thunder.

Ling Xiao was completely unafraid, instead provocatively raising his chin.

"I’ll be ready anytime!"

This confrontation created a massive uproar in the plaza.

The contestants whispered among themselves, all speculating about the audacious young man’s background.

Even Liang Yu, who was always grinning mischievously, widened his eyes, clearly stunned by Ling Xiao’s boldness.

"Brother Qing Feng, your friend..."

Liang Yu swallowed hard.

"Isn’t he too fierce?"

Gu Sheng helplessly held his forehead.

His worst fear had come true—Ling Xiao, the powder keg, really exploded at the slightest provocation.

"You bunch, open your eyes wide and watch!"

Ling Xiao turned to face the Array, his voice loud and resounding.

"Watch how I break through the Array!"

Having said that, he strode into the Array, throwing all of Gu Sheng’s advice to the winds.

The moment he stepped into the black mist, Ling Xiao had already made his decision—to temporarily distance himself from Gu Sheng if necessary.

After all, Qinghe Holy Land was hunting Gu Sheng, not him.

If his performance was remarkable enough, perhaps he could even be recruited by the Holy Land...

Within the Array, the scene shifted suddenly.

A bloody battlefield appeared before Ling Xiao’s eyes, countless Sword Shadows attacking from all directions—this was the Killing Array testing combat power!

"Is that all?"

Ling Xiao grinned, his muscles suddenly tightening, a faint golden glow appearing on his skin.

He didn’t dodge or evade, and punched out towards the torrent of Sword Shadows!

"Boom!"

The violent punch wind directly crushed the incoming Sword Shadows.

Ling Xiao moved as though there was no one there, and in just ten breaths, he had passed the first stage.

The scene changed again, this time to a Maze Array testing perception...

Outside the Array, everyone saw the black mist surging dramatically, yet they had no idea what was happening inside.

The Qinghe Holy Land disciples folded their arms, sporting mocking smiles, just waiting to see Ling Xiao make a fool of himself.

They hadn’t noticed that the black-robed elder who had been resting his eyes suddenly opened them, surprise flashing through his cloudy pupils.

"Brother Qing Feng, how long do you think Brother Ling Xiao will take to get through?"

Liang Yu leaned toward Gu Sheng.

Gu Sheng didn’t answer directly.

"What do you think?"

"Certainly not slow!"

Liang Yu declared firmly.

Gu Sheng cast him a meaningful glance.

"You certainly have a lot of confidence in him."

"Haha, with Brother Ling Xiao’s bravado, his strength cannot be underestimated!"

Liang Yu chuckled dryly, his gaze drifting towards the Array.

Gu Sheng said no more, only adding calmly.

"Once he’s out, you should go too."

Liang Yu was taken aback, then promptly agreed.

"Alright, I’ll follow Brother Qing Feng’s arrangements."

Just as the two talked, the Array suddenly shook violently.

The black mist boiled like scalding water, dazzling blue light burst from within, illuminating the entire plaza!

"What’s happening?!"

"Someone’s broken through the Array?"

"How long has just passed??"

Under everyone’s shocked gazes, the spirited Ling Xiao strode out from the Array.

The Light Screen displayed the name "Ling Xiao" shining brightly, with the score "Two Hundred Breaths" prominently underneath!

The Holy Land disciples who were waiting to see him fail stood gaping, their expressions as awful as if they had swallowed a fly.

Two hundred breaths! This score was already close to Mo Qianjun who ranked first currently!

"Impossible!"

A Holy Land disciple exclaimed involuntarily.

"How could this trickster possibly..."

Ling Xiao gave him a cold glance.

"What? Not convinced? Want to test your grandpa’s fist?"

That disciple’s face turned pale and red, but he dared not reply.

The black-robed elder gave Ling Xiao a significant look and noted the score in the register.

"Ling Xiao, two hundred breaths, passed."

Liang Yu was the first to rush up, excitedly patting Ling Xiao’s shoulder.