The first round of the True Inheritor Trial primarily tests their combat strength and battle awareness, which are the most fundamental requirements.
After all, not only within the Tao Spirit Realm, but across the entire Universe, itâs rare to find a completely peaceful place. Without strong enough power to ensure oneâs safety, even the best talent and comprehension are useless.
Moreover, many resources and opportunities require one to vie for and compete over; without strong power, one can only watch as opportunities slip away.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye.
The Disciples are all recovering at the fastest speed, sparing no cost to restore themselves, hoping to return to a state of perfection within the stipulated time.
However, not all Disciples are able to do this.
"The second round of trials is about to begin!" Li Zhirui would not be lenient in this matter, so when the time came, he only gave them a quarter-hour to wrap up.
Once time was up, he directly enveloped them using the Formation.
"The content of the trial is to reach the mountain peak within six hours!"
After telling them the conditions to pass, he activated the Formation.
Boom---
In the previously empty Array Space, the ground suddenly shook violently, and a majestic mountain rapidly rose, accompanied by a staircase made of bluestone, winding from the foot of the mountain to the peak.
The seemingly simple checkpoint actually tests various aspects.
For instance, during the ascent, the Disciples will endure gradually intensifying pressure, but this force doesnât act on the physical body, instead targeting the will.
As long as your willpower is resilient enough, this pressure not only wonât immobilize you, but will also temper your will.
Besides this, during the mountain ascent, they will encounter all sorts of Illusionary Realm temptations, which only those with a solid Dao Heart can resist.
"Sect Leader, isnât the difficulty of this trial a bit too high?" Wansheng showed a trace of worry on its face. It was concerned that this True Inheritor Trial might yield no Disciples passing.
Li Zhirui slightly shook his head and said: "The entry threshold for Disciples has already been lowered significantly, but the requirements for True Disciples must absolutely not decrease any further!"
If not considering that the Disciplesâ cultivation time wasnât long enough, he would have already prepared to add another test regarding the Mental State within the Formation.
Upon hearing this, Wansheng was slightly shocked in its heart but said nothing more, after all, although it is nominally an Elder, it doesnât actually have much power and cannot possibly oppose Li Zhirui.
What it can do now is silently pray in its heart that several Disciples could pass the trial.
This is not only in the hope of laying a better foundation for their future but also a kind of acknowledgment for its centuries-long teaching of Disciples.
Most importantly, itâs for its future reincarnation to make preparations!
Given the karmic connection between Wansheng and Tongtian Sect, as long as it reincarnates successfully and has cultivation talent, thereâs a high probability it will re-enter Tongtian Sect.
And the Disciples it is now teaching, if they are still alive then, in light of this affinity and karmic link, giving it some help could make its cultivation journey much smoother.
After all, by the time it reincarnates and joins Tongtian Sect, it doesnât know how many years will have passed, and by then, the Disciples still alive would at least have Loose Immortal Cultivation.
...
Meanwhile.
The dozen or so Disciples undergoing the trial tentatively stepped onto the first step.
But they felt nothing, exhaled in relief while also feeling curious about what this trial was, and proceeded to step onto the second step.
Suddenly, with a boom, a tremendous pressure suddenly struck, forcing several Disciples to bend over, their faces turning red, looking extremely uncomfortable.
"Whatâs going on..."
"This checkpoint is way too difficult, isnât it? If itâs like this, thereâs no way to pass!"
There are a total of three thousand steps, and now, theyâre just starting, havenât even reached the second step.
"There must be some other way, the True Inheritor Trial canât possibly have a checkpoint that everyone canât pass, itâs just that we havenât discovered it yet."
"I just donât believe it!"
A particular Disciple clenched their teeth and persevered, not wanting to fail like this, slowly moving forward despite feeling like a turtle, and in the next instant, successfully stepping onto the second tier of steps.
Their success immediately motivated the other Disciples, and those with determined willpower all bore the severe pressure and pushed forward.
Step by step, tier by tier, these more than ten Disciples, though moving slowly, did not stop!
Outside, watching this scene, Li Zhirui and Wansheng both showed a trace of satisfaction on their faces; these Disciples did indeed have decent willpower.
That spirit of refusing to concede, as long as it can be maintained, who knows when it might come in handy.
"Sect Leader, how many Disciples do you think will pass this checkpoint?" Wansheng asked curiously.
"It remains to be seen." Li Zhirui shook his head, he couldnât provide an answer for now.
Because this checkpoint isnât that simple to pass, they will next, while facing the pressure on their will, also have to withstand the allure of the Illusionary Realm.
And itâs not that once youâve resisted one Illusionary Realm, there will be no further concerns, allowing undivided focus on other matters, more Illusionary Realms will continue to appear.
As time goes by, the originally level-pegging Disciples have now shown very clear differentiation.
The fastest few have already overcome two Illusionary Realms and reached over two thousand steps; those slightly slower are around one thousand seven or eight hundred.