Chapter 291: The Trial Begins
–Sea Region, Cold Silver Mountain
The Cold Silver Mountain area, originally the Cold Court’s territory, was now being used as the public venue for the Heavy Rain Realm’s spirit gate trial preliminaries.
Not only had the mountains been flattened by the battle between Shui Huangyou and Gong Lianyue, but the spirit crystal mines within were also unusable.
The Cold Court Spirit Masters, though inwardly weeping, could only put on a brave face.
At this moment, hundreds of young Sea Region Spirit Masters gathered in the open area before the spirit gate.
The Heavy Rain Realm, using the lure of a legendary young spirit beast within the secret realm, had issued an invitation to all the surrounding water realms.
Those who passed the preliminaries could enter the secret realm. Those who passed the trials within the secret realm could enter the Heavy Rain Realm. And those who passed the final selection could join a faction. Failure at any stage meant returning home empty-handed.
“A legendary young spirit beast? Is this a trap…?”
Riding the giant mermaid, its soft, plump fishtail propelling them through the water towards Cold Silver Mountain, Gong Lianyue, the blue-haired, teardrop-eyed girl, frowned, having heard some rumors.
The Heavy Rain Realm wasn’t a Sacred Domain. How could it possibly offer a legendary young spirit beast?
Facing the question, Shui Huangyou hesitated, then finally confessed,
“That legendary young spirit beast is just a random passerby hired by the Mist-Born Sea Emperor from a neighboring realm. It will appear in the secret realm, but it won’t form a contract with anyone.”
“I see. Hopefully, they won’t lose both the fish and the bait.”
“…”
“…”
Seeing the Sorrowful Saintess’s nonchalant attitude, Shui Huangyou inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
Although Gong Lianyue didn’t seem to care, other Spirit Masters, upon hearing this news, might react… poorly. Some had even abandoned their families and sold all their possessions for this chance to contract with a legendary spirit beast.
Of course, the Heavy Rain Realm’s training program was real. Otherwise, there would be no point in gathering all these Spirit Masters from distant realms. It wasn’t a matchmaking event.
Reaching the shores of Cold Silver Mountain, Gong Lianyue, still riding the… undulating Shui Huangyou, entered the gate area.
At the entrance, a Vice Palace Master of the Cold Court was giving instructions.
Having diligently researched the Heavy Rain Realm, she now understood its power. Compared to the Cangsheng Palace and the Sun-Seizing Divine Metropolis, which the Sea Region factions feared, the Heavy Rain Realm was on a completely different level.
If they could establish a connection with the Ninth Seat, the Cold Court could even establish a branch in the Heavy Rain Realm, one day rising to the top!
“Alright, everyone, quiet down! That esteemed personage has arrived!”
“Let us welcome Shui Huangyou, the Ninth Seat of the Three Lives Gate of the Heavy Rain Realm!!!”
The applause died down as a giant mermaid, its massive fishtail propelling it across the land, approached, a blue-haired, teardrop-eyed girl riding on its back.
Not only the participating Sea Region Spirit Masters, but even the Cold Court Vice Palace Master’s face twitched.
Wasn’t this the Ninth Seat of the Three Lives Gate? Why was she being ridden by the Sorrowful Saintess?
This was a preliminary selection!
It was like a contestant in a talent show riding on the judge’s back. A bizarre and comical sight.
During the Sorrowful Saintess’s earlier battle with Shui Huangyou, the Cold Court had thought she would finally be punished…
And now this? Riding the judge?
Meanwhile, seeing the blue-haired girl, many of the younger Spirit Masters felt a surge of complex emotions.
Gong Lianyue, the Sorrowful Saintess, had just destroyed their homes, her battle with the White Flower Moon-Treading Deer causing widespread devastation.
Even if the higher-ups, out of fear, chose to appease her, they wouldn’t!
However, as the blue-haired girl’s gaze swept over them, the hostile Spirit Masters quickly lowered their heads, their defiance gone.
After all, she had legendary beings and legions of fans!
Even the Sea Region’s Sun and Moon Realm Emperors hadn’t come!
This was because of the Sorrowful Saintess’s presence. They were worried about having to… bow… to her legendary spirit beasts.
That would be too embarrassing, so they had chosen to stay home and pretend to be sick.
“Wait, why is the Sorrowful Saintess with the Heavy Rain Realm’s judge? Isn’t she helping her cheat?”
“…”
“…”
Hearing this… naive question, the others quickly distanced themselves, as if afraid of being infected by her stupidity.
Although many envied and resented the Sorrowful Saintess, they simply found her riding the judge… comical. No one actually believed she needed to cheat to pass, right?
“You may begin.”
Hearing Gong Lianyue’s command, Shui Huangyou nodded respectfully, then turned to the assembled Sea Region Spirit Masters, its expression cold and indifferent.
Sensing the giant mermaid’s terrifying aura, many of the young Spirit Masters paled, taking a few steps back.
Shui Huangyou, after all, had effortlessly defeated both the rabbit and the scorpion. It was a super Saint-rank, a being far beyond their experience, its mere aura intimidating.
“The Heavy Rain Realm is only accepting Samsara Stage and False Soul Stage Nether Traverse Realm Spirit Masters. Those who have already manifested their spirit diagrams may leave. Don’t force me to remove you.”
“Also, the two Spirit Masters with hidden Saint-rank spirit beasts, step forward. You are exempt from the preliminaries.”
Silence.
Then, under the incredulous gazes of the other participants, several high-ranking, elder-level Spirit Masters, their faces flushed, stepped forward and left.
Among them was one of the Sea Concubine Palace’s Six Concubines, Quan Zhiliang, the Sixth Concubine, who, under Gong Lianyue’s exasperated gaze, covered her face with her hands and fled.
As expected of her teacher’s friend. Useless in a fight, but a master of theatrics.
During the Water-Moon War, the Sea Concubine Palace’s Six Concubines had barely managed a draw against a Sixth Full Cycle Azure Sea Crescent Bow. They had intended to capture it, but had been completely defeated.
Then, two girls with unique facial markings, their expressions a mix of shock and fear, stepped forward, their bodies trembling.
One from the Winter Floating Sky, the other from the Pool of Hidden Secrets.
They couldn’t understand how their secret, their factions’ hidden trump cards, these carefully cultivated Saint-ranks, meant to shock and awe, had been so easily discovered.
The answer was simple: their auras.
Their Saint-rank spirit beasts had resonated with Shui Huangyou’s aura. If they had been high-rank, they would have simply remained silent, playing dead.
Watching this scene, the other Spirit Masters stunned, Gong Lianyue silently twirled a strand of hair, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Of course, there was one exception: legendary beings, who couldn’t even sense the auras of Saint-ranks…
Chapter 292: Just How Many Legendary Beings…?
–Sea Region, Cold Silver Mountain
Only Spirit Masters who passed the preliminary selection could enter the secret realm and participate in the true trial.
Once inside, the Sea Region participants would be scattered throughout the Heavy Rain Realm, making it impossible to hide Gong Lianyue’s legendary spirit beasts. However, she wasn’t worried.
This trial wasn’t designed for the Sea Region Spirit Masters. With their current level, even if they entered the secret realm, they would be quickly eliminated.
The true purpose of this trial was to identify the hidden, top-tier Lord Attendants, and even naturally born legendary Spirit Masters, from the Ice Congealing Realm and the Yin Lake Palace…
The Sea Region, in the eyes of the Cangsheng Palace, was insignificant. And the Endless Swamp looked down on the Cangsheng Palace. As for the more distant Ice Congealing Realm and Yin Lake Palace, they were beyond the Sea Region’s comprehension. Even the Endless Swamp, their realm’s overlord, was considered a minor player.
The two most powerful subsidiary realms of the Heavy Rain Realm were the Ice Congealing Realm and the Yin Lake Palace!
Especially the Ice Congealing Realm, which, for some reason, had been producing an increasing number of talented individuals in recent years, attracting countless powerful rogue cultivators, its power subtly surpassing even the Heavy Rain Realm.
At this moment, at the Cold Silver Mountain trial grounds in the Sea Region…
“Those exempt from the preliminaries may enter the secret realm now. Do not act until the rules have been explained.”
As Shui Huangyou’s stern voice echoed, the two girls with hidden Saint-ranks nervously stepped through the spirit gate.
A flash of light, and their figures vanished like extinguished candles.
Beyond this gate lay a mysterious, unknown realm, a place where a single Saint-rank spirit beast was utterly insignificant…
For this Heavy Rain Realm trial, none of the Sea Region Saintesses, besides the Sorrowful Saintess, were present.
Firstly, Saintesses weren’t allowed to leave the Sea Region without permission. Secondly, the Heavy Rain Realm was completely unknown to them. No one was willing to abandon their status and prestige for such a risky venture.
The Sea Region was completely unaware of the impending Moon Calamity.
Shui Huangyou scanned the remaining participants, its gaze discreetly avoiding two beings with unusual auras, and announced,
“Now, I will explain the preliminary selection process. Two options.”
“1. Combat Trial. Those confident in their combat abilities may attack me with any means. Even a scratch is enough to pass.”
“2. Aptitude Test. You may demonstrate your spirit technique skills. Reaching a certain standard will allow you to pass. However, I advise against choosing this option. The standard is based on the Heavy Rain Realm’s average, and the probability of failure is very high.”
“Now, who wants to go first?”
After hearing the options, Gong Lianyue, finding them rather uninteresting, shook her head and stepped through the gate, her figure swallowed by the light.
A few seconds later, the giant mermaid looked at the first participant, its smooth, white body now covered in a cold sweat.
A red-haired woman, her body covered in blood-red, thread-like patterns, surrounded by swirling flames, her crimson eyes burning.
Hong Xiaoqianyu, a legendary-rank spirit beast!
Saint-rank spirit beasts were exempt from the preliminaries, but there was no such exception for legendary beings.
Coincidentally, this injured legendary being, its spirit diagram and Sun and Moon Realm cultivation shattered, was currently at the Samsara Stage, unable to revert to its true form.
Shui Huangyou, dead. Age unknown.
Hopefully, the fish is alright.jpg
Wind and clouds churned, a mirage shimmering on the water’s surface.
The sky and the earth seemed to merge, forming a mirror, the clouds reflected on the water below, a beautiful, dreamlike scene.
This was the Heavy Rain Realm’s secret trial grounds. The Endless Swamp Spirit Masters, gathered here, exchanged excited glances.
“We were right! This is the Endless Cloud Sea, the trial secret realm we gifted to the Heavy Rain Realm a hundred years ago!”
“This place is unknown to the other realms, but we know it like the back of our hands! Passing the trial will be easy!!”
“Don’t get too excited. It still depends on the other participants. A single spirit beast from the Ice Congealing Realm could wipe us all out!”
“Impossible! We have our invincible Saintess!”
The Endless Swamp Spirit Masters looked towards their black-haired Saintess, then their excited expressions faltered.
Their supposedly invincible Saintess was kneeling on the ground, her face pale, gasping for breath, her body weak and trembling, as if on the verge of death.
“Saintess, are you ill!?”
“I’m fine. Leave me alone…”
As the black-haired girl with a swirling water droplet mark on her forehead spoke, the other Endless Swamp Spirit Masters dispersed, worried.
Their Saintess was prone to sudden bouts of illness, the cause unknown, but seemingly triggered by sensing a powerful presence.
Six months ago, she had coughed up blood for more than a month.
And during that time, rumors of the Snow Monarch’s arrival in the Cangsheng Palace had been circulating.
Compared to that incident, her current state was… much better…
As the Endless Swamp Spirit Masters moved away, the Saintess, her eyes unfocused, drool dripping from her mouth, her hair disheveled, knelt on the ground, muttering to herself,
“So strong…”
“Just how strong…?”
“If I remember correctly, that direction should be… the Yin Lake Palace… pfft!!!”
She suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, her face as pale as a corpse.
But this time, the terrifying aura she sensed was coming from a different direction, an even more despairing presence.
That direction… was the Ice Congealing Realm!
Despite her weakened state, a strange, twisted smile appeared on her lips.
“I see… so these are the trump cards of the Yin Lake Palace and the Ice Congealing Realm… I’ve assessed their strength…”
“Two monsters, plus that wild legendary being… that’s nine…”
“…”
“…”
“…”
“What did you say? Nine legendary beings?” As the Endless Swamp Saintess’s shocked cry echoed, blood spurted from her eyes and nose, unable to stop.
Her orifices bleeding, her mind frozen, she could only think of one thing:
Just what kind of realm… had sent these beings…?!
