That swagger didn't look like someone attempting a trial; it was as if she were picking out cabbages in a mortal market!
The disciples behind her exchanged glances, realization dawning in their eyes.
“I get it!”
“This trial tests ‘qi’ and ‘spirit’!”
“Look how easily Junior Sister Bai is walking! This pressure is all bark and no bite, a complete paper tiger!”
“Exactly! Charge!”
Their confidence surging, those disciples howled and charged onto the platform as well.
However...
The moment their feet stepped into the range of the spiritual energy storm...
...they instantly realized how astronomically wrong they were.
Boom!
A violent, domineering, and terrifying sword intent smashed down on them like Mount Tai!
Combined with the unreasonable spiritual energy storm engulfing their bodies in an instant...
This wasn't pain the physical body could withstand—it was a tearing sensation acting directly upon their divine sense and meridians!
“Pfft—!”
Before two of the disciples could even scream, their eyes rolled back, and they spewed a mouthful of blood, tossed flying by the terrifying storm like kites with cut strings!
“Save them!”
The Main Peak elder was clearly prepared. With a swift sweep of his large hand across the air, he caught the two unlucky fools with pinpoint accuracy.
The remaining few could barely withstand the pressure on the outer edge, but after taking merely two steps, they felt as though they were reaching their absolute limit.
They raised their heads with great effort.
They could only watch as that slender back strolled through the storm, venturing further and further away.
“What the hell... kind of monster is she?!”
...
In midair.
The True Disciples of Sword Peak held their breath, watching below with nervous expressions.
Gu Changqing swallowed hard, his voice trembling slightly.
“Ten steps...”
“Fifteen steps!”
“Junior Sister Bai has already walked fifteen steps! Six more, and she'll tie the highest record set by the Holy Son back in the day!”
Gu Qingxue narrowed her beautiful eyes, speaking with utter composure:
“However, her speed has visibly slowed down.”
“After fifteen steps, the closer one gets to the center, the sword intent pressure and spiritual energy storm double in intensity with every step.”
Sure enough.
Jiang Ye, currently walking across the platform, finally felt the massive pressure as well.
Every step forward now felt like shouldering another mountain on his back.
In truth, as he touched around along the way, he had spotted a few decent items.
For instance, at the sixteenth step, he touched a top-grade Treasure Tool flying sword that had already birthed a sliver of spirituality.
If it were anyone else, they would have pulled the sword and walked away without hesitation, quitting while ahead.
However...
...Jiang Ye was already decked out head-to-toe in Treasure Tool gear, so he naturally wouldn't be satisfied with a mere Treasure Tool.
Adhering to the principle of "Since I'm already here, if I don't pick up something good on a trip out, it's a net loss,"
“Today, I'm pulling that Infinity Edge in the middle lane for sure!”
He gritted his teeth, advancing into the storm without a moment's hesitation.
Eighteen steps.
Nineteen steps.
...
Twenty-one steps!
When Jiang Ye's size 37 boot landed firmly on the twenty-first step...
...the entire audience blew up!
Countless disciples stared in shock, their jaws hanging open!
“Twenty-one steps! She tied the Holy Son's record!”
“This achievement holds way more weight than the Holy Son's back then! Don't forget, the pressure was boosted by that ancestor throwing a temper tantrum!”
Aboard the Dharma Boat in the distance.
Holy Son Li Wangchuan, who was waving his folding fan and chatting amiably with a few former fellow disciples from Dao Mystic Peak, couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
He looked down at the slender figure below, then offered his signature gentle smile:
“Junior Sister Bai truly possesses extraordinary talent. It seems our Azure Mystic Sect is about to gain another peerless genius.”
The surrounding disciples chimed in with agreement.
Only Zhao Gaoheng, standing off to the side, harbored a ferocious glint in his narrow eyes as he glared at Bai Zhirou, despite the fake smile plastered on his face.
Let's see how long you can stay so arrogant!
...
While the crowd was swept up in shock, envy, and ulterior motives...
...Jiang Ye had already taken another arduous step forward.
Twenty-two steps.
Twenty-three steps.
Twenty-four steps!
The instant he raised his leg, preparing to take the twenty-fifth step...
...Jiang Ye clearly felt his heart beating frantically, like an overloaded engine!
The violent throbbing felt as if it were going to burst right out of his chest at any second!
“Hss—”
Jiang Ye gasped, unable to stop himself from speaking in his mind:
“Um... Xiao Bai, I just gave your heart muscle a bit of a workout. I reckon it'll need to rest for a bit once it gets tired.”
Bai Zhirou was completely baffled. “?”
“Senior, what do you mean?”
Jiang Ye explained tactfully:
“Oh, in simple, easy-to-understand terms... your heart might stop beating for a short while in a moment.”
Bai Zhirou: “...”
“Huh?!”
Does that mean she's going to freaking die for a bit?!
Please don't phrase seeking death so poetically and refreshingly, hey!!
Jiang Ye felt helpless too.
A hidden setting like congenital heart disease wasn't fucking written in the character bio of the game!
“Wait!”
A sudden epiphany flashed in Jiang Ye's mind.
“Character bio... could this be...”
Thinking up to this point...
...Jiang Ye's gambler-like voice echoed in his mind once more:
“Xiao Bai! Fortune favors the bold!”
“Let's go all out! At worst, we just reload from a save and restart!”
In truth, Jiang Ye felt speechless inside too.
After all, they had already progressed through so much story. If they actually kicked the bucket right now and had to run through everything from the beginning again, his scalp tingled just thinking about it.
However!
If he didn't gamble on this, he felt this near-exploding heart wouldn't hold out much longer anyway.
Since he was dead either way...
...he might as well go all in!
At this thought, a ruthless glint flashed in Jiang Ye's eyes, and he hesitated no longer!
Under the incredulous gazes of the crowd...
...Jiang Ye forced his legs to step forward again with great difficulty.
Though his steps were faltering, they oozed an unyielding madness!
Twenty-six steps.
Twenty-seven steps.
Twenty-eight steps!!
The redoubled, terrifying sword intent, spiritual energy storm, and the madly throbbing heart in his chest were constantly testing Jiang Ye's limits.
Yet he still spoke in his mind:
“Xiao Bai, I'm telling you, if someone tried to stab my heart with a knife right now, they definitely wouldn't hit it.”
Bai Zhirou was baffled once more. “Why?”
“Because...”
Jiang Ye twitched his lips with great effort. “Because right now my heart is jumping up and down all over the place; they wouldn't be able to hit a moving target.”
Bai Zhirou: “...”
I am so deeply grateful! You're literally about to die, and you're still making cold jokes that could freeze someone to death?!
After messing around, he exerted all his strength once more.
One step, stomped down heavily!
Twenty-ninth step.
Thirtieth...
The moment he took the thirtieth step...
...Jiang Ye clearly felt the frantically beating heart inside his chest instantly "fall asleep."
Vision turning dark, his entire world began to spin.
“GG. See you in the next life, Xiao Bai.”
Rate on N.U.
