The three days passed in the blink of an eye, and the comprehension test officially came to an end.
The representatives of the four major sects called out, gesturing for everyone to line up according to their progress in comprehending the secret technique. They would then inspect each person's mastery one by one to determine their final rating.
The crowd in the square rose one after another, their expressions varied. Some were full of confidence, while others looked anxious as they obediently walked toward their respective representatives to join the long queues.
Ye Ling stepped forward and walked toward the testing station for those who had reached Entry Level, with Ye Chen following closely behind her.
Ye Chen said in a low voice, “I saw that you turned to meditation and cultivation not long after the test began, so you must have reached Entry Level long ago. Your comprehension is truly astonishing.”
Ye Ling nodded faintly. “This technique isn't very difficult. I noticed it took you less than a day to reach Entry Level as well.”
She knew in her heart that Ye Chen possessed extraordinary natural talent. He was, after all, the protagonist of destiny, someone who could not be underestimated.
The two smiled at each other and said no more, quickening their pace.
Looking up, they saw three people already standing at the front of the queue. They were the top three geniuses of the Commandery City, who had also received peerless talent ratings: Su Qinghan, Xiao Zhan, and Liu Yanli.
When the trio saw Ye Ling approaching, their expressions showed no surprise.
After all, Ye Ling was the only genius from the subordinate cities to obtain a peerless talent rating. It was only natural for her to be here.
However, when their gazes fell upon Ye Chen, a flash of clear surprise crossed their eyes.
Ye Chen's talent rating in the first round had only been excellent. Logically, his comprehension should have been average, yet he had actually managed to comprehend the technique to Entry Level and join the ranks of the very best.
This talent far exceeded what he had shown on the surface, instantly causing the three top geniuses of the Commandery City to view him with a bit more respect.
The three nodded slightly, taking the initiative to greet them.
Ye Ling and Ye Chen calmly nodded back in return.
The sect representatives beside the high platform looked at the five people neatly lined up before them and could not help but sigh inwardly with emotion.
“In past Heishui Commandery selections, there were at most two or three people who could achieve a peerless rating in comprehension. To think there are five this year—the quality of geniuses this time far surpasses previous years.”
The sect representatives then stepped forward to inspect the five candidates' progress in comprehending the secret technique one by one. The inspection was extremely fast, and a moment later, the final results were all out.
Su Qinghan, Xiao Zhan, Liu Yanli, Ye Ling, and Ye Chen—all five were rated as having peerless comprehension.
With the comprehension test complete, Ye Ling and Ye Chen turned around and walked back to the Baiyun City team.
Their leader, Uncle Qin, looked at the two of them, his face filled with joy as he praised them repeatedly.
“Good, wonderful! This is absolutely fantastic! It has been so many years since our Baiyun City produced a genius with peerless comprehension.”
“Now, both of you have achieved it, and Ye Ling even has a double-peerless rating in both talent and comprehension! This is a grand occasion for the entire city.”
“Even if your performance in the third round is mediocre, you are both guaranteed to join the four major sects. I must congratulate you both first.”
With that, Uncle Qin smiled and cupped his hands in congratulation.
Ye Ling and Ye Chen quickly cupped their hands in return. Seeing that Ye Ling did not speak, Ye Chen took a step forward and replied calmly.
“Thank you for your kind words, Uncle Qin. We will certainly not let down your expectations.”
Not long after, the rest of the Baiyun City geniuses finished their tests one after another and returned to the team.
In the entire team, only Ye Ling and Ye Chen had achieved a peerless comprehension rating.
Liu Daoyao and Su Qinghe had obtained upper-middle ratings, and the joy on their faces was hard to conceal.
According to the rules, if one's overall rating across the three rounds reached the upper-middle level, they would be qualified to join the four major sects. Right now, they had already secured more than half of their success.
To the side, Li Wanxi looked dejected, her heart filled with unwillingness.
Her talent in the first round had also been upper-middle, but her comprehension in this round was only rated mediocre.
Unless she could push her score to excellent in the third round, her hopes of entering the four major sects would be completely shattered.
The expressions of the remaining people had already returned to calm. Since their talent in the first round had only been mediocre, they already knew their fate and no longer harbored any expectations.
Suddenly, a long flight of stairs materialized in midair. Spiritual energy surged and swirled around it, stretching all the way into the clouds.
The array surrounding it glowed with flowing light, presenting a magnificent sight. Everyone present was utterly dazed, and gasps of admiration and discussions erupted all around.
Uncle Qin raised his hand to stroke his beard, his eyes filled with deep emotion.
“This is the Heavenly Spirit Stairs. Although I have seen it several times, I am still struck with awe every time I witness it.”
He then turned to explain to the people around him.
“This item is an Earth-grade spiritual treasure left behind by the founding ancestor of Xuanling Valley. However, it possesses no offensive or cultivation capabilities; its sole purpose is to test a martial artist's mental fortitude and perseverance.”
“Originally, it was a testing tool exclusive to Xuanling Valley. Later, after discussions among the four major sects, they borrowed it to use as the third round of the sect selection.”
The Xuanling Valley elder, who had been sitting quietly on the high platform, moved his body and soared into midair. His gaze swept across the field as he announced in a loud voice.
“The third round of the test is to climb the Heavenly Spirit Stairs. This staircase has a total of ten thousand steps, and since it was first used for selection, no one has ever been able to reach the top.”
“The rating standards are as follows: reaching four thousand steps is rated mediocre; six thousand steps is rated excellent; eight thousand steps is rated peerless.”
The elder's tone shifted as he solemnly warned them.
“The array within the stairs will continuously exert heavy pressure. If you cannot hold on, step down immediately.”
“At best, you will injure your organs and strain your muscles and bones; at worst, you will suffer severe injuries that completely ruin your cultivation foundation.”
“Everyone must act within your limits. This test will last for three days. Just do your best.”
As his voice fell, the expressions of everyone in the square turned solemn, and they began walking toward the Heavenly Spirit Stairs one after another.
“Let's head out too,” Ye Chen said.
The Baiyun City group nodded in agreement and then rushed toward the Heavenly Spirit Stairs together.
The moment Ye Ling stepped onto the first step, she detected a faint ripple of array fluctuations, yet she felt no pressure around her body.
It was not until she reached the five hundredth step that an invisible gravity suddenly enveloped the entire area, pressing down on everyone.
But those participating in the climb were all elite geniuses from various cities. Although they instantly felt their bodies grow heavy, they were still able to cope and continued climbing upward.
By the time they reached the two thousandth step, the gravity grew increasingly heavy. A small portion of the crowd could no longer support themselves, their bodies swaying unsteadily.
“What's going on? The spiritual energy in my body is depleting so fast. I'm about to collapse under this pressure.”
A young man clad in fine robes had his forehead drenched in cold sweat. His expression was pained, and his body swayed slightly.
“Impossible! It's only two thousand steps. I absolutely cannot fall here.”
Gritting his teeth, he urged his remaining spiritual energy to continue upward. But by the time he reached the two thousand five hundredth step, he was ultimately unable to sustain himself. With a soft sigh, he turned around and slowly walked down the stairs.
Seeing this, the spectators below burst into discussion.
“I remember in the previous selection, the weakest ones barely made it past two thousand steps. This time, someone held on until two thousand five hundred steps. It seems the overall strength of this batch is indeed much stronger.”
By this time, Ye Ling had already climbed to the six thousandth step. She realized that from the five hundredth to the four thousandth step, the gravity increased layer by layer, but this level of pressure was entirely manageable for her.
However, after the four thousandth step, besides gravity, the array would also suppress the flow of spiritual energy.
With gravity pressing from the outside and spiritual energy suppressed from within, many martial artists found it unbearably painful.
Fortunately, the spiritual energy on the stairs was extremely rich. This kind of suppression actually served to refine their foundations and promote the advancement of their cultivation.
She could feel her Houtian Tenth Layer cultivation steadily climbing. She thought to herself that if she could continue climbing to a higher level, she might even be able to break through to the Houtian Eleventh Layer in one go.
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