CHAPTER 103: CHAPTER 99: PASSING THE TRIAL

Outside Earth, within the dense cosmic fleet, on the largest ship, a tall figure stood, eyes gazing toward Earth.

With green skin and horns atop his head, he was different from other aliens; a green gem was embedded in his forehead.

"Leader," a subordinate walked in, bowing respectfully, "Leader, the data on this Blue Star has been completely investigated, please take a look."

As he spoke, the subordinate pressed the virtual light computer, and a green screen filled with information popped up out of thin air.

The tall figure glanced at it, his blue lips curled slightly, revealing a hint of a smile: "The highest is the Upper Rank of the Void Level, and it’s still a pseudo-Void Level?"

"That’s right, we have updated the data on Blue Star many times, and also, three years ago, when eight Star Level juniors of the Nalu race were consecutively killed, we investigated it thoroughly. Everything about his background and origins is normal, he should belong to a particularly gifted category," the subordinate said.

The tall figure also recalled three years ago, reaching an agreement with the Nalu race to destroy a human safe zone as a gesture of cooperation sincerity. Everything was planned to go smoothly, but unexpectedly, at the last moment, a Star Level junior appeared and killed all eight of the Nalu race’s Star Levels.

For them, the Nalu race was very weak, but for the humans on Blue Star, they were a big problem. The humans of the same level simply couldn’t be a match for the Nalu race, yet that Star Level junior was beyond all their expectations.

"He’s an interesting fellow. There are many mysteries on Blue Star, and it possibly holds rare treasures in the cosmos. We must capture Blue Star before other cosmic martial artists discover it," the tall figure’s eyes reflected Earth’s shadow, filled with greed, "By the way, how much longer for the space-time amplitude?"

"Two years," the subordinate reported back, "We’ve just received a report that all the fluctuations of pseudo-Void Level individuals on Blue Star have disappeared."

"Disappeared?" the tall figure said, "No rush. No matter how they disappear, they cannot escape our sight. Continue to monitor the space-time amplitude situation, we can proceed as soon as it reaches a near amount, no need to wait for the full value."

"Yes!" the subordinate responded as he exited the control room.

"It’s really a pity for this star. Although small, it’s as beautiful as a blue sapphire," the tall figure said with a sinister smile, "Such a beautiful star, a bunch of humble natives aren’t worthy of owning it. All of it should be contributed to me, haha..."

......

"Bang!" A dull sound was heard as Wang Xu’s body was once again sent flying by the overwhelming spiritual pressure.

Wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Wang Xu looked at the calm Second Door, his gaze firm, with a smile on his lips.

"There is only one meter left. Just wait, I will push you open sooner or later!"

Another year passed, and this was Wang Xu’s fourth year in the Land of Trial. This year, Wang Xu’s power, physique, and spiritual consciousness had all made tremendous progress.

Now, Wang Xu’s spiritual consciousness could cross into a one-meter range of the Second Door. From this distance, Wang Xu only needed to stretch his hand to push the door, but the Second Door remained unmoved.

The spiritual pressure of the Second Door seemed to be phased, infinitely stronger within the one-meter range than on the periphery. Even a Void Level expert would be crushed to pieces by this vast spiritual pressure, destroying the spirit and soul, becoming a mindless zombie.

Wang Xu tried countless times to step into this one-meter range, but no matter how his spiritual consciousness advanced, he couldn’t withstand a single strike.

"How on earth can I push open this Second Door?" Wang Xu pondered.

His spiritual consciousness had already reached a powerful level, able to completely crush a Void Level.

All of this was the result of the spiritual pressure from the Second Door.

If Wang Xu was cultivating on his own, no matter how much his spiritual consciousness grew, he wouldn’t possess such formidable attack power. But being tempered by the spiritual pressure of the Second Door every day made his spiritual consciousness more resilient and aggressive than typical cosmic martial artists.

Yet, he still couldn’t push open the Second Door.

"What exactly should I do?" Wang Xu did not rush to cultivate again. He began to analyze calmly.

The spiritual consciousness required by the Second Door in the trial was already achieved by him; only the last one-meter range was left, yet he could never cross it. Where lay the greatest reason for this?

Wang Xu thought hard, racking his brains, but he couldn’t figure it out, couldn’t fathom it.

He had a thought, and a pile of small stones flew up from afar, revolving around him.

This was purely Wang Xu’s way to entertain himself. Whenever he reached a stage of frustration, he would make a group of small stones revolve around him. Watching these stones, his worries would gradually dissipate with their rotation.

A moment later.

"Sigh, still can’t think of it!" Wang Xu sighed, waving his hand, and these small stones flew towards the Second Door.

As soon as the small stones entered the one-meter range of the Second Door, an immense spiritual pressure crushed them all into powder.

Wang Xu had already discovered this situation long ago. The peripheral spiritual pressure posed no threat to objects without spiritual consciousness. Only within the one-meter range of the Second Door would they be attacked.

"Wait, an attack?" Suddenly caught on to something, Wang Xu was lost in thought.

If the peripheral spiritual pressure wasn’t aggressive, merely suppressing the spiritual consciousness, then the one-meter range’s spiritual pressure was entirely aggressive.

"That’s it!" Wang Xu’s eyes lit up, "Faced with an attack, I need a shield, not just resisting with my body!"

Exactly, there was aggression within the one-meter range, and using his spiritual consciousness to resist was no different from blocking swords with the body.

Only by using a shield, by parrying with swords, could he break through the attack of that spiritual pressure!

Wang Xu realized that he had been misled by the initial spiritual pressure, thinking that he still needed to use spiritual consciousness to resist until the end. However, the second gate had long since shifted the pressure to an attack. He hadn’t learned any methods of spiritual consciousness defense, so how could he fend off this attack? Naturally, he was broken through with a single strike, completely powerless to resist.

Understanding this point, Wang Xu immediately stood up and once again walked toward the second gate.

The moment he came within one meter of the gate, a vast wave of spiritual pressure suddenly assaulted him!

"Go!" Wang Xu’s spiritual consciousness immediately transformed into a long knife to meet the spiritual pressure!

The two forces became entangled and immediately reached a stalemate.

Wang Xu attacked, and the second gate attacked as well; they both chose to counterattack.

Conversely, if Wang Xu had chosen to defend like in the beginning, he would have been struck and sent flying.

"A good opportunity!" Wang Xu’s eyes flickered, knowing he had withstood the last offensive. He immediately pushed forward with both hands to open the second gate!

The second gate remained motionless.

"Can’t push it open?" Wang Xu frowned, but with the fiery long knife in hand, he gripped it tightly. "Then I’ll blast you open!"

After years of cultivation, Wang Xu’s Formless Giant Power had nearly reached the Fourth Layer. Although he couldn’t unleash the Fourth Layer’s thousandfold explosive force, he could almost achieve an eight-hundredfold burst.

After advancing to the extreme rank of Star Level, Wang Xu’s basic fist power greatly increased, reaching an astonishing ten million kilograms. With the Life Slaughter and Formless Giant Power amplifications, his punch could thunderously reach sixteen billion kilograms!

What does such terrifying force signify?

A single strike that could cleave the Earth in two!

Wang Xu now fully possessed the capability to destroy stars, with strength almost rivaling Void Level, bordering on Black Hole Level.

Wang Xu raised the fiery long knife in his hand, unleashed his aura, and slashed down angrily!

"Break!"

A loud crash echoed as the second gate swung open, as if someone had forcefully pushed it.

Wow!

At the moment the second gate broke open, the spiritual consciousness attack instantly dissipated, leaving Wang Xu relaxed and exhilarated.

He stepped across the threshold of the second gate.

"Another grand hall." Wang Xu took a deep breath, feeling invigorated.

Before him was a vast hall, more magnificent than the previous front hall, with a grandeur and luxury exceeding even that of the front hall.

"Trial Taker."

Suddenly, the boundless dignified and powerful voice resounded again, but this time it came from in front of Wang Xu.

In the distant hall, light rain floated and gradually condensed into the form of an old man in a black robe, with white beard.

The white-bearded elder wore a golden crown, rode a golden cloud beneath his feet, and carried a five-inch cyan longsword on his back, exuding an immortal aura.

Wang Xu was startled, hastily and respectfully saluting, "Senior."

This address of ’senior’ was not unwarranted. Wang Xu had witnessed the white-bearded elder’s teleportation method, which left him completely powerless to resist such formidable strength, deserving of his respect.

"Congratulations, you have successfully passed the trial of my Cyan Yang Hall. From today on, you are a member of the ’Heaven-Reaching Pavilion’ Cyan Yang Hall," the white-bearded elder said with a smile. "Your aptitude is considered low, the most mediocre among the trial takers in the vast universe, but you are the only one who successfully cultivated the Formless Giant Power and passed the Cyan Yang Hall."

"Take it; this is what you deserve." With a wave of the elder’s hand, three golden light points floated in front of Wang Xu.

Upon careful examination, Wang Xu found that these three golden light points were, respectively, a star map glistening with starlight, a long knife radiant with white fluorescence, and a white jade token engraved with the words ’Cyan Yang.’

Wang Xu accepted them and then respectfully asked, "Senior, what is this Heaven-Reaching Pavilion you mentioned?"

The white-bearded elder was momentarily stunned, "You don’t know about the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion?"

"I truly don’t know, senior," Wang Xu said apologetically.

The white-bearded elder was struck speechless. In the cosmos, the name of the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion was known to all, with countless talented cosmic martial artists vying to join. Yet, this Star Level youngster before him claimed ignorance.

But the white-bearded elder quickly composed himself; this Star Level youngster likely hailed from a remote star at the edge of the universe, where such stars were especially numerous. Some didn’t even understand their own star, let alone the universe.

"It is the will of the heavens, indeed," the white-bearded elder sighed emotionally. A person from the cosmic fringe who could successfully pass the Cyan Yang Hall trial on their first attempt—a probability less than one in a billion.

"Remember, the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion is one of the three major forces in the cosmos, its influence pervading the entire universe, the most powerful and mysterious of all," said the white-bearded elder.