Free Web NovelChapter 376: Chapter 375: Storming the Mountain
Seeing that Shen Haoran and Ouyang Shaoyu had both settled down, the Divine Martial Elder’s expression softened slightly. He then swept a cool gaze over the crowd and said, "Since you’ve all passed the second trial, follow me."
After he spoke, the Divine Martial Elder waved his hand. The stone wall behind him suddenly began to tremble, and layers of dust fell from its surface. A moment later, to everyone’s shock, the stone wall split apart, revealing a narrow path about one person wide.
Once the path appeared, the movement of the stone walls on either side ceased. The Divine Martial Elder led the way, and the Martial Artists from the clearing followed close behind, heading forward along the winding path. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
The path didn’t look long, but after everyone stepped onto it, they found they couldn’t reach the end no matter how long they walked. The exit seemed to be within arm’s reach, yet they felt like they were walking in place, unable to get any closer. Gradually, some of the Martial Artists grew frustrated. However, since the Divine Martial Elder at the front said nothing, the Martial Artists behind him didn’t dare to speak up and could only follow silently.
After an unknown amount of time, the Divine Martial Elder finally led Shen Haoran and the others out of the narrow path. Once everyone was out, the stone walls on either side closed again, not even leaving a crack behind.
"Here is the third trial you must face," the Divine Martial Elder said softly, gazing at the sea of clouds and mist before them. He then formed a Sealing Technique with his hands. The sea of clouds in front of him suddenly began to churn, gradually parting to the sides. Slowly, a towering mountain peak appeared before their eyes.
Gazing at the towering peak, everyone couldn’t help but marvel at the wondrous mechanisms within the Divine Martial Realm. They hadn’t noticed anything special about the sea of clouds before; they never expected a great mountain to be hidden within it.
"I should also inform you that the Divine Martial Blood Pool you’ve all been anticipating is at the summit of this very mountain," the Divine Martial Elder said softly, stroking his beard.
"What!" Upon hearing this, a fiery passion lit up in everyone’s eyes. They all turned their gazes to the lofty summit. Only then did they notice that the peak of the mountain was an eerie, blood-red color. Waves of potent Energy emanated from the summit, a strange and magnificent sight.
"No need to stare. The Divine Martial Blood Pool hasn’t opened yet. That Energy is just what was left over from last time," the Divine Martial Elder reminded them, seeing how they were craning their necks towards the summit, practically wishing they could stick their heads up there.
’Left over from the last time the Divine Martial Blood Pool opened?’ Hearing the Divine Martial Elder’s words, the crowd was once again stunned. It was said that the last time the Divine Martial Blood Pool had opened was a hundred years ago. For such potent Energy to remain at the summit after a century of erosion... ’I can’t even imagine what it’ll be like when the Divine Martial Blood Pool truly opens!’ freewebnøvel.coɱ
"Enough talk. The Divine Martial Blood Pool is at the summit. Whether or not you can set foot on it depends on your own ability," the Divine Martial Elder said coolly.
"Next, the third trial begins. As you can see, your task is to rush to the summit of this mountain with all your might. During this process, you will be subjected to the pressure of the Energy left behind by the Divine Martial Venerable before his death. Whether you can withstand this immense pressure and successfully reach the summit will depend on your own fortune. The trial starts now. Who wants to go first?" After explaining the details of the third trial, the Divine Martial Elder looked at the crowd and asked. However, no one responded.
The energy pressure left behind by the Divine Martial Venerable was not something an ordinary person could withstand. As an expert from the Ancient Era, even though he had fallen many years ago, this Divine Martial Realm was formed from his Dantian Mini World. Within this realm, one could say the Divine Martial Venerable existed in another form. It could even be said that as long as the Divine Martial Realm did not perish, the Divine Martial Venerable’s will would never disappear.
"Since no one is stepping up, I’ll be the first to give it a try!" Seeing the lack of response, a burly, well-built man stepped out from the crowd and stood before the steps leading to the summit.
’Viper. Forty-third on the Hidden Dragon List. His constitution is exceptionally tough, and he excels at defense.’ When the burly man appeared, this information flashed through everyone’s minds. At this moment, they all wore expressions of people waiting for a show to begin. They were eager to see just how formidable this energy pressure left by the Divine Martial Venerable truly was.
HUUU... Viper took a deep breath, then raised his foot and, under everyone’s gaze, stepped onto the first stone step.
The moment Viper stepped onto the stair, his body began to shake violently. His muscles started to ripple rhythmically, and veins bulged on his arms and forehead as he seemed to acclimate to the energy pressure pouring down from the summit. Only after a moment did he stabilize.
"Is that all it is!" Once his body had adjusted to the energy pressure, Viper let out a loud, disdainful laugh. He then looked up and charged rapidly toward the top.
"He’s so fast. Could the Divine Martial Venerable’s energy pressure really be that weak?"
"Looks like it. After being eroded for so many years, the Divine Martial Venerable’s energy pressure is probably a spent force, nothing to worry about. If even Viper can charge up there, then I should have no problem either," two disciples said with a soft laugh as they watched Viper’s rapid advance.
Everyone present heard the two disciples’ words. Their originally tense hearts now relaxed. Their strength was either greater than or roughly equal to Viper’s, so they were no longer worried about being unable to reach the summit.
However, a few people’s expressions remained grave: Shen Haoran, Xue Shitian, Luo Xiaowen, Ouyang Shaoyu, and the black-robed Nameless, for example. Although Nameless’s face was hidden, the fluctuations of Spiritual Power coming from him revealed that his mood was also heavy.
The energy pressure pouring down from the mountain belonged to the Divine Martial Venerable. No matter how much time had eroded it, the pressure couldn’t be that weak. Viper had simply not yet encountered the true energy pressure. But, looking at his speed, it wouldn’t be long now.
BOOM!
Sure enough, in the next moment, the rapidly running Viper came to a sudden halt. His entire body froze in a forward-charging posture, completely still. It was as if he was trapped in a mire. Veins bulged all over his body, and his face flushed crimson. But no matter how hard he struggled, his body wouldn’t move, as if an invisible wall were blocking his path.
BANG...
Viper struggled relentlessly, but it was all for naught. With a final muffled thud, his body was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. He fell straight from the mountainside, spat out a mouthful of blood, and fainted on the spot.
