Free Web NovelChapter 94: Chapter 93: First Layer Heaven, Holy Spring Palace
The Snowfield Trial has officially begun!
Half a day later, the first of the Ninefold Celestial Pass appeared before everyone!
RUMBLE! A vast waterfall cascaded down, its roar like ten thousand ravines of thunder!
This was a long, narrow glacial valley flanked by enormous snow-capped mountains that rose like ten-thousand-fathom blades. A river, white as a soaring dragon, rushed through it. Over a thousand students were trekking through the glacial valley, heading toward the waterfall.
The scene was truly magnificent!
"So this is where the first pass, the Holy Spring Palace, is located!"
In the crowd, Qin Feng looked up at the distant, thundering waterfall. A ripple disturbed the calm depths of his eyes, and he couldn’t help but reveal a trace of awe.
"This is certainly a huge surprise!" Beside him, a delicate-featured youth with a pale face stared at the colossal waterfall, which was hundreds of zhang tall and thundered like a storm on flat ground.
He had an immature face and looked to be about fifteen or sixteen. He wore a Thorn Wood Crown and plain clothes. His dark-skinned face carried a hint of worry. He was the only student from Mountain and River City who did not come from a Noble Family.
Also from Mountain and River City, Li Zhuang was the only one who still dared to approach Qin Feng after he had offended Liu Qinghe.
Qin Feng raised his head. In the distance, a thousand-layered waterfall poured down from the heavens. Seen from afar, it was magnificent and powerful. The cascade, which seemed to pierce the azure clouds, was as if a hole had been torn in the sky, allowing the endless waters of the Celestial River to fall into the deep pool at the bottom of the valley, kicking up countless surging waves.
According to the instructions from the experts of All Stars Academy, the first pass of the Ninefold Ice and Snow Celestial Pass, the Holy Spring Palace, was located above that waterfall!
Half a day had passed since the trial officially began, and most of the students had gradually arrived at the location of the waterfall.
Staring at the majestic, vast waterfall, the students’ faces turned grim.
"This waterfall is hundreds of zhang high and a hundred zhang wide. How are we supposed to get up? Even though we Martial Artists have powerful bodies, have opened our Divine Treasures, and have extensive qi meridians, we can only leap a few zhang in a single breath. We might not even be able to ascend a small waterfall a dozen or so zhang high in one go, let alone this terrifying one before us that’s comparable to the legendary Dragon Sect!"
"The cascading water weighs more than ten thousand jun! Even someone at the Innate Realm, who has connected the bridges of heaven and earth and can command a sliver of Heaven and Earth Power, might not be able to ascend such a terrifying waterfall!"
There was a myth on the Spirit Sea Continent. It was said that at the source of all rivers lay a Dragon Gate Waterfall. Any member of the Aquatic Race with even a trace of True Dragon Bloodline could trace their origins, reverse their bloodline, and transform into a True Dragon in a single leap if they could cross it.
"Then what do we do? Can’t we just climb up the other side of the snow mountain?" someone suggested wishfully.
Someone next to him immediately shot down the idea. "No, that won’t work. We have no choice. If we want to pass the first trial, we must go against the current and ascend the waterfall! Only by entering the Holy Spring Palace can we obtain the first pass token!"
"Then how do we get past it?"
"Everyone, calm down. This is the first of the nine celestial passes, and it’s the easiest one. I’m sure it won’t be too difficult!"
By the edge of the vast pool, the students were all discussing animatedly. One by one, they stared at the watery curtain that shot into the azure clouds, trying to discern the waterfall’s secrets.
Some of the youths remained calm, deep in thought, hoping to see through the intentions of All Stars Academy.
Qin Feng had been observing coolly. He noticed that while most of the youths were still pondering, a very small number of them looked as if they already had a plan.
Among them were the five youths with the highest reputation for winning this year’s competition, known as the Five Great War Gods.
There were also some youths from extremely prominent Great Noble Families. They stood proudly with their hands behind their backs, their eyes calm and confident, standing out from the crowd like cranes among chickens.
’Looks like this group has figured out the secret of the waterfall!’ Qin Feng guessed inwardly, his gaze sweeping over the cascade that shot into the azure clouds. In truth, he already had some suspicions about the waterfall’s origin.
While the many students were chattering away in the valley, they were unaware that several silver-white figures were watching them from the sky with peculiar expressions.
The figures stood on the Void, walking upon it as if it were solid ground. A few voices were conversing.
"It seems this year’s batch has quite a few good seedlings. Someone has already seen through the true nature of this Little Dragon Gate Waterfall!"
"That young man named Yuan Daozhen is very interesting. Has he cultivated the Holy Sword Refining God Technique?"
"The Holy Sword Refining God Technique, that Ancient Battle Technique where one tempers their own body as if it were a Battle Sword... Tsk tsk, this kid is audacious. You know, those who cultivate this Ancient Battle Technique rarely meet a good end. Nine out of ten go mad!"
"That Liu Canyang isn’t bad either. The Liu Family is a great clan with a ten-thousand-year legacy, a Duke Family that rules over a major province. Their secret, unteachable Ultimate Skill, the Heavenly Battle Qi Transformation, is unparalleled in power. It’s a Secret Technique on par with the top True Inheritance techniques of our All Stars Academy. It allows the user to digest anything they consume and transform it into battle qi, making them stronger the longer they fight. It looks like Liu Canyang has already achieved initial mastery of this Secret Technique!"
"Xiao Yuchan seems to have his secrets as well. A purple hue suffuses his brows, his bearing is noble, and his aptitude is extraordinary. It seems he’s also cultivating an ancient technique called the Three Flowers Purple Qi Technique. With the Three Flowers Gathering at the Crown and Purple Qi Chaoyuan, his Innate Purple Qi is potent in both offense and defense, making him very difficult to deal with. If he masters the Gathering of the Three Flowers, his purple qi will stretch for thirty thousand li, and he’ll be qualified to contend for the Path of Dawn!"
"That Li Qiubai is no ordinary person either. He was born with a Sword Bone, and his Sword Qi is overpowering!"
"And Du Pingxia, the Little Princess of the Du Family, is even more incredible. The Du Family is part of the Great Yan Royal Family, and their legacy Ultimate Skill is the Seven-Colored Glaze Technique. Its seven rainbow colors seize the mysteries of heaven and earth! Du Pingxia is the current Great Yan King’s most beloved youngest daughter. Moreover, she possesses the once-in-a-millennium Seven Marvelous Divine Demon Body—a Divine Body that far surpasses even a Twelfth-Grade Martial Arts Talent. Her mastery of the Seven-Colored Glaze Technique is already perfect. When she unleashes all seven colors, she can easily suppress and kill anyone at her level!"
"This year’s trial is full of Hidden Dragons; geniuses like these are emerging one after another! It seems that in a few years, our Star Sect’s Twenty-Eight Constellations Star Peak will have many new disciples!"
"Hmph, don’t be so optimistic. This trial is not simple. Take this Glacial Waterfall, for instance. It’s one of the greatest waterfalls in the Snowfield, over a thousand zhang high and as imposing as the Ancient Peaks Divine Mountain. The glacial water is not only extremely cold but also offers immense resistance. Even a master at the Condensing Vein Realm would find it incredibly difficult to ascend against the current. They’re just a group of kids at the Martial Arts Ninth Layer Heaven. I doubt they can make it up!" The Silver Knight snorted, a cold smile on his face as he gazed down at the chattering students below.
The Silver Knight was the one in charge of this All Stars Academy trial. Beside him was a young man with black hair, dressed in white robes with large, drooping sleeves.
This young man had a relaxed demeanor. His temple hair fell messily down his back, and his handsome face held a trace of laziness. He seemed carefree and at ease, giving off a rather comfortable feeling.
Beside this young man were several other figures, whose auras were no weaker than the others present.
One was a haggard and slovenly old man dressed in snow-white silk, yet his sleeves were smeared with the smell of oil. A gourd was tucked into his belt, and he would take a sip from it from time to time.
Another was a tall, graceful woman in a fiery red dress, her face concealed by a light veil.
Senior Brother Le yawned, lazily glanced at the stern-faced Silver Knight, and said with a tilt of his head and a pout, "Junior Brother Jiang Fei, don’t be so serious all the time. It’s so boring!" frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
Seeing the Silver Knight’s cold expression, Senior Brother Le found it dull and shook his head. "You and I both know the details of this Little Dragon Gate Waterfall. In fact, this Ninefold Ice and Snow Celestial Pass was originally what the Lingxu Sect used to assess its own disciples! We just modified it slightly to use for the All Stars Academy’s ranking trial." freewёbnoνel.com
"To be honest, this Snowfield Trial is indeed quite difficult. Compared to the entrance trials of many Major Sects, our standards are only higher, not lower!"
"However, the Holy Spring Palace is the first pass, and the simplest of the nine. This one isn’t hard to get through. In fact, the Glacial Waterfall is also known as the Refining Heart Waterfall. Its main purpose is to screen out any Demon Fiends that might have infiltrated the sect! As long as they aren’t Demon Fiends or possess Demon Fiend blood in their veins, I believe that with the aptitude of these kids, most of them will pass this trial smoothly!"
"The difficult part is the second pass, the Ice River Palace!"
