Chapter 305: I Rarely Have a Pang of Conscience, But You Insisted on Courting Death

Embarrassed as she was, Song Jiulai still shamelessly accepted it.

She cupped her fists. "Seniors, does this mean I’ve passed the trial?"

"Passed? You’ve passed this trial, yes." The white-bearded old man scrutinized Song Jiulai. "This time, the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect is only accepting the most outstanding disciples. Your mental fortitude is commendable, but your other aspects remain to be seen."

Song Jiulai nodded vigorously. "I understand."

The white-bearded old man watched Song Jiulai with satisfaction as the female cultivator beside him pointed behind her.

"Proceed to the next trial. However, you are forbidden from using Elixir Pills."

Her tone was gentle, but the direction she pointed was, surprisingly, a cliff.

They were already at the summit.

Moreover, the mountain was part of an Illusion Realm. From this vantage point, it looked like a peak of immense height.

Even knowing the actual terrain was likely different, the woman’s gesture would make anyone with even a slight fear of heights tremble.

Song Jiulai’s expression remained unchanged. She cupped her fists in farewell to the two cultivators whose cultivation levels were indiscernible and started walking forward.

With each step she took, clouds and mist automatically billowed up behind her, completely obscuring the landscape she had left.

Soon, there was no trace of the two from the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect.

The female cultivator watched Song Jiulai’s retreating figure and smiled faintly. "In this first trial, her performance has been the best so far."

That Illusion Realm of time wasn’t merely about extending the duration.

It also amplified the depths of one’s loneliness.

An Early Stage of Qi Refining cultivator lasting three or four days would be considered exceptionally talented. For Song Jiulai to last seven days completely unaffected makes her performance the most outstanding of all.

The old man stroked his beard. "It’s a shame, though. Her aptitude is only average."

A Spirit Root can’t be seen with the naked eye.

But a High-level Cultivator can get a sense of it at close proximity.

The lack of any reaction proved that Song Jiulai’s Spirit Root was of the most common type.

"An average Spirit Root is no great loss," the female cultivator said with a smile. "We aren’t looking for Spirit Roots this time. The trials we’ve prepared are all designed to test a cultivator’s insight. Those with poor insight, no matter how good their Spirit Root, are not the ideal candidates for us."

"That may be true, but with an average Spirit Root, her future path of cultivation will be difficult."

The old man sighed. "We shall see. We shall see."

*

Song Jiulai walked forward until she reached the edge of the cliff and looked down.

It was an immeasurably deep abyss.

The sight alone was enough to make one shudder.

For a cultivator at the Early Stage of Qi Refining, it would be all too easy to run out of Spiritual Energy at this height and simply plummet.

’If I fall from here...’

Song Jiulai was suddenly reminded of Zhen Weida. ’Didn’t he just slip and kick the bucket?’

’How am I supposed to pass this second trial?’

"Are you the one taking the trial, or am I?" the system tutted. "My dear girl, just be bold and jump! The worst that can happen is you die a violent death!"

Song Jiulai: "..."

She looked left and right. On both sides, there was nothing but churning clouds and mist; there was truly no other path.

This was the only path laid out before her.

’Jump?’

Song Jiulai raised an eyebrow. She extended one leg, circulated a bit of Spiritual Energy, and stepped straight out.

THUD—

Just as she thought—it wasn’t a cliff. There was a path.

An invisible one.

And as Song Jiulai took that step, her surroundings instantly underwent another dramatic transformation.

Her body swayed, and when her foot landed, she found herself standing in a small wooden boat that had appeared out of nowhere.

All around her, the scene had instantly transformed into a turbulent, raging sea.

The waves churned, and a gale began to howl.

Song Jiulai stood in the tiny wooden boat—barely large enough for her to stand—rocking violently with the heaving waves.

Salty spray, carried on the fierce wind, lashed against her face.

She wiped her face. The sensation was incredibly real; even the seawater that accidentally splashed into her mouth was salty and bitter.

And she wasn’t alone. Around her, dozens of other cultivators had appeared, each in a similar small boat, all rocking on the violently surging sea.

A closer look revealed they were all at the Early Stage of Qi Refining.

So this was the second trial for those in the Early Stage of Qi Refining.

Having experienced her share of great storms, both literal and metaphorical, Song Jiulai’s expression betrayed no fear or alarm.

For the other disciples, however, this environment was a severe test of their composure.

A few cultivators in the Early Stage of Qi Refining looked terrified. One of them accidentally fell into the sea and was instantly swallowed by a massive wave.

A faint scream could be heard over the wind, but they didn’t even have a chance to struggle to the surface.

The seawater seemed to devour Spiritual Energy; falling in meant elimination.

Many of the cultivators began casting various Basic Mantras to propel their small boats forward.

But with the constantly churning sea and the massive waves that appeared from time to time, even with the Spiritual Energy of an Early Stage of Qi Refining cultivator, they were outmatched by the raw power of nature.

They could only continuously expend Spiritual Energy to keep their boats balanced, terrified of falling in.

"Reach the island ahead—"

Suddenly, a cultivator’s resonant voice echoed from the sky. "—retrieve a flag, and you will have passed the second trial."

Everyone looked ahead. Squinting, Song Jiulai could indeed make out the faint shadow of a small island beyond the churning waves, covered with densely planted flags.

’Looks like all I have to do is reach the island and grab a flag. There’s no time limit, either.’

The moment Song Jiulai had this thought, she heard the collective gasp of the crowd.

Not far ahead, a colossal wave, at least several dozen meters high, had suddenly surged up. If a wave like that were to hit, anyone whose Spiritual Energy was even slightly unstable would likely be swept away.

Looks of terror appeared on the faces of many cultivators.

One person cast Ice Magic, attempting to freeze the giant wave, but his Spiritual Energy was a pitiful drop in the ocean against such a force.

Others used their Spiritual Energy to speed up their boats, trying to go around the massive wave.

And then there were those who simply waited for the wave to hit.

As long as they could keep their boat stable and not fall off, they stood a chance of surviving the impact.

Song Jiulai was in this third group.

She quietly waited for the colossal wave to come.

As the sea swelled, her boat began to rise with the water, lifted up by the approaching wave.

Song Jiulai used her Spiritual Energy to guide the boat. Her own Spiritual Energy was noticeably denser than that of a typical Early Stage of Qi Refining cultivator, so stabilizing the boat wasn’t a major issue for her.

But as the boat was tossed high into the air by the wave—an experience comparable to bungee jumping—several cultivators screamed. Some couldn’t hold on and were swept away into the watery chaos.

SWOOSH—

A male cultivator behind Song Jiulai, on the verge of being thrown into the sea by the wave, suddenly cast a spell, shooting a vine out to bind his own boat’s bow to Song Jiulai’s stern.

Song Jiulai turned to look. The male cultivator had a look of terror and desperation. "Fellow Daoist, I beg you, save me! If I pass this trial, I will reward you handsomely!"

Song Jiulai looked at him, considering for a moment.

Then she turned back around without casting a mantra to break his vine.

A look of ecstasy appeared on the man’s face. "Thank you, Fellow Daoist!"

Even while towing another boat, Song Jiulai’s own remained stable. As the great wave began to recede and he was about to land safely...

The male cultivator suddenly yanked the vine, using immense force in an attempt to capsize Song Jiulai’s boat.

His voice turned sinister. "Fellow Daoist, we’re in a trial. Everyone’s a competitor. You can’t blame me for this—"

Before he could finish, an exceptionally sharp Ice Blade pierced straight through the top of his head.

Song Jiulai didn’t even blink.

"It’s rare for me to have a moment of compassion, but you just had to choose death. And you talk way too much."