Invincible Soul Emperor

Chapter 421 421: Testing Character

Ye Qingchen cautiously explored his surroundings, carefully moving forward. Yet after walking in circles for some time, it felt as if he were simply treading the same spot over and over. A thought surfaced in his mind: Could it be? Is this also a test of one's character? He recalled the mysterious smile on Liu Changrun's face when he first entered the Secret Realm. Combined with his own prior speculations, this only served to confirm his suspicions.

Logically, after entering the Secret Realm, a Martial Artist's most important task should be to pass the trials. After all, Central Celestial Academy had stipulated that only the first two people to successfully pass all trials would qualify for admission. Therefore, any Martial Artist entering the Secret Realm would undoubtedly prioritize time above all else.

In the eyes of those waiting outside, someone like Ye Qingchen, who was in the first group to enter the Secret Realm, surely held a tremendous advantage. This current situation could only mean one thing: an information disparity. The Martial Artists waiting outside believed they were at a natural disadvantage, so once they entered, they would certainly try to hasten their progress by any means necessary. Meanwhile, the Martial Artists already inside felt they had been caught in an illusory or trapping Formation, wasting far too much time. This would put them far behind those who broke the Formations first. Once the mist dissipated, they would inevitably have to abandon their original plans and rush to catch up.

In reality, this was nothing more than a ruse by Central Celestial Academy. After all, it would take a considerable amount of time for all 25,000 contestants to enter the Secret Realm. This information and time gap would exert an invisible pressure on everyone, forcing them to speed up and disrupt their original plans. If Ye Qingchen's hunch was correct, then once the mist dissipated, deadly traps would surely appear to eliminate a portion of those who had rushed ahead.

Ye Qingchen was able to figure this out, firstly, because he considered it from Central Celestial Academy's perspective on student recruitment. After all, no matter how exceptional a person's aptitude was, without a good disposition, their future path was bound to be short. Secondly, Xia Chengkai had repeatedly emphasized to him that Central Celestial Academy valued a Martial Artist's all-around qualities, making a Formation as the first trial seem somewhat unreasonable. The most crucial reason, however, was that although he was only a first-grade Array Master, the Immortal Array Canon gave him an exceptionally keen sense for Formations. If he were truly trapped, even if he couldn't break the Formation, he should at least be able to sense its aura. Moreover, if even he couldn't break it, then not a single Martial Artist participating in this assessment could!

Ye Qingchen sat down cross-legged and waited quietly for the mist to disperse on its own.

Just as he had anticipated, as time passed, the Martial Artists waiting in line outside began to grow restless.

"This isn't fair! Those at the front of the line definitely have a huge advantage. If I'd known, I would have queued up at the front."

"Dream on," another retorted. "Every single person at the front has a distinguished status. On what grounds do you think you can line up ahead of them?"

"Didn't they say Central Celestial Academy's admissions only value aptitude, not status? With an arrangement like this, doesn't it mean people with higher status have a greater chance of winning?"

These murmurs of doubt reached the high platform, causing Feng Xiao's and Xia Chengkai's expressions to sour. After all, Liu Changrun was still present. With so many people in the city questioning the fairness of Central Celestial Academy, if he were to become angry, no one in Northern Barrier City could withstand the fury of a Martial Emperor Realm powerhouse. Moreover, if Liu Changrun, in a fit of anger, revoked Northern Barrier City's recruitment slots, all their previous efforts would have been for naught!

Yet Liu Changrun appeared completely unfazed, showing not even the slightest emotional fluctuation in response to the commotion below. Seeing his demeanor, Feng Xiao and Xia Chengkai let out a collective sigh of relief. Thankfully, this Senior Liu was of such high standing that he wouldn't deign to argue with the crowd.

In reality, Liu Changrun felt nothing but contempt for those restless Martial Artists. It's barely even started, and they're already this restless. With such a poor disposition, their ultimate achievements will be mediocre at best, even if they're given the best Cultivation Techniques and resources.

Meanwhile, those who had entered the Secret Realm earlier were in complete disarray, running around like headless chickens inside the mist as they searched for a way out. These people were even more anxious than those outside, as their families had spent a considerable sum to secure their early entry. If they were trapped by the Formation for too long, wouldn't they be betraying their families' expectations? They could only curse themselves for not having studied Formations, which was why they were now stuck on the very first trial. For a time, Martial Artists slandered Central Celestial Academy in their hearts, regardless of whether they were still outside or already bumping around headlessly inside. They all blamed the academy for making the first trial outrageously difficult. How could young Martial Artists like us possibly break such a powerful Formation?

As the first person to enter the Secret Realm, Feng Yuan also believed he had fallen into a trapping Formation. As a third-grade Array Master, he even felt a little smug. According to precedent, Central Celestial Academy's recruitment trials treated everyone equally. Therefore, since he had encountered a trapping Formation, the others must have as well. His status as a third-grade Array Master would undoubtedly help him become the first Martial Artist to pass this trial.

At that moment, an image of Ye Qingchen surfaced in Feng Yuan's mind. He couldn't forget how Ye Qingchen had taken only a few seconds to break the third-grade trapping Formation he had set up. With his abilities, a Formation like this probably won't pose a challenge to him, right? he thought. Even so, he continued to frequently use his detection techniques. Even if you pass this stage with ease, kid, it's still uncertain who will emerge victorious in the later challenges.

To Feng Yuan's disappointment, however, he couldn't find the slightest trace or clue no matter how hard he searched, and he began to grow anxious. At this point, among all the contestants, Ye Qingchen was likely the only one who remained composed, sitting cross-legged in meditation. Outside, those in line argued incessantly, while inside, the others frantically sought a way to break the Formation.

About an hour later, all the contestants had finally entered the Secret Realm, and the maddening mist that had tormented everyone began to disperse. The Martial Artists who saw it clearing were overjoyed. Forgetting everything else, they began to rush forward, hoping to make up for lost time.

When Ye Qingchen saw the mist dissipate, he didn't rush forward. Instead, he activated his Dual Pupil Martial Soul to scan the surroundings for any hidden traps. Since Central Celestial Academy had gone to such lengths, it would seem rather pointless if there weren't any traps.