Light Fortress

Chapter 1636 - 322: Purification

"This Sunset Mountain doesn’t look high at all, so how does it manage to gather the world’s brilliance?"

"And then there’s Red Lake... even from far away, you can feel the immense essence."

These loose cultivators came from all over the world. Their ranks weren’t particularly high, with only a very few reaching the third rank.

The Five Continents are vast. In many small places, those with average talent and strength among the Transcendents don’t receive recognition from major powers. They prefer to enjoy themselves in small places, and in the Tundra Region of northern East Continent, there are many Transcendents unincorporated by any three sects. As long as they don’t break the law, Changye is disinclined to manage what they do.

Deep Sea gave them a new birth, in the form of the deep water area trial.

They can rely on the deep water area’s computational power for cultivation.

The rules of the Transcendent world are far harsher than they appear. Truly precious resources have often already been allocated.

This seemingly fair and just Light City torch selection.

Is actually no exception.

Gu Shen surveyed around, finding few "strong ones" among these loose cultivators. But that’s only relative to loose cultivators... These people might stand a chance in the Heart Cleansing Pool Trial, but placed in a major power, they’d appear very mediocre.

Although on the surface Light City presents enough "Flame Dream" as an opportunity, without cost, to eligible Transcendents.

In truth, those capable of acquiring this opportunity are one in a thousand.

A sudden voice rose among the crowd.

"Though Sunset Mountain and Red Lake are great... Changye’s Snow Forbidden City is even better."

This voice drew much attention.

Including that of the Holy Judges.

The speaker was an ordinary-looking middle-aged man, who glanced at Red Lake and calmly said, "Red Lake indeed contains a vast amount of essence, but if you go to Changye’s Qingzhong Cemetery, then you’ll know where the true ’Land of Divine Miracles’ is. Qingzhong’s extraordinary essence quantity is several times that of Red Lake."

Gu Shen couldn’t help but smile after hearing this.

On one hand, the statement was very true, and he felt happy hearing it.

Undeniably, Red Lake indeed is a land of divine miracles.

But if arguing about essence quantity, it doesn’t compare to Qingzhong at all.

In Qingzhong, countless departed souls lie, and their essence hasn’t dissipated, instead continually circulating in the cemetery, drawn by the great array.

In terms of essence quantity, Red Lake falls short.

Another reason Gu Shen smiled was that now, during the Heart Cleansing Pool Trial, everyone comes to West Continent’s Light City with reverence for the "Light Fire" and steps into this sacred temple. Suddenly saying "Red Lake is inferior to Qingzhong" puts the Holy Judges in a difficult position.

"What do you know?"

Indeed, a Holy Judge on the team frowned, scolding coldly, "Red Lake is Lord Divine’s unchanging place of cultivation for nearly a century, and the essence you feel here is just one percent, no, one-thousandth of what’s released by the torch."

"Or rather, one-ten-thousandth would be more accurate."

The middle-aged man smiled and asked, "Only Red Lake has the Divine Throne presiding, does Qingzhong Cemetery not have it? Isn’t Bai Shu Divine Throne’s torch still a torch?"

At this, many laughed aloud.

Though they came to participate in the "Heart Cleansing Pool Trial," they are not necessarily believers of the Light Church.

Previously, they worshipped Sunset Mountain and Red Lake from the bottom of their hearts.

Because they’ve never seen a land of divine miracles...

Yet now someone stands out asserting Qingzhong is better, stirring a dispute with the Holy Judges, entertaining them greatly.

"This is the temple!"

The Holy Judge couldn’t retort immediately, glaring at the middle-aged man, "You speak such words, what is your intent? Are you truly here to participate in the ’Heart Cleansing Pool’ trial?"

The middle-aged man looked at the opponent clutching the long spear, smiling, "I’m just speaking the truth. Why, does the Holy Judge intend to commit murder in public? Are you going to stab me with your spear for uttering a few truths?"

"You!"

The Holy Judge’s eyes widened in anger.

The surrounding trialists gathered around to watch.

The place grew increasingly noisy, soon attracting other Holy Judges.

Before long.

People made way for a sickly young man in a wheelchair to come to the fore.

The youth carried a mild smile, and though draped in a snow-white Light Church Robe, the deep black in his eyes made those who met his gaze along the way feel uneasy.

"Lord Yao."

The Holy Judge greeted softly, then retreated quietly.

Yao Jin gently nodded.

He raised his hand, and someone immediately handed over a file, which Yao Jin glanced at briefly before withdrawing his gaze.

He smiled at the ordinary middle-aged man, softly asking, "Zhou Li, the file says you were born in West Continent, living in East Port for half your life. Though of average talent, you awoke twenty years ago and only cultivated to Deep Sea Fourth Level, yet you’ve committed no unlawful acts. Your file is excellent."

Zhou Li remained calm, meeting the gaze of the youth in the wheelchair.

"However, I don’t believe someone from East Port would say such words... I hear the Gu family cultivated a group of ’Night Watchmen’ willing to sacrifice themselves. This westward crossing gathered all Night Watchmen in Light City."

Yao Jin handed the file back to the Holy Judge, calmly stating, "If I’m not mistaken, you should be with the Gu family, right?"

"Lord Yao."

Zhou Li smiled, "I don’t understand what you’re talking about, but if I say I am, would you kill me? Or revoke my trial qualification?"

"How could that be?"

Yao Jin laughed, "Light City’s torch trial welcomes everyone to participate... including the Gu family’s Night Watchers. Whether you’re here to gather intelligence or admire Red Lake, the temple welcomes you, as long as there’s no slander against Lord Divine, the Holy Judges won’t act."

At this, the eyes of those loose cultivators gained a subtle expression.

The people thought it would lead to a dispute.

Yet now, looking at the responsible Yao Jin, he’s quite magnanimous, not blaming the provocateur at all.

"Living in ’East Port,’ a small place, you may lack insight, hence your ignorance about ’Red Lake’... is understandable."

Yao Jin finished his remark, smiled to himself, and no longer looked at Zhou Li.

He turned to face all the trialists present, and declared loudly, "Everyone, the torch trial is West Continent’s grandest event! When the final selection day arrives, the temple will open permissions for all Transcendents, and everyone will be able to come to Red Lake to witness the final trial in person!"

The final stage of this sacred trial event is to cross Red Lake and face the Divine Throne directly.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Gu Shen watched the distant Red Lake shrouded in fog, seemingly lost in thought.

His mind wasn’t focused on this small commotion.

From afar.

He saw that black shadow on Red Lake.

Was it just a hallucination... or was the black shadow looking back at him too?