Suggesting it to them, the other two found that what he said was true and began to push the energy out of their bodies. However, it was not as simple as they believed it to be. The energy they expeled would certainly disappear, but that was only a section of it gone. The moment they freed one of their meridians, it would once against be filled by the energy of the seal.
"Damn, what is this seal? How are we suppose to break out of it.
Xukun vented his frustration as his idea had failed however, Ming Yue had an idea.
"If we cannot force it out one by one, then we should expel it all at once."
If it was this energy within their pressure points and meridians that binded them to this position, they should be free if they get rid of it in one fell swoop. Doing it bit by bit did not seem to work, so this was the other alternative. But this was easier said than done.
The energy that binded their bodies permeated every part of it, gathering into small beads within their meridians and pressure points. To expel it all at once required a very precise control over one's own energy and body.
The three of them slowly built up energy within their core.
In the meantime, more and more people were able to release themselves and advance to the next round. Over a hundred had succeeded before Anqing expeled the energy from her body.
"Yes!" she nearly jumped in happiness before being whisked away from the arena.
Not long after, Xukun had also succeeded, standing up and leaving.
"Good luck..." he looked at Ming Yue, who was still pushing the energy out.
She was the last of the three and struggled the most. In her attempts to break this seal, she seemed to be lacking just a tiny bit as some of the seal's energy would slip past her.
"Is it because of my cultivation?" she thought.
"Both Anqing and Xukun are at the Perception Stage while I am still at the Sight Stage. No matter how powerful I may be, I do not have the same capabilites as someone in that stage."
The issue wasn't her combat power but her cultivation. The Earth Realm definitey improved a person's strength but it was also where they are given certain abilities such as flight. But the crux of this realm was one's understanding of Quintessence Energy, World Energy, Mental Force. The further one advanced, the easier it would be to manipulate these energies.
Of the seven stages, the fourth stage, Perception, was a major bottleneck for many as it could only be passed based on their proficiency in using energy. After all, flight is achieved here due to the improved control of one's energy Ming Yue was able to achieve a pseudo form of flight by supporting her body with wind but compared to true flight, it was nothing.
Thinking this, Ming Yue came to a conclusion. She had to breakthrough.
No matter how much power she brought forth, just a fraction of the seal's energy would slip back and bind her. Compared to all of the other disciples, her cultivation was among the lowest though her actual strength was much higher.
Having stayed at the Sight Stage for nearly a year, her foundations were solid and firm. Not to mention, the creation of Mental Force had given her some much needed experience in handling Heart and Soul Energy. There was also her advancement in the Sword Sage Path, which required her to control Soul Energy.
These two forces combined with her accumulations in the Wind and Lightning Dao made up her Quintessence Energy.
If she were to break into the Perception Stage, she was to gather all of her energy into a single mass before placing it into the acupoints of her meridians in which there were 670 of them all across her body. If that wasn't difficult enough, they had to be uniform pieces and once all were set, they had to connect with each other through the channels within her body.
"Doesn't seem too difficult but, how much time do I have?"
For Ming Yue, she was confident breaking through considering how much she prepared during her time in the Dark Water Kingdom. But to succeed before the round ended was an entirely different challenge. Already, the number of people on the arena floor was dwindling.
She began to attempt her breakthrough and did it as fast and as carefully as she could. With her energy retracted, the seal took control once more but she paid no attention to it.
Her energy gathered and formed a singular sphere before she started splitting it bit by bit. They were like little droplets, putting one in each of her acupoints. They were stable and uniform, floating at the center of each acupoint.
In minutes, she was halfway there, completing over three hundred of her points. As she continued, her control began to weaken and her focus was wavering. It wasn't as if she could just separate it and leave it in her acupoint. She had to maintain its position as well.
From the outside, her expression was calm and focused, with her aura restrained and her body not moving in the slightest. Some that had been watching her no longer paid any attention for they believed that she had given up.
"What is she doing? We found the correct solution but she hasn't succeeded in breaking the seal."
Anqing and Xukun watched from outside the arena. None of them knew what Ming Yue was trying to do. Xukun furrowed his brows, looking at Ming Yue his face lit up.
"Could she be trying to break through?"
Anqing looked at him before looking back at Ming Yue.
"That's far too dangerous and a risky move! Why would she do that?"
"Perhaps, she could not expel the energy due to her cultivation. Don't forget she is only in the Sight Stage."
Upon this conclusion, the two of them could only watch and hope that their friend would succeed.
Time passed quickly and more people left the arena. Ming Yue had reached the upper limits of her willpower as she only had ten more acupoints to fill. Slowly, she filled them one by one, taking care not to let it dissipate. She knew that if she made even one mistake, all of her progress would be lost. She could feel her mind barely hanging on as she filled the last of her acupoints.
Then after much effort, she completed the first step of the breakthrough and now it was time to attempt the second step. With all 670 acupoints filled, she must connect all of them at once thus strengthening the pathways in her body and signaling the entry into the Perception Stage.
She breathed in deeply and began. Her expression was focused and calm as she moved all 670 fragments of energy at once. The energy within her acupoints trembled before transforming into threads that extended through her body. The threads within her lengthened and spun about,, connecting and intertwining with one another.
It filled her body with an invigorating sensation as the threads seemingly glowed. Within the core, where her floating island was. It shined and expanded, revealing a massive valley to add to the scenery. A mountain split into two, a waterfall flowing off the edges of the island, and now a valley had joined them. The floating island began to look more like a paradise: lush grass and plenty of vegetation. It was a vibrant green view.
"Success!"
Ming Yue was excited and felt the energy from these threads flow out and expel the seal's power on their own. In seconds of her breakthrough, she dispelled the seal and was transported out of the arena.
Just as she disappeared, the Grand Elder appeared above the arena.
"The second round has ended! You have as long as it takes for this incense stick to burn! Those who failed to break the seal, please leave the arena."