"Well, it's time to drink. So who wants to go first?" The strange man said as he looked around the crowd.
"I'd like to be the last one senior." Minos interjected.
"Very well, since you came first during the first trial, I'll allow it. Well then, who's first?"
The five people with glasses began looking at each other, clearly no one wanting to go first. Meanwhile the other four who had given away their glasses initially suddenly felt relieved that they didn't have to deal with this stress.
Eventually one of the Thousand Split Sword Sect disciples was made to go first. Everyone began watching intently as the red liquid slowly made its way down his esophagus.
After about a minute's time with no reaction, the Thousand Split Sword Sect disciple couldn't help but let out a relieved sigh, but just as he thought he had escaped death, he began feeling his blood getting pulled inwards.
Everyone watched as his skin became paler and paler, shriveling up as the blood began draining into his stomach.
"Help, oh god please! I don't want to die…" He screamed out, as his body was soon completely dried out, reduced to something akin to a raisin.
Everyone shivered as they watched the horrific death. The other four people who still had to drink were sweating intently at this moment, one was even so afraid, he jumped out of his chair, running towards the palace doors.
Of course he didn't make it too far before a hole suddenly appeared through his skull. It happened so fast that no one could even see what exactly killed him, but his corpse was the best proof that running was pointless.
Minos still leaned back comfortably in his chair, seemingly not at all worried. While he was relaxing, the other three were stressing, and the argument over who would drink next became even more fierce.
Eventually the purple sword cultivator and another teamed against the third, forcing him to drink. Eventually building up the courage, the cultivator gulped his drink in one go, and began to wait.
He swore that a minute had never felt so long before. Life or death would all be determined soon, and unfortunately for him, death won.
Just like the first victim, his body was soon shriveled up, his husk of a corpse collapsing to the floor. The purple sword cultivator seemed to have his nerves broken at this point, and he suddenly began screaming at Minos.
"It's not far, I want to undo my trade, I want my original glass back! Give it to me you little bastard." He lunged towards Minos as he roared in anger.
But a strange force got in the way, causing the purple sword cultivator to slam face first into the air before being rebounded back.
Minos looked at this all unaffected. The path of cultivation was an arduous and dangerous one. Those who chose to take this path had to accept the difficulties that came with them.
One day it may very well be Minos who is the unfortunate one, which furthered his resolve to become stronger, and learn more.
The strange man seemed to lose his patience at this point, so with use of a strange power, the wine glasses levitated and were poured directly into the gaping mouths of the two cultivators left standing.
Nothing unexpected happened, and Minos watched as two more lives vanished in front of his eyes. The sound of the two corpses hitting the floor also seemed to signal the beginning of the next trial.
"Congratulations for surviving this far, and to Minos an extra congrats for winning this round!" The strange man clapped as he said that, causing a ring to slowly fall from the sky, descending perfectly into Minos's hand.
The other inheritors couldn't help but look at him enviously, but he ignored their gazes. He slid the ring onto his finger and watched as it changed its size to perfectly latch onto his finger.
With a sudden prick, the ring extended a small needle into Minos's finger, absorbing a bit of his blood before stopping. At this point, Minos could feel he was completely connected with the ring, and with a single thought he could control the space of this 5x5x5 meter ring.