A portal to another world formed at the centre stage. It looked like a mirror, reflecting the evergreen lands and forests that seemed so different to the orange grass and leaves of the trial ground. The suction force receded and Elder Mo cut off the supply of quintessence to the spatial passageway and the passive shields.
The participants had no time to marvel at the otherworldly display of raw godly power by Elder Mo. No. Their minds were still glued to the remarkable show of skill carried out by Long Wei. Elder Mo went into a tirade, comparing his lack of apparent talent in all aspects when compared to the Spectral Haven Sect Master of yesteryear. Only to be proven wrong quickly and succinctly. To add oil to the fire, the Prince even offered the amount of time he needed to break the Dao Heart illusion. And he did just that. At exactly half a second, he opened his eyes.
"LONG WEI, ALMIGHTY! " the first person shouted, overcame by immense feelings of awe.
"ALMIGHTY, LONG WEI! "someone else joined.
"LONG! " the crisp melodic voices of the crowd melded into each other.
"WEI!" the crowd dragged out the last syllable, shooting out all the air they gathered in their lungs in one fell swoop.
"ALMIGHTY!! "
The shouts rang. Deep bass sounds of people drumming against the wood, concrete and glass, shook the atmosphere. Some leapt into the air and slammed into the ground, generating minor quakes around the makeshift stadium. Elder Mo's scarred face crunched up in embarrassment. His lips quivered, wanting to bring an end to the ruckus, but he stopped himself. The day had been embarrassing enough. He just stood awkwardly at the centre of the stadium, waiting for the noise to cool down.
Long Wei sat comfortably in his elevated chair, a bright smile spread from corner to corner. His heart poured in elation as the entire crowd below them chanted his name and title. He loved it. That was what life was meant to be. His achievements, his accomplishments, people needed to know so that they could worship his name in utter awe. Bathing in the few seconds of total worship, he closed his eyes and relaxed.
Elder Cai shook his head in disappointment. The Young Master still hadn't gotten rid of the need for praise and worship etched in his DNA and that scared him. Pride. That was the first step to one's downfall. He opened his eyes and hopped off his seat. He walked towards where Long Wei sat and tapped him gently on the forehead.
Long Wei's eyes fluttered open. The hazy expression swirling through them cleared instantly. His back straightened, and his feet dug deeper into the floor. Elder Cai was on a completely different level from Elder Bohai when it came to seniority within the Palace. Even he, as the crown prince, had little leeway when it came to dealing with him.
"Are you proud? " Elder Cai asked the question in his signature monotone voice.
"Off course I am. I've broken a record. One that lasted quite a few Chaos Cycles at that," Long Wei brushed off Elder Cai's question with a smile.
"What do you gain in the long run from doing it this way? "
"You didn't disapprove my actions earlier. Why the sudden-"
"Should I reiterate my purpose on this journey of yours?" Elder Cai said.
"What I've gained? I've kept my reputation intact. Father said that I shouldn't disgrace him for the next hundred years of exploring. If I did. A loss of my face equals a loss of face for Father, " Long Wei stood up from the chair and woke up to the railings of the Pavilion.
He wrapped both his hands around the bars and turned his gaze to the skies. The last flood of stars slowly faded into the daylight. His thought process was perfect. As long as the world constantly heard good things about him, everything would be perfect. He only needed to do that for a hundred years.
"You aren't thinking straight. You were impatient to prove yourself that you gave yourself no way out. Zero-point-five seconds tk break the mandatory tasks? "said Elder Cai."Did you take into account what was bound to happen should you fail? The amount of face you'd lose your father and yourself would be unimaginable. Think Before you do these things next time," Elder Cai finished his guidance.
Elder Bohai only listened, not daring to Hutt in too much in the lesson. Some of Elder Cai's words taught him a few things as well. He walked up to the Young Master. and patted him on the shoulder. Hoping to cheer him up a bit. The moment Elder Cai began guiding him, his mood soured. While Elder Cai had a point to prove, whoever was on the receiving end would never hear the end of it.
At the Transcendent Dao Children Pavilions on the ground, Feng Meng's eyes stared at the Immortal Slaying Mirror's pulsing white light. His eyes flickered to Long Wei's name sitting comfortably at the very top of both rankings. His cousin would certainly lose his life purely based on his frightening talents, and his inability to keep to himself when it mattered most. In the cultivation world, those most feared had proven their Dao hearts to be indestructible. One's Dao Heart alone could make up for a difference in talent in the long run when Lifespan was measured in the hundred thousand years. The Dao Heart aided the last tribulation of each major realm immensely, almost guaranteeing an ascension.
He'd met Long Wei a couple of times, though he was certain his younger cousin forgot about him. People focused more on Feng Tian, the Feng Clan's Supreme Genius of the century, sitting shoulder to shoulder with Long Wei. And average talents like him weren't focused on. Outwardly, Long Wei looked calm and amiable most of the time. But he? The gentle smile would never fool him again. Not in this lifetime.
"What are you planning? " he said to no one in particular under his breath.
He was torn between two major choices. Aide Long Wei in the Survival Trials, or gun for the Cosmic Beads that would make his Immortal Ascension countless times easier. Showing goodwill to Long Wei would prove useful sometime in the future. But that's not what he really wanted. The moment he feared Long Wei and became his dog, he'd no longer be a genius. He'd no longer be worthy of Violet's love.
"I'm sorry Long Wei, you just have to forgive me when the time comes, "
The shouts praising Long Wei receded to nothing after a few minutes.giving Elder Mo the courage to speak out again. His calm and collected expression draped over his disappointed face. He filled his vocals with essence and projected his voice outwards.
"The Survival Test is about to begin, " Elder Mo said, "
The survival test is just that, a survival test. Contestants will be thrown into a mini-world owned by the Spectral Haven Sect. They'll earn points by surviving within the world through any means they find possible. Different types of cultivators will be scored differently. Alchemists will be scored on their ability to use their alchemic talents to survive. Formation Masters will be scored on their ability to use formations to survive, and artifice rs will be scored based on their ability to create weapons within the trial and use those to survive. Combatants will be scored based on their Vicious Beast hunting skills. Every series of actions towards survival is scored to be as fair as possible.
"The exam will last a full twenty-eight days and nights. Every Seven Days a massive beast tide will descend into the MiniWorld, filled with countless enemies on the Cusp of Immortal Ascension. Participants must use whatever is available to them to survive. Aside from the countless number of Vicious Beasts, corrupted environments, and countless anomalies.
"Points Earned are as Follows-
Alchemists-- Alchemists will earn points based on the helpfulness of their pills and elixirs. And clever usage of their alchemical abilities to survive.
" Formation Masters-- Formation Masters will be graded on their ability to use the hidden Formations littered across the trial grounds to their advantage as well as the creation of their very own Formations for survival.
" Combatants--Combatants will be graded on their ability to fight, and defend themselves and their bases against the the Vicious Beasts with their combat techniques.
" Other--Those with other professions will be required to use their profession as a means to survive within the deadly environment. "
Elder Mo stood perfectly still, gauging everyone's reaction to the new pieces of information he gave them. The participants were numb, having gotten used to the miracles that happened throughout the day. He didn't bother focusing on those points. He wanted nothing more than to get the embarrassing trial done and over with.
Long Wei gazed at the passageway, thinking about a perfect plan to kill Dong Meirong as quickly as possible before anyone could gather it was his intention all along.