Apex noticed something peculiar about the teleportation gate—it had an array surrounding it. Arrays are complex formations used by cultivators for various purposes, such as protection, restriction, or amplifying Qi in a dense area. Creating arrays requires extensive knowledge and experience, usually obtained over thousands of years of study. Although Apex could discern that the array around the teleportation gate was a type of restriction, it couldn't determine the specific nature of the restriction.
Approaching the gate, Apex joined a group of people who entered the teleportation gate simultaneously. As Apex entered, the surroundings turned blue, and it felt as if something was peering deep into its being. After a few seconds, Apex found itself in a different location—a desolate area filled with nothing but sand.
Five minutes later, the old man, the young boy, and the woman emerged from the portal as well. The old man positioned himself in the air to overlook the crowd, which had significantly diminished due to many failing to pass through the teleportation gate.
"Congratulations to all of you who made it. You have successfully passed the first test," the old man announced to the bewildered crowd, some of whom were less knowledgeable about the gate's significance.
The stronger cultivators among the group, including Apex, were aware of the array's role in the test but remained uncertain about its specific restriction.
"The teleportation gate had an array that prevented anyone below the 5th Stage Spirit Apprentice from entering. As a result, the number of participants has been reduced from 2,891 to 724," the old man explained, causing some individuals to glance around and notice the significant decrease in numbers.
"Now, for the second test," the old man began but paused when he noticed Apex's cultivation base. Apex's young appearance, coupled with its high cultivation base, never failed to attract attention from powerful individuals.
The two companions of the old man were perplexed by his sudden pause and intense gaze directed at the crowd. However, the old man quickly regained composure and continued speaking.
"For the second test, you will engage in Qi clashes with two core disciples of our sect."
Qi clashes were a way for stronger cultivators to display their power without resorting to physical combat. The crowd murmured among themselves as the surroundings transformed, creating an illusion that transported them to a massive room capable of accommodating everyone present.
The old man instructed the two core disciples to position themselves in front of the crowd, and they promptly followed his command.
"Now, split into two groups. Some of you go to Jin Guang's side, and others to Dai Mingzhu's side."
Jin Guang, with his long black hair, brown eyes, and handsome face, attracted the attention of most female participants. Dai Mingzhu, on the other hand, had blue hair, pink eyes, and a beautiful face that captivated the male participants, including Jin Guang himself, who secretly glanced at her.
Apex chose to join Jin Guang's side due to proximity.
"Now, form a perfect circle around the person you have chosen," the old man instructed, and the crowd obediently formed circles around their chosen individuals.
Once the circles were complete, the old man spoke again.
"Now, Jin Guang and Dai Mingzhu will release waves of Qi every 10 seconds. Your task is to defend against these waves 10 times, with each wave increasing in intensity. If you successfully withstand all 10 waves, you will proceed to the third test. Good luck."
With the words "good luck," the participants quickly enveloped themselves in Qi. Jin Guang and Dai Mingzhu, observing that everyone in their respective groups had protected themselves with Qi, unleashed waves of their own Qi.
As the first wave of Qi was released, a sudden gust of wind swept through the room, causing cracks to appear on the walls despite the absence of windows. Some participants struggled to breathe and fell to their knees, while others gave up and were teleported to a different location.
Apex, however, felt no impact from Jin Guang's Qi. Although it wasn't necessary for Apex to defend against the Qi due to its extraordinary body, Apex still covered itself with Qi to maintain the appearance of normalcy. Nevertheless, the old man noticed Apex's effortless defense, as he had been observing Apex ever since recognizing its cultivation base. The concept of talent in the cultivation world never failed to attract attention.
The old man also noticed Apex's composure amidst the Qi clashes. These two core disciples were among the strongest and most talented in the sect, both at the 3rd Stage Spirit Adept at only 20 years of age. If Apex could handle Jin Guang's Qi with such ease, the old man recognized Apex as a remarkable talent worthy of investment.
Now the second wave was beginning, and as they released their Qi, Apex could feel the difference from the first wave. The second wave was more aggressive, but it still had no effect on Apex.
However, while Apex remained unaffected, many other participants were struggling. Nearly triple the number of people gave up or failed during the second wave compared to the first wave.
Approximately 600 participants remained after the second wave, but Apex estimated that there would be 50 or fewer left by the end of the test. It was a challenging test, and only a small number of individuals usually passed each year.
Lost in thought, Apex considered the upcoming third test and anticipated that only 10 or fewer participants would make it through.
As Apex pondered, the third wave of Qi occurred. People in Jin Guang's group felt a small amount of Dai Mingzhu's Qi, and a similar event happened to those in Dai Mingzhu's group as they also felt Jin Guang's Qi. This added another layer of difficulty to the test, even if they didn't experience the full impact of the opposite party's Qi.
The fourth wave of Qi arrived, making all the previous waves seem insignificant in comparison. Despite the escalating challenge, Apex remained completely unaffected. Even with a lower cultivation base, Apex couldn't sense a thing from their opponents' Qi.
The old man continued to observe Apex's calm posture, unable to shake off his wonder at encountering a talent like this. It had been ages since he had seen or heard of someone with such extraordinary abilities.
Apart from the sect's patriarch, who supposedly ascended to the Highest Realm over 50,000 years ago, there had been no concrete evidence of someone from the Lower Realm making such a journey in thousands of years.