[Chapter 22]
Following the path back, Luo Zheng felt that his body was as light as a feather. It was as if he could fly with a light jump.
Now that he was at the peak of the Viscera Refining Realm, his breathing was longer and smoother. His strength had also increased by a small margin. He ran like mad the entire way and quickly returned to the square.
Those who didn't pass the test had all left. Those who remained in the square were those who had already passed the test. He roughly estimated that there were about a thousand people who had passed the test. The elimination rate of the sea test was as high as ninety percent!
As soon as he entered the square, someone excitedly waved at him.
"Brother Luo Zheng! You passed the test! "Mo Can's gaze fell on the jade pendant on Luo Zheng's chest. The jade pendant had already turned bright red.
Luo Zheng nodded and asked, "I heard that we need to exchange the jade pendant for the disciple card? Where can we exchange for it? "
Mo Can dragged Luo Zheng to a corner of the square. There was a long table in that corner. As he walked, he said, "This is the place. After exchanging for the disciple card, we will be considered as temporary trial disciples of the Blue Cloud Sect."
Under Mo Can's guidance, Luo Zheng took off the jade pendant and placed it on the table.
Behind the table, there were two members of the Blue Cloud Sect who were busy. One of them glanced at Luo Zheng and took the jade pendant from his hand. He brought it close to his eyes and examined it for a while. He was probably checking the information recorded in the jade pendant.
After the examination, the person took out a small wooden card with silver edges and a small chisel knife.
The person waved the chisel knife and carved the words "Luo Zheng" on the small wooden card. His chisel skills were quite good. It was as if the chisel knife in his hand wasn't a chisel knife, but an ink brush. He was writing smoothly.
After a while, Luo Zheng's disciple card was finished. The person said, "Please take care of your disciple card and wait over there."
Luo Zheng took the exquisite disciple card in his hand and played with it for a while. Then, he waited with Mo Can on one side.
The atmosphere in the square was not good. Over a thousand people had each found a corner and were faintly on guard against the people around them.
The sea test wasn't an elimination system. As long as you reached the distance set by the Blue Cloud Sect, you could pass. If you didn't provoke people like Luo Zheng, you only needed to run to the set distance to pass.
However, the following trials were much more difficult. Because of the elimination system, more than 80% of the thousand people present were destined to be eliminated.
After waiting for a while, someone came over and gathered all the trial disciples and led them away from the square.
Following the complicated paths in the Blue Cloud Sect, they stopped at a flat mountain. Compared to the steep mountains in the Blue Cloud Sect, this mountain didn't stand out, but what was strange was that the entire mountain was blood-red.
Whether it was the soil on the mountain or the various plants, they were all blood-red. This red color was very eye-catching against the surrounding green mountains.
Seeing the mountain, Mo Can said to Luo Zheng, "This should be the famous Blood Red Mountain."
"Blood Red Mountain. This mountain is like its name. It's very unique." Seeing this scenery for the first time, Luo Zheng was also attracted.
"From the looks of it, the disciple assessment this time should be the legendary 'Trial of Blood'." Mo Can's expression was solemn as he spoke.
"Is there anything special about this Trial of Blood?" Luo Zheng asked again.
In terms of knowledge, Mo Can wasn't as knowledgeable as Luo Zheng. However, as a citizen of the imperial capital, Mo Can was determined to enter the Blue Cloud Sect since he was young. Naturally, he was more familiar with the various rules of the Blue Cloud Sect than Luo Zheng. He explained to Luo Zheng, "The reason why this mountain is blood-red is because it contains a type of ore called Scarlet Fantasy Gravel."
"Scarlet Fantasy Gravel? The ore used to create illusion arrays? " Luo Zheng raised his eyebrows. He had heard of this Scarlet Fantasy Gravel before. It was an important material for cultivating illusion techniques. For example, if some profound level weapons were mixed with Scarlet Fantasy Gravel during the refining process, it would give the profound level weapon an illusion effect. In addition, this ore was often used in illusion arrays and illusion talismans.
Mo Can nodded. "Yes. I heard that the powerful people of the Blue Cloud Sect used the Scarlet Fantasy Gravel to transform the entire Blood Red Mountain into a large-scale illusion array for the Trial of Blood. Today, they brought us here to participate in the Trial of Blood."
As for the details of the Trial of Blood, Mo Can wasn't too clear. In short, the Trial of Blood was definitely related to illusions.
The internal affairs of the Blue Cloud Sect brought the thousands of trial disciples to the foot of the mountain. There were rows of imposing residences where all the trial disciples were settled.
That night, everyone went to bed early to prepare for the Trial of Blood the next day.
Early the next morning, the thousands of trial disciples began to gather at the foot of the mountain.
However, the internal affairs of the Blue Cloud Sect didn't give the order to go up the mountain.
After waiting for about two hours, everyone finally understood the reason. It turned out that they were waiting for someone.
In addition to the thousands of trial disciples who passed the sea test, there was another group of people who wanted to participate in the Trial of Blood. That group was the landowning households.
Because these landowning households had special privileges, they didn't need to participate in the sea test.
Compared to these trial disciples who were born in the grass roots, the landowning households' children were much more eye-catching.
Hundreds of Flying Chariots covered the sky as they flew over from midair. They stopped neatly not far ahead. Every landowning household child participating in the Trial of Blood was accompanied by three or four people. Among those accompanying them, there was no lack of experts who emitted powerful auras.
When the landowning households' children saw the thousands of trial disciples, their faces were full of disdain. It was the attitude of a superior facing the grass roots.
After getting off the Flying Chariots, the landowning households' children also gathered together, forming a small group. They didn't move closer.
At this moment, the thousands of disciples participating in the trial were displeased in their hearts. Although the cultivators had good temperaments and wouldn't feel impatient even if they had to wait for a few hours, did they deserve to waste time waiting for this group of powerful landowning household disciples?
However, although they were angry, they only dared to curse a few times. As people who were born in the grass roots, they were very clear about the power of the landowning households' children. They couldn't afford to offend these people.
Not to mention, they were about to go up the mountain to participate in the Trial of Blood. Although these landowning households' children were arrogant, they had received good training since childhood. Under the immersion of various elixirs and powerful cultivation methods, their strength wouldn't be bad. If they stood out here and were besieged by the landowning households' children, who would be able to stand it?
At this time, a small group of landowning households' children walked over to the trial disciples.
Seeing the aggressive appearance of the group of landowning households' children, the trial disciples subconsciously opened up a path. The crowd parted on both sides, but there was one person standing in the middle. That person was Luo Zheng, who was meditating with his eyes closed.
Luo Zheng had been standing in the group with his eyes closed. Ever since he discovered that he could send his consciousness deep into his mind, he often maintained this state of meditation. He didn't pay attention to what was happening around him. In any case, he was waiting for the invigilator to come over.
However, he suddenly felt that the atmosphere was a little strange. He opened his eyes and saw a group of luxuriously dressed landowning households' children walking towards him.
Luo Zheng even looked left and right before realizing that this group of people was coming towards him.
"Do you need something from me?" Luo Zheng asked with a smile. In a situation where he didn't want to offend anyone, Luo Zheng would try his best not to offend anyone. He wouldn't attract enemies for no reason.
At this time, two people walked out of the group of landowning households' children. One of them was Wang Hengzhi, and the other was Luo Zheng's cousin, Luo Peiran.
Seeing Luo Peiran, Luo Zheng's eyes suddenly emitted a cold light. His face also darkened. He said in a cold voice, "Luo Peiran, there's no need to involve so many people in the matter between us."
Luo Peiran's face revealed a trace of a sinister smile. He was about to speak when Wang Hengzhi unexpectedly patted his shoulder. "Peiran, don't speak first." Then he walked in front of Luo Zheng and said with a smile, "I heard that you told me not to interfere in the matter between you and Luo Peiran?"
"Young master Wang, the conflict between me and Luo Peiran is a family matter. It has nothing to do with you." Luo Zheng suppressed the anger in his heart and said calmly.
Wang Hengzhi leisurely walked two steps, playing with a navy blue butterfly jade pendant in his hand. "What if I think it has something to do with you?"
"Young master Wang, please be magnanimous." Luo Zheng raised his hands in salute.
"Haha, I, Wang Hengzhi, have never been reasonable. If you don't want me to interfere, then promise me one thing." Wang Hengzhi raised his head and said.
"What is it?" Luo Zheng frowned slightly.
"Withdraw from the Blue Cloud Sect's Trial of Blood and Fire, then go to the Wang Family's shop in the southern part of the city to buy a knife. Standing on the Wei River Bridge, you will cut your own throat with the knife. I, Wang Hengzhi, will not interfere in this matter." Wang Hengzhi's tone was always so indifferent, as if he was talking about a trivial matter.
After hearing Wang Hengzhi's words, a flush of red rushed to Luo Zheng's cheeks. Anger suddenly filled his chest. A moment later, he suddenly laughed wildly.
"Hahahahaha!"
Luo Zheng repeatedly exercised restraint. He didn't even teach the four people Wang Hengzhi had sent yesterday a lesson. The reason was that he didn't want to offend Wang Hengzhi too much. After all, the Wang Family was a landowning household, and he was alone.
But he found that his restraint was useless. He was like an ant in Wang Hengzhi's eyes. The other didn't take him seriously at all. In this guy's heart, he was a dead man. He didn't have the qualifications to negotiate with him.
Patience was useless against this kind of person.
"Surnamed Wang, do you really think I'm afraid of you? You want me to withdraw from the Trial of Blood? You want me to cut my own throat? That's the biggest joke in the world. My life is here. Let's see if you have the ability to take it away! " After saying that, a strong aura burst out from Luo Zheng's body. His face was like the God of Slaughter, exuding an endless evil aura.