With the pressure circulating through his body, and the extreme true intent operating on its own, the terrifying pressure pressing down on Lu An's head seemed to be somewhat diminished.
Although it was still heavy, he could indeed move now.
Lu An slightly raised his arm and then frowned.
He saw a layer of fine black filth seeping from his arm, covering the surface of his skin.
"What is this… Cleansing marrow and meridian trial?"
He was shocked. Before coming here, he had never heard of the Green Mountain having the effect of cleansing marrow and meridians.
However, recalling his Master's guidance, he realized it made sense.
It seemed the "scenery" his Master had mentioned on the steps referred to the effects of the cleansing marrow and meridian trial.
But what was this extreme true intent? His Master did not know he possessed it.
He used a cleansing technique to remove the black filth on his body and then sat cross-legged to carefully understand the changes within him.
The spectators outside were focused on the top-level competition and paid no attention to him, the lowest-level cultivator.
Of course, this did not include the Qi Emperor and Chong Wen.
At this moment, they exchanged glances, both showing disbelief.
"Just starting, and he can move? Chong Wen, if I remember correctly, when you participated in climbing the Green Mountain, didn't it take you until the next day to adapt to the pressure of the first step?"
Chong Wen was also shaken and said in astonishment:
"Yes, the pressure was very difficult to bear with just the physical body. It was only after undergoing the cleansing marrow and meridian trial that my body's adaptability greatly increased, allowing me to step onto the second level on the second day."
The Qi Emperor nodded. Chong Wen had undergone a total of ninety-nine stages of the cleansing marrow and meridian trial, ultimately collapsing just before the one-hundredth stage, and did not benefit from the cultivation reinforcement every hundred steps.
Nevertheless, this was still the best achievement among them.
Now, Lu An had just stepped onto the first level and was already able to control his body. Such a situation was also astonishing to them.
"Could it be that he's using true qi to resist?"
"Not likely. I see that black filth has already appeared on him, indicating that the cleansing marrow was successful."
"If he were using true qi to resist, it would be impossible to achieve this effect."
"Moreover, I have given him some hints. He should not be foolish enough to dig his own grave."
There had been instances of shortcuts before. Once, someone had used true qi to step onto the second level after the cleansing marrow and meridian trial, and then withdrew the true qi in an attempt to gain the benefits of the second level's trial.
The outcome was predictable. No matter how hard he tried or what methods he used, the effects of the cleansing marrow and meridian trial did not reappear, and he ultimately missed the opportunity.
Later, it was concluded that during the climb of the Green Mountain, it was not that true qi could not be used, but rather that true qi could not be used to resist the pressure; otherwise, the effect of the cleansing marrow and meridian trial would be lost.
Such a secret was not known to everyone, not even to the royal disciples like the Seventh Prince.
Only those who had made outstanding contributions to Great Qi had the chance to obtain this opportunity.
"Perhaps he has found some method to cope. Let's wait and see."
The rankings at the top had already reached a fiercely contested stage. The Seventh Prince was still in first place and had now reached the one hundred eighty-second step.
However, the people from the Han and Zhao states behind him were closing in rapidly, with only one or two steps separating them.
Ji Xidong had caught up and had just reached the one hundred sixtieth step, placing fifth.
It is worth mentioning that Li Li from Yongning County was also notable on the Green Mountain ranking, barely making it into the top one hundred.
As for others, their performance was not very impressive, and they had been left far behind.
Of course, all this had nothing to do with Lu An.
At this moment, he was focused solely on comprehending the flow of the extreme true intent within him.
"Hmm? Why does it follow the same trajectory as true qi? Could it be used as true qi?"
Although his face remained calm, he was somewhat shocked inside.
In the climb of the Green Mountain, if one does not use true qi and relies solely on physical strength, they can gain the benefits of the cleansing marrow and meridian trial.
But without using true qi, it is impossible to climb very high and one is bound to miss the cultivation reinforcement every hundred steps.
Not to mention whether there are additional rewards after reaching the peak.
These two aspects seem to present a paradox; participants can only choose one reward.
But now, if he can use the extreme true intent to replace true qi and resist the terrifying pressure, and it seems to be recognized by the Green Mountain without interrupting his cleansing marrow and meridian trial,
Then, as long as he climbs high enough, wouldn't he be able to receive both rewards?
There was still one issue, which was that the extreme true intent within him was too little to support reaching the peak.
With this thought, Lu An's mind suddenly stirred, and a technique appeared in his mind.
The Carefree Extreme Intent Technique!
This technique was derived from his theoretical experiments with the three primary colors and could increase the extreme true intent within him. He had been quite excited about it at that time.
It seemed perfect for this situation.
Moreover, before the competition, the National Master had specifically advised that there was no time limit for this competition. Why not cultivate here until the extreme true intent was sufficient, and then strive for higher steps?
With this in mind, Lu An was certain and felt he saw hope for reaching the peak.
He adjusted his thoughts and immediately began practicing the Carefree Extreme Intent Technique.
As the technique completed a cycle, the extreme true intent within him slowly increased, and the pressure around him indeed lightened considerably.
However, Lu An slowly opened his eyes. Upon closer inspection, there was a trace of astonishment in the depths of his eyes.
"During the same cycle, the increase in extreme true intent is slightly more than usual."
"Could it be related to this pressure?"
He focused all his attention and continued practicing the Carefree Extreme Intent Technique with dedication.
The Qi Emperor and Chong Wen looked at this scene with confusion.
"From his earlier actions, this second step should not be difficult for him. Why is he sitting still?"
"Could he be cultivating? But what use is cultivating at this moment?"
While the two were speculating, the spectators outside also noticed Lu An's anomaly.
"Look, look at that water screen. The competition has been going on for so long, and how come this person is still on the first step?"
"Ha, could he not even move past the first step? Which county is this person from? Such strength, how dare he participate in the Water Sky Conference."
"I remember him. He's from Yongning County."
...
People were discussing animatedly, especially those under the Qitian Platform, who looked at the palace master and the beast elder with playful expressions.
Especially since Yongning County's table had been moved to the very front by Gui Jing for better viewing, it had now become the most prominent spot.
The two were blushing with embarrassment. They had no idea what Lu An was doing and could only lower their heads in silence, wishing they could find a hole to hide in.
Lu An remained seated for a full half-hour before rising and moving to the next step.
This reaction immediately drew the attention of the audience.
"Look, he's moved!"
"After half an hour, he finally moved!"
To everyone's surprise, as soon as Lu An stepped onto the second level, he immediately sat down again in a cross-legged position.
The audience was stunned and then erupted in laughter.
The palace master and the beast elder buried their heads deeply in their desks, feeling as though they were sitting on needles. Each second of sitting was a torment.
The Qi Emperor, however, noticed something and raised his eyebrows slightly, saying lightly:
"His movements seem to be getting faster."
Chong Wen also observed this and waved his hand. The water screen showing Lu An instantly became blurry.