At the front of the group were Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De, but their steps were heavy and arduous. Every step they took seemed incredibly difficult. Out of the original 300 people behind them, only about 100 remained.
The square was littered with bloodstains, left behind by disciples who couldn't bear the pressure and vomited blood.
Over half an hour had passed, and Shen Xiang was drenched in sweat. Although he hadn't moved, the pressure on him was significant. Now, there were only a dozen people still walking on the square.
Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De, one old and one young, were both at the forefront, but blood had started to seep from the corners of their mouths, and their bodies were soaked in sweat. This truly was a terrifying test of endurance.
Shen Xiang had heard from Yun Xiaodao before that in past years, many times no one had been able to pass the second trial.
Time continued to pass. Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De were now only about ten zhang (about 33 meters) away from Elder Dan, but every step they took was as heavy as if their feet were made of lead, as though their legs weighed a thousand jin (about 500 kg) each.
Zhang De couldn't hold on anymore. He collapsed to the ground, spitting out blood, but even then, he kept kneeling and slowly dragged himself forward. Having spent so many years outside the sect, he had long endured countless people's mocking and ridicule. Now that he was so close to passing the second trial, he couldn't give up!
Both Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De had been eliminated during this same trial before, so they deeply understood how difficult it was. When they found out earlier that Shen Xiang was being given "special treatment," they both believed he didn't stand a chance.
Yun Xiaodao was only 16 years old, but he was more resilient than Zhang De. He managed to walk through the test and reach Elder Dan. The pressure immediately disappeared, and he collapsed on the ground, gasping for air, quickly swallowing some pills to recover, as the third trial would be even more terrifying.
"Old Zhang, hang in there!" Yun Xiaodao clenched his fists and shouted. He knew the hardship of this test and understood the desire to pass it.
"Ah!" Zhang De roared loudly, and finally, he "crawled" on his knees to the other side of the square. At that moment, the remaining participants collapsed one after another, choosing to give up, with some even suffering severe injuries as a result.
Out of the 300 participants, only two managed to pass the trial! Shen Xiang had been standing behind them, witnessing those who gave up leaving in utter defeat and helplessness.
Now, Shen Xiang was the only one who had yet to begin. Everyone was puzzled as to why the highly regarded Elder Dan had such a grudge against Shen Xiang. Although Shen Xiang had done some surprising things, they believed he was merely doing what he had to do.
"Shen Xiang, it's your turn! You still have the option to give up now, otherwise, you'll endure unimaginable suffering, and it might even cost you your future," Elder Dan's voice was icy cold. The crowd couldn't understand why she hated Shen Xiang so much, as he was just a small figure. Why would such a prominent figure in the Chenwu Continent bear a grudge against him?
Shen Xiang himself had no idea what he had done to offend this mysterious Elder Dan.
"I will never give up!" Shen Xiang's voice was firm and powerful, echoing throughout the area. At that moment, everyone watching realized that Shen Xiang had also been enduring the same pressure, yet he stood tall and straight, which was far beyond what they could imagine.
The surrounding area was still filled with spectators, including True Martial Realm experts, inner disciples, and even the outer disciples who had failed the trial earlier. They all wanted to see how Elder Dan would treat Shen Xiang.
"Let's begin then!" Elder Dan said coldly.
As soon as she spoke, a wave of scorching heat surged through the square, and to everyone's shock, the thick, solid stone bricks on the ground began to ripple up and down like waves.
Then, a violent tremor followed, as if the entire Taiwu Gate was shaking. The thick stone bricks on the square shattered into powder amidst the tremors.
What followed left everyone gasping in shock: the specially made stone bricks turned to dust in an instant, revealing a layer of metal-like material beneath, which appeared incredibly sturdy.
An elder picked up a stone brick and threw it into the square, but the brick instantly disintegrated into powder. This pressure was far greater than what Yun Xiaodao and Zhang De had experienced, and the heat was scorching.
"If you can reach me, you'll pass this trial," Elder Dan said coldly, still standing there without moving. But it was as if the entire square had turned into a sea of lava.
Sweat poured from Shen Xiang's body as he felt the pressure increase by severalfold. This was truly a life-threatening situation.
Everyone held their breath as they watched Shen Xiang. Flames were now rising from his body, and his clothes, unable to withstand the scorching True Qi released by Elder Dan, were instantly burned away.
However, Shen Xiang remained unscathed. He could withstand the heat and even produced flames to cover his body's more private areas.
Shen Xiang's muscular body glowed red from the heat, but despite the increasing pressure, he stood tall and straight, his gaze unwavering as he stared directly at Elder Dan's burning eyes in the distance.
Shen Xiang took a step forward, and his body trembled violently. The metal floor beneath his feet was scorching, but the Vermillion Bird Divine Art he practiced allowed him to withstand the searing heat.
As Shen Xiang began to move, everyone was deeply moved. They hadn't expected that Shen Xiang could still move in such a situation, especially since even inner disciples wouldn't dare attempt this! Yet Shen Xiang was only an outer disciple, and his strength was merely at the ninth level of the Mortal Martial Realm.
Shen Xiang walked very slowly, as each step was incredibly difficult. He had to channel all of his True Qi to support his body—this was Qian Kun True Qi—but even so, each step was an immense challenge for him.
Half an hour passed, and every step Shen Xiang took was closely watched by the crowd. Though the distance was short, it seemed like Shen Xiang had been walking for centuries.
"Hmph!" Elder Dan snorted coldly, and Shen Xiang immediately spat out a mouthful of blood. It was clear to everyone that Elder Dan had increased the pressure.
This was extremely unfair, but no one spoke up. They knew Shen Xiang wouldn't be able to complete this trial, yet they couldn't help but admire him for his perseverance. Shen Xiang knew how difficult this path was, but he refused to give up and kept moving forward.
Time passed slowly, and every step Shen Xiang took struck a chord in everyone's hearts. They all thought he would collapse after each step, but Shen Xiang didn't. Instead, he took another step, and another, all while spitting blood, which evaporated as soon as it hit the metal ground.
"I said you'd stay in the outer sect for your training, and you will stay there obediently. I won't let you pass the second trial!" Elder Dan's voice trembled with anger. She hadn't expected Shen Xiang to come so close to her.
As her voice echoed, Shen Xiang let out a painful cry and fell to his knees. Elder Dan had decided to prevent him from passing and further increased the pressure.
"Although… although I don't know why you're treating me like this, I will never yield. I will pass this second trial…" Shen Xiang suddenly let out a low laugh and spoke in a deep voice.
The square was silent; everyone heard his words.
After spitting out another mouthful of blood, Shen Xiang stood up once more and shouted loudly, "I will die before I bow down to you!"