Chapter 962 The seventh trial: Showdown!
Chapter 962 The seventh trial: Showdown!
Of course, Xuan Bo was even more surprised than Shun Long when he learned about his opponent's identity.
Not for any other reason, but the sole fact that Shun Long had apparently surpassed him in the 'Heavenly Rankings', claiming his previously first-place spot.
Xuan Bo wasn't someone who cared about his competition in the 'Heavenly Tower' since he had absolute confidence in his own talent and background.
He didn't think that there was a single person in the 'City of Immortals' right now, whether it was among the Dao Kings or the Dao Emperors, who could contend with him in terms of sheer talent.
No, whether it was talent, background, or personal strength, Xuan Bo had it all. His only opponent was his own self.
And yet, the purple-robed overseer of the 'Imperial Mandate sect' had a mischievous smile on his face as he announced to him that he had dropped to second place in the Heavenly Rankings just a week ago, as a mere Dao King had somehow claimed his throne at the top of the rankings!
How could Xuan Bo not be surprised?! Especially when he had never heard of the name Shun Long before?
Unfortunately for him, the old man didn't allow any conversation between the two challengers who would only have to wait until the seventh trial if they wanted to meet each other.
Like this, 3 more days passed before another obscured, fuliginous figure materialized at the cloudy peak of the towering mountain.
With the 'City of Immortals' slowly approaching its closure, having almost completed its 10-year time period, the remaining Dao Kings and Dao Emperors no longer held back and gave it their all as they challenged the 'Heavenly Tower'.
Whether they failed or not no longer mattered, since they were going to get kicked out of the trial grounds either way. This was the unbreakable rule the 'City of Immortals' had upheld for countless years! Therefore, they had to do their best and climb as high as they could before that, obtaining as many rewards as possible in the process.
Soon, more and more figures began to appear at the chilly mountain peak, gradually filling the empty seats on its previously deserted surface. After chatting with the bald elder for a while, they all began the sixth trial right away, unwilling to waste any more time!
A little more than a month later, more than twenty-five hazy figures could be seen sitting around the purple-robed older man, turning that semi-circle into a complete circle.
...
Time continued to pass and once the second month finally came to an end, the smiling purple-robed elder who had stayed silent for this past week suddenly dusted his robes and stood up.
After taking a large gulp from the small gourd in his hands that seemed to somehow contain an endless amount of wine inside, he then opened his mouth as his booming voice spread throughout the entirety of the 'City of Immortals'
''You little brats, you only have one month left to climb the 'Heavenly Tower' and pass the sixth trial. At the end of the month, the seventh trial will begin and those of you who have yet to reach the top of the tower will get kicked out. This is your last chance to become stronger and enter my 'Imperial Mandate sect'!''
The old man's booming voice reverberated throughout the vast plains outside the tower, causing even those Dao Kings and Dao Emperors who were previously hesitant to finally take a step forward and step past the 'Heavenly Tower's' gates!
Indeed, with just one month left, there was no more room to hesitate. Those who still refused to enter the tower at this point would only leave the 'City of Immortals' with regret.
Surprisingly, the last month passed relatively slowly at the now-populated mountain peak. Despite the number of cultivators having reached three dozen, since no one of them could communicate with each other, even those who had passed the sixth trial found the wait excruciatingly boring.
Without anything else to do, Shun Long sat down and cultivated, attempting to form his 73rd golden ball of qi inside the 'Monarch's Hourglass. Nevertheless, regardless of how much he tried, he didn't seem to succeed in the end.
After all, even the pure immortal qi at the peak of the towering mountain paled in comparison to the qi provided by the 'Heaven Swallowing vine'.
With his foundations in the Dao King realm having now reached an unprecedented level, Shun Long could only absorb the purest, most condensed version of immortal qi to condense his subsequent qi balls.
Naturally, regardless of how much he may have wanted to increase his cultivation, Shun Long wasn't willing to take out the 'Heaven Swallowing Vine' in front of everyone else, ultimately settling with waiting along with the rest of the Dao Kings and Dao Emperors who had passed the sixth trial.
Of course, this was only natural as well. After all, the 'Heaven Swallowing Vine' was one of the supreme treasures of heaven and earth, a treasure ranked in the top 10 among all natural-born treasures of the 'Immortal Dimension'. Its value even exceeded that of the entire 'Heavenly Tower' as a whole, so there was no way that Shun Long would simply reveal it to others without any good reason.
Finally, as the last month came to an end, the atmosphere at the peak of the mountain began to change alongside it.
Although it was faint, almost non-existent in the beginning, Shun Long could still feel the mysterious hazy veil around him gradually dispersing with every passing day, allowing the surrounding cultivators to take a better look at his appearance. n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
Although it was still impossible to figure out anyone's identity just yet, Shun Long knew that at this rate, it was only a matter of time before the nebulous veil completely vanished.
Of course, this wasn't just happening to Shun Long, but to every single cultivator at the peak of the mountain, regardless of whether they were Dao Kings or Dao Emperor realm experts. And indeed, a few days later, the hazy veil covering the mountain peak had completely vanished, revealing everyone's true appearance, before the old man's voice reverberated throughout the vast mountain for the last time
''You little brats, the time has come. Let the seventh trial... begin!''