C23 Too Much Nonsense!

Once the first one fell, a second was sure to follow.

"I can't take it anymore!!"

Within minutes, a chorus of young voices cried out, pleading with their mentors to be taken off the platform.

In under five minutes, the platform's population had shrunk by nearly a third. And the numbers continued to dwindle as the gravity on the platform rose with each passing second.

The relentless increase persisted until the seventh minute when the gravity finally plateaued. By then, fewer than half of the original contenders remained.

Chen Yi estimated the gravity to be around twenty times normal.

A person weighing a hundred kilograms would now feel like two thousand under such intense gravity.

The young contestants on the platform were grappling with this force. It was enough to weed out any Cultivator below Level Six of the Meditation Stage.

"Prepare yourselves! The Mental Pressure will commence in thirty seconds!"

Mentor Yanshan's voice echoed in their ears, causing those already struggling with the gravity to blanch. They were barely coping with the physical strain, and the impending Mental Pressure threatened to break them completely. Yet, the thought of surrendering was unbearable.

With gritted teeth, the youths braced themselves.

The half-minute mark flew by.

Suddenly, every contestant felt their soul jolt as the world before them morphed into something unrecognizable.

Horrifying visions haunted their sight.

Some saw a monstrous beast, several meters long, its fangs bared and drool dripping, eyeing them hungrily. Others found themselves in a field, encircled by archers with arrows trained on them. And some imagined they were in the middle of an endless sea, surrounded by sharks with blood-red eyes, ready to strike.

Each vision brought an immense mental strain. Despite knowing these images weren't real, the illusion was enough to push many to the brink of collapse.

"Don't... don't come any closer!"

"Don't... don't kill me!"

"I can't do this, save me!!"

...

Those with weaker wills began to scream.

Any youth who made a sound was promptly escorted off the platform by one of the seven mentors.

The appearance of the mental pressure quickly culled another third from the platform in mere seconds. Those who remained were visibly struggling, their complexions pale and their bodies trembling.

Certainly, Chen Yi remained unfazed.

With over three centuries of harrowing experiences in his past life, he had weathered countless life-or-death battles. The fact that the scene before him was an illusion hardly mattered; even if it were real, it would barely register with him. Besides, such a low-level illusion had a very limited effect on someone with his current spiritual prowess.

"The illusion is somewhat rudimentary, but it's effective enough," Chen Yi observed under his breath, glancing at the pale-faced youths teetering on the brink of collapse.

While the illusion had no impact on him, it was proving quite potent against these young men and women.

Of course, there were exceptions, some who appeared more at ease.

Take Bei Yu and Du Qianyan, for instance. These two youths, endowed with Profound Grade talent, were showcasing their mettle. Though their composure was not entirely intact, they managed to maintain a semblance of normalcy, an impressive feat for cultivators at the Meditation Stage.

Fifteen minutes flew by.

As Chen Yi had anticipated, several youths could not endure and were subsequently eliminated. By the end, fewer than thirty remained on the stage, eliciting a collective intake of breath from the audience.

They had anticipated that fewer than thirty would make it through the initial test, but now, with only the second round complete and one more to go, the dwindling number raised the question: how many would survive the final round?

Up in the gallery, the family heads' expressions starkly contrasted one another.

Some appeared relaxed, while others were visibly distressed.

Those with darkened expressions were understandably upset; their families' youths had all been eliminated in this round.

Yes, every single one had been ousted in just the second round of the preliminaries, a fact that did little for their pride.

At the very least, they had expected a few to make it to the final round. But now, to be wiped out so early was nothing short of humiliating.

This included the Wang Family, of course.

Wang Sheng's face was the epitome of gloom. He had held no illusions about the Wang Family's chances without Wang Yun, but he had hoped someone would at least make it to the third round. Now, with a complete defeat in the second round, the result was simply unacceptable.

His gaze bore down on Chen Yi with fierce intensity.

All of his rage was aimed squarely at the latter. In his mind, Chen Yi was the root of all the trouble. If not for him, Wang Yun wouldn't have missed the chance to take part in the recruitment assessment, and the Wang Family wouldn't be facing such humiliation!

It was all the fault of that damned brat!

Wang Sheng's heart seethed with resentment, further fueling his resolve to seize any opportunity to eliminate Chen Yi.

Meanwhile, Mentor Yanshan, from his position in the pavilion, addressed the group of young hopefuls below, "First off, congratulations to each of you. By making it this far, you've essentially got one foot through the door of the preliminary exam. Whether your other foot makes it through will depend on your upcoming performance."

"The third round is all about testing your combat skills. Indeed, we're moving on to actual combat. There are twenty-eight of you. I will pair you off, and you will face each other in turn. The winners will advance past the preliminaries. The losers will be out of the running!"

With Mentor Yanshan's words, a solemn air descended upon the twenty-something young men and women gathered there.

Victory meant advancement, defeat meant elimination. This spelled out that half of them were about to be weeded out!

Under normal circumstances, facing an average opponent might not be so daunting. But the remaining contenders were the cream of the crop from Willow State East's younger generation. None were to be underestimated.

The less powerful among them could only silently hope they wouldn't be pitted against one of the stronger competitors...

"Now, I will call out the names for the seven arenas!"

Mentor Yanshan, with the list already in his mind, began to call out the matchups.

"Honh Ying, Lin Yue!"

"Hong Qian, Hu Zhen!"

"Chen Xin, Huang Loong!"

...

He rattled off fourteen names without pause.

Fourteen young contenders responded, pairing up and ascending the stages.

Among them, Hu Zhen and Huang Loong stood out, both boasting the prestigious Yellow Rank Level Nine talent.

Chen Yi, Bei Yu, and Du Qianyan were not among these fourteen, but that did little to dampen the crowd's excitement. Even without the three most eagerly awaited contestants, the clashes between the other young warriors promised to be just as thrilling.

After all, those who had made it this far were the elite young cultivators from the eastern region of Willow State. It was a rare opportunity for them to witness such clashes among their peers!

"Let the duel begin!"

As the fourteen youths took their positions on the stage, Mentor Yanshan, from his vantage point in the pavilion, gestured to commence the battle.

Spirit energy erupted from each of the young cultivators simultaneously, igniting the duels across all seven arenas at once.

With just one step left to pass the preliminary round, no one was ready to throw in the towel at this stage.

The fourteen youths gave it their all, making for a series of thrilling duels that elicited continuous cheers from the crowd!

Amidst the roaring audience, the outcomes on the seven arenas emerged one by one. Notably, Hu Zhen and Huang Loong concluded their duels with remarkable speed, overpowering their opponents in a display of dominance that showcased the formidable strength expected of Yellow Grade Level Nine talent.

While tested talent doesn't necessarily equate to strength, it's widely acknowledged that those who attain Yellow Grade Level Nine are typically young cultivators rigorously trained by their families. Consequently, they tend to be significantly stronger than most of their contemporaries.

"The procedure remains the same. Those whose names I call will ascend the stage one by one!"

Mentor Yanshan's voice rang out once more from the pavilion.

"Bei Yu, Hong Qing!"

"Du Qianyan, Wan Yuan!"

"Chen Yi, Honh Yu!"

...

The calling of six names, including Chen Yi, Bei Yu, and Du Qianyan, confirmed they wouldn't be pitted against each other. This left the audience somewhat disappointed, yet unsurprised. Talented youths are often strategically separated in these events to prevent early elimination of the gifted competitors.

However, the crowd buzzed with excitement as Chen Yi and Honh Yu were slated to face off.

One possessed Earth Grade Talent, the other Yellow Grade Talent—hardly a fair comparison. But regardless, Honh Yu was one of the rare few with the Ninth Grade of Yellow Grade Talent. His matchup with Chen Yi promised to be a spectacle.

"Mentor Yanshan!"

Clearly, the head of the Honh family found this pairing unacceptable.

As previously mentioned, highly talented youths are often spared from facing off against one another to prevent their elimination. In Willow State East, possessing a Yellow Grade Level Nine talent is considered quite exceptional. So, it's no wonder the Honh family patriarch is struggling to accept Mentor Yanshan's decision to pit Honh Yu against Chen Yi.

Despite being in the dark about Chen Yi's true strength, the mere fact of his Earth Grade Talent is cause enough for concern.

Mentor Yanshan, however, remains indifferent to the patriarch's unease. His gaze is fixed intently on Chen Yi, who has confidently stepped onto the stage, his eyes brimming with expectation.

He has chosen Honh Yu as Chen Yi's opponent with a specific purpose in mind: to gauge Chen Yi's capabilities.

Some youths may possess remarkable talents but lack the necessary combat skills. Mentor Yanshan is curious whether Chen Yi falls into this category. Testing him against a youth with Yellow Grade Level Nine talent seems perfectly apt.

In his view, even the least impressive Earth Grade Talent shouldn't lose to a Yellow Grade contender. And the prospect of losing a youth with Yellow Grade Level Nine talent doesn't faze him in the slightest. While such talent is scarce in Willow State East, it's as common as cattle in the vast South Wind Empire.

"Let the duel begin!"

As the fourteen youths take their positions on the stage, Mentor Yanshan declares the start of the battle without a moment's hesitation.

The Honh family patriarch can only watch, his face clouding over with displeasure, yet he dares not make a scene. In the presence of South Wind Academy, the small clans of Willow State East might as well be insignificant ants. To challenge Mentor Yanshan would be nothing short of masochistic.

In stark contrast to the patriarch's sullen demeanor, Honh Yu is practically vibrating with excitement. Having hoped to dazzle during this recruitment exam, he was overshadowed by two individuals with Profound Grade talent and another with Earth Grade Talent. His pride wounded, he now sees facing Chen Yi as a golden opportunity—a chance to reclaim the spotlight and secure his fame.

Honh Yu of the Honh family is determined to defeat Chen Yi, bearer of the Earth Grade Talent!

The very thought of such conversations filled Honh Yu with a sense of satisfaction.

What did Earth Grade Talent matter, anyway?

Without the necessary strength, anyone would be crushed beneath his feet!

Mulling over this, Honh Yu felt a surge of boldness swell within him. He couldn't resist pointing at Chen Yi and declaring, "Listen up, I couldn't care less about your so-called talent. Now that you've crossed paths with me, your fate is sealed—you're nothing but a stepping stone for me today..."

But his words were abruptly cut off.

"Bang!"

A thunderous noise echoed before the onlookers could even blink, and Honh Yu was blasted away like a cannonball. He slammed into a building on the edge of the square, dozens of meters away, coughed up a mouthful of blood, and crumpled to the ground, unconscious...

"Enough with the bluster!"

In that moment, Chen Yi casually dusted off his hands, his cool voice resonating throughout the arena.