Zhou Yuan’s figure stood atop the stone pillar, his face half dazed and half lingering ferocity, as he gazed at the slowly disintegrating Heavenly Sun figure behind him, unable to return to his senses for quite some time.

The Genesis Qi pressure from the figure had been so terrifying that Zhou Yuan had nearly been overwhelmed, but why had it been broken in a single blow like the reflection of the moon in the water?

“Passed?”

Zhou Yuan lowered his head to look at the bloody wounds on his body. The earlier scene had not been an illusion of any kind, and that dreadful pressure had been the real deal.

Zhou Yuan looked again at the disappearing figure with tightly furrowed brows. It was a long time later, before the faint glow of understanding rose within him.

“This trial was perhaps not a test of whether I could defeat the Heavenly Sun figure, but if I had the courage to attack even when faced with an expert at that level...”

In the face of that frightening pressure, an ordinary person would be overwhelmed by fear, and would only try to desperately hang on or give up. For them to voluntarily initiate an attack, an astronomical amount of courage was required.

One would also need a spirit that refused to bow down even in such a despairing circumstance, and the tenacity to do all one could to find a sliver of survival.

If Zhou Yuan had decided to respin the needle earlier, he would have likely failed even if it landed on the Alpha-Origin figure.

Of course, if Zhou Yuan had lost his courage, and chosen to back down in the face of the Heavenly Sun figure, it would be a failure as well.

The road of the strong was paved with difficulties and countless desperate situations. If one lacked the courage and ruthlessness to push oneself to the limits, won’t it be very difficult to break free from encirclements and ascend to greater heights?

Zhou Yuan took in a deep breath as he calmed his churning emotions. Only now did he fully comprehend the meaning behind old Xuan’s earlier words.

One could not be afraid in this trial.

If fear had existed while making a decision or when facing the Heavenly Sun figure, it would have been impossible for him to pass.

Fortunately, Zhou Yuan had ultimately succeeded.

Rumble!

While Zhou Yuan was tightly clenching his fist, a muffled rumble suddenly sounded behind him in the hall. He raised his head, and saw the tightly shut bronze doors slowly begin to open.

“Third trial, pass!”

At the same time, a familiar robotic voice echoed.

The Genesis Qi in Zhou Yuan’s body vibrated, shaking off the blood on his body. With a push off his toes, he gently landed on the ground and arrived in front of the bronze doors.

As he looked at the doors, he knew that behind them was the true entrance into the main peak.

After a year of tough training, the day had finally come where he would reap the fruits of his labours.

At such a time, even Zhou Yuan could not help but feel emotions well up in his eyes. He cast away all hesitation as he walked forward and stepped inside.

“Second Saint Rune, here I come!”

Dong!

The instant his foot crossed the threshold, the sound of a loud ancient bell rang out, echoing across the mountains.

…

Some time earlier while Zhou Yuan was still bitterly struggling in the third stage.

Numerous gazes in the Cangxuan Sect were focused on the main peak.

However, due to the seal, even sect master Qing Yang and the five peak master were unable to discern what was happening inside.

Everyone could only wait patiently for the final outcome.

This wait was undoubtedly quite boring, causing numerous disciples to chat out of boredom.

“Is he really up to the task? It’s already been so long. All the previous chief disciples never took this long, right?”

“That’s why all of them failed.”

“Heh, as if taking a longer time equates to success.”

“I’ve heard that the three trials of Saint Genesis Peak were personally set by the patriarch back then. Any disciple with great aspirations could challenge it, and receive the patriarch’s personal guidance if they passed. One must know that this is the same guidance only sect master and the other peak masters would enjoy back then!”

“Yeah, in the golden age of our Cangxuan Sect, innumerable geniuses have attempted the trial, but only tiny number of them managed to pass.”

“It’s a trial that even the numerous geniuses of that era failed to pass, how difficult do you think it will be for Zhou Yuan?”

“In my opinion, Saint Genesis Peak’s main gates will still remain tightly shut.”

“……”

Countless whispers continuously spread across the mountains.

On the dilapidated old plaza, Shen Taiyuan and Lu Song’s disciples wore grave expressions on their faces. They were naturally itching to retort after hearing the many whispers, but the words were ultimately unable to leave their mouths.

Because they clearly understood how difficult this trial was. If not, Saint Genesis Peak would not have declined more and more with each passing year.

Zhou Yuan was indeed a very outstanding disciple, but even they did not believe that he would succeed.

The only thing they could do now was silently wait for the results.

In contrast to their anxious waiting, Lu Hong’s disciples watched with the cold eyes of a bystander, while Lu Hong wore a sneer on his face. Zhou Yuan had been the cause of their current predicament, and Lu Hong naturally hated the former. However, he did not dare to take any action due to the laws of the sect.

But if he could watch Zhou Yuan fail this trial, it would definitely release some of the negative feelings in his heart.

Aren’t you supposed to be very awesome? You even managed to take the chief disciple position, but at the end of the day, won’t it all end in failure?

Next year, the various chief disciples from the other peaks would be allowed to participate. When that happened, what face would Saint Genesis Peak have left?

High up in the sky.

Sect master Qing Yang and the five peak masters were seated on their glowing lotuses, their deep gazes focused on the majestic misty main peak. They could naturally hear the spreading whispers, but did not take any steps to curb them. After all, they likewise clearly understood the difficulty of passing three trials.

Peak master Ling Jun suddenly remarked, “He seems to be taking a little too long.”

“What’s the rush?” Retorted peak master Lianyi in a nonchalant manner.

Sect master Qing Yang raised his hand to cut them off before it escalated any further, when his expression suddenly concentrated as if trying to hear something. Moments later, he abruptly said, “The Xuan bell is ringing!”

The eyes of peak master Ling Jun, Lianyi and the others widened slightly.

After a few dozen breaths of silence, the resonant ‘dong’ of an old bell slowly spread from the misty main peak, and echoed across the land.

All the noises stopped at this moment.

Countless gazes were abruptly raised, staring at the main peak as they attentively listened for the bell.

They knew that the bell signified the end of the trials.

Only when the Xuan bell rang seven times did it mean that the challenger had successfully passed all three trials. Over the years, innumerable disciples had been stopped before the seventh ring.

Elder Shen Taiyuan and Lu Song’s aged faces were filled with nervousness.

Amidst the silence, only the sound of a bell could be heard.

Dong!

Dong!

Dong!

……

A bell rang continuously, quickly reaching six rings.

Countless individuals held their breaths, not daring to breathe too loudly.

There was a slight pause after the sixth ring.

The sneer that hung from Lu Hong’s mouth abruptly widened as he breathed a deep sigh of relief inside.

However, just as he was about to exhale a physical sigh from his mouth, another loud ‘dong’ unhurriedly echoed from the main peak...

The seventh ring!

*Uproar*!

The entire place seemed to explode at this very moment.