'Intense!' Jake had only one word in his mind as he bore the full weight of the pressure.

Going by cultivation terms, if a [Realm 1] could lift an object of the weight of 15 Elephants(225,000 pounds), then the estimated weight of the King's aura pressure is about 22 Elephants(330,000 pounds).

That was insane and beyond any [Realm 1] cultivator's limit. That is also why it is the best option for the preliminary stage.

As the King said, he didn't want ordinary people, he wanted warriors, who could persevere in precarious situations.

Especially, in times like this when there is a strange organization hanging by their neck.

Little by little, some of the participants went on their knees.

Even after years of preparation, they failed to endure one minute of the King's aura.

Summoning their courage, they held their ground, quickly standing up.

Some of them thought of what they would say to their parents if they dropped out now.

What would they say to all the medicines they had consumed to get to this stage?

What would they say to all the training they had undergone?

To all the expectant smiles of their family members?

What about the premature party his parents threw to boost his confidence?

"Impossible," shouted them all.

They firmly stood their ground, ignoring the cracking of their bones.

They ignored the shredding of their muscles, as their veins went on full display in response to their determination.

Massive warning, in the form of headaches, threw their minds disarray, but they disregarded it.

Temporarily forgetting about their body state, they looked at their surroundings, trying to find motivation among their peers, trying to find a sense of justification for their weak bodies.

But Alas, the Heavens are blind!

About 40 of the participants' expressions were tranquil, cool, and undisturbed as if the pressure was just an itch.

"Wrong!" screamed all the struggling nobles.

Did they follow the teachings of their parents?

Did they not train day and night?

Did they not spend almost all of their childhood augmenting their combat skills, risking their lives fighting demon beasts?

Some of them even remembered the time they broke their limbs trying to kill a zombie.

The terror they felt when they realized they might become one.

The way they hid that fear, as it wasn't needed.

The look on their trainer's face when he shouted, "Again!"

As if by reflex, they instinctively shouted, "Again!"

Commanding their shaking knees not to break, not go lower!

They, once again, looked at the talented participants, the ones with the higher cultivation base.

Crying, they thought, "Why?!"

Why after all their efforts, they still failed?

Were they not both humans?

Yet, some were born better than others.

'It's not fair,' they cried as they hallucinated the faces of the talented participants mocking them from a higher peak.

Still, they did not bend, "I do not accept this!"

While others may think they were just pampered nobles, they weren't. They had responsibilities; responsibilities to their parents, responsibilities to their proud younger sibling, responsibilities to their territories.

Thinking of this, they went past their limit, absorbing [Spirit Essence] crazily in an effort to reinforce their body.

Sadly, whatever is ordained cannot be changed!

The rate of absorption was slower than the rate they expended [Spirit Essence].

Very quickly, they had entered a deficit, and their body started to deteriorate.

They fell flatly, as the last string of their strong will broke, succumbing to fate.

The last thing they heard was the loud voice of their King, "Flan, Now!" and they closed their tearful eyes.

...…

Flan smiled as he ran around the stages, carrying out the disqualified participants and giving them to a response team who will then transport them to the med bay.

After carrying out the last round of disqualified participants, he went to his King, waiting for the next round of participants to fall.

"Did you record their names?" asked his King.

"Yes, my King," humbly replied Flan.

The King smiled, "Good. After the event, give the name list to my brother. He would recruit them to the army."

"Should we tell them?" pondered Flan.

"No, they do not need to know. It will be my reward to them, even though they failed. Plus, most of them are currently unconscious," explained the King.

To him, the competition was just for show. He came here to search for the truly brilliant ones, the strong-minded ones.

Talent was like a constant force, only a driving force like a strong will could utilize it best.

It was rare to find talented ones, but it was even rarer to find strong-minded ones.

"Hmm, the remaining ones are feeling comfortable. Perhaps, I should increase the pressure of my aura," commented the King.

"Yes, my King, the participants are still a bit too much," agreed Flan.

"Hahahaha," laughed the King as the cruelty of Flan.

Like that, he increased the pressure!

.....

Compared to others, Jake had it easy.

Though his cultivation base was lower than his peers, it was richer.

He was possibly the only one that had achieved the hidden stage in [Realm 0].

He had unlocked the peak-est form ever, his Ultimate Physique, which was basically an upgrade, but a crazy one at that.

With just his cultivation at [Realm 1 Stage 3], his strength was on par with [Realm 1 Stage 8].

This was what Jake called perfection!

He didn't cheat or consume any demonic pill. He just achieved his best state.

'Hmm, the pressure has increased, ' discerned Jake.

He could feel the pressure coiling around him, trying to force him on his knees, but it failed to do so.

Jake closed his eyes in concentration as he could hear the cries and struggles of other participants.

'That is the reality,' thought Jake.

The world was fair.

It was not white.

It was not black.

It was not good.

It was not evil.

It was just plain, balanced.

The world balanced the level of talent and the level of untalented. Sadly, not everyone can get a piece of the cake.

Despite his good looks, his amazing talents, his high intelligence, his fine figure, his silky hair, his beautiful eyes, his calm demeanor, Jake found himself siding the untalented side, the unfortunates.

In his previous life, the only few he respected were those that did not start privileged or those that were a mixture of both.

Jake even identified himself as a mixture of both sides.

The only ones that could leave a lasting impression in his mind were those that started from nothing, slowly spending a lifetime of plotting and accumulation to get to where they are.

Most of them became the villains of their story.

But, what was wrong with being a villain?

It is a free world!

We are free to do whatever we want, as far as we have the means.

How perfect would it be for an orphan to rise to a demon lord?

Jake in his past life was an assassin and a hitman. He was free to do whatever he wanted.

He didn't choose his targets because of a damn moral code. He didn't become an assassin because of a sad past.

He simply chose it because it wanted to…..and also, because he was threatened by his master, but that's not the point.

On his way to perfection, Jake realized one needed a free and pure mind to be perfect.

They needed to have no conscience with whatever they did and were capable of sleeping soundly at night.

So, as he heard the cries of the failed participants, he praised them, as they did not falter until their body stopped them.

They did not fail themselves, their body failed them.

'Hmm, I derailed off,' smiled Jake.

He wasn't that bothered with the pressure from the King.

'Hmm, this is bad,' thought Jake as he discovered something.

His senses were heightened under the pressure of the aura. His brain activities were at his peak, and his mental prowess was heightened.

All these were feats that were necessary for cultivating in the Morning Dew Realm.

Jake reckoned that if he tried cultivating now, his state of mind which was also heightened by [Mantra of Origin] would experience a boost.

So, Jake sat down, under the strange stares of many, crossing his legs, he entered a meditative state.

He found himself, diving into his body. Of course, this was similar to an illusion.

He was actually in his meditative state and using the remnant [Spirit Essence] to guide him on his search for Spiritual gates.

As he had almost gotten to the fourth stage the previous time he cultivated, Jake instantly breached the fourth stage now.

He had found a total of 40 Spiritual gates in his body.

He stopped searching for the Spiritual Gates and took a while to replenish his [Spirit Essence].

After his temporary stop, he continued cultivating…..

One minute later, he found his 41st Spiritual Gates.

The second minute, his 42nd.

The third minute, his 43rd.

The fifth minute, his 45th.

The seventh minute, his 47th.

The ninth minute, his 49th.

Finally, he took two whole minutes to breakthroughs to the fifth stage, finding his 50th Spiritual Gates.

He was finally out of [Spirit Essence] and began to absorb it when he heard a shout, "I will drastically increase my pressure. Those that last one ten minute would qualify."

It was the King, and he meant his words as the next thing Jake felt was a huge pressure, far more intense than the previous one.

Jake quickly stood up, as he was in a grey area before.

Cultivation under the pressure was a loophole in the rules, but now that the preliminary stage is in the last minutes, Jake stood up, so as not to disqualify himself.

'F*ck!' his body began vibrating under the pressure.

Jake was in pain, and he could feel every part of his body begging him to forfeit.

Yet, Jake used the pressure to cultivate.

He closed his eyes, entered his meditative state, and began subtle absorbing [Spirit Essence].

Seconds passed like the wind, and Jake could barely keep himself from losing consciousness.

After absorbing a sizable amount of [Spirit Essence], He began searching for Spiritual Gates.

Multiple cracks appeared in his bone and skin as Jake endured the horrendous pain.

"Time's up! Congratulations to the forty of you that passed" announced the King.

Jake lamented, 'I still did not manage to break through.'

He was in a sad mood which was uplifted by a generous King.

The King offered, "I see some of you want to know your limit. I will give you a chance."

"I will increase my pressure every minute, and you will try to find your limit. However, you can choose not to. It doesn't affect your qualification."

Flan swiftly took down the names of the qualified participants and allowed those that declined the King's offer to leave.

The King looked at the few ambitious youngsters left on the stage.

He laughed, "Hahaha, let's start. I will use 50% of my pressure."

*Boom!*

The pressure solidified on Jake as he found his heart wanting to burst out of his chest.

'What?!,' he nervously thought.

Right now, he was in no good state, not to talk of cultivating.

Blood dripped down his orifices like melted candle wax.

Clenching his bloody teeth, he steeled himself, 'I have to do it!'

He forcefully shut his eyes and he entered a standing meditative state, using his [Spirit Essence] to find his Spiritual Gates.

Jake felt his meditative state begin to shake as he realized it was a race against time.

'51, 52, 53, 54, 55...56….57...58...59….Shit!'

His body jerked him out of the state as he was falling to the ground, but Jake did not accept it.

Forcing his state back in, Jake searched for the last Spiritual Gate, '60!'

*Thud!*

That was the last thing Jake registered as he collapsed on the ground.