Chapter 133 - Prelude To The Fourth Round

After waiting for more than an hour, all the examinees who had passed the third round were summoned by Elder Lan.

Other than the three girls, another familiar face entered Snowy's sight. He was Li Rui, who was in the same group as Snowy and Xian Bu Yu's replacement as the second seat. Other than the trio and Li Rui, Snowy didn't have any impressions of the remaining participants. Nevertheless, they were going to be fellow disciples in the future, so Snowy made a mental note to at least remember their names later on.

"Congratulations to you all for advancing to the fourth round. By now, you have been granted the status of Inner Disciple and have also been rewarded with 10,000 Contribution Points. You have shown your potential, perseverance, and talent, and without a doubt, you are all the best among the new batch of Heaven Sword Sect's disciples. "

A smile was blooming on their faces while a hint of pride flickered in the examinees' eyes, which was immediately extinguished by Elder Lan as she poured cold water on their arrogance unceremoniously.

Don't let it go to your head, lest you become one of those frogs trapped in the bottom of the well. "Dao is long and arduous; you still have a long way ahead, where your strength and conviction will be tested.

Elder Lan nodded in satisfaction as they quickly regained their calm after contemplating her words. There were many prodigies in the cultivation world, but most of them were only leaving skeletons to pave the way for another prodigy to reach the pinnacle.

Whether they became the former or the latter depended on their wisdom and courage to snatch the opportunities but didn't recklessly act beyond their capabilities.

"The next round is different from the previous rounds, where the test didn't pose any threat to your life. Even though the risk of your losing your life might be minuscule, you might suffer from heavy injuries, be crippled, or worse, your soul might be damaged. If you still insist on taking the last exam, these kinds of misfortunes might befall you. So, if you don't have the confidence to go forward, you can forfeit this round. Don't worry, it won't affect your results so far nor your future in the sect. "

Other than Snowy, who was expressionless as usual, all the examinees' expressions turned solemn. Some of them even had a trace of hesitation showing on their faces.

Despite the fact that not all of them were descended from Heaven Sword Disciples, they had all heard of the infamous Sword Pagoda.

In fact, the Sword Pagoda and the Sword City could be said to share the same origin, dating back to ancient times.

Many people believed that the key to uncovering the secret of Sword City could be found on the highest floor of Sword Pagoda.

Some even linked it to the origin of Eastern Wilderland itself.

There were many powerhouses who had attempted to conquer the mysterious pagoda, but their efforts were to no avail.

Even the current Heaven Sword Sect's Sect Master, who was acknowledged as the strongest cultivator in the Eastern Region, failed to do so.

Furthermore, the sudden disappearance of the memories, which was experienced by all of the challengers, made it more difficult to plan ahead and progress forward, climbing up to the top floor.

The ability to forcefully wipe out the memory suggested that whoever built it must have had an unfathomable strength because otherwise, there was no way that even a Nascent Soult cultivator could become a victim. They couldn't help but think of the immortals in the legend.

Many theories were suggested to explain the peculiarity of the Sword Pagoda.

Some believed it was a supreme treasure with an independent space inside it, akin to a secret realm, and there might be many creatures comparable to immortals freely roaming inside, especially on the higher floors.

Another theory states that the pagoda was actually a trial ground and, at the same time, a gate connecting the Eastern Region to the fabled Other Regions. It was only by reaching the top of the pagoda that they were then granted permission to visit another continent.

Many formation experts suggested that it was a medium of an unfathomable illusion array beyond heaven-rank formation that was infinitely close to reality, which could mess with the mind of any cultivator who was courageous enough to step inside the pagoda.

However, for those of you who dare to take this opportunity, you can expect ample benefit. If you pass through the first floor, you will get a Core Disciple's worth of monthly resources, and as long as you reach the golden core stage, you'll be immediately promoted to become a Core Disciple. "

Pass through the second floor, and you'll be directly promoted to become a Core Disciple regardless of your current cultivation base. Furthermore, you will have a chance to be selected as a personal disciple by one of the great elders. "

In many major sects, including Heaven Sword Sect, the treatment given to a personal disciple of a great elder was second only to that of the prime disciple, so if you can garner interest from one of these great elders and become their personal disciple, your cultivation journey will be much smoother. At the very least, you won't have to worry about resources and guidance in cultivation.

In addition, if you climb higher than the second floor, you will obtain all the previous benefits, and in addition, you will have the opportunity to learn one heaven-rank technique or obtain one heaven-rank treasure.

The examinees burst into cheer and clamor, any hesitation they had previously gone with the wind as they steeled themselves, looking eager and determined. The deal was too sweet for them to ignore the risk.

No one could blame them for being a little bit greedy, as the rewards this time were really tempting.

"Hehehe... you shouldn't count your chickens before they hatch; The sword pagoda is not as simple as you imagine, and if you have an inkling of how difficult the next round is, just multiply it by at least four-fold."

Elder Lan chuckled coldly and sneered. They should have known better than to overestimate themselves and underestimate the trial they had to face.

They couldn't refute it and only lowered their heads in shame, but some of them quickly bounced back with fiercer determination and fighting spirit.

"Follow me."

Elder Lan quickly leads them, heading toward the place of their last trial.