Chapter 2: The Trial
[Soul Prison Trial, Session 207]
[Soul Prison Secret Realm, First Level: Buried Bone Ice Mountain]
Everything in sight lost its original color, completely covered by an extreme chill. Ice flowers scattered in the air, appearing as both gas and droplets, the frost formless yet congealed into ice, like a wisp of phantom blue mist.
A sight that would never exist in ordinary perception: a gigantic Ice Bone Dragon’s tail pierced the sky, reaching a height of perhaps ten kilometers. Exquisite ice flower patterns were carved into the surface of the tailbone, making it impossible to imagine the magnificent and majestic being it had once belonged to.
A mere speck beside the edge of the Ice Bone Dragon’s tail, Gong Lianyue exhaled a breath of cold air, her face calm. Beside her were several other attractively dressed young women.
Starting four years ago, she had been selected to enter this place called the Soul Prison Trial, climbing a colossal and terrifying Dragonbone Mountain alongside countless geniuses from all over the world.
The Soul Prison Trial, which had only existed in myths and legends, was actually real! Everyone went crazy the first time they arrived…
It was rumored that the trial participants selected by the Soul Prison were all exceptionally gifted super geniuses. After a hundred levels of trials, they would compete for the sole qualification of Soul Prison inheritor. This meant that everyone present was standing at the starting line of a legendary, mythical contest.
Those with more knowledge quickly discovered that the Ice Bone Mountain they were climbing was actually the corpse of a 7th-rank legendary creature, the Buried Bone Ice Dragon.
Using the corpse of a 7th-rank legendary creature as the first trial shocked everyone. What level of prestige and resources did this represent?!
Coupled with the words that appeared directly in their minds, no one doubted the authenticity of the Soul Prison Trial.
However, the Soul Prison Trial was incredibly difficult. The first level alone eliminated 40% of the participants. Those who were still climbing were all determined super geniuses.
Simply persevering with the climb wasn’t the hard part. The key was that in this heart-chilling, icy world, any thought of giving up or escaping would be met with some kind of force that pushed them hundreds of meters down the ice mountain, wasting weeks of time and effort.
And once the heart wavered for the first time, subsequent giving up became a matter of course. This was why there were constantly trial participants falling further and further down, eventually plummeting into the abyss and being eliminated.
Four years had passed, one session per week, 207 teleportations. Even those in the first tier, like herself, had yet to pass the first level.
“Sister Gong, I finally became a Spirit Master the day before yesterday! The Academy rewarded me with a high-ranking spirit beast.”
“Sister Gong, my companion spirit beast mutated yesterday!!”
During the break after climbing, two adorable little girls, like precious jade, showed off their cultivation achievements to the blue-haired girl as if seeking praise.
“Congratulations to both of you. Keep up the good work~~”
Tears welled up in her eyes as Gong Lianyue compassionately patted the heads of the two young girls, while inwardly, a cold sweat flowed ceaselessly.
The first girl who spoke was only 11 years old, right? And she was already a Spirit Master? Gong Lianyue herself hadn’t even qualified for the awakening ceremony at 11. At 15, she still wasn’t a formal Spirit Master.
And what the hell was a mutated spirit beast? She had always considered it a distant, unattainable joke.
These terrifyingly talented little girls all regarded Gong Lianyue as their leader, precisely because of her aloof and indifferent Saintess aura. She just seemed incredibly reliable.
The first level, Buried Bone Ice Mountain, happened to mainly test their willpower and cold resistance. Gong Lianyue, who had grown up soaking in cold springs, wasn’t afraid of the cold at all.
Moreover, the Soul Prison Trial prohibited the external release of spirit beasts and prevented inspecting the cultivation levels of others. She had the complete advantage of time, place, and people, which was why she was so respected.
Presumably, once they reached the second level, her inferior talent would be revealed…
Gong Lianyue felt extremely uneasy. A pink-haired girl climbing behind her frowned slightly.
Although Gong Lianyue had never spoken about her origins or circumstances, the pink-haired girl was certain that her cultivation talent must be monstrous.
Looking at her holy and compassionate, water-colored, teary eyes and hair, she was clearly favored by the Sea God. She must be revered as a Saintess in the Inner Sea region, right?
Moreover, even upon hearing about an 11-year-old Spirit Master and a mutated spirit beast, she remained indifferent and calm. Just how terrifying was her true strength?!
While the pink-haired girl was lost in thought, Gong Lianyue, who was climbing ahead, suddenly turned around and gave a strange glance at the pink-haired girl, who was staring intently at her buttocks.
The pink-haired girl’s face instantly flushed crimson, steam rising from her head in bubbles. She then shyly lowered her head.
Although she regarded Gong Lianyue as a rival, she couldn’t help but admire this aloof and stunningly beautiful woman.
Truth be told, Gong Lianyue was the Saintess of the Sea Concubine Palace. However, after the Water Element incident, she still hadn’t broken through to become a Spirit Master at the age of 15. Beneath the current calm of the Sea Concubine Palace lurked a tremendous undercurrent of unrest.
“This girl keeps staring at me. Could she have discovered something?…” Gong Lianyue felt a slight pang of anxiety.
Three hours passed. This week’s trial was nearing its end, and everyone finally saw the scenery at the top of the ice mountain.
Based on the distance, it seemed that they would successfully pass the first level in the next session, the 208th!
The four-year-long, arduous climbing journey was finally coming to an end. Everyone, except Gong Lianyue, cheered with joy.
Gong Lianyue worried that if the next trial’s test completely clashed with her attributes, she would be quickly eliminated.
She didn’t care about the attitudes of the girls currently following her, but losing her qualification for the Soul Prison Trial would be troublesome…
Noticing Gong Lianyue’s incredibly indifferent demeanor, the cheering crowd restrained themselves somewhat, imitating her calm expression.
As expected of Gong Lianyue, she seemed to have no desire for the legendary rewards of the Soul Prison Trial…
The 207th Soul Prison Trial ended. As Gong Lianyue’s consciousness detached from the illusion and returned to reality, the small pebble she had tossed into the air landed with a plop, attracting her attention.
The pebble she had thrown upon leaving had only just landed after she had spent so much time inside.
Judging by the time it took the pebble to fall, the flow of time should have been the same without any changes. The three hours in the Soul Prison Secret Realm were equivalent to about one second in reality.
This also meant that if she were in a public setting, her figure would still disappear for a risky second.
“From now on, no matter the excuse, I have to temporarily leave everyone’s sight during this time…”
Gong Lianyue didn’t want anyone to know about the Soul Prison Secret Realm. Otherwise, the higher-ups of the Sea Concubine Palace would probably go crazy promoting it like fanatics, making it known throughout the world.
If, at that time, she still didn’t have the spirit beast and strength to match the rumors, she would truly be scorned by everyone and fall from grace.
The Soul Prison Trial was a true story passed down from tens of thousands of years ago. It was a secret realm created by a super Spirit Master comparable to a god. It would open once every few thousand years, drawing in a continuous stream of trial participants to compete for the sole qualification of Soul Prison inheritor.
It was said that initially, the competition was among geniuses from the same region, but as the trial progressed to later levels, it wouldn’t be surprising to encounter Spirit Masters from other continents.
In short, almost every trial participant drawn into the Soul Prison was labeled a supreme genius, but the reality wasn’t necessarily so.
After all, without mediocre individuals to serve as a benchmark, how could geniuses be considered geniuses? Most people were just stepping stones. Perhaps she herself would soon be eliminated as well~~~ Ah, life is hard, the Saintess sighs.
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