NABC Chapter 777 - Bright as the Day
Chapter 777 - Bright as the Day
Chapter 777 - Bright as the Day
When the ground cracked and shifted independently, a towering pillar pierced through the clouds. The pillar was covered with countless runes intertwining together and bulging like muscles, and its sheer appearance was impactful.
"This is the legendary Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar?!" Everyone had long heard tales of this pillar that stabilized the mountain range beneath the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy as its foundation. But hearing and seeing it was an entirely different experience.
The pillar was designed to measure innate talent while consolidating the mountain range as its foundation. A hint of surprise flickered across Liu Wuxie's eyes as he observed the towering structure. He murmured, "Combining an Array Divine Pillar with an Assessment Pillar—this academy is more mysterious than I expected."
The Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy had integrated the entire mountain range into a colossal spiritual array, with the true function of the pillar serving as its central control system. Judging by its placement, this platform was located in the academy's outermost region. Once activated, the spiritual array could extend its reach over tens of thousands of meters.
Most sects had defensive spiritual arrays, but they could only defend their core area. It was difficult for anyone to set up a spiritual array that would envelop the whole mountain range. However, the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy had achieved this.
The Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar was like an anchor, stabilizing the spiritual array's core. The runes consisted of dao and spiritual arrays, which had been perfectly combined.
There was no doubt the creator of this spiritual array was an expert.
When the Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar appeared, a crystal orb the size of a basin appeared in Qu Su's hand. The crystal orb's function was to measure the physical attributes and purity of true essence.
The stronger one's attributes, the higher the chance of comprehending the dao of heaven and earth. This had nothing to do with cultivation levels, as each individual's body was unique, leading to varying degrees of innate talent.
"Everyone, form two lines!" Qu Su commanded, his voice resonating across the platform. "The first line will take the Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar's test. Only those who achieve six stars or more will advance! The second line will test their innate talent, and only those who achieve six beams of light will move forward!"
This would accelerate the assessment, and Ning Hai was the first to approach the Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar. Rolling up his sleeves, he channeled his true essence, his energy surging like a raging torrent. Letting out a thunderous roar, he struck the pillar with all his might.
A deafening collision resounded, shaking the ground beneath him. The sheer force of his punch, exceeding fifty thousand kilograms, sent tremors through the platform. However, even such overwhelming strength fell short of tearing through space.
The runes engraved on the Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar began to light up individually.
One star...two stars...
As the runes flickered, Ning Hai lit up six stars in the blink of an eye. Then again, everyone had witnessed his talent, and his entry to the academy was practically guaranteed. No one was certain if he could obtain the first rank on this assessment. But unless Liu Wuxie were killed, Ning Hai would probably remain second.
It didn't take long before the runes stopped at the eighth star, achieving the same result as the Gate of Heart. This was enough to prove that he was a heavenly-blessed prodigy.
However, Ning Hai wasn't satisfied with his performance. He felt that he had underperformed, convinced he should have been able to light up the ninth star. But there was nothing he could do now except accept the result and move forward.
Logically, achieving eight stars was more than enough to prove his extraordinary talent. Yet, the shadow of Liu Wuxie lingered in his mind, making him feel inadequate. It was only natural to feel jealousy when confronted with someone superior—just as someone who could barely light up one star might envy those who couldn't even light up a single one.
On the other side, the crystal orb assessment had begun. Ma Tianming was the first to step forward. Placing his right hand on the floating orb, he channeled his true essence. Within moments, beams of light burst forth, and in the blink of an eye, eight beams shone brilliantly.
Like Ning Hai, he demonstrated an eight-star aptitude. This was an excellent start, as the first participants on both sides effortlessly passed the assessment.
After completing the divine pillar test, Ning Hai moved to the left to take the crystal orb test while Ma Tianming headed to the right for the divine pillar. Both fell into the back of their respective new queues, marking the seamless progression of the assessment.
"What's happening? Why can't I see anything?" Yells echoed from the surroundings as countless beams suspended in the air like a bright sun, amplifying the brightness hundreds of times. So it was no wonder they couldn't see a thing.
It was like stepping into a snow-covered mountain, and it was easy for someone to become disoriented without any reference markings. The more they tried to focus, the blurrier their vision became, and they were all trapped in this state.
The beams lasted a full minute before dissipating, and the surroundings gradually recovered.
The ten examiners exchanged looks filled with shock and disbelief. They didn't know what to say.
"Flawless true essence! How is his true essence free of impurities!" One examiner exclaimed as it was something they couldn't achieve, not to mention someone in the Astral River Realm.
However, this was the reality of Liu Wuxie's power. His true essence was refined through the Sky Devouring Divine Cauldron, which converted spiritual energy into liquified spiritual energy of absolute purity before absorption. As a result, each strand of his true essence was exceptionally pure.
Liu Wuxie glanced into the air, unaware he had passed the test. Unlike others who produced visible beams of light, the light he had caused had illuminated the entire platform.
"Move along!" Qu Su waved his hand, signaling Liu Wuxie to move to the next queue, which meant he had passed the crystal orb test.
As Liu Wuxie calmly moved forward, the onlookers who had mocked him moments earlier could only stare in stunned silence. Their ridicule had transformed into bitter resentment, and the growing hatred toward him was palpable.
Liu Wuxie fell in line once again at the back of the queue.
It wasn't long before Ning Hai's turn came for the crystal orb test. When he injected his true essence, eight beams of light burst forth, their intensity noticeably stronger than Ma Tianming's, once again showcasing Ning Hai's exceptional talent.
Meanwhile, Ma Tianming had reached his turn on the divine pillar test and channeled his true essence before striking the pillar. The runes on the pillar began to flicker, and he instantly lit up eight stars.
In a direct comparison, Ning Hai held a slight advantage in the purity of his true essence.
As the assessment progressed, more people gathered on the crystal orb's side. This was because more participants failed the crystal orb test, so they didn't even have the opportunity to attempt the divine pillar test.
To pass the assessment, participants had to achieve at least six stars on both tests and excelling in just one wasn't enough.
In just half an hour, it was Liu Wuxie's turn again, and he took a deep breath when he stood before the Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar. He didn't know how much energy this pillar could absorb, and this meant holding back wasn't an option; he had to give it his all.
The quality of aptitude test pillars varied, and the one in the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion was of low grade.
Liu Wuxie's turn to take the assessment always attracted everyone's attention. Liu Xiucheng and Liu Dashan watched him intently, their eyes never wavering. The most critical moment had finally arrived—if Liu Wuxie could achieve six stars, he would advance to the final assessment.
His true essence began to rumble, surging within him, raging to break free and tear through the heavens. He went into the Annihilation Fist's stance, and this seemingly casual stance caught the attention of Qu Su and others.
"What a unique fist technique," Qu Su murmured.
Liu Wuxie's punch was like a comet piercing through the sky, appearing before the Mountain Piercing Divine Pillar. When his fist landed on the pillar, the entire structure shook, and a massive shockwave erupted outward, accompanied by the deafening roar of thunder that felt like an earthquake had struck.