Only after the second stage of the trial was nearly complete did Gui Yiyi manage to kill three demon beasts of the third stage of Qi Condensation. The result was a devastating blow—practically the lowest of all the nearly 10,000 participants.
The tension in the air was so thick it seemed to press against every chest, every breath held in anticipation. The vast crowd watched in near silence, understanding the weight of every single moment, every strike. This was not merely a trial; it was a test of survival, of destiny. Every movement carried with it the possibility of triumph or failure, and the consequences of failure were too severe to bear.
At the fourth level of Qi Condensation, Gui Yiyi's performance seemed almost tragic. She had slain only three peak-level Qi Condensation demon beasts. It was a result that barely met the expectations of those around her, much less the ones she had set for herself. The bitterness of inadequacy gnawed at her with every step she took out of the Demon Beast Forest.
Her face was pale, her gaze unfocused as the adrenaline drained from her body. In the space between the trial's conclusion and the announcement of the final results, her thoughts spiraled. She replayed every moment, every movement, every decision in her mind, questioning herself with growing despair. Had she made the wrong choice at every turn? Were her actions the cause of her failure? The possibility that her every mistake had sealed her fate, that this trial might end her journey here, was almost too much to bear.
The Monstrous Beasts of the forest had been nothing like the training she had faced in Half Moon City. What had seemed like a world of difference between the beasts in the clan's care and those in the forest had, in reality, been the difference between mere children playing in a sandpit and warriors facing a battlefield. Nothing had prepared her for the ferocity, the overwhelming strength of the demon beasts she'd encountered here.
Gui Yiyi could already feel it deep in her heart—the certainty that she would not be among the top thousand. It was a harsh, suffocating truth, one she had already begun to accept even before the results had been announced. Fear, disappointment, and a terrible sense of failure mixed in her chest, sending ripples of regret through her very being. She wasn't even sure how to face her family after this.
At her side, Gui Lan's situation was no better. He was equally pale, equally disheartened. Though he had slain numerous demon beasts of the fourth level of Qi Condensation, none were above his cultivation level. None had been a challenge. He had faced a fifth-level beast only once, and it had been a one-sided massacre. The beast had torn through his defenses as if they were paper, and the terror of that encounter still haunted him, lingering in his mind.
His thoughts, too, turned inward, recalling the countless training sessions back in Half Moon City. The Gui family had always prided themselves on their realistic training methods, using captured demon beasts to test and hone their strength. But nothing had prepared him for the harsh reality of battle. The beasts they had raised, though formidable, were nothing compared to the truly wild creatures in the Demon Beast Forest. It had been a wake-up call—one that shattered his naive sense of security.
What had seemed like a mere difference in strength between beasts of the same rank had turned out to be an abyssal gap. The captured beasts, although dangerous, were no match for the wild beasts of the forest in terms of battle prowess. The difference between the fifth-level Qi Condensation beasts the Gui family had raised and those in the forest was the difference between night and day. The cruelty of that realization hit Gui Lan with the force of a hammer.
Even as the second round of the trial concluded, a giant screen materialized above the crowd, casting an ethereal glow as it displayed the rankings of all participants. A wave of murmurs spread through the square as the numbers flickered to life, each one announcing the fate of the thousands who had fought.
Among the names that lit up the screen was Yang Hong.
Having dominated the first round with his impressive display of strength, Yang Hong remained unchallenged at the top of the leaderboard. He had come into this second round with high expectations, and he had surpassed them with ease.
His ranking was now displayed in blinding light: First place. Achievements: 3, eighth-level Qi Condensation beasts; 12, seventh-level Qi Condensation beasts.
The crowd fell into a stunned silence as Yang Hong's accomplishments flashed on the screen. He had killed three demon beasts of the eighth level—beasts that outclassed him in cultivation—and twelve more of the seventh level. His display was a true testament to his power, skill, and unrelenting determination.
Gui Lan stared at the screen in a state of disbelief, his mind struggling to comprehend the enormity of Yang Hong's feat. Even without crossing levels, defeating a demon beast of equal cultivation was an arduous task. Yet Yang Hong had done the impossible, slaying beasts far above his level. His power was undeniable, and Gui Lan could not help but feel a deep sense of inadequacy. Yang Hong had redefined what it meant to be a genius.
Below Yang Hong, the name of Bai Qingwu appeared. Though she hadn't stood out in the first round, her performance in the second stage had been nothing short of remarkable. At the fifth level of Qi Condensation, she had slain two sixth-level beasts and five at the fifth level—beasts stronger than herself. Her rise in the rankings was a testament to the unpredictable nature of this brutal contest. She had proven that strength didn't always follow the obvious path, and her performance earned her a spot in the hearts of the spectators.
But beneath those two names, the other rankings were far less impressive. Gui Lan's eyes continued to scan the list until he found his own name. His heart sank as his rank materialized: 6533rd. Achievements: 4, fourth-level demon beasts; 5, third-level demon beasts.
And then, with an almost crushing inevitability, he found Gui Yiyi's name: 9015th. Achievements: 3, third-level demon beasts.
The realization hit like a cold wave. Their results were dismal, their performances far below what they had hoped for. Disappointment, bitter and unrelenting, settled in their hearts. The weight of their failure seemed unbearable. The scale of success was so unforgiving, the numbers cold and final in their judgment.
Gui Lan had expected to do poorly, but not this poorly. He had never imagined he would fall so low. His eyes wandered over to Wang Fei's rank, only to find that the Wang Family disciple had fared even worse, ranking over 8,000. For a brief moment, Gui Lan felt a flicker of relief. At least Wang Fei had failed too.
But that small comfort did little to ease the suffocating weight of his own failure.
The elder in charge of the trial, a figure cloaked in the aura of power, stepped forward as the tension in the square reached a fever pitch. His voice rang out, booming over the crowd.
"The second round of the trial has been completed. Those ranked in the top one thousand will become outer sect disciples of the Profound Sword Sect," he announced, his words cutting through the hushed silence like a sword through the air.
The cheers of the selected disciples erupted in a cacophony, their voices filled with joy and triumph. They had earned their place, and the prestige of becoming a disciple of the Profound Sword Sect was theirs to claim. To return home as a disciple of such a prestigious sect would earn them the respect of their peers, the admiration of their families, and the protection of the Sect itself.
But for those who had failed, the atmosphere was one of crushed dreams, of promises broken. Some wore faces of quiet acceptance, others of furious regret, but all shared a single, unspoken realization: the road ahead was no longer the one they had imagined.
"The top one thousand have earned their place. However, there are others here who, while not in the top ranks, have also shown exceptional promise," the elder continued, his tone shifting. "Though you may not have made it into the top one thousand, the elders of the Profound Sword Sect have seen your potential. For you, too, the journey is not over."
A flicker of hope sparked in the eyes of those who had failed. The crowd's tension rose once more, and for a brief, heart-stopping moment, it seemed as if anything was still possible.
The second round had ended, but for those who had failed, the true battle had only just begun. Their futures hung in the balance, suspended on the slender thread of a single, fragile hope.