Chapter 470: Xuanjin Nine Soul Cage
Zhao Dong smiled disdainfully and strode to the center of the square.
Once the hundred-plus qualified cultivators had all entered the central field, the young man with the folding fan from before stepped forward once again.
The young man bowed with a smile. "First, congratulations on successfully qualifying for the Teaching Assembly. I will now explain the rules."
"This Teaching Assembly is divided into three trials, and you will receive points for each one. The person with the most cumulative points after all three trials will be this assembly's champion. That person will earn the qualification to go to the Qingyun Sect and 'wash the essence and marrow'. Thus, I hope you all give it your best and do not squander this opportunity!"
"Rest assured, we will definitely give it our all!"
"Esteemed one, please announce the trials quickly! We can hardly wait!"
The crowd was rubbing their hands, raring to go.
The young man nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand to silence the crowd's uproar.
"The first trial will test your Physical Power. The second trial will test the strength of your Spiritual Power. The third will be a combat segment to test your overall strength and fighting skill."
With that, the young man pointed to the blood-red iron cages all around. "These are called Xuanjin Nine Soul Cages. Once a cultivator enters, the cage will erupt with a special flame called the Burning Sky Strange Fire."
"Although these flames won't truly harm you, the pain is unbearable."
"All of you will now enter these Xuanjin Nine Soul Cages. You will earn points based on the length of time you can endure inside. Understood?"
"Understood! It's just a little fire, right? We cultivators are tough-skinned. Why would we be afraid of some flames?"
"Hurry up and let us in! I could sleep in there for three days and three nights!"
"This trial is just a freebie. Too easy!"
The crowd was raring to go, clearly underestimating the Xuanjin Nine Soul Cage. Cultivators possessed strong physiques, and to them, ordinary fire felt like little more than an itch. How could it possibly harm them?
Seeing the crowd's disdain, however, the young man's lips curled into a strange smile. His gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Zhao Dong.
Oh? His expression is serious. He's not looking down on the Xuanjin Nine Soul Cage like the others?
The young man felt a flicker of curiosity, but it quickly passed. He waved his hand and announced, "Alright, since you're all so eager, I declare the trial has officially begun!"
"Choose a nearby cage and enter. Once everyone is inside, the trial will begin for all of you at the same time!"
At his words, the crowd erupted. Everyone scrambled for the cages.
Zhao Dong also walked to the nearest cage and stepped inside. The moment he did, the heavy iron gate slammed shut.
A strange force instantly enveloped Zhao Dong. Under its influence, he felt that over ninety percent of the Spiritual Energy in his Dantian was suppressed. Only a minuscule amount remained, just enough to activate a trace of his bloodline's power.
Zhao Dong reached out to touch the red chains on the cage, but the instant he made contact, a sharp, stabbing pain shot through him.
"This cage is an amazing artifact!" Zhao Dong's eyes filled with surprise. If this were used to imprison an expert, I bet even a Martial Saint would have a hard time escaping. This Xuanjin Nine Soul Cage must have been designed to hold prisoners; they've just repurposed it as a tool for this trial.
Zhao Dong didn't dare to be complacent. He scanned his surroundings again, trying to uncover more of the cage's secrets before the trial began.
The other cultivators who had entered the cages also wore grave expressions. Now that they felt the cage's extraordinary power, none of them dared to maintain their earlier disdain.
Once everyone was inside their cages, the young man proclaimed loudly, "All cultivators are in position! I declare the trial... officially underway!"
As his voice fell—
THUD! THUD! THUD!
Over a hundred dull thuds echoed across the field as the blood-red Xuanjin Nine Soul Cages erupted simultaneously, unleashing clusters of crimson flames that instantly engulfed the cultivators inside!
"AHH! IT HURTS! IT HURTS! AHHH!"
Almost instantly, cultivators with weaker Physical Power burst into agonized screams.
"I can't take it! Let me out! Let me out now! AHHH!"
"I can't go on! I withdraw! I withdraw!"
"AHHH!"
In just a minute, some had already started shouting to forfeit. The flames in their cages vanished instantly. They emerged drenched in sweat, their faces pale. To the relief of the onlookers, their bodies were completely unharmed. Some of the dropouts were still shaking with lingering fear, while others beat their chests and stamped their feet in regret.
Within five minutes, half of the hundred-plus contestants had chosen to forfeit. The watching crowd clenched their sweaty fists, staring nervously at the remaining cages. It was as if they were participants themselves, not just spectators.
Unlike the first ones out, those who lasted longer than five minutes all possessed relatively tough physiques. Gritting their teeth, they endured the scorching torture of the Burning Sky Strange Fire, relying on the last shred of Spiritual Energy they could summon and their own formidable Physical Power.
After a few more minutes, however, many of them had turned pale. Their bodies trembled violently, and large, bean-sized beads of sweat soaked their backs. They were on the verge of collapse.
THUD!
Finally, a cultivator who could no longer hold on collapsed unconscious, kicking off the second wave of eliminations.
One after another, more screams came from the cages, but most who were eliminated now simply passed out from the pain.
「Half an hour later.」
The hundred-plus fiercely burning cages had dwindled down to just the last four.
Four people remained: three men and one woman. One of the men and the woman both appeared to be older, around forty years old. The other two were Xiao Qitian and... Zhao Dong!
Zhao Dong sat cross-legged inside his iron cage. His fists were clenched, his jaw was locked tight, and his face was pale, the muscles twitching uncontrollably.
The Burning Sky Strange Fire might not cause any true damage, but the pervasive, stinging pain was like countless arrows piercing his heart or hundreds of insects gnawing on his bones.
The intense pain had threatened to overwhelm Zhao Dong's consciousness several times. His Body Transformation Technique was already fully active, and beneath his reddened skin, golden blood flowed rapidly.
At this stage, physical strength was no longer the deciding factor. Strength of will was the true path to victory!
Enduring the excruciating pain, Zhao Dong forced his head up slightly, his gaze meeting Xiao Qitian's, who was also looking at him.
Xiao Qitian didn't look much better, but his condition was clearly superior to Zhao Dong's. A faint black light flickered across his body, which seemed to be some kind of Body Refining Technique.
A flash of disdain appeared in his eyes. Forcing the words through the intense pain, he sneered, "Zhao Dong! You're no match for me. Just give up now!"