Chapter 158: Chapter 137: Fall! Flight!
Chapter 158: Chapter 137: Fall! Flight!
"Is this the 'Sky Extreme Cliff's Ninety-Nine Floating Peaks'?"
As the flying boat carrying all the young candidates shuttled through the void and came to a stop in the sky above a secret area west of the Taixuan Sect, all the youths were stunned by the scene before their eyes.
Above their heads were gigantic mountain peaks floating in the air, each peak higher than the last, rising up in a staggered fashion; the peaks at the very top were already too distant to see clearly.
On either side of the Floating Peaks were clusters of white clouds, and looking down was also a vast sea of clouds; it was impossible to determine how high these Floating Peaks were or how deep the space below them was.
Countless giant vines, several meters thick, hung down from the Floating Peaks, swaying ceaselessly in the endless gales that blew between the peaks and the sea of clouds.
The youths stood on the flying boat, beneath the Floating Peaks, feeling the ferocity of these gales, their garments fluttering loudly in the wind.
The swaying of those thick vines revealed that the gales above were even more tremendous, even more fierce!
Not just the gales—looking up at the Floating Peaks above their heads, the youths could occasionally see massive flying Demon Beasts, dozens of meters in length, flying in and out of the peaks with heart-palpitating screeches.
Looking even higher, they could catch a glimpse of enormous black shadows, hundreds of meters long, circling in the air above the endless Floating Peaks.
Great Demons!
Those enormous black shadows, hundreds of meters long, were presumably the Great Demons that lived atop the highest thirty-three peaks, creatures comparable to warriors of the Spirit Sea Realm!
Seeing the countless gigantic Floating Peaks suspended in the void, the huge vines cascading down from the sky, hearing the whistling of the winds and the roars and hisses of Demon Beasts and Great Demons.
All the youths were filled with excitement and nervousness!
This was the secret location of the Taixuan Sect, a gathering place for countless flying Demon Beasts—Sky Extreme Cliff's Ninety-Nine Floating Peaks!
This was where the young candidates for the selection of true disciples were about to begin the third and fourth rounds of the assessment!
"The top thirty-three of the Ninety-Nine Floating Peaks!"
"Great Demons, flying Great Demons!"
Aboard the flying boat, Ye Chen's gaze was fixed on the highest part of the floating peaks, looking at those terrifyingly large black shadows.
The topmost Floating Peaks were his target to climb!
The Great Demons at the very top were his quarry to capture!
When the flying boat docked next to the lowest, the first Floating Peak, all the youths knew that their practical assessment was about to officially begin!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
As the flying boat approached the first Floating Peak, numerous streaks of Escaping Light also stopped next to that lowest, the first Floating Peak.
Fairy Jia Luo and other Rotating Pill Realm powerhouses, along with Jiang Yao and other Spirit Sea Realm disciples, stood in the void next to the flying boat.
"The rules for the third and fourth rounds of the assessment have been explained to you!"
"Now, begin your final two rounds of assessment!"
"However you perform and whatever your final score, we will be watching!"
"Summon your greatest strength, climb the 'Sky-Scaling Vine' while ensuring your own safety, and capture the flying Demon Beasts!"
"The assessment time for the third and fourth rounds is one hour; I will record the heights you climb, and once you capture a flying Demon Beast, ride it under this first Floating Peak, and that will count as a successful capture!"
"Now, begin the true practical assessment!"
As Fairy Jia Luo announced the start of the assessment, each of the candidates leapt from the flying boat, alighting on the first Floating Peak below.
Then, one after another, these figures grabbed onto the 'Sky-Scaling Vines' hanging down and began to climb towards the second Floating Peak above.
The Floating Peaks below were easier to climb; before long, there were figures who had climbed to the second and even third Floating Peaks.
"Ye Chen, be careful!"
At this moment, Jiang Yao flew towards Ye Chen, who was still aboard the flying boat, her eyes full of concern.
Ye Chen walked over to Jiang Yao, patted the girl's head, and said with a smile, "Don't worry, wait for me to bring down a Great Demon!"
With a light laugh, Ye Chen's figure dashed forward, descending onto the first Floating Peak.
After landing on the first Floating Peak, Ye Chen looked up at the Sky-Scaling Vines hanging down from the sky and the Floating Peaks rising one above the other; with a slight movement of his body, he drifted onto a thick vine.
With one hand effortlessly grasping the Sky-Scaling Vine and the other waving to Jiang Yao, he then moved swiftly, shooting towards the second Floating Peak above like a bolt of lightning.
When all the youths had descended from the flying boat and entered the climb, the Rotating Pill Realm powerhouses and Spirit Sea Realm disciples all turned their gaze towards the figures on the Floating Peaks, observing closely.
"It's uncertain how they will fare in this practical assessment."
"Who knows who will perish in this life-and-death trial, who will be able to capture powerful flying Demon Beasts, or even Great Demons? The selection for the true disciples is now down to these last two rounds—we shall see their performance!"
The eight peak masters of the Taixuan Sect's inner sect watched with intense focus as the youths continuously climbed higher into the sky.
The other Rotating Pill Realm powerhouses and Spirit Sea Realm disciples had their attention on just a few individuals, such as Ye Chen and Yu Luoxuan.
"Between Ye Chen and Yu Luoxuan, who will come out on top in these last two rounds of assessment? Will Ye Chen continue to lead, or will Yu Luoxuan, the most anticipated, make a comeback and overtake him?"
Everyone awaited the final outcome with anticipation.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Amidst the sea of clouds, under the watchful eyes of the countless powerhouses standing in the void, and as numerous disciples of the sect watched the giant screen in the main square, over nine hundred candidates had begun their frantic climb of the Ninety-Nine Floating Peaks of Sky Extreme Cliff!
The thirty-three Floating Peaks at the bottom were a bit easier to climb, and soon, the majority of the youths had managed to get to around the twentieth Floating Peak. Leading the pack was Yu Luoxuan; she had impressively reached the thirty-ninth Floating Peak, advancing into the middle section of the Ninety-Nine Floating Peaks!
"Where's Ye Chen?"
All the spectators watching the assessment were searching for Ye Chen among the crowd, only to find him in the middle of the pack, moving upwards steadily, neither fast nor slow.
"How come Ye Chen isn't performing as well this time? He's fallen far behind Yu Luoxuan!"
"Could it be, the life-threatening reality of this practical assessment has intimidated him?"
As Yu Luoxuan kept a substantial lead and Ye Chen fell increasingly behind, many of the spectators started to murmur among themselves.
At that moment, Ye Chen, who was climbing the fifteenth Floating Peak, couldn't hear nor cared to pay attention to the astonishment of the onlookers. He covered every Floating Peak with his Divine Sense as he climbed, scrutinizing them closely.
"Incredible! These mountains, floating in the void and rising higher and higher, are truly amazing!"
"These places seem as if they are naturally born realms for flying Demon Beasts!"
Scaling the Ninety-Nine Floating Peaks posed little difficulty for Ye Chen, and he didn't even need to use his Wind-Thunder Wings, simply ascending using the Wind Thunder Movement Skills.
The duration of the assessment, a mere hour, was more than enough for him to enjoy the breathtaking views of the sky.
Even when Ye Chen encountered seventh or eighth order Demon Beasts while climbing, a mere release of his True Qi pressure was enough to send those flying beasts scramming in all directions, not daring to approach him.
Ye Chen moved up with ease, but other disciples didn't have such a relaxed journey.
Yu Luoxuan was still doing relatively well, maintaining her lead and, true to her earlier statement, she was indeed aiming for the Great Demon at the very top.
As for those who had reached the thirty-third Floating Peak, they increasingly felt the strain.
On one hand, the higher they climbed, the more violent the winds above became. Even as they held onto the Sky-Scaling Vines, they would be blown about, swaying in the wind with the vines.
On the other hand, the higher they climbed, the more powerful the flying beasts became, to the point that they might even be ambushed by beasts of the tenth or eleventh order!
This made many of the youths suddenly aware of the danger they were in.
Approximately a quarter of an hour into the third round of the assessment, a youth who had climbed to the thirty-sixth Floating Peak was caught in a wild sway by the fierce winds and suddenly, a black-feathered giant eagle, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight meters long, appeared by his side.
As soon as it emerged, the giant eagle let out a sharp screech and lunged at the youth with its open beak, its wings stirring up relentless gusts of wind.
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The already frantic sway had startled the youth out of his wits, and the sudden cry and assault from the black-feathered giant eagle caused his hands to shake in terror.
In an instant, he was blown off the Sky-Scaling Vine, and by the time he tried to catch it again, it was too late. He could no longer reach the vine.
Falling!
The youth suddenly started plummeting downwards!
"Crap!"
"Someone's falling!"
The youths climbing below him saw a figure falling rapidly from above and were so scared that everyone stopped their ascent.
Everyone looked up at the falling figure.
Fairy Jia Luo had said that in the practical assessment, there could be life-or-death dangers. Now, was a youth about to die during this assessment?
"Heavens!"
"He's falling down!"
Outside the Taixuan Sect, at the plaza before the mountain gate, countless disciples watching the giant screen gasped in shock when they saw the youth suddenly falling.
"A life-and-death assessment!"
"A practical assessment!"
Below the Floating Peaks, the Rotating Pill Realm experts shook their heads as they watched the falling youth, but none of them made a move.
Since it was a practical assessment, those participating had to face the consequences of their choices. If they stepped in, it would undermine the purpose of the assessment.
Even as disciples from the Spirit Sea Realm like Jiang Yao couldn't bear to watch the youth die and wished to rescue him, they were stopped by the Rotating Pill Realm experts.
Although they were all clenched with anxiety as the youth fell, they could not interfere!
A practical assessment was just that, a practical assessment!
All they could do was watch the youth scream in terror and fall helplessly!
Just when everyone thought the youth was certainly going to die, suddenly, within the assessment area, at the twentieth Floating Peak among the Ninety-Nine Peaks, a figure abruptly took flight.
This figure sprouted massive silver wings on its back and flew at breakneck speed towards the falling youth.
Within the assessment area, only the youths participating in the selection for the true disciples were present, and these youths were all in the True Qi Realm, incapable of flight.
Yet now, a figure that could fly had suddenly appeared.
This sight made all the spectators, already terrified by the falling youth, widen their eyes in disbelief.
When they made out the silver wings and recognized the youth swiftly flying forth, everyone cried out in astonishment, "It's Ye Chen, the one who's been scaling the peaks at a steady pace!"
"He, he can actually fly!"