The air crackled with anticipation as the trial began. No one knew what the trial actually was, but the voice had said to survive till the end until it ended. Meaning that there was lot to come and if they could withstand it, then they could be a student of the divine pavillion academy.A shimmering, iridescent portal, pulsating with an inner light, materialized in the heart of the volcanic region. Faint whispers rippled through the air and as everyone realized this was part of the trial.
The portal shimmered and pulsed, radiating a subtle energy signature that seemed to resonate with the very ground beneath their feet. Some group of people exchanged a silent glance, a shared understanding of the stakes. While some just stayed and watched with nonchalance.
These people did not listen to the instruction that the voice had said, instead, they wanted to survive this all by themselves and get whatsoever reward they found for themselves.
While this may sound smart, it was in fact very foolish since the more numbers you had, the more of chances of doing anything increases and relying on just your own strength alone was dumb.
Because while in fact they could get any treasures they find by themselves, but they could not join in the fight were numbers were crucial.This wasn't just a test of individual strength; it was a crucible forged to test their unity, their ability to work together, and their adaptability in the face of overwhelming odds. Either that or the voice that spoke earlier was just messing with them and whoever could get to the top among the one thousand would enter. After all, not everyone liked listening to instructions and some of them preferred being alone.
The portal, a shimmering gateway to an unknown dimension, beckoned them. Some group, now a cohesive unit, stepped forward, their steps firm and purposeful, their auras intertwined into a single, unified energy field. They had already started to act like a group and were prepared for what could happen the moment they stepped in.
Mitchell watched with a cold gaze. He had already decided that he and Ange would go after everyone else has gone. There was just two of them and people would come over to snatch whatever they had on them.
It turned out that not only Mitchell and Ange were thinking in the same direction, some others also waited for the majority to go before following suit.
Mitchell and Ange were still waiting when a burly cultivator approached them. He had a scar on his face and it made him hideous. He came over and said in a menacing voice
"Give me your spatial rings and I will let you live" he smiled evilly and with the scar on his face he looked ghastly.
Mitchell sneered inwardly 'Only the fourth stage of foundation building and he thinks he can bully us. What makes him think something like that.'
It was unknown to them that their pretty faces and the dark expression on their faces, everyone thought they were afraid and maybe also because of their expensive looking robes, everyone think that they were the children of a rich cultivator who spared no expenses in providing resources of them and their level of cultivation was such only because of that. They guessed as well that they would have no experience fighting so when Mitchell contorted his face in a light frown and a purple sword appeared in his hands, everyone thought he was just showing up until he calmly slashed at the burly man in front of him.
The sword cut him from his waist upwards and he died instantly. Not even having the chance to circulate his qi once. Blood splashed on Mitchell's face but he was calm. He had already taken it within himself that anyone he would attack he would treat them like animals and be slayed like such.
Maybe it was because of the calm aura of the purple moon that made him have a completely cool head and think about things in the most rational way possible or the crimson dragons primitive instinct that was leading him, Mitchell spared no glance at the body and instead looked at the several cultivators around him.
He wanted them to witness this and have small fear towards them that in the future, they would think twice before trying to meet them.
Ange was pale for some seconds at Mitchell's sudden nonchalance and at the swift yet slow death of the cultivator in front of her.
In her mind, the Mitchell she had a spar with a couple of months ago was not as brutal and nonchalant towards death like this. This was the true reason why she turned pale.
Nobody said anything and until there were few of them remaining that was when Mitchell and Ange decided to step into the portal.
As they stepped through the portal, the landscape changed drastically, the volcanic terrain shifting into a strange, alien forest. The mountain was still as tall as ever but it was now they knew how far away from the base they were. This was just the first relocation inscription. It was here because the distance from here to the previous point they were before was too large and large amount of time would be needed before they could reach there.
The air hung thick with a humid, almost suffocating, atmosphere. Twisted, gnarled trees, their bark a deep, unsettling purple, clawed at the sky. Strange, luminescent fungi pulsed with an erratic rhythm, casting an ethereal red glow on the forest floor. The sounds were otherworldly – a chorus of guttural groans and rustling whispers echoing from within the dense foliage.
Ange and Mitchell exchanged solemn glances, the gravitas of the situation settling heavily on them. The island was far larger and more complex than it had seemed at first glance. The trial wasn't a simple engagement—it demanded adaptability, strategy, and an unyielding connection amongst their members.
Immediately, the elemental adept, a young man with unassuming eyes, began to analyze the environment and its nuances. The forest seemed to adjust to their approach. Twigs snapped, leaves rustled, and the iridescent fungi pulsed with more intensity. He pointed out strange patterns—the rhythms of the luminescent fungi seemed synchronised to the group he just joined.
The woman with the fire aura, sensing the threat, quickly moved to the front, shielding the others with her controlled flame. Her strength was instrumental to their immediate survival. The young man displayed impressive strength, his movements swift and powerful, taking out any obstacles they encountered in the first few hours.
The earth mage, meanwhile, carefully monitored their footfalls, anticipating the shifting terrain and preventing any undue strain on the group.
Mitchell and Ange quickly departed once again from the midst of people and and went in a random direction that was still towards the mountain.
Hours turned into an unrelenting march through this hostile forest. The pair faced peculiar challenges: areas where the ground shifted and twisted, seemingly mimicking the paths they took; areas where the air grew unusually hot or cold, testing their endurance and adaptabilty and also using thsi opportunity to get used to the different terrain they would have to pass. As the trial progressed, the duo passed by and met several beasts on the way. They made short work of them since they were in the early stages of foundation building.
Their combined wisdom, honed by the trials, guided them. They discovered that the city's inherent magical energies were not just flowing through structures, but resonating within the very hearts of its citizens. The discord wasn't a magical imbalance, but a societal one, a fracturing of the collective consciousness.
Fear, suspicion, and a lack of understanding had eroded the harmony that had once sustained the city.
Using their combined knowledge, they addressed specific concerns. Mitchell, skilled in the art of frontal attacks worked with Ange and would deal swiftly with strong beats that were stages higher than them. If fact with Ange's Immortal Ghost Monarch she was burdened with finishing attacks . He discovered that ingrained fears were disrupting the flow of qi energy within them, causing a ripple effect throughout the whole abandoned city.
They worked not in isolation, but in tandem, their actions a dance of coordinated support. They organized planned ambush, and picked out strong beasts to kill. These beasta that were wandering around and killing them would be a problem especially with the affinity they had towards fire and in this terrain, they had an extra boost in attack power. Slowly, subtly, the discordant note between them began to fade, replaced by a harmonious melody.
As they worked, a deeper truth unfurled. The trials weren't just about mastering power, but about understanding the delicate connections between people and their connections with qi.
Even with as much distance as they had covered, it still made no difference. The distance was too far and they had to avoid stronger people and beasts so as to avoid unnecessary fights.