Only after the second stage of the trial had nearly ended did Gui Yiyi kill three demon beasts of the third stage of Qi Condensation. This result was practically the lowest among the nearly 10,000 participants.
The tension in the air was palpable as every soul present realized the magnitude of the challenge at hand. Every strike, every moment in the fight played into a larger, unforgiving tapestry of fate and skill.
One must know that Gui Yiyi's cultivation was at the fourth level of Qi Condensation! At the fourth level of Qi Condensation, only three peak level Qi Condensation demonic beasts were killed. This result could be said to be very poor.
When she walked out of the Monstrous Beast Forest, Gui Yiyi's little face turned pale.
In that brief moment of silence before the final results were announced, her inner thoughts churned with disbelief and regret. She questioned every tactic used, knowing that each misstep might have sealed her fate.
She did not expect that the Monstrous Beasts in the Forest of Demon Beasts would be so terrifying. Compared to the battle today, what she had experienced in the past was simply like playing house.
Although the results had not yet come out, Gui Yiyi was certain that she would not be able to enter the list of one thousand people.
The harsh realization sank in slowly, mingling fear with disappointment. Every participant's mind raced through memories of past encounters, wondering how far they might fall when faced with such unforgiving adversity.
Gu Lan was also pale.
His performance in the trial was no better than Gui Yiyi's.
Although he had killed quite many demonic beasts at the fourth level of Qi Condensation, none of them were at the fifth level of Qi Condensation. All of them were below the fourth level of Qi Condensation!
Gui Lan had encountered a demonic beast at the fifth level of Qi Condensation before, but he was instantly suppressed as soon as they exchanged blows!
In the midst of his internal turmoil, Gu Lan's mind flashed back to countless training sessions with the Gui family's captive demonic beasts. He recalled the routine matches that once boosted his confidence—only to be shattered now by the brutal reality of genuine threat.
It wasn't that Gui Lan and even Gui Yiyi hadn't fought against demonic beasts before. Within the Gui family of Half Moon City, there were more than ten captive demonic beasts. Their strengths were different. They were all at the third, fourth, and fifth levels of Qi Condensation. Normally, the younger generations of the Gui family were frequently captured by their elders to fight with them to train their "actual combat" experience.
Originally, they had thought that the demonic beasts in the forest of demonic beasts were not much inferior to the ones in the clan. However, after the true exchange, Gui Lan and the others finally understood how naive they were.
Not much of a difference?
It was like the difference between day and night!
As the harsh light of reality illuminated the battlefield, each fighter felt the sting of their earlier hubris. Their previous training, though rigorous, paled in comparison to the life-and-death struggles of the forest.
The demon beasts that the Gui family had raised were also at the fifth level of Qi Condensation. Of those demon beasts, Gui Lan could easily defeat three. Alone!
However, any of the fifth level Qi Condensation demonic beasts that they encountered in the forest of demonic beasts was enough to easily defeat Gui Lan!
In the echo of these brutal comparisons, Gu Lan felt his confidence crumble. The gap between expected and actual power resonated like thunder throughout his being, leaving him to face the bitter lesson head-on.
At this moment, Gui Lan finally understood that there was a difference in demonic beasts that were also at the fifth level of Qi Condensation, the demonic beasts in the forest and the demonic beasts that his Gui family had raised, had battle prowess that could be described as the difference between day and night!
After the second round of the trial, a huge screen appeared above the heads of all the participants. On the screen, the results of all participants in the second round of the trial were counted.
Among them, was Yang Hong!
At the first stage, Yang Hong was ranked first with his 16th Bone Age and 7th Qi Condensation. During the second round, Yang Hong was still the first! The undisputed number one!
Every eye in the square now turned to the luminous display, the numbers dancing in the air as if sealing each contestant's destiny. A hush fell over the crowd—a moment suspended in time before the roar of cheers and murmurs exploded.
Looking at the battle accomplishments displayed on the big screen, Gui Lan's head let out a cry of shock. He was so shocked that he couldn't speak.
Yang Hong's ranking: 1st place, Achievements: 3, eighth level Qi Condensation and 12, seventh level Qi Condensation demonic beasts!
That was because Yang Hong's cultivation base was only at the seventh level of Qi Condensation. However, three demon beasts had died in his hands, and they were at the eighth level of Qi Condensation!
They were above his rank!
Yang Hong's astonishing performance rewrote the expectations of what seemed possible. His seemingly modest cultivation level was no match for his overwhelming ferocity and skill—a fact that left even the most experienced warriors in stunned admiration.
Gui Lan knew very well how terrifying those demon beasts in the Demonic Beast Forest were. Not to mention crossing levels, it would be extremely difficult to defeat one at the same level, let alone kill them.
As for Yang Hong, not only had he killed twelve demon beasts of the same cultivation realm, but he had also killed three demon beasts of the eighth level of Qi Condensation!
Yang Hong could be said to have explained to Gui Lan and everyone else present what a genius was.
Below Yang Hong was a woman named Bai Qingwu.
Although Bai Qingwu wasn't outstanding during the first round of the test, during the second round of the trial, she was extremely outstanding. She had used her cultivation base of the fifth level of Qi Condensation to kill two, sixth level Qi Condensation and five, fifth level Qi Condensation demonic beasts!
They were also above her rank!
Even amidst the overwhelming prowess of Yang Hong, Bai Qingwu's performance did not go unnoticed. Her rise during the second stage served as a testament to the unpredictable nature of strength in this brutal contest, adding layers of complexity to the final rankings.
Below the two of them, no one had any high-level combat strength.
Gui Lan's gaze continuously shifted downwards. Soon, he found his ranking at the bottom of the list of nearly ten thousand people.
Gui Lan's Ranking: 6533 Achievements: 4, fourth Level, and 5, third level demonic beast.
On the other side, Gui Yiyi also saw her ranking.
Gui Yiyi's ranking: 9015 Achievements: 3, third level demonic beasts.
In that dismal moment when digital numbers defined their fate, both Gui Lan and Gui Yiyi felt a profound pang of disappointment. The scale of success was measured harshly, and each lower ranking was a scar borne in front of their peers.
Although Gui Lan had long since guessed that his results would not be too good, he hadn't expected that he would be ranked as low as six thousand…
Gui Lan even took a look at Wang Family's Wang Fei's ranking. It was over 8,000, even lower than him. For some reason, after seeing Wang Fei's ranking, Gui Lan heaved a sigh of relief.
Fortunately, that fellow did not enter and was ranked below him.
In a twist of fate, even a small mercy could offer a glimmer of solace. A sigh of relief broke through the desolation—a silent acknowledgment that, perhaps, not all was lost in this brutal game of survival.
"The second round of the trial has been completed. Those ranked in the top 1,000 will become our Profound Sword Sect's outer sect disciples." An elder of the Sword Profound Sect who was at the high level of the Soul Condensation Realm took a step forward and headed towards the people in the square below.
"Hahaha... I am a disciple of the Sword Profound Sect! From now on, I'll see who dares to look down on me!"
"Sigh ... It was over. To enter the Sword Profound Sect, I had spent countless resources in the past few years. In the end…I couldn't enter."
As jubilant boasts mingled with bitter laments, the square buzzed with the conflicting sounds of victory and defeat. Every voice echoed the shared sentiment—hope and despair stood side by side in the wake of this trial.
The square was extremely noisy. The people on the list of thousands of people were naturally extremely excited. With the words Sword Profound Sect disciples, if they returned to their hometown, they would receive the attention of countless people. Even some powers stronger than them might not dare to do anything to them because the Sword Profound Sect stood behind them!
Those who had not been selected were filled with mixed feelings.
Among them, there was no lack of "geniuses" that had been nurtured by their clans and infused with countless resources. Now that they had not been selected, one could imagine how disappointed the clan would be towards them after they returned.
In this chaotic mix of elation and sorrow, every participant confronted the reality of their own limits. The trial, ruthless as it was, separated the destined few from the many, leaving a trail of disillusionment in its wake.
However, no matter what, the second round of the trial was over.
"Other than the top one thousand, there are also some other people. Although they are not in the top one thousand, each of your performances has been seen by the elders of the Profound Sword Sect. Next, I'll say my name. First of all, I want to congratulate you all on becoming disciples of our sect!"
The elder of the Profound Sword Sect, who had been silent for a moment, spoke again.
The crowd's tension reached its peak as his voice resonated like a thunderclap through the square. In that electrifying moment, every heart beat in unison with the sound of both triumph and impending change.
His words were like a thunderclap the entire square.
Countless people once again lit up with hope.
Even though the trace of hope was extremely slim, it still existed!
Thus, amid the swirling emotions and the echo of ancient battles, every participant was left with a singular realization—that while the trial had ended, their journey was only just beginning. With hope, regret, and resolve intermingled in their hearts, the stage was set for the future challenges that lay ahead.