John sat on the light bridge in silent pain, resisting the constant pressure of the trial. The trial not only tested body, dantian, and soul talent, but also willpower. Only those with incredibly firm wills would be able to resist the pain of this trial.
Those with even slightly weaker wills would eventually be overcome by the trial, and either go mad, or give up. Either way, they would perish.
Even for John, with his great pain tolerance, the trial was driving him to the edge. However, he resisted the pain as best he could, while he allowed the mysterious pressure to slowly but surely cleanse and strengthen his body and soul.
John sat there with no concern for the passage of time. He no longer knew how long he had been sitting there, and no longer cared. His body and soul were going through immense changes, allowing him to ascend in power once more.
A foul smelling black substance began to emit from his pores, as all the impurities within his body were forcefully removed by the pressure. John steeled his mind and resisted the smell, as he continued to expel all the impurities from his body.
As he did so, he could tell that the quality of every cell in his body improved, and that his Qi seemed to flow easier within his body, unhindered by the impurities that existed there before.
The process continued for several hours, until no more impurities were expelled. John finally opened his eyes after sitting on the bridge for an unknown amount of time. Qi flared from his body, washing away all the impurities with great force. His robe had been sullied, and so he threw his robe away, quickly donning a new one.
John quickly sent his divine sense to inspect his body. His skin now glowed slightly with a lustrous sheen, smooth and flawless. His muscles rippled with incredible power, while his blood flowed cleanly and purely. His body looked like it was carved from marble.
His soul now resisted the pressure with much more ease. John spread his divine sense outwards, and was surprised to find it had nearly doubled in the distance it could reach. Both his soul and his body had gone through immense changes.
John smiled at the great changes within his body, as he slowly stood up and stretched his legs.
"I must have been sitting there for days, or even weeks. I can't really tell, but I can tell my body has been purified to immense levels, and my talent and power improved!"
It had been an arduous time, and even John felt like he was going to go mad from the pain at times, but he always grit his teeth and steeled his mind, pushing through the pain.
The pressure washing down on John felt much less severe now, and John felt himself able to move much more freely than before. He began to walk forward, his pace much more relaxed than before.
Boom!
Each step caused the light bridge to quake from the force of his steps. John's bones creaked from each step, but he was able to withstand the pain and walk forward.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
His pace remained steady as he walked forward, eventually spotting the end of the light bridge. Solid ground was visible at the far end, and John's eyes lit up at the sight of it. Fog washed over the land, making him unable to peer deeply within it, but he could tell that it was the end of this trial.
He quickened his pace, doing his best to ignore the pressure of the trial, which was the greatest at the very end. His breathing became heavy.
However, his quick forward momentum suddenly came to a near halt, as if he had run into a wall.
John felt the pressure nearly solidify, and he felt like he was trapped in quicksand. The end of the trial was a mere dozen yards away, but the pressure at the very end of the trial was incredible, not allowing him to move forward. Not only that, but the pain had amplified several fold, nearly driving him mad before he stabilized his mind and soul.
John thought about sitting here and cultivating like before, but quickly washed the idea out of his head. The pressure was far too great to do such a thing. If he attempted to do so, the only result would be his death.
"I need to push through as quickly as possible."
Supreme Battle Art!
John activated his second strongest body state and began to press forward.
Boom!
Boom!
The ground quaked with every step, as John was able to slowly but surely move forward in this state against the pressure. Every step increased the pressure even more, pushing both his body and mind to the brink of collapse.
"Just...a...bit...more!"
At the very last step, John found himself unable to continue, despite using the Supreme Battle Art.
Immortal Asura Transformation Art!
His body suddenly surged with incredible power, giving him the strength needed to step forward.
Boom!
John's foot finally stepped forward, breaking free of the final hurdle. It slammed powerfully on the solid ground, and John quickly stepped onto it. He quickly deactivated the transformation art, making sure to keep his beast blood essence reserves as high as possible.
John collapsed to the ground and began to breathe heavily. Sweat dripped down his body as he struggled to catch his breath. The trial had truly been both incredibly hard, as well as incredibly painful. However, he had managed to pass it, relieving him greatly.
Not only that, but he had obtained great benefits from it.
"Your talent is quite good, but you're incredibly stupid," a voice suddenly spoke out behind him, shocking John greatly. He had not detected anyone after he stepped on the land bridge.
He quickly turned around and spotted the talking figure. His eyes lit up in shock and surprise. Before him, an immense figure stood there within the fog, peering down on him like he was an insignificant ant.