Chapter 338: Entering the Big Dipper Sword Domain (1)
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Heavenly Sword Trial, seventh day.
As the final deadline arrived, only 532 cultivators returned safely.
Among them, only 150 or so brought back the devilish sword of the Outer Dao sword slaves. The remaining 300 people returned empty-handed.
This time, more than 400 people could not return on time. Most of them had died in the Sword Slave Forbidden Area, while a small number of them had been delayed for special reasons.
In the end, only about one-third of the people passed this trial.
The strictness of the test and the high elimination rate exceeded many people’s expectations.
As for the fallen cultivators, people did talk about them at the beginning, but when the Spirit Sword Sect elder brought the participants to the second stage of the Heavenly Sword Trial, no one discussed the missing people anymore.
It was not that they were cold, but such things happened almost every moment in the Upper Realm.
Cultivators had a lifespan of a hundred years, and they had seen too many joys and sorrows.
Therefore, most people were very cold to others. That was the numbness after seeing too much.
The second stage of the Heavenly Sword Trial was a psychological test.
Lu Yuan originally thought that the second stage should consist of an illusion-like test, but contrary to what he had imagined, it was actually a test similar to an interview.
As for the creature who would interview them, it was a special Beast of Antiquity in the Spirit Sword Sect, Xie Zhi.
Xie Zhi was a divine beast in myths and legends. It could be as big as an ox and as small as a sheep. It was similar to a Qilin. It had thick black hair all over its body, bright eyes, and a horn on its forehead.
The Xie Zhi that lived in the Spirit Sword Sect not only had high intelligence but also understood human language and human nature.
The characteristic of Xie Zhi was that it could see through people’s hearts. Even an Apotheosis Stage cultivator could not guarantee that the deepest thoughts in his heart would not be seen through.
Therefore, the assessment for the second round was very simple. All one had to do was walk up to Xie Zhi and let it take a look.
If it felt that one passed, then one passed.
Otherwise, one would simply be eliminated.
Of course, even if one was eliminated here, one would still be given the items promised in the first stage.
Therefore, many cultivators were still very calm at the moment.
As the elder of the Spirit Sword Sect announced the start of the second stage of the Heavenly Sword Trial, one after another, the participants walked to Xie Zhi.
Lu Yuan stood at the back of the team, wanting to see what was special about this Xie Zhi.
As the first cultivator walked in front of Xie Zhi, Lu Yuan watched as the huge, statue-like Xie Zhi lowered its head to look at the cultivator in front of it.
Although the trial-taker knew that the Beast of Antiquity wouldn’t hurt him, being stared at by such an existence, coupled with the feeling of being seen through by the other party, the cultivator subconsciously started trembling.
After Xie Zhi looked at him for a while, it couldn’t help but say, “Good lord, to think you chopped up your fiancee just to practice the sword, and you even called it cutting off your feelings. If the Spirit Sword Sect had a person like you, then the legacy of the Spirit Sword Sect would have long been cut off. No, no, you are a no-go. Next!”
Hearing Xie Zhi reveal his secret, the cultivator wanted to say something else.
However, the Spirit Sword Sect elder at the side signaled the others to take him away before he could say anything.
Even though the trial-taker had already reached level 6 of the Nascent Soul Stage and his lifespan was only a little over 700, he could be considered very promising.
Unfortunately, the psychological test emphasized one’s state of mind.
The Spirit Sword Sect lacked nothing but geniuses.
Geniuses whose mental state did not pass the test would either be easily invaded by their heart demons and be unable to advance for the rest of their lives, or they might betray the sect for benefits in the future.
The Spirit Spirit Sword Sect had once suffered such a loss.
Therefore, unless one’s talent was so exaggerated to the extent that the Spirit Sword Sect could give one special treatment, otherwise, one would have to pass the psychological test first if one wanted to enter the Spirit Sword Sect.
Of course, it didn’t mean that someone passing the psychological test now wouldn’t harm the sect in the future.
After all, the greatest characteristic of humans was their fickleness. No one could be sure of anyone’s future.
That being said, those who had a good mental state in the early stages had a much better chance of not going awry in the later stages than those who had a poor mental state.
The phrase the leopard cannot change its spots was applicable in the cultivation world as well.
As the first trial-taker’s psychological test ended, more trial-takers began to walk forward.
“Not bad, not bad. You’re not bad, kid. Although your cultivation talent is average, at least you didn’t do anything harmful. You pass.”
“Kid, you’re not bad either. You’ve been cultivating for more than 600 years, but you’ve not once been side-tracked. You haven’t even held the hand of a female cultivator, let alone have a Practitioner partner. I’m really worried that you’ll die of old age with such regrets. You pass.”
“No, no, you are a no. The Spirit Sword Sect practices the sword, but to think you practice body refinement. The reason you want to join our sect is because you’ve taken a fancy to a female cultivator in our sect. The Spirit Sword Sect has more men than women, and you actually want to steal our women? Scram!”
“You brat… You’re quite something! Other sword cultivators would try their best to cut off the mortal world and put their energy into cultivation. But you actually flirt with women while cultivating. You have more than 60 wives in your 600 years of lifespan.. You’re really not human!”