Chapter 580 – Qualification Trial
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Only three people had become Titled Asuras in the last 10,000 years? Lin Ming’s eyebrows twisted together. Skysplit Tower could not be compared to the South Horizon Region. The South Horizon Region was a small region about a million miles wide. As for Skysplit Tower, it was a place where nearly every young genius within the Holy Demon Continent that walked the killing path came to. These were the most outstanding youths among those that cultivated the demonic arts.
It had to be known that the Holy Demon Continent had a very complex racial situation. There were great wars nearly every year, and the number of talents surpassed the Sky Spill Continent by far. Not just that, but of the Giant Demon martial artists, 70 to 80% of them walked the killing road. The Blood Slaughter Steppes could be called the land where they all gathered.
Even so, Polaris Tower only had a total of three Titled Asuras in the last 10,000 years. Even if the other 11 Skysplit Towers were added together, this was just a bit over 30 individuals. Obviously, this was an extremely rare title.
Lin Ming asked, “There have only been three people in the last 10,000 years… have these three finally become Peerless Emperors?”
The middle-aged man was smugly silent. The martial artists that first entered the King’s Cage smelting trial qualifications were almost always filled with excitement as they heard the legend of these Titled Asuras. This was a reasonable reaction after all.
These heroic youths were incomparably proud and arrogant of their abilities. Among them, there were even many that thought they themselves should be a Titled Asura.
However, in truth, after these people underwent their smelting trial qualifications, they often weren’t graded as ordinary Asuras, instead only being given a Saint grade.
Lin Ming’s reaction was within the deacon’s expectations. The deacon normally wouldn’t care and would be disinclined to respond if a normal person asked him, but he had heard rumors about Lin Ming’s talent. In the future, it was possible that Lin Ming would become a great figure within Skysplit Tower. Thinking of this, he said, “No. Two of those people are missing, no one knows just where they went. Only one of them became a Peerless Emperor. Not just that, but that person isn’t an ordinary Emperor level master. After being a Peerless Emperor, he could even instantly kill an Emperor level Supreme Elder at his same level.”
“I see!” Lin Ming was not surprised. If there were only three individuals that were Titled Asuras in the last 10,000 years, then these individuals were naturally peak Emperor level talent existences. In fact, the definition of an Emperor level talent only meant that one had a small ray of hope for becoming a true Emperor level powerhouse. One could call themselves an Emperor level talent, but of these so-called Emperor level talents, the vast majority were not able to become a Peerless Emperor. Maybe they exhausted their potential, maybe they weren’t able to persist, or perhaps their destiny was lacking and they perished, but even between Emperor level talents there were massive gaps, otherwise Emperor powerhouses would not be so exceedingly rare.
“Hehe, boy, you look like you want to become a Titled Asura?” Yan Chi’s voice suddenly sounded in Lin Ming’s ear.
Lin Ming turned around and calmly said, “It doesn’t matter whether I want to become a Titled Asura or not. We’ll find out after I try it.”
“Haha!” Yan Chi guffawed, his expression mute. “Deacon Bai, open the smelting trial for him, I want to see just what grade of smelting trial qualifications this boy will earn!”
“Young Hero Lin, if you would like, please follow me.”
The middle-aged deacon said without much expression as he moved towards the back wall. This practice area was very broad. It had had width and length of 1000 feet, and the dome was dozens of feet high. On this wall there were nine thick stone pillars that stood next to each other. On the pillars were all sorts of carvings and reliefs. There were coiling dragons, demons, and a variety of vicious beasts, each with menacing poses, all of them vivid and lifelike.
The middle-aged deacon selected the third and fourth pillars and moved between them. He took out a token and then placed it on the wall. With a rumbling sound, this wall began to slowly rise up.
The wall was 10 feet thick, and not just that but it was constructed out of some unknown metal. With how high it was, this wall should weigh no less than several hundred thousand jins!
This was a terrifying wall weight. Just what of strength was able to lift it? As the wall rose, it rumbled like a thunderstorm, the sound echoing in one’s ears.
After the wall was completely raised up, it revealed a large stone chamber within. This stone chamber was around 200 feet wide, and it contained an indescribably rugged and potent energy. It was like a mystical door to another dimension, leading to an endless ancient and primal wilderness.
“This is the King’s Cage…” Lin Ming was shocked. He couldn’t imagine just what sort of person had created this place to begin with.
“Indeed.” Yan Chi looked at Lin Ming, a savoring expression on his face. Even the lonely and proud Feng Shen stopped in his steps and looked at Lin Ming. From beginning to end, he hadn’t said a single word. To someone like Feng Shen, only a peerless heavenly genius that could stand as his rival was worthy of attracting his attention.
Lin Ming walked into the stone chamber. On the walls of this chamber were doors of light; it was unknown where they went.
Near these doors of light stood a 100 foot high stone tablet. This seemed like stone, but it also seemed like metal. As one stared at it, they could sense a faint Law as well as an origin of energy, causing them to tremble in their knees.
From top to bottom, the stone tablet was entirely covered with countless names. The very top three rows only had one name each.
The first row said: ‘Sky Ghost Asura, Shentu Hongxi’.
The second row said: ‘Netherworld Asura, Mo Kun’.
The third row said: ‘Eightfall Asura, Hao Gan’.
These three rows of names were written in fanciful and bold cursive. This handwriting seemed to contain the Laws and will of the world. It was splendid and radiant.
The middle-aged deacon said, “This stone tablet is called the King Tablet. Every time a martial artist enters the King’s Cage smelting trial and obtains a high-grade Saint level qualification ranking, their names will appear on the King Tablet.”
“The name stays for 10,000 years!”
A 10,000 year period truly seemed enough to have a name appear eternal. Lin Ming’s eyes continued downwards, and he saw that the names after the three rows of Titled Asura were much smaller.
Followed right after the three Titled Asura was one rank – heaven-step Asura!
Underneath this heaven-step Asura were several dozen names, each filled with a strange flavor. As he looked at the second row of names, Lin Ming was stunned. There was an impressive name there – Feng Shen!
Lin Ming couldn’t help but turn around and glance at Feng Shen. Feng Shen was standing right behind him around 100 feet away. Both of his hands were hanging behind his back, and his eyes were placid. His expression was clear, and he didn’t seem to give a single care about Lin Ming looking at him.
“So Feng Shen is a heaven-step Asura.”
Lin Ming silently counted the number. There was a total of 36 heaven-step Asura. This was the total accumulation of 10,000 years, which meant that there was an average of one every 300 years. Feng Shen being one of them was already extremely rare.
Below that were earth-step Asuras. There was a total of 150 people listed here. Lin Ming also saw Yan Chi’s name among them.
Then below that were human-step Asuras. There were even more people listed here.
Finally, below that was the high-grade Saint level. These names filled the rest of the entire stone tablet. Because there were so many of these names, they seemed unremarkable bunched up next to each other. But, in truth these individuals were the peerless geniuses of their eras.
“If everyone is ready, then please enter. The contents of the qualification smelting trial vary for every person. Each person will encounter different scenarios. I wish all of you good luck.” Deacon Bai flatly said, pointing to a door of light beside him.
Behind Lin Ming, Yan Chi and Feng Shen looked at him.
“Brother Lin, please be careful. The qualification smelting trials are dangerous and possibly fatal. If you find yourself facing a situation where you can’t win, then don’t force yourself.”
Da Gu reminded behind him.
“I’ll remember.” Lin Ming breathed deeply several times. He adjusted his mindset so it was near the ‘ethereal’ state, revolved his true essence, and stepped into the void of light.
Woosh!
A white light flashed and Lin Ming disappeared.
There was a sense of space twisting around him as Lin Ming’s vision blurred. Then it gradually began to clear. He stood in an endless black space. Stars shined above his head, and gray rocks floated gently in the air.
Ca!
A blazing white light appeared without any indication and pierced straight towards Lin Ming’s chest.
“Mm!?”
Lin Ming’s eyes widened. He drew the Purple Comet Spear, and in an instant was ready to fend off the attack and counter it. But in this moment, Lin Ming felt space warp around him, and time seemed to slow. His footsteps should have been like the wind, but instead it seemed as if he had fallen into a bog, finding all of his movements restricted.
Space Time Law shackles!
“This is the Law of Space and Time! It is exactly the Concepts which I comprehended. That Deacon Bai said that the qualification smelting trial is different for every person, and every person will encounter different scenarios. Then, this qualification test of the Concept of Space and Time should be aimed specifically at me!”
As Lin Ming thought this, his heart burned with a radiant fighting spirit. “How interesting! Let me see what degree the difficulty of this qualification smelting trial is, where only three people have become a Titled Asura in the last 10,000 years!”
Golden Roc Shattering the Void!
Lin Ming’s perception swept out in all directions, instantly extending to the surrounding space. His body twisted in a way that completely violated the laws of physics as he changed his trajectory and soared through a path out!
This instant acceleration made it appear as if he had teleported.
Woosh!
The beam of light stabbed through the black ground and disappeared without a trace.
Lin Ming’s pupils shrank. What a strong attack! If someone lacked strength, then that beam of light would have pierced right through their body. No wonder Da Gu had reminded him that this qualification smelting trial could be fatal.
Lin Ming quickly swiveled around, and was surprised to see a black storm roiling towards him. This storm was the exact same as the black storms that Lin Ming had seen when he passed through the ancient transmission array.
Space storm!
As Lin Ming saw this, he was not startled, but instead happy!
The Concept of Space was elusive and enigmatic. He had been worried that there wouldn’t be any place where he could perceive this, but he didn’t expect that the King’s Cage qualification smelting trial would have it!
“Come on!”
Not only did Lin Ming not dodge, but instead he picked up the Purple Comet Spear and rushed directly towards the space storm!
When Lin Ming first passed through the ancient transmission array, he hadn’t even had a tiny bit of superficial knowledge or comprehension of the Laws of Space and Time. Although he had experienced a number of space storms, Lin Ming hadn’t gained much from them. But now, he had entered into the initial threshold in understand the Concepts of Space and Time. If he could experience this space storm once more, then he would be able to obtain comprehensions that were of a completely different nature from the previous time.
Xiu!
A spear entered the storm. Lin Ming felt a terrifying attracting force pulling on him, tearing at him, wanting to rip him to shreds.
Lin Ming had already experienced this feeling before. He calmly and steadily adjusted his mind and flow of true essence to adapt to this distortion of spacetime as soon as possible.
“Blood Seal Twisting Murder, the power of rotation!”
Beside Lin Ming, Blood Drinking Seals flew out like flying knives, rapidly rotating around each other. The principle of these spinning seals was similar to that of the space storm. Melding with this force, Lin Ming rapidly shot into the space storm!
True essence constantly condensed and dispersed. In this vortex, Lin Ming was like a fish swimming upstream, agile and calm.
“Very good!
“Again!”
Lin Ming’s figure moved. At this time, an even more terrifying space storm began to form in front of him. Around the edges of this space storm, even time seemed to twist…