"No."
"...What?" Long Chen's was startled, so was everyone else. Long Chen had just lost to Wei Wuyin earlier, yet he didn't dare to accept this challenge? Even Xiang Ling was startled, gazing at Wei Wuyin as if he would accept without hesitation. After all, if it wasn't for her, Long Chen might've already been killed.
Wei Wuyin's eyes were truly calm, indifferent, and uncaring. "I'm bored of all this; I'm bored of you. I have nothing to prove to you. Nor do I feel like enabling your childish need to prove yourself to others. I've never once felt that desire to seek other's recognition, and merely took every step for myself and myself alone."
"..." The crowd was truly unable to predict this.
While others can't understand his thought process, he felt that Long Chen was a cockroach that was infesting his life's events. At first, he was merely suspicious that this was Inheritor of Sin versus Blessed, but now he felt a touch of heavenly design.
This three year challenge?
He was unwilling to be someone whetstone or puppet. To the heavens, to the first sinner, or to anyone.
If the heaven's wanted to choose between him or Long Chen, have them fight it out until a winner was decided, then he was unwilling. He wanted to jump off this chessboard, and as an Inheritor of Sin, did he not have that choice? Even if, in three years, he could freely kill Long Chen, then it would be a match orchestrated by the Heavenly Daos.
His distaste and contempt for this went beyond imagination in his heart.
He turned to Na Xinyi, "the offer will remain in effect for as long as I live; as long as you avoid intimate relations with others." While he wasn't discriminatory towards accepting someone who had had past relations with others, he felt that since he had informed her of this now, then it would be best that she didn't turn to him after regretting choosing others.
In the strictest sense, he'd accepted Na Xinyi as a half-fiance at this moment and she merely needed to accept.
He wasn't someone that enjoyed wearing a green hat, so the moment she chose someone else, then she could consider their ties of fate severed entirely.
He turned to Qing Qiumu, "I hope we can remain friends. Regardless of what happens in the future." These words were the only ones spoken with a hint of emotion. He didn't have feelings of desire, love, or attraction towards Qing Qiumu at the moment. While she was an attractive beauty, he felt a kindred spirit from her that suited more of a friend than a lover.
Of course, if she wanted to push that type of relationship, then he wouldn't immediately reject and consider it seriously.
"I don't have many friends…" he thought to himself. Since his clan's eradication, he hadn't felt as comfortable with someone like he had with her in those few hours. It was an inexplicable feeling that couldn't be explained no matter how hard he seeked the answer.
Qing Qiumu bit her lips behind her veil, her conflicted expression started to slowly dissipate. It seemed she had come to a lifting decision.
After that, he faced Long Chen. "You live your life, I'll live mine. I hope you won't stoop so low as to continue to try and prove yourself to someone who cares not for your life or death. I'll never give you my recognition, regardless if you reach heights higher or greater than me, so no need to try."
At the moment, Wei Wuyin had no desire to snatch the women of others. His priorities were wholeheartedly towards the Realm of Sages, Calamity of Hell, and his indistinguishable and uncertain future. As for everything else? They were as irrelevant as a single drop of water, fleeting and dissipating with every passing second.
Long Chen was quiet, unable to respond. He, just like everyone else, did not expect rejection or those subsequent words. Especially those last words.
Never receive your recognition? Did I ever need your recognition!? Do I look like a dog looking for personal validation and your acceptance?! He was seething with burning rage. He felt an abrupt desire to attack at this very moment.
Clap!
A resounding clap brought everyone's attention back to focus. Xiang Ling realized this was displeasing Wei Wuyin, so she decided to move forward. Her entire demeanor and bearing changed, becoming more authorial and forceful, "All those who are qualified to take the entry examination, step forward. All those who aren't: leave this venue now!"
Her voice was spoken softly, but it was like thunder to everyone's mind and souls, shaking every last one of them.
"I will issue the last remainder, only those below a hundred years of age and at the Sixth Stage of the Qi Condensation Realm or higher are eligible. If you attempt to hide and hope to qualify, you will experience a rather gruesome and abrupt death. Don't be a lesson for others." Her warning was stern and direct.
These words quaked a few hearts. There were definitely a few that just barely exceeded a hundred and hoped to seek a chance to experience a greater horizon. Unfortunately, fate and timing did not fall in their favor.
As if forgetting something, Xiang Ling added: "Unless you're a beast tamer, your mount is not allowed to follow you." She turned to Wei Wuyin, "You're an exception." Considering his status as a Sky Noble and Alchemic King right off the bat, he was willing to certain exemptions. This likely meant that he wouldn't have been able to bring Su Mei with him if he hadn't obtained his newfound status unless she attempted the examination.
Wei Wuyin nodded. Before long, people started to rapidly shift about and leave, leaving a few words here and there. A few shameless Astral Core Realm seniors attempted to shamelessly bribe Xiang Ling, but were met with a non-committal response.
Long Chen's entire group was eligible, even Lin Ziyan as she barely reached the age requirement with a few years off. She was definitely one of the lucky ones. Even though he had a belly full of flaming anger, he still listened to Xiang Ling and gathered.
Wei Wuyin brought Bai Lin and Su Mei over. When he did, his eyes caught sight of a familiar figure. "Oh? It seems he's also a Blessed." When he thought this, his gaze was directed towards a young man who stood in an inconspicuous position. He had black hair, grey eyes, and between his brows was a wisp of natural and elemental air. He wasn't particularly handsome, but his exceptional physique and innate natural quality possessed a unique charm.
This was the young man he had met in Golden Milk City. At the time, he was a teenager being pursued. Now, he had truly grown into his own, stable and striking. It was due to his 0.1 Karmic Luck Value reduction that brought his existence to his attention, and later entered the Myriad War Dao Palace.
"He's reached the Sixth Stage of Qi Condensation. At his age, its quite impressive, and his natural endowments are definitely not lacking. Furthermore…" his eyes were exceptionally keen as he discovered an elemental aura. He likely cultivated a Heart of Elemental Qi.
Just as he discovered this, he saw a young woman beside him. She had scarlet hair and wore a veil in much the same way as Qing Qiumu. But...something felt off. He couldn't quite pinpoint the issue, but after she said a few words to the young man, she looked as if she was about to leave.
Wei Wuyin's curiosity got the best of him as he executed an ocular spiritual spell to gleam deeper into her existence.
Shiiing!
A sharp, keening sound exploded in his mind. He felt his sea of consciousness come under assault, impacted by an unknown force. It induced an immense migraine. The scarlet-haired woman turned to face Wei Wuyin, and her eyes were unusually bright. An eerie power arrived in his mind.
Before he could react, the Alchemic Spirit of Eden Qi shook within his sea of consciousness and started to send constant waves of Eden Qi into it to stabilize it. Only then did the migraine cease.
The young woman frowned. Her eyes flashed with a wisp of shock. She turned to the young man, but he had already entered the crowd of eligible participants.
Wei Wuyin didn't dare to inspect her any further, but the shock in his heart caused endless ripples. He discovered that she was using some type of mental power to disguise her appearance, and when he tried to inspect her, it had tried to alter his perception by integrating with his sea of consciousness. If it was effective, his spiritual spell would've observed a completely different image and aura.
But because of his spirit nestled inside his sea of consciousness, it was abolished and revealed her true appearance. Even a trace of her aura was revealed!
She was in her early twenties, and had golden hair, not red. As for her facial appearance, she eclipsed everyone that he had ever seen in his entire life. She was beyond the word 'beautiful' and neared 'perfect'.
"She's much, much stronger than Fairy Blessed Spirit!" His heart was truly given a hellish shock. It seems that that young man from before was definitely a Blessed to have an expert of that caliber beside him.
When he tried to find her again, she had already vanished.
"..."
Before long, everyone here was eligible participants. They were young elites with bright potential and far-reaching dreams! They had vibrant hopes and endless desire.
Xiang Ling swept her gaze on these young, bright, and confident faces, a faint sigh in her heart. However, she didn't reveal her emotions as she said after getting everyone's attention with a clap, "If you think the examination will be difficult, then you're correct. But, also, horribly wrong. It will be difficult, but not even close to what any of you currently imagine.
"I want you to think about the difficulty in your minds and hearts. Truly think about how difficult it might be, then...multiply that difficulty by a hundred. If you can pass that level of challenge, then you can keep your life. If you want to become a disciple of the sect, then multiply it by ten thousand times on top of the hundred times! Even then, you'll merely be eligible to be the lowest disciple." She coldly and cruelly explained, instantly demoralizing all these valiant youths. Many of their smiles and hopes seemed to be suppressed by a formless pressure.
"Your life will be on the line, and many of you will die. More of you will receive nothing in the end, and even if you succeed, you'll still have to work harder than anyone to gain a hint of recognition. This is because you will not be joining some insignificant sect! You're joining a hegemon sect that rules a portion of this starry sky!
"If you are too intimidated by this, then you should leave. If you aren't scared of death, then you should leave! The ignorant and foolish will always be the first to die. I'll give everyone one last chance: You can stay here and likely rule a direction in this continent or leave and risk everything for your future!" Xiang Ling's tone was low and sharp.
The hearts of everyone quivered without end, but regardless of who, not a single person decided to leave this group of young elites.
Xiang Ling softly sighed and shook her head.
"So be it."