Everything was in a mysterious toss-up because of Cain, Amber, Xu Tao, Hu Wen, and Jin Ya. The changes each of these disciples could bring would be enough to shift the entire landscape of the younger generation.
Cain and Amber specifically have the power to one day shake Cloudsea Holy Land to its very core! To be able to master such a disciple would be an opportunity of a lifetime.
On the sky platform, Cain and Amber were just about to walk over to Jin Ya. But as they took a step forward, the sky platform suddenly shined.
A luminous blue glow covered the entirety of the sky platform. Beautiful runes inscribed with profound Dao energy principles manifested at different parts of the sky platform.
Every shiny rune rippled out a refreshing wave of essence energy. The essence energy drilled into every disciple on the sky platform.
'Oh?' Cain and Amber paused, their expressions gradually morphing into bliss. The essence energy provided them with a blissful sensation. Their pores opened up, their mind relaxed, and all tension left their bodies.
Above all, the duo detected that all of their energy reserves had automatically recovered!
At the same time, powerful Divine Auras rippled out of the fifteen other disciples. Their eyes flashed open. Each of them exuded a roaring, fiery spirit.
Refreshed and back at full energy, these fifteen disciples were ready to become direct disciples!
Even the last nine disciples who made it felt amply refreshed with burning energy.
Cain and Amber smiled as they walked over to Jin Ya. With a casual wave, Cain said to her, "Hey, you really surprised us. Given the difficulty of this test, it wasn't easy for even the half-step Divine Rulers. Yet, you pulled through considerably well."
Jin Ya smiled and then nodded with genuine respect. She earnestly said, "I couldn't have made it this far without Martial brother's help. This is gratitude I can't ever hope to repay in the future. To me, it doesn't matter if I do become a direct disciple. This experience alone was enough."
At this point, two light chuckles came close to the group. Xu Tao and Hu Wen similarly held grateful smiles while coming over.
Xu Tao said first, "We also owe you a debt of gratitude, Martial brother. I wouldn't ever be able to perform so perfectly without your guidance."
Hu Wen giggled. "We're supposed to be the Senior Martial siblings, and yet it's our junior Marital brother that gives us helpful pointers."
With a casual shrug, Cain spoke in a plain tone. "I just helped push you all in the right direction. If you all really feel so grateful, then use these feelings to do your best in this next event."
As Cain's group harmoniously talked with each other, the other half-step Divine Rulers took a glance over at them.
Now with Sun Wei and Jin Bo was a peaceful-looking girl. Her long green hair that swayed down to her waist perpetually glowed with a faint layer of essence energy. All would be charmed at first glance. This maiden gave people a feeling of absolute ease.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtShe was the 2nd Core ranking disciple, Tao Ju.
Her gaze was focused, but her tone was calm as she said, "Lee and Xun, hm? They are far more than I could've ever expected. I have doubts any of us will get a chance to shine in the next event."
"Oh? What? Don't tell me you actually feel inferior to them, Tao Ju?" Jin Bo directly asked.
His tone was clearly provoking, yet Tao Ju's face didn't even twitch. She continues to speak in her same calm tone.
"It's not that I feel inferior, but I'm simply being realistic. The only people who can deal with them now are the direct disciples."
Before Jin Bo could argue further, Sun Wei let loose a calm sigh. "I thought I would be able to one day slowly catch up to them. But now? Just forget about it. We won't have any face left if we decide to provoke them."
Though Jin Bo felt the most indignant about their words, he too couldn't deny the fact behind them.
As everyone was waiting for the next event to come, a huge change suddenly occurred.
A bright, near-blinding wave of golden lights rippled through the skies right above the platform. Every ripple of golden light had faint Dao runes within them.
These Dao runes exuded the same unfathomable sensation of the Greater Dao.
Boundless and incomparably powerful. These energy principles represented the immense gateway to a new dimension of life.
The seventeen disciples had instantly put their attention to the skies. Their Divine Senses went into maximum focus.
For Cain and Amber, they could actually perceive a small portion of the Greater Dao's energy principles.
Disciples like Jin Ya, Xu Tao, and Hu Wen could only study the confusing sensation of the Greater Dao. But even this was enough to grow their perception abilities.
The rest of the disciples all struggled with even perceiving the sensation of the Greater Dao. Their minds felt nearly completely scrambled up.
Sun Wei and the rest once again had to strain their souls just to resist a very tiny portion of the misty Great Dao Sensation.
At this time, five sparkling golden lights illuminated the skies. The flashes of lights were like an atomic bomb. It engulfed the entire area, including the surrounding audience, in a beautiful ray of golden lights!
Everyone felt a multitude of sensations streaking through their minds all at once. The experience felt strangely long and short.
Everything happened in an instant, but also for an extremely long time.
A mere moment later, the blanket of golden light instantly vanished. What was left in the skies were five small, golden cores.
Each golden core pulsated with brilliant lights that exuded a hypnotic sensation. Dao Runes were engraved all over the golden cores, each of the runes also pulsating out Dao energy principles.
The seventeen challenger disciples all fell into a trance, looking into the golden cores. Their eyes nearly become unfocused as the sensation of the Great Dao swept over them.
Even on the outside, though the audience watched on a light projection, there wasn't a single person who could resist the golden core's overwhelming momentum.
Tens of thousands of people were present. Dozens of them peak Stage Holy King Masters. Yet, every single one of them was swept by the slightest momentum of a Primal Soverigen grandmaster!
This was power beyond any lower realm cultivator's comprehension. The complexity of the Dao energy principles was something that can actively suppress the natural World Source Laws of the very universe.
Before anyone was lulled into an indefinite trance, a soft voice spoke in a gentle tone.
"The seventeen of you will have 20 minutes to gain the highest number of golden cores. To those who can't, they will be directly eliminated."
The voice carried a natural order. No living being in this area could disobey it.
Everyone had instantly awakened from their trance. While the younger disciples were in awe of such strength, the Holy King Elders felt a trickle of cold sweat flow down their faces.
Even Elder Heng creased her brows, muttering to herself, "As expected. Though I haven't seen them in a long while, the Supreme Elders are still terrifying."
At this time, on the sky platform, the seventeen challenger disciples instantly became battle-ready. Everyone's Divine Sense told them this was a battle between each other and against the golden cores.
To make it up to the golden cores would require resisting its innate Dao energy principles. Either through utilizing their own cultivation arts or through controlling a tiny portion of its atmosphere like what Cain and Amber did before.
The sky platform went briefly silent. At any second would a great battle erupt!
If that were to happen, the competition will be highly unpredictable.
Before doing anything, however, Cain and Amber traded a glance. Their eyes glinted at the same time. A plan had instantly formed between them.
Cain suddenly transmitted to Xu Tao, Hu Wen, and Jin Ya, 'Sorry about this. But we can't afford to miss this opportunity.'
'Huh?' Xu Tao, Hu Wen and Jin Ya jerked up. They stared at Cain, hesitant to make another move.
Right then, Cain and Amber's pupils just faintly glowed black lightning. Nobody would be able to discover the glow of black lights, but the duo had stimulated the black lightning within their bloodstreams!
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmCain's palm opened and a burst of Draconic Lightning essence energy streamed out. Thunderous roars of lightning suddenly shook the entire sky platform! Dense and highly complex energy principles instantly engulfed the entire atmosphere.
'Ka-Cha!'
The loud sound of space shattered smashed into not only the challengers' eardrums but also the surrounding audiences' ears.
Small black holes of Void Space appeared all around Cain's swirls of Draconic Lightning.
Through merely summoning his Draconic Lightning, did Cain smash apart Space Laws. His manifested essence energy was at a far higher order than any other Divine Law!
"What?!"
The fifteen challenger disciples were fraught with horror. A tremendous pressure like no other suppressed them down to their very cores.
Draconic Lightning energy principles smashed down on their bodies, exuding a weight greater than several mountains put together.
Every single disciple felt an ominous sensation. These energy principles made their minds into a scrambled mess and made it hard to summon their Inner World energy.
Freezing chills made these disciples' skin crawl.
Sun Wei nearly went crazed. His eyes turned bloodshot as he stared at Cain's calm figure that held up the Draconic Lightning as if he was a god of thunder.
"Ho-Your Divine Laws can't possibly reach that level!!" With a ferocious roar, Sun Wei's body tried bursting out white flames.
But when he wanted to stir his Inner World energy, everything was suppressed by a tremendous point. He couldn't even summon 30% of his Inner World power!
Only a very weak white glow of flames shrouded Sun Wei's body. He desperately tried to take steps back, however, every move of his felt like he was weighed down by several mountains.
Cain lightly chucked at his and everyone else reactions. "Indeed. I am not a Divine Ruler. However, that doesn't matter at all. My attainment level more than makes up for the disparity. At the very least, no half-step Divine Ruler is my match."
His tone came out as a matter of fact. As if there wasn't any other truth.
All who heard this tone felt a stir in their minds. None of them felt that Cain's words were wrong at all.
At this time, the Draconic Lightning on Cain's palm suddenly brightens. His Draconic Lightning Aura had silently activated.
The increased aura amplified Cain's Draconic Lightning energy principles by dozens of times.
Streams of Draconic Lightning shot forth. The essence energy split off into six streams of Draconic Lightning that soared straight toward six of the challenger disciples!
Before Cain stimulated his Draconic Lightning aura, his energy principles were already enough to heavily suppressed every half-step Divine Ruler. Now, with Draconic Lightning Aura, when specifically targeted by Cain's streams of Draconic Lightning, none of them could move an inch!