Chapter 434 - 245: Sacrificed So Soon?
"Huh?" Ye Xiaoshuang froze completely.
'Sharp-eyed and brilliant, the legendary Mr. Ye... are they talking about me?'
For a moment, she completely forgot why she was even there.
At her side, Ye Jingtian shook his head slightly.
This was why his sister could only be a teacher. He was the one with superior Talent and access to vast resources.
His first thought back then had been to have his sister quit her teaching post early to shield her from the world.
Otherwise, she truly might not have survived to this day.
Jiang Man walked up to Ye Jingtian and greeted him with a formal salute.
"You'll be entering the competition for the slots with us shortly. You should know where you'll be forced to stop, but this is still an opportunity," Ye Jingtian said, looking at Jiang Man. "You actually still have the right to choose. If you refuse now, I can find a replacement."
"No need," Jiang Man said.
'Judging by his every move, he's definitely no Golden Core.'
'The Inner Sect is full of powerful people.'
Ye Jingtian said no more.
The others also waited in silence.
One by one, other teams arrived.
Jiang Man spotted some familiar faces. Zhuo Qingcheng, Shangguan Liuyun, and Ji Yifei all seemed to be participants as well.
Shangguan Liuyun had only entered the Inner Sect a short while ago; it was unexpected that he could participate.
'He's a true prodigy.'
'After four years, he should be at the Middle Stage of Golden Core.'
They also saw Jiang Man and were extremely surprised to find him with the Celestial Water Sect group.
The members of the Evergreen Sect also filed in.
Shangguan Lingyue and Qin Yihan, whom he'd met before, were among them.
All of them were geniuses.
But aside from Zhuo Qingcheng, the rest were, in all likelihood, just here to be sacrificed.
Their Cultivation was too low.
However, they would all get a second chance.
By the time the next great competition began, they would probably all be Primordial Spirit Great Powers.
At that moment, a light flared in the sky.
It was as if a rift had been torn in the fabric of space.
"Alright, get ready to enter. Stick close to me," Ye Jingtian said.
When the rift was large enough, an aura burst forth from Ye Jingtian. The surrounding Spiritual Power solidified, making him seem like a giant.
"Go!"
He leaped up, using his own power to push aside the obstacles.
BOOM!
The other Primordial Spirit experts made their moves as well.
Jiang Man felt the space around him tremble.
A clash between Primordial Spirit experts was indeed a very dangerous affair for a Golden Core cultivator.
Soon, three incomparably tyrannical auras crushed all the other Primordial Spirit auras and charged into the entrance.
Ye Jingtian couldn't help but sigh. "Those people are as powerful as ever."
Then, he too charged into the entrance.
Jiang Man had also seen the first three teams.
'They're absurdly powerful.'
'Completely crushing the remaining teams.'
After passing through the entrance, Jiang Man felt as if he were flying through the air.
An azure sea and a blue sky stretched out before him.
"This is different from before. There used to be islands, at least. Now there aren't even any islands," Ye Jingtian commented.
He had clearly been here before.
"Jiang Man, use Sword Control. The rest of you, conserve your strength," Ye Jingtian ordered.
At his words, Jiang Man took out his Spirit Sword and began using Sword Control.
He also activated his Giant Swordsmanship.
Jiang Man suddenly understood. Being the "sacrifice" meant being the gofer; he was the one who had to handle anything that consumed energy.
The others, meanwhile, would preserve their strength.
Because no one knew how long this sea would trap them.
Especially since... Jiang Man sensed that there was no Spiritual Qi here.
Whatever you used up was gone.
Replenishing it would take a great deal of time.
"It's endless. Which way should we go?" Senior Sister Mo asked.
There were five people in the team in total.
Leading them was the young Ye Jingtian.
At his side was a beautiful, mature woman, Mo Xin.
There was also a man who looked like a young monk, and a young girl who seemed to be a devout Buddhist.
The last was Jiang Man.
"Touch the water first," Ye Jingtian said.
Jiang Man's Flying Sword descended, hovering over the water's surface.
Seeing that no one else was moving, Jiang Man knew it was time for him to be the sacrifice again.
He then leaped directly onto the water's surface.
But he moved so fast that he clearly saw Ye Jingtian had been about to say something.
However, the moment he touched the water, the scene around him changed.
He found himself standing on a small island, surrounded by a boundless ocean.
Then, flames began to burn beneath the water.
On the island, he saw a stone tablet with an inscription: "The longer you endure, the fewer spatial anomalies your team will encounter. If your individual score is sufficient, you may obtain a slot."
Jiang Man was a bit surprised.
'This is how I'm supposed to be a sacrifice?'
Jiang Man was silent for a moment, then thought, 'Wait, what about my Spirit Sword?'
「Outside.」
Back over the water, Ye Jingtian immediately took control of Jiang Man's Spirit Sword.
He had been stunned when he saw Jiang Man jump down.
'I've never seen someone so reckless.'
'Isn't he afraid something will happen?'
Mo Xin covered her mouth and giggled. "He was sacrificed a little quickly, but at least we gained something from it. Otherwise, that twenty thousand Spiritual Source would have been a waste."
"He should be able to hold on for a while. We need to hurry. The water was the wrong way, so up must be the right way," Ye Jingtian said seriously. "Monk, Sword Control."
The young Monk chanted a Buddhist mantra and began to use Sword Control.
They flew straight up toward the sky.
---
Meanwhile, Jiang Man placed his hand on the stone tablet.
He activated the Celestial Mirror Hundred Books.
The book's pages quickly flipped to the last one.
[Not worth mentioning]
Jiang Man withdrew his hand and walked to the edge of the island.
What he saw was clearly an endless sea, but countless flames were burning within it, which was anything but ordinary.
He placed his hand on the water's surface and used the Celestial Mirror Hundred Books again.
[What garbage]
Jiang Man pulled his hand back and shook his head slightly.
He wanted to walk out and take a look.
But just as he was about to move, a voice suddenly came from behind him. "What were you just doing?"
It was an old, weary voice.
Jiang Man turned and saw an old man in a straw raincoat sitting on the bank, fishing.
Looking at him, Jiang Man couldn't help but ask, "Senior, what are you doing?"
"Fishing, of course. But... are you one of the trial participants? Why did you come in so early? This is the first time I've seen this," the old man remarked, looking at Jiang Man.
"Is it rare?" Jiang Man asked, confused. He explained his situation.
"Did it ever occur to you that you were supposed to test it with your foot, not jump right in?" the old man sighed. "Are you always this reckless?"
"I'm the sacrifice," Jiang Man said nonchalantly. "Being sacrificed early gives me a chance to chase that glimmer of hope."
"You're here to chase a glimmer of hope?" The old man mused. "Then it was indeed necessary for you to come early. The earlier you arrive, the fewer people there are, so you don't have to worry about the difficulty changing."
"In that case, you should enter the lake and do your best to endure."
"If I endure, I'll get a slot?" Jiang Man asked.
"No. I have yet to see anyone get a slot by enduring to the end." The old man thought for a moment and said, "I've been fishing here for many years and have never seen a single person obtain a slot. I'm not sure how the slots are awarded."
"But I have a feeling the Immortal Sect deliberately left this to screen people."
"But in all these years, not a single person has been successfully screened."
Jiang Man looked at the lake and said, "I understand."
The old man looked at Jiang Man with some surprise. "What do you understand?"
Jiang Man answered truthfully, "The Immortal Sect deliberately left this place to screen for an Unparalleled Celestial Pride, the kind rarely seen in any era."
"An Unparalleled Celestial Pride?" The old man looked at Jiang Man with a smile. "Doesn't that mean you have no hope?"
Jiang Man shook his head and looked at the old man. "On the contrary. I am that Unparalleled Celestial Pride. This trial has been here for so many years just waiting for me."
"Hahaha!" The old man burst out laughing, almost choking. He finally calmed down and said, "In all my years, I've seen plenty of arrogant and ignorant people, but I've never seen anyone as arrogant and ignorant as you."
"But it's also been many years since I've had a good laugh. It must be fate that we've met. Sit down. I'll teach you how to fish."
"What I'm best at is catching powerful fish."
Jiang Man paid no mind to the old man's doubt. Instead, he asked, "Can we go fishing after I've secured the slot?"
The old man stared at Jiang Man. "Are you serious?"
Jiang Man looked back at him and nodded slightly. "I'm not joking."
The old man shook his head with a smile. "This is the Heart Demon Lake. Its waters throw the Heart Spirit into chaos and lock away Spiritual Qi. It is filled with tens of millions of malevolent spirits."
"Falling into the water means failure."
"So, you need to make it back before you fall in."
Jiang Man looked at the opposite side of the water. "This is a lake? Then what's on the other side?"
"If you can walk over there, then go and see for yourself," the old man said dismissively.
Jiang Man nodded, then made an audacious request. "Senior, can I touch you?"