Chapter 5322: The Final Test Begins. Stone Tablets Surface
âI never thought that you would all be able to clear the test. What a rare sight this is! This shows that youâre all exceptionally talented. Since thatâs the case, I hereby announce that weâll be holding the final test tomorrow. Miss Bai will be participating as well. Youâll be participating in the test in two groups, and youâre free to select your own groups.
âFor now, you may head back and rest. Discuss the groupings with one another and decide how you wish to proceed. Remember, there should only be three people in each group,â the Ancient Realmâs Chief said.
Jia Chengying walked up to Bai Yunqing. While he was unhappy with how Bai Yunqing was acting so chummy with Chu Feng, he still thought that it would be best for him to group up with the latter in view of his excellent skills as a world spiritist.
âBrother Bai, letâs form a group together,â Jia Chengying said.
âIâm thankful for your kind invitation, Brother Jia, but I wish to be in a group with my big brother,â Bai Yunqing replied.
Jia Chengying immediately stiffened up.
Bai Yunqing actually rejected me? Did he get closer to Chu Feng just by going through a test together?
Jia Chengying couldnât accept the situation, which was why he felt like his brain was going to explode when he heard Bai Yunqingâs following words.
Bai Yunqing turned to Chu Feng and asked with a pleading tone, âBig brother Chu Feng, may I join your group?â
âIt goes without saying that you should be in the same team as me.â
Chu Feng glanced at Jia Chengying as he said those words, and he saw that the latter had turned pale with anger. This brought a smile to his face.
He then walked up to the white-haired woman and said, âMiss Bai, join my group.â
The white-haired woman didnât say a word, but she nodded her head before walking away.
âSince thatâs the case, young hero Zhou Dong, young hero Qin Shu, and young hero Jia Chengying, youâll be automatically assigned to the other group,â the Ancient Realmâs chief said.
âLord Chief, what do you mean by that? Why do you speak as if weâre the leftovers here?â Jia Chengying cried out in anger. He was so frustrated that he even started nitpicking the words of the Ancient Realmâs chief.
The Ancient Realmâs chief softly chuckled before replying, âYoung hero Jia, please donât misunderstand. I donât mean anything by that. Rest well. I look forward to your performance in the final test.â
The Ancient Realmâs chief left right after saying those words.
Jia Chengying was so angry that he could hardly catch his breath. It was one thing for the people of the Ancient Realm to fawn on Chu Feng, but why was Bai Yunqing doing the same too? He had never suffered such biased treatment before!
âDamn it! Just you wait, Chu Feng. Iâll definitely teach you a lesson in the final test!â Jia Chengying solemnly swore in his heart.
At nightfall, Jia Chengying snuck into Bai Yunqingâs palace, hoping to get to the bottom of the matter.
âBrother Bai, why do you acknowledge Chu Feng as your big brother? Think about your identity. Youâre the disciple of the Totem Dragon Clanâs First Elder! Is he worthy of being your older brother? On top of that, you even rejected me to group up with him!â Jia Chengying got straight to the point and poured out his dissatisfaction.
âBrother Jia, to tell you the truth, Iâm only doing this because Chu Feng saved my life earlier in the test. Itâs actually just an act. Youâre the only one whom I see as my brother,â Bai Yunqing replied with a smile.
âBrother Bai, are you certain about it? Am I the only one whom you see as your brother?â Jia Chengying stared at Bai Yunqing with skeptical eyes.
âDoes that even need to be said?â Bai Yunqing replied affirmatively.
âSo, youâre grouping up with him so that you can sabotage him in the final test?â Jia Chengying asked.
âThat goes without saying! Why else would I group up with him? Brother Jia, have you forgotten how he humiliated us during the talent assessment? I have to get back at him for that!â Bai Yunqing exclaimed.
âThereâs no way I would have already forgotten about it yet! As expected of Brother Bai! I knew that you couldnât have submitted to Chu Feng. Iâve already guessed that you have teamed up with Chu Feng in order to deal with him. In fact, Iâm paying you a visit in order to lend you a helping hand,â Jia Chengying said as he passed a jade bottle over.
Bai Yunqing took the jade bottle and inspected it. A frown formed on his face. âBrother Jia, you want me to poison Chu Feng to death? Isnât this inappropriate?â
He figured out right away that the jade bottle contained poison.
âRest assured, Brother Bai. This poison only causes him to temporarily lose his spirit power. Iâll be letting him off the hook too easily if I kill him just like that. I plan to slowly toy with him once weâre out of the Ancient Realm. Iâll let him know that heâs nothing without the backing of those fools from the Ancient Realm,â Jia Chengying spat with an incredibly livid face, not hiding his hatred for Chu Feng at all.
âIâll have to find a chance to feed it to him then. Itâs not like you donât know how cunning Chu Feng is. Heâs still guarded against me,â Bai Yunqing said with a frown.
âHahaha!â Jia Chengying laughed gleefully upon hearing those words. âYouâre only saying that because you donât know how precious this thing is. This is an incredibly precious treasure from our Pill Dao Immortal Sect. Not even our ordinary members know about its existence. It took me a lot of effort to get this from our sect. Consuming this poison actually raises a personâs spirit power in the short run, which makes it hard for one to decipher its true nature. Brother Bai, you can check on it if you donât believe me.â
Bai Yunqing uncorked the bottle and checked its content. What he saw was indeed good stuff that could raise a personâs spirit power in the short run. He couldnât detect any traces of poison at all.
âHow is it? Iâm right, arenât I? All you have to do is to bring out this bottle while youâre in the midst of breaching a formation and claim that it can raise a personâs spirit power in the short run. Chu Feng will have no reason not to consume it,â Jia Chengying said.
âThatâs wonderful, Brother Jia! With this, thereâs no way Chu Feng can clear the final test!â Bai Yunqing burst into laughter.
âThatâs exactly my goal, Brother Bai. I want Chu Feng to fail the test and disappoint those people from the Ancient Realm. I want him to be utterly humiliated. Remember this though, you mustnât take Chu Fengâs life. Keep him alive. I want to slowly toy with him afterward. A mere strongest late Martial Exalted level cultivator thinks that he can rival me, Jia Chengying? Hah! Iâll show him despair,â Jia Chengying said lividly.
Bai Yunqing revealed a despicable smile too. The two of them burst into hearty laughter, like birds from the same flock.
The following day, Chu Feng, the other challengers, and the people of the Ancient Realm gathered at the same square. Two spirit formation gates towered at the center of the square.
âYoung heroes, this is the final test of our Ancient Realm. Iâm afraid that we donât know much about what the test entails, except for the fact that youâll have to challenge it in two teams. Whatever youâll encounter there is completely unbeknownst to me. However, if one thing is clear, thereâll only be one victor, and that person will receive two Half-God level Sacred Temple Beads.
âWhile thereâs only one victor, I personally think that you should aid one another along the way. Donât turn against one another out of greed for the final prize, or else you could lose more than you stand to gain.
âLast but not least, thereâs no time limit to the final test. Take all the time you wish, but know that only the one who proves himself capable will be able to clear the final test. Show us who is the strongest one among the six of you!â the Ancient Realmâs chief said.
Following that, the two groups selected a spirit formation gate each to enter. Once they were gone, the Ancient Realmâs chief led the elders into the palace.
There was a small pond inside the palace. It was actually a spirit formation gate, although it was lying on the ground instead of standing upright. However, it emanated an aura identical to the spirit formation gates that the two groups had entered.
As soon as they entered the palace and closed the doors behind them, the spirit formation gate on the ground began to react. A massive stone tablet slowly rose from it.
The Ancient Realmâs chief and the elders intently stared at the stone tablet.
While the stone tablet was still empty at the moment, their faces glowed with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. As people of the Ancient Realm, they knew what the stone tablet represented. Their fate would change the moment words appeared on the stone tablet.
Meanwhile, Chu Feng, Bai Yunqing, and the white-haired woman were quickly advancing through a cavern. Similar to the cavern that Chu Feng and Bai Yunqing had ventured into in the previous test, this cavern also hindered oneâs senses. The only way to uncover what was ahead was to personally head there.
After traveling for some time, a palace appeared before them. A gate covered in runes could be vaguely seen at the other end of the palace. Needless to say, this was part of the test too.
The three of them hastened their footsteps and entered the palace.
But as soon as they stepped into the palace, the three of them glanced rightward.
There was another passageway adjacent to the one they had just stepped out from, and footsteps could be heard coming from there. Soon, another three more figures stepped into the palace.
It was Zhou Dong, Qin Shu, and Jia Chengying.
âWhat the hell? Are we taking the same test? Whatâs the point of splitting into different teams and entering through two different spirit formation gates?â Bai Yunqing voiced his confusion.
The white-haired woman quietly walked in front of Chu Feng and shielded him behind her. She noticed the hostility in Zhou Dong and Qin Shuâs eyes.