Cheat Cultivator's Ascension-Chapter 426: Start of the Second Trial

"Holy… I thought only those top placers in the last trial would gain some significant benefit from this Dao Enlightenment Competition, but…"

"HAHAHAHA!! This trial is my stage, it is my time to shine!!"

"What a huge head for you to brag, whoever you are! You think you're the only person who can grasp the opportunity here?"

As the Dao Seeking Mountain's elder remains silent, seemingly waiting for these young geniuses to finish their discussion, or rather, bragging about who among them will benefit the most in this second trial, the elders who are guarding the geniuses who came from outside of this world were once again, surprised by the property of the place that these young geniuses are about to enter.

"Even in the main star, I doubt there are a lot of places like this…"

"Let's not think too much about it. We haven't even known to what degree this place can compress and improve internal spirit qi yet."

"That's true, still, for a place that can barely produce some Celestial-level expert, isn't it really surprising for them to have this kind of wondrous place that can aid in improving a cultivator's foundations?"

Watching the excited look on their junior's eyes, these Half-step Celestial Realm figures couldn't help but smile to themselves as they never expected that the young geniuses they are guarding will receive this kind of boon in a backwater planet that they are supposed to travel just for mortal and mundane experience, some of them thinking that with this kind of chance, the young ones they are guarding will be able to catch up, or further widen the gap between themselves and those other young geniuses from their kingdom who aren't in this planet to benefit from all this.

While these elders and guardians are looking forward to seeing the effects of this Sky Compressing Valley, their eyes glued towards two things only, one being the place itself and the other being their juniors, an old, ancient figure peers through their location without being noticed, through his cracked lips peering a faint, amused smile as if he just saw children who couldn't hold their curiosity off, causing the dignified-looking beauty standing just beside him to ask in wonder.

"Grandmaster…?" thinking of way to ask what is it that made the ancient man smile like that, the Headmistress of the Dao Seeking Mountains asked with curiosity plastered upon her beautiful face causing the old man to look at him, seeing parallels on this grand disciple of his and those foreign Half-step Celestial Realm experts' gaze as they look at the Sky Compressing Valley, making the smile on his face grow wider until it eventually cracked into a gleeful laughter, his raspy voice not unpleasant to the ear despite being filled by the vicissitudes of time.

"Nothing, child, nothing" the ancient man replied dismissively while still laughing to himself, waving his hand so that his grand disciple wouldn't worry, his figure disappearing like a ghost but not before leaving a word of reminder to her.

"I'll be leaving for now, I wouldn't want my old bones to interrupt in a meeting between group of friends…" his raspy, old voice resounded with the words getting weaker and weaker in the end almost as if he is fading into the wind just like his figure, causing the dignified-looking beauty to bow at the direction she last saw him, before she turns her head around as she heard familiar noises approaching near her.

"Oh? Found a Jianxue by herself~~~" seeing the dignified-looking beauty standing all by her lonesome clearly needing some company, the first one among the sworn sisters to arrive here, the crimson-pupiled, sociable mature beauty, Li Yan, said with a jovial tone in her voice as she rushes towards the Ascension Realm expert that just stands there like rock, barely moving from her spot as Li Yan's soft, motherly body collides with hers, making this sociable mother smile as she looks at the Headmistress of the Dao Seeking Mountain eye to eye before she starts to ask.

"Looks like a lot is on your mind, Sis Jianxue, mind sharing it with us?" letting go of Tang Jianxue, Li Yan asked with a smile on her face, prompting the dignified-looking mature beauty to smile back at her as she turns a bit, facing the direction where the young geniuses are, the smile never leaving her face as she starts speaking.

"I was just thinking about their safety" looking at her beloved disciple, still assuming the figure of a man, happily interacting with girls of her caliber and age, Tang Jianxue couldn't help but wish that this can go on forever for her dear disciple, not having to mind the terrifying outside, not needing to bear the weathering of the rain.

As much as every elder wish that for their descendants though, they are also aware of the fact that no expert in this continent, or possibly anywhere else, are not tempered by trials of fire and pressure, and only the greatest people who can tread not only on their opponents' river of blood and mountain of bones, but also on their very own blood and sweat, are the ones capable of truly achieving eternal prosperity and peace for themselves.

Seeing the profound look on Tang Jianxue's face, Su Meiyao moves near her to observe their young one's as well, specifically looking at her beloved son horsing around with his sworn brothers, young people whom even she, the pinnacle of geniuses of the martial path in her generation, thinks are not too bad of a talent for her dearest son to be friends with, not to mention it is the character that she truly cares about when her son is making friends.

"They are already old enough to think and care for themselves, Jianxue, don't worry, you know how strong my Tian is~~~" seeing the tinge of worry on the dignified-looking beauty's eyes, the goddess-like motherly beauty comforted, her melodious voice snapping the other lady from her concerned daze, the words entering her ear and making her nod.

As the rest of their group also starts watching the second trial about to start now, the noise on the young geniuses' side also starts to settle down, making the elder from the Dao Seeking Mountain smile as he waves his hand before speaking, signaling the start of the second trial.

"Like I said previously, the further you go into the Sky Compression Valley, the greater the pressure is, so don't try to endure more than you actually can, you only need to reach quarter of the distance between the entrance and exit point to qualify for the third trial…" the elder paused for a while as he lets the word settle down on these young people's mind, only waiting for a few moments before he starts once again.

"Alright, now that everything is explained, young one's let's start the second trial, may good fortune be with all of you" the elder said, giving them a nod before allowing them to get out of the plateau they are currently on, the young geniuses moving towards the opening of the Sky Compressing Valley in different manner, some timid as if they don't want to go there at all, while some rushing as if they couldn't wait to reach the place.