The first 1,110 steps were far too easy for Su Qing and Yun Luoyan. However, when the two stepped onto the 1,111th step, the surrounding environment suddenly changed.
Just moments ago, the mountains were lush and green, but now they were shrouded in mist.
"An illusion!"
Su Qing narrowed her eyes slightly. Although she had prepared herself mentally, she still couldn't help but sigh, "As expected of the Xuanling Sect, one of the five major sects of the Wuyuan Continent."
This illusion is so realistic.
Not only was there a thick white fog all around, but there was also a putrid smell in the air, and the roars of monsters could be faintly heard.
Su Qing did not see Yun Luoyan; it seemed the two were trapped in different illusions.
Su Qing decided to keep moving forward and deal with whatever came her way.
After walking about fifty steps, Su Qing stopped in her tracks, as a first-tier tiger demon was blocking her way.
This is a carapace tiger, an unusual beast with an extra bony shell on its back. Carapace tigers are not only fierce but also have strong defenses. Even a typical Qi Refining Stage 3 cultivator would find it difficult to deal with one on their own.
"Oh dear, this girl is in for some bad luck." An old man watched the scene unfold in front of the crystal ball and said with schadenfreude.
He was also an elder of the Xuanling Sect, a Core Formation stage elder, who was assigned to supervise the test on the second level of the Heavenly Ladder.
Most of those who climb the Heavenly Ladder have three spiritual roots. Even if they enter a sect, they are just ordinary outer disciples. Six or seven out of ten of these outer disciples will never be able to establish their foundation in their lifetime. Even if they are lucky enough to succeed in establishing their foundation, it is as difficult as ascending to heaven to form their core.
Therefore, watching these ordinary cultivators climb the Heavenly Ladder is incredibly boring for Core Formation stage cultivators.
The original elder has decided to turn his attention to another cultivator who is attempting the second level of the test, since almost all cultivators who encounter the Armored Tiger are eliminated.
"It'll probably be killed by the armored tiger in one round," Elder Yuan thought. As the armored tiger leaped up, he no longer wanted to watch.
"Boom!" Before Elder Yuan could even turn the crystal ball, an explosion was heard.
Elder Yuan was slightly taken aback.
"Huh, whose junior is this, to have something like an explosive talisman?" Elder Yuan didn't rush to turn the crystal ball, but continued to look down.
They saw the armored tiger being blown into the air, and at the same time, Su Qing, holding a long sword, was already slashing towards the armored tiger's snow-white belly.
Despite the bony armor on its back, the armored tiger's belly is soft and fragile.
Su Qing's sword sliced across the armored tiger's belly, and the tiger let out a miserable scream as it was disemboweled...
By the time the armored tiger fell from the sky, it had become a dead tiger.
Su Qing walked to the side of the armored tiger and kicked it twice. The armored tiger, whose belly pieces fell to the ground, did not move at all.
"Dead? This illusion is too realistic," Su Qing thought to herself.
Generally speaking, the monsters killed in the illusion would disappear in a puff of smoke with a bang. She had never seen a situation like this, where a corpse was left behind.
Could it be that...?
Su Qing frowned slightly. Could it be that this was not an illusion at all, but a secret realm?
Sensing the surrounding atmosphere and environment, Su Qing activated all five senses. Finding no flaws, she became increasingly certain that this was not an illusion, but a real place.
It seems that the Xuanling Sect's Heavenly Ladder Trial activated its teleportation system the moment a person stepped onto the steps, transporting them to a secret realm.
Su Qing's lips curled up.
The Xuanling Sect is truly incomparable to a small sect like the Yunjian Sect. It's just an entrance test for an outer disciple, yet they've managed to come up with so many surprises. I wonder what kind of surprises await after entering the sect. Su Qing's eyes lit up, and she became more and more excited.
Su Qing squatted down and skillfully removed the bony carapace from the armored tiger's back. The armored tiger's only useful part was its back armor, as it was quite sturdy.
Elder Yuan's eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn't expected that a thirteen-year-old girl could be so efficient, killing a Tier 1 Armored Tiger so easily and turning it into material, which was then stuffed into her storage bag.
"I think this girl is good." Elder Yuan nodded repeatedly.
Not only Elder Yuan, but Elder Xiang was also dumbfounded.
Elder Xiang was supervising the first level of the Heavenly Ladder, but out of curiosity, he still used the crystal mirror to look at Su Qing and Yun Luoyan.
Su Qing dealt with the armored tiger swiftly and efficiently, and Yun Luoyan's performance was also unexpected.
Yun Luoyan was facing a first-tier three-tailed white fox. This three-tailed white fox could conjure three white foxes to surround Yun Luoyan.
Yun Luoyan kicked out with a spiral kick, and the two white fox phantoms exploded into a cloud of smoke. As for the real white fox, it was kicked and flew ten meters away, crashing into a tree. By the time it slid down the tree trunk, it was already mostly out of breath and barely breathing.
Yun Luoyan went up and stabbed the white fox in the mouth, killing it. A moment later, a complete three-tailed white fox pelt was put into her storage bag.
“One has amazing swordsmanship, and the other has superb legwork. They must have just entered the Qi cultivation stage, right? The first test was easy enough, but how come the second test was so easy too?” Elder Xiang stood up and said to Bei Ming beside him, “Bring them over after the test. I happen to need two outer disciples to tidy up the courtyard. I think these two are quite suitable.”
"Yes, Master." Bei Ming turned and left, thinking to himself, it seems that Master intends to take them as disciples.
In the Xuanling Sect, it is very difficult for outer disciples with three spiritual roots to be accepted as disciples by Core Formation stage cultivators. Those like Su Qing and Yun Luoyan, who were chosen by Core Formation stage elders during the entrance test, are extremely rare.
When Bei Ming arrived at the mountain gate on his flying sword, he saw Feng Yao, the disciple of the former elder, standing there with his arms crossed.
"Senior Brother Feng Yao," Bei Ming greeted him.
Feng Yao glanced at him and nodded, which was her way of greeting him.
Bei Ming was surprised. Feng Yao was always aloof and extremely diligent in his cultivation. He was usually either in seclusion or practicing. How could he have time to stand at the mountain gate today?
His eyes were fixed on the Heavenly Ladder; was he waiting for someone?
Bei Ming didn't think of anything else. He and Feng Yao each stood on one side, guarding the Heavenly Ladder.
Su Qing and Yun Luoyan were unaware that their performance on the Heavenly Ladder had caught the attention of a Core Formation stage elder from the Xuanling Sect. At this moment, the two continued their exploration through the mist.
Since encountering the armored tiger, Su Qing hasn't encountered any other demonic beasts. However, she can keenly sense that something is always watching her.
"Hehe, a second-tier demonic beast, Gale Rat!" Elder Yuan and Elder Xiang, both Core Formation stage cultivators, had their eyes shining. They wanted to see how Su Qing would deal with the second-tier demonic beast, Gale Rat, which even a Qi Refining stage fifth level cultivator couldn't handle!
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