The ancestral core is an irregular spherical shape, about the size of dozens of people who could hug it, with an uneven surface and rampant cracks.
Its texture does not resemble the usual hard mineral; instead, it exudes a fluid yet solid luster, like dense spiritual energy trapped in a solid state. Occasionally, a few faint rays of light seep out from the cracks and disappear in a flash.
"But is this really the legendary Ancestral Core?"
Upon seeing the sphere, a young cultivator in a black robe in the crowd couldn't help but speak, his voice full of doubt, "This is completely different from what I've heard! The ancestral cores recorded in the ancient texts are said to be radiant with light, and their surging spiritual power can be felt from afar. This is truly unimaginable."
A young man in white standing nearby frowned, his gaze fixed on the ancestral core, and replied:
“That’s right. I’ve also had the privilege of seeing a portrait of the Ancestral Core. Although it was just a copy, it was still incredibly imposing. Now, this Ancestral Core is pitted and cracked all over. Could it be that someone has tampered with it?”
At this moment, a woman dressed in fine clothes shook her head slightly and gave the two of them a disdainful glance:
"Hmph! What do you know? In my opinion, this is probably an ancestral core that is about to be annihilated. No wonder those supreme-level guardian beasts in the nine heavenly gates have no interest in it. For supreme beings and even saints, this ancestral core is so incomplete that it is indeed of little use."
Upon hearing this explanation, a murmur rippled through the crowd. A burly man scratched his head and asked in a deep voice, "But why is this being treated as the main event in the competition between the academies? What benefit does it bring to those of us below the sage level?"
A slender, middle-aged monk holding a scroll began to explain:
"Fellow Daoist, you may not know this, but even if the Ancestral Core is incomplete, the spiritual energy it contains is still a treasure. As long as we absorb and refine it, we can greatly increase our own foundation and make our foundation more stable after becoming a Saint. Moreover, according to ancient records, only a very few geniuses have used the power of the Ancestral Core when they were undergoing the Supreme Tribulation, in order to weaken the power of the tribulation and increase the success rate of the tribulation."
"Even Supreme Beings rely on this divine object when undergoing tribulation, so how much of a role do you think it would play for those of us below the Saint level?"
The black-robed cultivator's eyes lit up instantly, and he exclaimed excitedly, "Is it really that miraculous? Then this ancestral core is truly an incredible opportunity for us!"
The burly man clenched his fists and shouted, "Who cares about crippling injuries? With such benefits, I'm willing to fight for it no matter what!"
Everyone nodded, their eyes burning with even greater desire, their initial doubts about the appearance of the ancestral core long since vanished.
The people of the Nine Heavenly Gates have a completely different mindset from the students of these academies.
Inside the Burning Prison Sect, after overhearing the discussion among the academy students, Yan Lie smiled contemptuously and said to his fellow disciples beside him:
"Haha, how naive. These academy disciples are really naive, thinking they can gain an advantage in this battle for the Ancestral Core. For us, our biggest opponents have always been those guys from the Heavenly Gate."
"Thinking you can get a piece of the pie from this is just wishful thinking."
Their words were full of mockery, which also reflected the attitude of the people from the Nine Heavenly Gates towards the other academies.
In their eyes, although those universities also have talented people, their foundation is far inferior to that of the Nine Heavenly Gates, which have a profound history.
Amidst the chatter, the number of people entering continued to increase. A tense yet exciting atmosphere filled the air, all eyes focused on the ancestral core that exuded a mysterious aura.
The situation changed abruptly when the last team stepped into this territory.
Where the incomplete ancestral core lay, four shimmering crystal cushions emerged from its surroundings. One cushion was close to the core, while the other three were far apart, exuding a mysterious order. At the same time, the one hundred crystals that had been connected beneath their feet began to split, emitting subtle yet crisp sounds.
In just a short while, apart from the top ten teams, all the other teams were on the outermost edge, forming pairs. The crystals beneath the feet of each pair began to resonate with each other.
At the same time, the rules were also clearly stated on their respective captain tokens:
Only the victor is qualified to take a step closer to the Ancestral Core!
The top ten teams, however, are different. They move closer to the ancestral core in order of their ranking. They are arranged in a staircase pattern, with one staircase after another connecting the crystals containing the top ten teams in a ring, getting closer and closer to the ancestral core.
However, the top ten teams were all from the Nine Heavenly Gates. At this moment, the four members of the tenth-ranked team were looking at the Ancestral Core, which was so close yet seemed so far away, with their eyes filled with fervor.
Simply by standing here, one can feel a spiritual energy that is completely different from the spiritual energy one usually encounters. That spiritual energy penetrates into every pore, making one's mind and spirit tremble, and even the divine soul in the sea of qi cannot help but reveal a greedy intention.
They instinctively clenched their hands, their eyes darting back and forth between the ancestral core and the line of people on the steps ahead, knowing full well that the spiritual energy would become increasingly rich and mellow the higher they went.
Looking again at the circular staircase, extending upwards step by step, each step brings one closer to the ancestral core, and the spiritual energy gained naturally becomes more abundant. Those at the bottom, however, are undoubtedly facing the most difficult situation.
It seems the rules are designed to have the top ten teams knock down their opponents one step at a time. On the last crystal in this ring, they not only receive the least amount of ancestral core essence, but they also have to constantly face challenges from other people approaching the academy.
However, Qin Luo was not surprised by the rules of this final stage, since he had experienced them once before in the simulation.
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