The competition had been going on for two hours, and more than half of the time had already passed.
At midday, the four sect leaders of the Xiaoyao Sect quietly waited inside the gate of the Zhongling Hall for the arrival of the first twenty disciples.
"I heard that a talented person has emerged in our Xiaoyao Sect this year. He defeated ten top masters in less than a quarter of an hour."
The leader of the Quick Blade Sect, Bei Yi, stroked the jade thumb ring in his hand and muttered incantations.
Upon hearing this, Xi Yu, the sect leader of the Chasing Wind Sect, revealed a disdainful expression, yawned deeply, and coldly snorted.
"Hehe, I'd like to see what that person looks like."
"You can look all you want, but don't try to take her from me."
"Our Quick Blade Sect needs someone with such superb martial arts skills just the right amount." The leader of the Northern Yi Sect seemed very interested in this person.
"That's only if people respect your Quick Blade Sect!"
"Let's see!"
Since joining the sect, the Western Jade Sect Master has been at odds with the Northern Yi Sect Master.
Every time there's a recruitment event for apprentices, the two of them would argue over who would be the best to recruit.
Gu Qianlu sat opposite the two people and carefully reviewed the list of participants in the apprenticeship competition.
"Cuiyu, are there any outstanding female disciples in this competition?"
"Reporting to the sect leader, based on my observation, there are indeed two disciples with considerable abilities."
I heard that their first choice was the Hundred Flowers Sect.
"Oh? What's your name?"
"If I remember correctly, their names are Meng Qing and Meng Fan. They seem to be sisters."
"I am very much looking forward to seeing them at the Hall of Loyalty and Order."
At this moment, Chen Jinheng entered the fourth level alone. The test location was a secret underground room in the Xiaoyao Sect.
Because of his outstanding abilities, he easily became the fastest person in the history of the Xiaoyao Sect to pass the first three trials.
The dim candlelight flickered, and a cool breeze seeped into the basement through the cracks in the stone.
Chen Jinheng's expression was somber, and the secret room was unusually quiet, exuding a sinister and terrifying atmosphere.
The further down you go, the more you feel the bone-chilling cold.
It turns out that the official entrance to the fourth level is located at the very bottom of the stairs.
Chen Jinheng slowly walked towards the stone gate and took his three access tokens in his hands.
The senior disciple guarding the gate looked at the figure walking towards him, his eyes suddenly brightening. As if in disbelief, he said mockingly,
“Good job! You’re the first person to arrive here! Hand me the token.”
Chen Jinheng handed over the token without hesitation and asked,
"Thank you for your praise, senior brother. May I ask if this is the entrance to the fourth level?"
The man carefully examined the token, and after confirming that it was correct, he handed a bamboo slip to Chen Jinheng.
"This is a treasure map. Please complete it within one hour."
"Alright! Goodbye!"
Chen Jinheng entered the treasure room and saw that it was like a treasure vault, with hundreds of mahogany boxes neatly arranged on wooden shelves.
If we were to search for them one by one, it would probably take more than an hour to find them.
Chen Jinheng opened the bamboo scroll and carefully examined the secrets hidden in the treasure map.
The treasure map has only six images: a compass pointing south, a green snake coiled around a tree, a golden cat with a gold ingot on its head, a peacock as tall as a person crossing a ring of fire, and a giant tortoise playing in the water with a python.
This sixth pattern is quite peculiar, resembling a mechanism composed of several parts.
There is only half the time left until the fourth level ends.
Chen Jinheng frowned, his rough fingers lightly tapping the pattern on the treasure map.
"A green snake coils around a big tree. Snakes are also called small dragons, so a green snake is a green dragon."
The golden-furred cat represents the White Tiger, associated with the element of metal; the Vermilion Bird represents the element of fire; and the giant tortoise and snake, though inherently incompatible, can play together in the water, suggesting they are inherently one. Legend has it that the Black Tortoise is a combination of a tortoise and a snake.
"The Azure Dragon of the East represents wood, the Vermilion Bird of the South represents fire, the White Tiger of the West represents metal, and the Black Tortoise of the North represents water."
So, this seems to be the answer!
Chen Jinheng had a sudden inspiration and quickly flew to the treasure pavilions in the east, west, south, and north, looking for patterns similar to those on the treasure map from the boxes marked with the four elements.
"Just as I thought, we've now found four treasures, but where do we find the mechanism?"
Chen Jinheng carefully examined the four treasures in his hands, holding them horizontally in the air to inspect them.
These four treasures do not appear to be anything special.
Suddenly, he raised his hand and shook the treasure in his hand, only to find that the treasure was hollow and seemed to contain a secret.
Chen Jinheng held his breath and continued to shake the treasure near his ear, the objects inside making sounds as they collided.
By judging the sound, Chen Jinheng carefully sketched the shape of the object in his mind.
After a round of calculations, Chen Jinheng roughly sketched the shape of the objects inside the treasure's belly.
It is roughly similar to the mechanism diagram in the treasure map.
Chen Jinheng narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze falling on the four treasures.
"Does this mean we have to smash open these four treasures to get the mechanism parts?"
Chen Jinheng frowned as he looked at the four treasures he had painstakingly found.
With only a quarter of an hour left, should we smash it or not?
It all depends on a single thought.
How can we build something new without breaking down the old?
The competition rules did not explicitly state whether the treasures could be preserved; they only said that finding all the treasures was sufficient.
Moreover, this eerie secret room is sure to contain hidden mechanisms; staying here for an extended period is not a wise move!
With a loud "bang," Chen Jinheng smashed the treasure in his hand in two, revealing four mechanical components.
Chen Jinheng picked up the mechanical parts and pieced them together with reference to the treasure map. The four parts were connected in a peculiar way and could not be separated no matter how they were damaged.
A look of joy appeared in Chen Jinheng's eyes as he slowly walked towards the passage stone gate.
Above the doorway was a groove, exactly the same as the mechanism in his hand.
Chen Jinheng's eyebrows twitched slightly, and a rare smile appeared on his lips as he quickly fitted the mechanism into the groove of the stone door.
"So this mechanism is the key to pass through!"
A moment later, a deafening "boom" resounded, and the stone door was slowly opened, letting in a strong light from outside.
Chen Jinheng slowly walked out of the stone gate, his tall figure stretched long by the sunlight, resembling a giant.
"Wow! Not bad! You've completed the challenge ahead of schedule in just two hours!"
The sect leader of the Chasing Wind Sect raised his eyes slightly and looked at Chen Jinheng with a satisfied expression.
A rough male voice came from behind him. Chen Jinheng raised his eyes slightly and walked towards the voice.
Only then did he realize that he was already in the center of the Hall of Loyalty and Commandment.
"What's your name?" the sect leader of Bei Yi asked coldly, his expression indifferent.
"Greetings, esteemed sect leaders! My name is Liu Cheng!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Qianluo's brows twitched slightly, and suddenly her heart skipped a beat. She looked up at the person who had spoken.
His voice is similar to Chen Jinheng's, but his appearance is completely different from Chen Jinheng's.
"Xi Yu, I want this disciple! Don't compete with me for him!"
The leader of the Northern Sect spoke these words calmly and indifferently.
Upon hearing this, the Western Jade Sect Master's gaze darkened, his face turning as cold as ice, and he sneered.
"What if I, the sect leader, am unwilling?"
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