Star Martial Soaring Cloud

The moment Wang Xiao stepped into the light curtain, his vision blurred, and his body suddenly felt light, as if he were being gently placed on the ground by an invisible hand.

Once he had steadied himself and looked up, he found himself in a completely new world.

The sky is blue and the clouds drift by, but the blue sky and white clouds look rather low, as if they could be reached out and touched.

Wang Xiao subconsciously raised his hand, his fingertips were far from the flowing clouds, but the illusion that they were within reach lingered in his mind and could not be shaken off.

The grass underfoot is lush and green, dotted with wildflowers, and birdsong fills the woods. A gentle breeze carries the fresh scent of earth and vegetation.

Wang Xiao looked around carefully and then suddenly realized that it wasn't that the sky was low, but rather that the world was inherently small.

This place has only one isolated mountain, which is not high, less than 100 meters high, but it can be described as small but complete.

The magnificent palaces and pavilions are scattered among the mountains, adorned with green pines and bamboos. Waterfalls cascade down from the peaks, their roar deafening. The spray from the waterfalls mingles with the mountain mists, adding a touch of ethereal beauty to this small, enchanting place.

The entire landscape is exquisite and elegant, except for one particular scene that stands out from the crowd and appears extremely jarring.

That sense of incongruity is like dust staining a beautiful, flourishing flower, forcibly dragging this ethereal, secret realm into the mundane world.

A giant marble sculpture stands atop the mountain, depicting an old man.

The old man was unkempt, with disheveled hair and beard, and his robes were loose and baggy, as if he had just been pulled out of a wine jar.

He lay on his side with one hand supporting his head, the other hand raised high with a wine glass, looking up at the sky, his face flushed with drunkenness, the color striking, as if he had applied a thick layer of rouge.

Looking at the stone sculpture, Wang Xiao couldn't help but think of Sun Wuji.

The red-clad boy who constantly boasted "My father is the Minister of War" bears a striking resemblance to this statue that seems to have "showing off" etched on its forehead.

Sun Wuji constantly talks about his family tree, but this guy just carved himself into a stone sculpture and stuffed him right into everyone's sight.

Wang Xiao gently shook his head to clear his mind, secretly marveling at the grand scale of Jixia Academy.

Each candidate is in their own private world, which would require tens of thousands of such secret realms and tens of thousands of mountains, perhaps even larger than the entire capital city.

I wonder how Jixia Academy managed to do that.

Spatial folding? Overlay of formations? Or some other more advanced technique?

He had no way of knowing the mystery behind it, but that did not diminish the shock he felt.

To his surprise, the suppression of his cultivation brought about by the protective array of the capital city completely dissipated after he stepped into this secret realm.

The suppressed divine sense and abundant vital energy returned to his body, and the feeling of being suppressed was swept away. Wang Xiao couldn't help but take a deep breath and felt completely refreshed.

"Dear candidates, the first test of this round focuses on the breadth and depth of your spiritual sense. First, we will test the breadth of your spiritual sense. Please stand still and explore with your spiritual sense. After a quarter of an hour, you will be able to report the number of crabs in this mountain."

A calm and gentle voice rang out, seemingly coming from nowhere, echoing between heaven and earth, and resounding directly in the minds of every examinee.

Wang Xiao was stunned for a moment, completely astonished.

Counting crabs?

The first test question of the prestigious martial arts holy land in Kyushu was to count the crabs in the mountains.

What is the connection between crabs and spiritual practice?

Could it be because "crab goes well with alcohol, the more you drink, the more you want"?

Or are these crabs hiding in the mountains concealing some unknown secret?

Wang Xiao cleared his mind of all distractions, calmed his spirit, and spread his divine sense, which instantly enveloped the entire world.

From the clear pool beneath the waterfall at the foot of the mountain, to the scattered pavilions, secluded bamboo forests, and winding stone paths in the mountains, and finally to the casual and lazy old man stone sculpture at the top of the mountain, every blade of grass, every tree, every insect, and every beast within the secret realm falls within the scope of his divine sense, leaving no place to hide.

Crabs are abundant in the mountains and can be found in every corner of the hidden realm.

On the banks of the clear pool, several crabs basked in the warm sun on the blue stones, their dark blue shells glistening with moisture. In the babbling stream, many crabs hid in the crevices of the rocks, searching for food, waving their claws to pick up grass roots and slowly put them into their mouths. On the sandy ground beside the stream, two crabs of similar size raised their large claws and faced each other, seemingly about to fight, yet also as if they were playing and dancing.

There were also creatures hiding in caves with only their eyes showing, constantly blowing bubbles; others clinging to the rock walls, blending into the rocks and becoming indistinguishable; still others just crawling out of the water, soaking wet, hurriedly burrowing into the grass to hide—all sorts of creatures, each with its own unique posture.

One, two, three... Wang Xiao transformed his condensed divine sense into fine threads and carefully counted them one by one.

The crabs in the mountains varied in size and sex; some were lively and active, roaming around, while others lay still in their burrows. He took them all into his divine sense without missing a single one.

When the 15-minute time limit was up, Wang Xiao checked the number three times in his mind and said the result with certainty: "1,800."

The moment he finished speaking, a strange movement occurred in the void beside him, and countless figures appeared out of thin air.

The group did not walk slowly, nor did they fly in; instead, they appeared directly from nothingness, as if the invisible veil surrounding them had been removed.

One person, ten people, a hundred people... the crowd kept gathering and becoming more and more dense. Wang Xiao glanced around and saw that there were more than five thousand candidates present.

"Congratulations on successfully passing the first test of spiritual awareness. The second test will now begin." The calm voice rang out again, with a hint of approval in its tone.

Wang Xiao suddenly realized that there were never tens of thousands of independent secret realms from the beginning; there had only ever been this one world.

All the candidates were in the same secluded place, facing the same solitary mountain, the same waterfall, the same bamboo forest, and the same stone sculpture on the mountaintop.

The students could not sense each other's presence or figure because they were all concealed by the academy's secret method. Only by giving the correct answer would the concealment dissipate and the student's figure be revealed.

After figuring out the reasons, Wang Xiao was even more shocked.

The ability to gather thousands of Dragon Gate Divine Realm cultivators into one place and keep them completely unaware of each other is truly terrifying.

They are not ordinary people; they are among the most promising cultivators in Kyushu.

At this point, he fully understood why the examiner had stated that the assessment was absolutely fair and impartial.

Everyone takes the same test questions, the same testing venue, the answers are clear, the evaluation is quantitative, and each candidate answers independently without external interference, favoritism, or any opportunity for cheating.

The extent to which one's divine sense can probe is the extent to which one can know. The only standard for passing the level is to count the number correctly. Passing the level means advancing to the next level, while failing means leaving the stage immediately.

Wang Xiao scanned the crowd and spotted several familiar figures.

The three Ye siblings stood not far away. Ye Sheng looked indifferent, Ye Liu had a cold expression, and Ye Xin still obediently followed behind the two.

Jiang Feng, dressed in a black outfit, was looking around listlessly.

Sun Wuji was enthusiastically introducing himself to a candidate, saying, "My father is the Minister of War."

Yun Yi was also among the crowd, still with that wild look.

"I heard that the Yun family has four outstanding talents coming to take the exam this time. Why are the others nowhere to be seen? Where is Zhou Qian?" Wang Xiao wondered.

While searching, he also discovered an unexpected acquaintance.

Ai Xinming!

He wore a golden battle suit, his figure majestic and imposing, his appearance as elegant as jade, just like when he was in Zhongyun City.

I have a vague recollection of this person, but I've never actually met him.

During the days of high-stakes gambling in Lishan, three outstanding talents stood out. Xiao He had become his close friend, Ye Changtian was killed in Lishan, and Ai Xinming seemed to have disappeared after that.

Their eyes met, and Ai Xinming smiled faintly at Wang Xiao, his expression as if he had been waiting for her all along.

Wang Xiao looked away, but a complex emotion welled up inside her; she felt that something was amiss.

Before long, Wang Xiao finally found Zhou Qian, who had a dark complexion, in the crowd.

Zhou Qian was looking around for someone when he heard Wang Xiao's call. He immediately grinned and quickly went to meet him.

"Congratulations," Wang Xiao said.

"Congratulations to you too." Zhou Qian nodded in response, his tone slightly tense.

Wang Xiao raised her hand and gently patted his shoulder without saying anything more.

"The second trial of the first stage—the assessment of the depth of spiritual consciousness, please proceed."

The gentle voice rang out again, its tone calm and even, yet carrying an unyielding and dignified air.

As soon as he finished speaking, Wang Xiao felt a flash of light before his eyes, and all the thousands of examinees who had gathered around him vanished, leaving him alone once again in the vast world.

This time, he came to a completely new place.

White.

Everything was white.

It is not the pure white of snow, nor the cold white of frost, but rather the chaotic pure white of the beginning of heaven and earth before all things were differentiated, and also the emptiness after all things have withered and fallen.

There was no solid ground beneath my feet, no sky above my head; all around me was an endless expanse of white, without direction or boundaries.

Wang Xiao stood still, looked down at his feet. His feet were still there, but he couldn't feel anything under them. It was as if he were stepping on soft, flowing clouds, or as if he were suspended in mid-air in nothingness.

In the very center of this pure white space stands a nine-tiered staircase carved entirely from jade.

The jade steps are crystal clear and have a warm luster. Each step seems to have been carved from a single piece of jade, without any seams or flaws, and is perfectly natural.

There are no handrails on either side of the steps, nor anything to support them behind them. They stand there all alone, like an ancient artifact that has existed since the beginning of time.

At the very top of the ladder to heaven, there remains the same stone sculpture of a drunken old man.

This time, the old man no longer lay down to rest, but leaned against the top jade step, leisurely raising his cup to sip it, completely absorbed in the moment, the flush of intoxication on his face becoming even more striking.

Seeing this, Wang Xiao couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "That's so tasteless!"

As soon as he said it, he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine, as if something was watching him from the shadows.

The feeling was fleeting, so quick it was like an illusion.

"Experience the cycle of the four seasons and savor the five flavors of life. Successfully ascend the ladder of divine consciousness, and you will pass the test smoothly." The ethereal voice slowly drifted from the vast void.

Wang Xiao took a deep breath and stepped onto the first jade step.

The moment the foot landed, the entire jade staircase shone brightly, its emerald light surging like a tide, instantly transforming the pure white space into the colors of spring.

As all things revive and plants sprout, a gentle spring breeze caresses the face, carrying a refreshing fragrance that is both soothing and pleasant.

But this spring breeze feels off.

The wind blowing on you doesn't feel light and airy; instead, it feels like a towering mountain pressing down on your shoulders.

Wang Xiao felt his limbs and bones becoming increasingly heavy, and the jade steps beneath his feet generated a powerful suction force, firmly binding him in place and making it difficult for him to move.

This heaviness did not affect the physical body, but struck directly at the soul and consciousness.

An immense, mountain-like pressure poured into his sea of ​​consciousness, an invisible pressure originating from the depths of his soul, impossible to avoid or block.

Wang Xiao gritted his teeth, enduring the immense pressure on his soul, and stepped onto the second step.

Spring fades and summer arrives.

The blazing sun hangs high, and the sweltering heat sweeps in all directions, the oppressive heat emanating from it as if trying to evaporate all the vital energy from one's body.

In the blink of an eye, the clear sky changed dramatically. A raging flood, carrying mud, sand, and broken logs, rushed down from the top of the jade steps. The sound of the water was deafening and unstoppable, attempting to sweep Wang Xiao directly off the Heavenly Ladder.

It wasn't a real flood, but an impact on the level of consciousness, wave after wave, each stronger than the last, relentlessly.

Wang Xiao steadied himself against the odds, undeterred by the impact, and steadily stepped onto the third step.

The world was desolate, with fallen leaves fluttering and withered grass and trees.

Autumn, the harvest season, holds endless allure.

Countless intricate whispers, illusory images, and inner obsessions flooded into my mind.

"You've already succeeded, why strive for more?"

"Your abilities have already surpassed most people; it's enough to stop here."

"Everything that one desires in this world is found here."

A series of gentle, seductive voices lingered in her ears, painting countless beautiful visions of peace and tranquility, thus disturbing her mind.

Wang Xiao was resolute and seemed not to hear anything. His eyes were clear and determined as he took another step upwards.

Winter arrives, snowflakes fall, the cold wind howls, and the world is filled with a desolate atmosphere.

A bone-chilling cold spread from the soles of the feet upwards, climbing along the muscles, bones, and blood vessels, gradually stiffening and stagnating the joints of the limbs, and slowing down the circulation of qi and blood in the body.

He tried to circulate his vital energy to resist the cold, but his vital energy remained unmoved; he tried to rely on his strong physical body to withstand the heavy pressure, but his body did not react at all.

It wasn't that their cultivation was sealed or imprisoned, but rather that in this space dedicated to the trial of divine consciousness, their physical cultivation and vital energy were completely rendered useless.

This is a test of divine consciousness, a contest of will.

Braving the blizzard and biting cold, Wang Xiao gritted his teeth and struggled to climb the fifth jade step.

He is ready to face even greater trials.

Perhaps it will be a more violent blizzard, or an even heavier pressure on the soul, or perhaps the first four layers stacked together.

But the moment he stepped onto the fifth jade step, all the heavy pressure around him vanished.

The sudden relief almost made him lose his footing.

"What's going on?" Wang Xiao looked bewildered, staring down at the jade steps beneath her feet.

The jade steps were crystal clear and gleamed with a warm light, yet there was no unusual movement.

The vitality of spring, the heat of summer, the allure of autumn, and the harshness of winter all vanish.

"Logically, the next test should be the five flavors: sour, bitter, sweet, spicy, and salty. Why is there no reaction at all?"

With doubts in his mind, he stepped onto the sixth jade staircase, but still no trial came.

Wang Xiao simply took three steps at a time and went straight to the top of the nine-story ladder.

Every step felt light and airy, like walking on cotton, without any resistance or challenge.

Standing at the highest point of the Heavenly Ladder, Wang Xiao looked back at the layers of jade steps and murmured to himself, "Did I clear it so easily?"

He could hardly believe what he was seeing. He slowly walked down the ladder and started from the fifth step, climbing up one step at a time, trying repeatedly, but still there was no reaction.

He even hopped a couple of times on the jade steps, stepping on them again and again, but the heavenly ladder beneath his feet remained stable as if it had fallen into a silent slumber.

Wang Xiao was completely unaware that just as he was jumping around and testing the waters, the stone sculpture's eyes twitched slightly, widening in surprise as it watched him hopping around on the jade steps.

Little did Wang Xiao know that he had been tempered by the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, experiencing all walks of life and tasting all the flavors of the world in the karmic fire purgatory.

What are these mere "five flavors" compared to the flames of karma?

The changing seasons cannot outweigh the fleeting nature of the human heart; the complexities of life cannot withstand the raging fire of karma.

After the first trial concluded, the candidates who had passed gathered again.

Wang Xiao glanced around and noticed that the number of people in the room had drastically decreased.

Tens of thousands of candidates entered the venue to participate in the first trial. After two rounds of spiritual awareness assessment, only a little over a thousand people successfully advanced to the second trial.

Fortunately, Zhou Qian was still alive. He was soaking wet and panting heavily.

"What difficulties did you encounter during the trial just now?" Wang Xiao asked.

"Don't even mention it. It was scorching heat, raging torrents, and all sorts of emotional turmoil. The experience was indescribable. I almost got swept away just now," Zhou Qian replied with a bitter expression.

Before we could exchange more words, the world changed again, and the second test began.

After hearing the rules, Wang Xiao froze on the spot, even wondering if he had misheard.

"Playing mahjong? I don't know how! What exactly does the Jixia Academy's entrance exam test?"

P.S.: Sorry, after thinking about it for a long time, I still wanted to write a different assessment. Sorry for the wait, everyone!