inspire-indiana Before Chapter 25
Before Chapter 25
On the Black Stele, Zhang Ping's ranking climbed steadily.
Forty-ninth.
Forty-third.
Thirty-eight.
Thirty-first.
The numbers were changing at a slower pace than before, but they never stopped.
Twenty-seven.
Twenty-fourth.
Twenty-first.
When Zhang Ping's name appeared in the twentieth position, the entire black stele suddenly trembled.
It wasn't the slight tremor we had before; the entire stone tablet was shaking, and the ground around it was trembling as well.
A layer of dark golden light emanated from the monument, spreading upwards from the bottom.
Every one of the top twenty names is shining.
But Zhang Ping's name stands out, simply because he is a newcomer.
The people in the square were in an uproar.
"Top 20! This person is in the top 20!"
More and more cultivators are arriving from all parts of Cangwu Mountain.
Some people rushed out of their cultivation chambers, their robes still unfastened; others ran from the training grounds behind the mountain; and even several disciples in seclusion were dragged out of their caves by their fellow disciples, who said they would regret it for the rest of their lives if they didn't see it.
In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, three or four hundred people had gathered in front of the stone tablet.
The crowd was huge, and the noise was deafening.
The square has never been this lively before, not even during the annual grand competition.
"You're nineteen!"
Someone in the crowd shouted, his voice filled with excitement, as if he had made it onto the rankings.
All eyes were fixed on that name, watching it climb step by step.
eighteenth.
seventeenth.
sixteenth.
Less than half an incense stick's time had passed.
tenth.
Zhang Ping's name landed steadily in tenth place.
Golden light emanated from the name, intertwining with the light of the other top ten members, forming a dazzling halo on the stone tablet.
The halo of light shone on everyone's face, illuminating everyone's expressions clearly.
The square fell silent for a moment.
The silence wasn't due to indifference, but rather because it was so overwhelming that everyone forgot to speak.
Then, it boiled completely.
"Top ten! He made it into the top ten!"
"Is this the first time since the founding of the Pure Heaven Sect that someone has broken into the top ten on their very first appearance in the Black Mirror Sect?"
"I've cultivated for twenty years and I've never seen anything like this."
"Could what's shown on the stone tablet be fake?"
In the attic.
The expressions of the two old men had changed.
"Top ten."
The old man in the dark purple robe spoke, his voice deep and resonant.
Before the words were even finished, the rankings on the stone tablet changed again.
ninth.
A deafening roar of exclamations erupted in the square.
Within the illusion.
Zhang Ping was unaware that the world outside had turned upside down.
All he knew was that his hands were shaking.
It wasn't because of fear, but because of exhaustion.
After slaying dozens of demonic beasts in succession, his body had reached its limit.
Here, supernatural powers can be continuously released, and health will be restored, maintaining his basic condition. However, the consumption of physical strength and the depletion of mental energy cannot be fully compensated by health.
He had run an unknown distance.
Under a dark red sky, all around was an unfamiliar wasteland, devoid of trees and grass, with only blackish-gray pebbles and cracked earth.
He had lost count of how many demons he had killed.
thirty?
forty?
Can not remember.
He only remembered that from the first level of the Boiling Blood Realm onwards, the monsters became stronger and stronger.
He took six slashes to bring down that black bull, and it took him seven or eight, or even more than ten, slashes to take down the other demons who were at the second or third level of the Boiling Blood Realm.
After each kill, the interval between the next one appearing becomes shorter and shorter, and the level of the next one becomes higher and higher.
Zhang Ping leaned against a rock, panting heavily. His broadsword was stuck in the ground beside him, its blade covered in dried black blood.
"Depend on."
He cursed, his voice already hoarse, "Are you never going to stop?"
No one answered him.
Then he heard footsteps.
With each step, the ground trembled slightly.
"well……"
Zhang Ping sighed, for he knew that another demon had come looking for him.
Zhang Ping leaned on his knife to stand up, raised his head, and looked in the direction from which the sound came.
What came into view was a wolf.
The wolf was a size larger than the bear he had just killed, and its body was covered in silver-gray fur.
The most terrifying thing is that it has two heads, two identical wolf heads growing side by side on its neck, and four blood-red eyes with pupils that look like they are burning with flames.
Both heads opened their mouths simultaneously, revealing four rows of gleaming white fangs. Saliva dripped from the corners of their mouths, sizzling as it fell to the ground, carrying a deadly poison.
Two-headed wolf, six levels of boiling blood.
Zhang Ping's lips twitched.
He needed to slash a demon at the third level of the Boiling Blood Realm more than a dozen times to take it down. The sixth level of the Boiling Blood Realm? That was not a realm he could even touch.
But he didn't run.
It's not that I don't want to run, it's that I can't run away.
The wolf had all four eyes fixed on him, and the feeling of being locked on by a top predator made him realize that he definitely had no chance.
We have no choice but to fight.
He took a deep breath, and the blood in his body began to surge.
That was the strongest strike.
The blade flashed through the air with a sharp whistle, slashing straight at the left head of the two-headed wolf.
The two-headed wolf didn't even try to dodge.
Its left head tilted slightly, and it opened its mouth, biting down on the blade's edge.
The dark red light was shattered, turning into countless specks of light that dissipated into the air.
The blade's edge exploded in its mouth, yet it caused it no harm whatsoever.
Zhang Ping's mind went blank for a moment.
The strongest strike was bitten to pieces.
The two-headed wolf spat out the remaining glints of light from its mouth, and both heads simultaneously let out a low growl before it moved.
fast.
They were getting so close that Zhang Ping couldn't see them anymore.
He only felt a gust of wind rush towards him, and his body instinctively dodged to the side, but before he could take his first step, a heart-wrenching pain shot through his chest.
He was knocked away.
Pain, only pain echoing in my mind.
Fortunately, his health recovered quickly; otherwise, he would have been dead from that blow.
He lay on the ground, a mouthful of blood gushing from his mouth.
Looking down at his chest, he saw four deep scratches that stretched from his collarbone to his abdomen. The skin was torn open, revealing his white ribs underneath. Blood gushed from the wounds, quickly soaking half of his clothes.
The two-headed wolf slowly walked over. Zhang Ping tried to move, but he had no strength. He could feel the wolf's hot breath on his face.
The strong stench made him feel nauseous.
The world before my eyes began to darken, and the outline of the two-headed wolf became increasingly blurry.
He remembered his original purpose for coming here.
He just wanted to find someone to rely on.
I just want one more way to survive in this dangerous world.
How did it turn out like this?
He wanted to draw his knife, but he could no longer feel his arm.
"Damn it... I'm still going to die here."
He cursed inwardly, feeling his eyes getting heavier and heavier.
My eyelids felt like they were filled with lead.
He tried desperately to open his eyes, but his vision became narrower and darker.
then.
In the blink of an eye, the world has changed.
The dark red sky disappeared, the foul air disappeared, and the two-headed wolf's breathing disappeared.
Instead, there was only dim candlelight.
And there was that black mirror, taller than an adult.