This trial of life and death was every bit as treacherous as its name suggested — danger lurked at every step.
Jiang Chen vaulted over the gaping maw, and before he could even push his speed to its limit, several fire dragons with bared fangs and unsheathed claws suddenly burst from the hazy void ahead.
They coiled around pillars of flame, spewing torrents of blazing fire. An ocean of flames surged upward all around him, as though he had suddenly been plunged into a literal hell of fire.
Jiang Chen felt a flash of déjà vu — he had entered the Ancient Seven Kills Formation once before.
Though the nature of the trial was different, this passageway captured the very essence of that ancient formation. The shifting scenery changed without the slightest warning, transitioning seamlessly from one scene to the next.
But for Jiang Chen, familiarity with the mysteries of the Ancient Seven Kills Formation meant that, however perilous things appeared, they posed little real threat to him.
"Jiang Chen, don't worry — these flames and infernos are all illusions. I don't sense any deadly fire aura," the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast transmitted telepathically.
With the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast by his side, even the most terrifying sea of fire was nothing to fear. And the fact that the Vermilion Bird had said as much meant the danger was well and truly past.
Jiang Chen didn't slow down in the slightest. His figure plunged straight into the ocean of flames.
In the next instant, he burst out from the other side, his feet touching solid ground. He had passed the third trial.
"Congratulations, young man. You have passed the third trial. You have now completed all three trials of the qualification round," a voice echoed.
A measure of calm settled in Jiang Chen's heart, though he showed no trace of wild elation. Following their guidance, he walked forward.
As for how many of the others had managed to pass — that was none of his concern.
At the very least, he himself had cleared the qualification round.
After passing, Jiang Chen was escorted to a quiet, secluded hall to rest. Quite a few other participants were already waiting inside — all of them, he could tell, had passed the qualification round ahead of him.
Jiang Chen swept his gaze across the room and counted several dozen people already present.
"So Dongyan Island truly is teeming with talent," he mused. He had gone through the three trials without expending his full effort, but seeing so many others who had also made it through came as a mild surprise.
"Back in the human domain, even without any age restrictions, the number of Emperors who could comfortably pass all three trials wouldn't be nearly this high."
"And Dongyan Island is nothing more than a place of exile under a second- or third-rate power within the Huichun Island Domain — yet it still produces this many geniuses. It seems the depth of talent in the Myriad Abyss Island truly cannot be underestimated."
With this realization, Jiang Chen became even more cautious.
From the very moment he set foot on Dongyan Island, he had noticed that the ambient spiritual energy here was significantly denser than in the human domain.
And then he had learned that Dongyan Island was merely a dumping ground for exiles — nothing more than a backwater appendage of a second- or third-rate power.
That even a place of exile boasted such rich spiritual energy only reinforced how seriously Jiang Chen needed to take the Myriad Abyss Island.
"This trip to the Myriad Abyss Island will be anything but easy. Even here on Dongyan Island, the slightest misstep could be my undoing."
Having grasped the true danger of this place, Jiang Chen refused to let his guard down. He sat cross-legged and steadied his mind, bringing his emotions to a state of perfect calm.
The selection continued. Nearly twenty thousand contestants had registered, which meant the selection process was destined to drag on for a considerable time.
Roughly four days later, the entire qualification selection finally came to an end.
"All right, young geniuses — thank you for your patience." The voice of the official in charge rang through the quiet hall.
"First of all, congratulations to every one of you standing here. You have all passed the qualification round and earned the City Lord's Manor's recognition. You are now eligible to bear the manor's insignia. A total of three hundred and ninety-eight participants have passed the qualification round."
"Moving forward, you will face a far more grueling Elite Competition. We will select no more than eight elites from this round. These eight will be appointed as honored retainers of the City Lord's Manor, receiving an annual stipend of two million High-grade Spirit Stones. Bear in mind — that is merely the base compensation. Should you make exceptional contributions or accomplish great deeds, you will receive even more generous rewards. The City Lord's Manor operates on a simple principle: the greater your ability, the greater the reward."
"Most importantly, you must demonstrate your potential and your strength. You must use your potential and your prowess to defeat your opponents and outshine everyone else. Only by doing so can you earn the City Lord's conviction — only then will he see you as indispensable, as someone the City Lord's Manor can invest in for the long term." The official's words carried a stirring, motivational quality.
Jiang Chen paid little heed to such rhetoric. His heart remained still as tranquil water.
"Now, for those of you who do not make it through the Elite Competition — do not be disheartened. You may not receive the title of honored retainer or such a lofty stipend, but the City Lord's Manor's doors remain open to you. You may join the manor and begin from a slightly lower starting point. As long as you can demonstrate your talent and potential, your future will be just as bright. The City Lord selects talent without regard to background. He cares only about potential, not origin. Even if you come from humble beginnings, even if you seem insignificant — so long as you can show talent and potential that surpass the rest, the City Lord's Manor will guarantee you a bright future!"
This was meant to encourage everyone present.
After all, every person here had passed the three trials of the qualification round, defeating more than ten thousand other competitors to earn their place.
"The Elite Competition will also consist of three stages. However, these stages share some similarities with the previous round, yet differ in important ways."