This sensation of heaven and earth collapsing lasted a full half-hour before it finally began to subside.
Billowing smoke, accompanied by volcanic ash, continued to erupt from the cave mouth.
For a time, everything within everyone's field of vision was shrouded in a haze of grey fog.
Once all the smoke had settled, the examiners exchanged bewildered glances, their faces etched with shock.
Clearly, something catastrophic had happened inside the cave. If that was the case, then the Rock Monstrosity was most likely done for.
Just then, one of the examiners wiped his eyes and his pupils suddenly contracted sharply, staring at the cave entrance with an expression of utter disbelief.
A figure stood at the entrance, imprinted clearly in the sight of every person present.
That figure was none other than the Rock Monstrosity they had been discussing endlessly.
"This… how is this possible?" The Purple Sun Sect elder who had been loudest in his denials was now completely dumbfounded.
He had been the most vocal of all, categorically insisting that the so-called Rock Monstrosity had long since been swallowed by the celestial fire.
Yet here, right now, stood the living, breathing Jiang Chen at the cave mouth—a slap across his face that could not have been more resounding.
"The fire attribute trial is complete. May I enter the Heavenly Water Spirit Vein cave now?"
Jiang Chen walked forward, presented his competition token, and asked with an even tone.
Every examiner's expression was a sight to behold. The chief examiner recovered fastest, chuckling as he said, "You may, you may."
None of them knew what had happened inside the cave.
But did it really matter now? The contestant had passed the trial and emerged safe and sound. Whatever had occurred in the cave was no longer important.
What mattered was that a true genius had appeared.
The Four Grand Ancestors learned of the developments here in short order as well. Bound by the rules, they could not openly recruit him just yet.
But all four Ancestors were already racking their brains, drawing up plans in their minds for how to win him over.
Completing the Path of Reincarnation in a single day—the mental fortitude of this genius was enough to make the top prodigies of all four great sects hang their heads in shame.
And his talent test had yielded nothing less than a top-grade result.
In the two most critical components of the Grand Examination, his performance was nothing short of monstrous—utterly unlike what anyone would expect from a secular disciple.
Even the finest geniuses of the four great sects, were they to participate in this examination, could do no better.
"When did the secular world ever produce such a monstrous talent? This boy—no matter what it takes, we must find a way to recruit him." Ancestor Zhuiyang of the Purple Sun Sect also completely reversed the attitude he had held during the Path of Reincarnation.
Before, he had indeed harbored certain prejudices against secular geniuses.
But now, those prejudices had long since evaporated entirely. Jiang Chen had proven with irrefutable fact that true genius could arise among secular disciples.
If only Ancestor Zhuiyang knew that the genius behind the mask was none other than Jiang Chen—the very one he had placed on his kill list—his expression would surely have been a spectacle worth seeing.
"This boy is devoted to the martial path, ignoring all other talent assessments entirely. Such an unwavering martial heart! Among the four great sects, it is my Purple Sun Sect that possesses the strongest martial lineage. What qualification could the other three sects possibly have to recruit such a genius?"
Ancestor Zhuiyang carried an immense sense of superiority when it came to martial cultivation.
Meanwhile, the other three Ancestors were also furiously weighing their options.
Ancestor Qianye of the Treasure Tree Sect had already identified the Purple Sun Sect as his most formidable competitor.
"The Purple Sun Sect already has an Innate Spiritual Constitution in Long Juxue. If they also manage to seize this mental fortitude genius, then the balance of power among the four great sects could very well be shattered within a few decades. No matter the cost, we must recruit this mental fortitude genius to the Treasure Tree Sect. Spare no expense—we must have him! Our martial lineage may lag somewhat behind the Purple Sun Sect, but when it comes to cultivation resources, the Treasure Tree Sect is the undisputed first among the four great sects. If we tempt him with cultivation resources, such a genius may well choose us over the Purple Sun Sect. After all, the Purple Sun Sect already has Long Juxue with her Innate Spiritual Constitution. Even if this mental fortune genius joins them, he'll inevitably be cultivated as a second-tier prodigy at best."
Ancestor Qianye had quickly identified both the Purple Sun Sect's advantages and its vulnerabilities.
The Flowing Cloud Sect and the Myriad Spirits Sect found themselves at a comparatively greater disadvantage when it came to recruiting martial geniuses, especially relative to the Purple Sun Sect and the Treasure Tree Sect.
"Our Flowing Cloud Sect's martial lineage cannot rival the Purple Sun Sect's, and our cultivation resources fall short of the Treasure Tree Sect's. However, when it comes to nurturing hidden potential, our Flowing Cloud Sect stands above the other three. Furthermore, we have a strong tradition of dual cultivation. With the right guidance, a martial genius of this caliber need not be beyond our reach."
This was the thinking of Ancestor Binglan of the Flowing Cloud Sect. The sect boasted a great many female cultivators, and within its ranks one could find all manner of peerless beauties.
If they wished to recruit a martial genius, this was likely the Flowing Cloud Sect's best point of entry.
As for the Myriad Spirits Sect, while their urgency to recruit was certainly no less pressing, Ancestor Jiushi was well aware that among the four great sects, the Myriad Spirits Sect held the least advantage of all.