Since the Gold Seal Monarch had already made up his mind, the attack using ten percent of his power was merely a formality — a rule set by the original owner of the Yuan Magnetic Gold Mountain.
If he did not follow the rules and violated the original owner's will, the Gold Seal Monarch would be reduced to ash, his true spirit scattered, with nothing to do but wait for the next awakening.
His pillar-thick legs surged forward, each step booming against the ground with a thunderous crash. The entire Yuan Magnetic Gold Mountain seemed to tremble.
"Take my fist!"
The Gold Seal Monarch's explosively muscled arm swung out in a devastating punch.
Though it contained only ten percent of his strength, within the Yuan Magnetic Gold Mountain this blow — infused with the refined spiritual essence of the mountain itself — was still enough to freeze the surrounding air solid.
He let out a bitter laugh, unable to help but marvel at the Gold Seal Monarch's monstrous power. Even suppressed to a tenth of his full might, this single punch carried a force that no one at the third level of the Spirit Realm could face head-on.
The six Ice Fire Demon Lotuses aligned in formation, their enormous petals arranged like walls of tenacious energy. Together, they braced against the full force of the blow.
Boom!
The vines of all six Ice Fire Demon Lotuses were driven bending backward by the unstoppable punch.
However, their resilient petals managed to deflect every last shred of the devastating fist energy.
The Gold Seal Monarch was powerful, yes — but the Ice Fire Demon Lotus was ranked among the top five plant-type spirit entities across all the Myriad Heavens Planes. That reputation was no empty boast.
Though its current stage of evolution was inferior to the Gold Seal Monarch's, six of them working together against one — and one who was only using ten percent of his power at that — meant that while the Ice Fire Demon Lotuses lost some ground in terms of sheer presence, their actual forms remained unharmed.
"Hmm?"
The Gold Seal Monarch stared at the six Ice Fire Demon Lotuses, then raised his fist and examined his own palm with a look of astonishment.
"
If the Ice Fire Demon Lotus reached its peak evolution, even the supreme powerhouses of the Myriad Heavens Planes would find it a headache to deal with. The Gold Seal Monarch was, after all, merely a spirit entity dwelling within the Yuan Magnetic Gold Mountain. At peak versus peak, he truly would not be the Ice Fire Demon Lotus's equal.
"That powerful?" The Gold Seal Monarch clicked his tongue in amazement.
"The Ice Fire Demon Lotus — across all the Myriad Heavens Planes, it ranks among the top five among plant-type spirit entities. Would you say that's impressive or not?"
"Top five in the Myriad Heavens?" The Gold Seal Monarch's jaw dropped. He murmured in awe, "
The Gold Seal Monarch raised his head and declared loudly, "Rest easy. Since you've passed the trial, by the original owner's will, this Yuan Magnetic Gold Mountain is now yours. The Yuan Magnetic Heart — it's right here!"
As he finished speaking, the Gold Seal Monarch suddenly spread both arms wide. His two limbs shimmered with golden light and began to shift and morph. In moments, they had transformed into two gleaming, razor-sharp swords.
"Open!"
Both arm-blades swung down in a single stroke, slashing into the ground as a brilliant arc of golden radiance.
A crack slowly appeared, widening steadily.
From within it, a towering pillar of golden light erupted skyward, bathing the surroundings in a warm, sun-like glow that carried an aura of profound sanctity.
The Gold Seal Monarch lifted both arms upward, and the golden light dissolved into a swirling, misty vapor that rose in billowing clouds.
Within that ethereal haze, an egg-sized golden ovoid slowly ascended from beneath the earth.
"Go!" The Gold Seal Monarch directed with a gesture, and the golden object shot forward as a streak of light straight toward
"The Yuan Magnetic Heart?"
The Gold Seal Monarch nodded. "Refine this Yuan Magnetic Heart, and the Yuan Magnetic Gold Mountain will be yours. You can inherit the mountain entirely, control it at will — expand it or shrink it, summon or dismiss it, all according to your whim."
Joy spread across
...
The examiners overseeing the third trial were growing rather bored.
By now, six or seven days had passed since the trial began. Most of the participants had either been eliminated or had cleared the fifth floor and, unable to go further, exited the Yuan Magnetic Gold Mountain.
Of course, judging by the number who had come out, it clearly did not match the number who had gone in.
Those who still hadn't emerged by this point had very little hope of ever coming out — unless they kept pushing forward, driving on relentlessly toward the very peak of the Yuan Magnetic Gold Mountain.
But according to the examiners' understanding, once the mountain reached its eighth floor, these mortal martial artists would have virtually no chance of advancing any further.
"I hear that Rock Monster still hasn't come out?"
"That's right. This is already the seventh day. If he still hasn't emerged, by our calculations he must have reached at least the ninth floor. The magnetic storms on the ninth floor are absolutely terrifying. I just hope this tremendous talent doesn't stumble under the Yuan Magnetic Storm."
"He won't. A genius is a genius — they're born with extraordinary fortune. Didn't someone say before that he was sure to perish in the cave of the Heavenly Fire Spirit Vein? And what happened in the end?"
"You make a fair point. A true genius is destined to be different from the rest. If this Rock Monster is that kind of genius, he'll have his own fortune. He won't go down so easily."