Translator: AnubisTL
Inside the Trial Tower!
After Gu Feng finished annihilating a wave of virtual cultivators with a single punch, the sound of clearing the level echoed in his ears once again.
This was already the 763rd time he had heard the clearance notification in the past two days.
He didn't immediately start the next round but stood there, frowning in thought.
Gu Feng felt that he had somewhat underestimated the previous record holders. To be fair, the record of 863 breaths in the Nurtured Spirit Level 1 Nightmare stage was truly astonishing.
In this stage, there were nine waves of virtual opponents, totaling 3,600 monsters, testing various aspects such as physical strength, soul, spiritual power, martial skills, and combat techniques.
The strength of the virtual opponents also continuously increased, starting from the mid-stage of Nurtured Spirit Level 1 and rising to the mid-stage of Nurtured Spirit Level 2 in the final wave, with a few Minotaurs even reaching the peak of Nurtured Spirit Level 2.
Ordinary Nurtured Spirit Level 1 cultivators would find it difficult to even clear the stage, and even some exceptionally talented Heaven's Chosen of Nurtured Spirit Level 1 might fail if they were severely unbalanced in their abilities.
To avoid drawing attention, Gu Feng controlled his strength to be roughly equivalent to that of an average cultivator who had just entered Nurtured Spirit Level 3.
At first, breaking records was as easy as eating and drinking, but as time went on, it became increasingly strenuous, forcing Gu Feng to activate his Immortal Eye. Void Break.
Each time he broke a record, he strictly controlled the improvement to be only 0.1 breaths faster than the previous attempt.
His original plan was to seize 200 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones in one go and elevate his cultivation to the peak of Nurtured Spirit Level. However, it now seemed impossible.
The limit of this stage was right before his eyes, and unless he exerted even greater strength, which was unnecessary, he couldn't go further.
"A miscalculation. I should have left the Nurtured Spirit Level 2 Nightmare stage record untouched!"
Gu Feng sighed slightly and continued to grind for records.
...
Outside the Trial Tower, the excitement that had lasted for two days had subsided into a brief lull.
From the afternoon of the second day to the morning of the third day, no further news of record-breaking emerged. Clearly, the cultivators from the five major sects had also reached their limits.
Preliminary statistics showed that the five major sects had broken a total of twelve records in the Nurtured Spirit Level 1 and 2 stages, with each sect making significant gains.
The Nurtured Spirit Level 1 Hard stage was ultimately secured by the Tyrant Body Sect.
The Nurtured Spirit Level 1 Nightmare stage belonged to the Sword Gate.
The Nurtured Spirit Level 2 Normal stage was claimed by the Military Academy.
The Nurtured Spirit Level 2 Hard stage was taken by the Blazing Light Sect.
The Nurtured Spirit Level 2 Nightmare stage was seized by the Flower Sect.
Unfortunately, the much-anticipated Nurtured Spirit Level 3 stage remained unshaken. Even with the joint efforts of the five Heaven's Chosen, the best result was still half a breath short of the record, which was truly a pity!
"The records for the Nurtured Spirit Level 1 and 2 stages have been broken fifteen times in three days. This is unprecedented in the history of the Grand Harmony Academy! Truly unparalleled!" Elder Ye stroked his beard, revealing a satisfied smile.
The quality of this year's newcomers was undoubtedly remarkable!
The disciples of the five major sects were already congratulating each other, as the saying goes, "Everyone lifts the flower sedan together."
You lift me, I lift you, and everyone is happy.
By the afternoon of the third day, as the time for the results announcement approached, more and more cultivators gathered around the Trial Tower.
Particularly noteworthy was the presence of the Sunset Glow Sect disciples, led by Chu Youhuan. Apart from the hundred who had entered the Cultivation Tower, the rest were all present.
Their faces were filled with smiles, and they strode forward with an air of pride and confidence.
The disciples of the five major sects once again unleashed their ultimate weapon of mockery, sneering at the disciples of the Sunset Glow Sect.
"What are the Sunset Glow Sect disciples here for? Could it be to admire the grand achievements of the five major sects?"
"How shameless to show up here! I must say, their mental fortitude is impressive!"
"You should really feel ashamed, flaunting the title of top scholar while being utterly mediocre. If you have the guts, why not try the Trial Tower?"
"..."
Chu Youhuan and the others responded with disdainful glances, too lazy to engage. With Gu Feng, the robber, around, the five major sects dreaming of breaking records? Not a chance!
Hum—
As a faint tremor echoed, tens of thousands of students looked up at the record board at the top of the Trial Tower.
The board began to flicker with light, and as everyone had predicted, the names and times behind the Nurtured Spirit levels one and two started to blur!
Hua Wenyue and the others were considerate, deliberately leaving a space for their disciples to stand and bask in the cheers of the crowd.
The five Heaven's Chosen of Nurtured Spirit levels one and two stood tall, their faces filled with pride, their indomitable image drawing admiration from the entire audience.
Meanwhile, inside the Trial Tower, Gu Feng completed another level at the last second, unsurprisingly breaking the record once again.
"Let's call it a day!"
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Gu Feng, exhausted from three days of intense battles, looked utterly drained.
Ding—
With a clear, resonant sound, Gu Feng's spirits lifted. He quickly pulled out the Trial Token from the slot and moved to another area to exchange for Spirit Stones.
"Total record breaks: 1,368, including two normal levels and two difficult levels. Total reward: 136,620,000 Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!"
Clatter—
Spirit Stones shimmering like crystal poured out endlessly. Worried about surveillance, Gu Feng patiently stored all the Spirit Stones into a hundred Storage Rings.
Beep beep beep—
The exchange counter flashed continuously, emitting a red glow. Gu Feng was momentarily stunned.
If his calculations were correct, the Mid-Grade Spirit Stones that had just poured out weren't enough!
"The Trial Tower's Spirit Stones have been depleted. Please exchange the remaining rewards with the Trial Tower's manager or return another time to exchange!"
A ethereal voice announced, causing Gu Feng to spit out a mouthful of blood in frustration.
Damn it—
He emptied the Trial Tower's Spirit Stones? How absurd!
"Why didn't they stock more Spirit Stones?" Gu Feng muttered to himself. The idea of going to Elder Ye, the Trial Tower's manager, to exchange the rewards was out of the question.
He couldn't just walk up to Elder Ye with a smile and say, 'I've emptied over a hundred million Spirit Stones from your Trial Tower. Could you please add some more so I can exchange my rewards?'
Elder Ye would probably kill him on the spot!
Gu Feng wasn't about to take that risk!
"Never mind, it's just over ten million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones. I'll exchange them next time I get the chance!"
...
Outside the Trial Tower, silence reigned, as if it were a graveyard. Even Elder Ye, the Trial Tower's manager, was in a daze upon seeing the new records.
Gu Feng had single-handedly claimed all the new records for the six different difficulty levels of Nurtured Spirit levels one and two.
That wasn't the most shocking part. What was truly astonishing was that these records seemed almost unreal.
For the normal level of Nurtured Spirit one, he had directly improved the time by forty-six breaths!
It's important to know that the simpler the level, the harder it is to break the record, because everyone can pass it, and it's all about efficiency. After ten years and countless attempts, this record was considered the limit. Even the disciples of the five major sects didn't think about breaking the record for the ordinary level of the Spirit Nurturing Examination Zone One.
Yet, this limit was not only broken, but Gu Feng improved it by a full forty-six breaths!
The new record for the difficult level of Spirit Nurturing Examination Zone One was slightly better, improved by only thirty-six breaths.
The new record for the nightmare level of Spirit Nurturing Examination Zone One was even more astonishing, directly improved by one hundred and sixty-eight breaths!
The new record for the ordinary level of Spirit Nurturing Examination Zone Two was improved by forty-six breaths.
The new record for the difficult level of Spirit Nurturing Examination Zone Two was improved by forty-two breaths.
The new record for the nightmare level of Spirit Nurturing Examination Zone Two was improved by forty-five breaths!
What a colossal joke!
The strength of a Spirit Nurturing Examination Zone One cultivator has its limits. Forget about cross-level challenges; any student who can break a record is capable of cross-level challenges.
How could Gu Feng improve the records to such an extent? Elder Ye racked his brains but couldn't figure it out.
The tens of thousands of students on the scene were all wide-eyed and slack-jawed.
The five Heaven's Chosen standing in the open space, ready to bask in the cheers of the crowd, were also dumbfounded.
"This is impossible, Gu Feng must be cheating!"
"That's right, no one can improve the record to this extent unless he cracked the array inside the Trial Tower!"
"It's not strange for a new record to be set, but this record is just too exaggerated. Gu Feng must have used some special method!"
"The Sunset Glow Sect is shameless; they've cheated and reneged more than once, just like the last top scorer."
"..."
The scene immediately descended into chaos, with tens of thousands of students shouting in anger.
Hua Wenyue's eyes shone with golden light. According to common sense, Gu Feng could break the record, but it was impossible for him to improve it to such a terrifying extent in one go.
Unless his strength far exceeded what was apparent.
"I understand, I finally understand. Gu Feng's Myriad Tribulations Physique, whether in appearance or aura, makes people think he's only at the first level of Spirit Nurturing.
His strength is far beyond that. Now everyone believes me, right? It wasn't me who caused the incident in the examination zone, it was Gu Feng!" Monk Wu De jumped up and shouted.
This statement, reasonable and well-founded, reminded all the candidates of this year's Spirit Nurturing Examination Zone One.
"Where is Gu Feng? Tell him to get out here!"
"There he is, with the Sunset Glow Sect disciples!"
A sharp-eyed student spotted Gu Feng's whereabouts.
Damn it, Gu Feng cursed under his breath. He had planned to sneak away, but the place was too crowded, and he couldn't leave immediately.
Helpless, he could only take off his cloak and wave to the crowd!
"Hi—, everyone!"
"Hi my ass!" Dugu Ao cursed, taking out his spear and pointing it at Gu Feng: "Are you the one who caused trouble in the examination zone?"
"Brother Dugu, why would you say that? Slandering others is not a good behavior!" Gu Feng smiled slightly, not panicking at all.
"Then how did you break the record!" Zong Shixuan glared at Gu Feng and asked sternly.
"With my hands, my superior combat skills, and my unparalleled intelligence!" As he spoke, Gu Feng gestured with his hands.
"Still trying to deny it? There's a projection array inside the Trial Tower!" Duan Yansheng said sharply, his eyes piercing.
His words immediately caught the attention of all the students present.
"Show the projection!"
"I want to see the projection!"
"..."
"Silence!" Elder Ye, who had been in charge of the Trial Tower for so many years, had never encountered such a situation before.
To be honest, he also felt there was something fishy about it. However, the Projection Array wasn't something that could be activated at will. It involved a cultivator's combat secrets and required the consent of the person involved.
"Gu Feng, what do you say?"
"Ah—" Gu Feng sighed lightly. "Some people blame the toilet when they can't take a dump, thinking that just because they can't do it, others can't either! I, Gu Feng, am upright and honorable, with nothing to fear!"
"However, this involves my combat secrets. You can't watch it for free. You'll need to unlock VIP access and pay to view it!" Gu Feng said with a smile to the crowd.
As soon as these words were spoken, the scene fell silent, and everyone's minds were in turmoil.
Here we go again?
Paid challenges, paid exams, paid searches, and now paid projections!
Damn it—
Why does it feel like another money-grabbing scheme?
The same old tricks, just applied to different situations, playing with new variations.
The five Heaven's Chosen also fell silent. They had been burned several times when it came to paying fees, and they were feeling a bit uneasy.
Elder Ye also gave Gu Feng a helpless look. It had to be said, this kid's ability to make money was unparalleled.
Even with his temperament, he couldn't help but feel the urge to pay, let alone the young crowd present.
"How many Spirit Stones are needed?" After a moment, Zong Shixuan, representing all the students, asked this question.
"The reason I was able to achieve such an astonishing record involves my personal secrets and unique combat techniques. If you watch it, it would be very disadvantageous for me.
So, since we're all students of the Grand Harmony Academy, I'll give you a discount. Let's say one billion Mid-Grade Spirit Stones!" Gu Feng said with a slight smile.
Holy crap—
Everyone was about to lose their minds. One billion Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, equivalent to ten billion Low-grade Spirit Stones—why don't you just rob us?
This number even startled Elder Ye, who was standing nearby. This kid really had the guts to ask for such an exorbitant amount. One billion Mid-Grade Spirit Stones was almost equivalent to three years of income from the Trial Tower.
"The price is too high! We can't afford it. Let's all go and consult Prefect Chu. He has full authority over the Grand Harmony Academy!" Wu Sheng shook his head in refusal and called on everyone to seek out Prefect Chu.
Hearing this, Gu Feng raised an eyebrow. These kids had gotten smarter and had learned to bargain.
"Brother Wu Sheng, don't get so worked up. I made an offer, and you can counter it!" Gu Feng stepped forward, grabbing Wu Sheng's arm, and said with a smile.
The scene turned bizarre, with everyone engaging in heated bargaining, and finally, they settled on thirty million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.
"Fine, I'll let you have this bargain!" Gu Feng said with a pained expression.
Everyone waited quietly, and Gu Feng returned to the Sunset Glow Sect's camp.
"You're really something, making thirty million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones in one go!" Chu Youhuan pouted. She was certain that Gu Feng had held back in the Trial Tower, and even if they watched the projection, they wouldn't find anything unusual.
"He didn't just make thirty million; he probably took even more, emptying the Trial Tower's reward pool!" Yan Yexue asked calmly.
"Women who are too smart aren't very likable!" Gu Feng didn't deny it, just smiled and said.
The projection was revealed, and the scene remained eerily quiet.
"His combat power should be around the initial stage of the third level of Nurtured Spirit, which matches his physique!"
"So that's how this wave of monsters can be handled. Unfortunately, it requires strong Soul Power, so others can't replicate it."
"Some can replicate it, but those proficient in soul attacks may not necessarily have strong combat power, making it difficult to quickly kill other types of monsters."
"Quite normal, no signs of cheating!"
"..."
The five Heaven's Chosen looked grave. Gu Feng's ability to challenge higher levels, combat awareness, and versatility were unmatched, making it reasonable for him to break records.
Those students who had accused Gu Feng of cheating were now speechless.
Even the loud-mouthed Monk Wu De frowned and remained silent. Given the strength Gu Feng had displayed, he couldn't possibly be a match for him. Could it be that they had misunderstood him?
"You have three days to carefully recall if there are any other suspicious individuals, otherwise—" Hua Wenyue threatened Monk Wu De. Judging from the record-breaking performance, Gu Feng was not the thief from that night. The combat techniques he used were different, and his strength was far from matching, so he was basically cleared of suspicion.
Her change in expression was noticed by Gu Feng, who smiled inwardly. She should give up now, right?
The students at the scene gradually left. What a day! Just a visit to the Trial Tower, and Gu Feng had swindled them out of some Spirit Stones again.
Why call it a swindle? Because watching the footage was no different from not watching it at all—there was nothing to learn from it.
Gu Feng also bid farewell to Elder Ye and left with the disciples of the Sunset Glow Sect.
"Haha, the record Gu Feng has set today will probably never be broken!" Elder Ye chuckled as he watched Gu Feng's departing figure.
Even if he suppressed his cultivation level and entered the Trial Tower, he couldn't break the record Gu Feng had set.
"Elder Ye, don't you think the record for the Nightmare level of the first Nurtured Spirit stage is strange?"
"What's strange about it? Apart from being exceptionally high, there's nothing unusual!" Elder Ye said dismissively.
"Judging from the time it took to break the records in each level, Gu Feng should have stayed in the Trial Tower for about three days. Yet, the record for the Nightmare level of the first Nurtured Spirit stage was set almost at the same time as the results were announced. He couldn't have been sleeping in there for so long, could he?"
Upon hearing this, Elder Ye gasped.
Yes, this was clearly illogical.
Elder Ye pursed his lips and fell into deep thought. Suddenly, he thought of a terrifying possibility.
"Quick... go check the exchange platform and see if the Spirit Stones are still there!" He shouted as he rushed into the Trial Tower.
Upon seeing it, he was stunned!
The red glow flashing on the exchange platform made his head buzz. This was a prompt indicating that Spirit Stones had been added!
This meant that the over 120 million Mid-Grade Spirit Stones previously added had all been exchanged!
Oh my god!
The end of the world has come!
The few Elders who followed him in were also dumbfounded!
They stood there like wooden statues, mouths agape, unable to utter a word.
"Elder Ye... Elder Ye, what should we do?"
"How should I know?" Elder Ye said, utterly lost.
After a while, he regained his composure. "Close the Trial Tower, say it's under temporary maintenance. I'll go report to the Prefect!"
The short distance to the Prefect Manor took Elder Ye a full incense stick's worth of time to walk.
"Old Ye, here to report the Trial Tower's battle results?"
"Yes!" Elder Ye replied in a low voice.
Along the way, Elder Ye had drafted countless mental scripts and finally decided to adopt Vice-Prefect Ouyang's approach—securing a "get out of jail free card" first.
Just before stepping into Prefect Chu's room, he patted his cheeks with both hands, forced a smile, and cleared his throat.
"Prefect, great news! This time at the Trial Tower, multiple people have broken records multiple times—it's absolutely unprecedented!"
(End of the Chapter)
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