The central disciples of the Scarlet Sun Sect used fire techniques.

Their Qi burned in red and yellow tones.

Each strike made the creatures evaporate like hot steam.

They also all managed to pass.

But most of the remaining ones… did not.

The weakest, even if considered geniuses within their families or small forces, did not have enough power to fight against enemies with strength several stages above their level.

Even more so when multiple figures gathered to attack them after each death.

Many were surrounded by three, four, or even five strengthened creatures.

And then, they were torn apart, drained, and destroyed without any chance.

The number of living cultivators fell quickly.

Eighty…

Fifty…

Forty…

Thirty-five…

Until finally, only thirty remained alive.

All with crimson runes under their feet.

Many with tense bodies, while they sighed upon seeing the result, upon seeing how many had died and their tragic ends.

The red floor then pulsed again, and the runes beneath them lit up, forming a larger circle.

The blood energy concentrated, and it seemed they would be transported again to another test.

But before that could happen, the ground trembled again.

A pure blue light burst from the cracks.

The blood energy retreated as if it had been pushed away.

The red runes were extinguished.

The blue light took over everything.

It enveloped each of the thirty remaining cultivators, covering them with its serene energy.

And then…

In the blink of an eye, all disappeared from the red hall.

The tower transported them again. This time, once more through the blue energy.

The blue light enveloped everyone, and in the blink of an eye, the red hall vanished.

When Kyrian's vision returned to normal, he realized he was now standing on another floor of the tower.

The ground was smooth, made of a crystalline blue material.

The walls emitted a soft glow.

And the air…

Everyone felt it at the same time.

It was like breathing something clean, light, and pure.

But it wasn't just ordinary Qi. It was too pure and extremely concentrated.

Shen Yu closed his eyes for a moment, absorbing the sensation.

Wu Jian took a deep breath, feeling his body react on its own.

Mo Tianhai frowned slightly, trying to understand what made this Qi so incomparable.

Kyrian, however, saw much more.

His eyes analyzed the environment.

The Qi seemed to flow like rivers in the air, thick lines that moved slowly like living currents.

Even outside the rivers, the Qi present there was at least five times more concentrated, denser than the ambient Qi outside the tower.

And, beyond that, there was something different.

It wasn't just ordinary Qi.

It was a refined form, as if it had been purified countless times until becoming a superior form of Qi.

Kyrian observed in silence.

At the center of the place, floating above the ground, there was a round, translucent crystal the size of a human head.

From it emanated constant waves of energy. That was where all that Qi came from.

Little by little, everyone realized they had appeared in a circle around the crystal.

And at the feet of each of them, there was a small blue circular cushion.

Perfect, placed exactly in the right position, forming a circle around the crystal.

Mo Tianhai looked around, trying to understand.

Wu Jian and the others raised their eyebrows.

Mo Xia looked around, then quickly approached Kyrian.

"… Kyrian."

"Did you see Long Xue?" she whispered.

The other central disciples only then looked around.

Long Xue wasn't there.

Kyrian shook his head.

"No. I didn't see her in the previous test. I believe she failed the first test."

Mo Xia lowered her gaze, biting her lips.

There was worry, but also acceptance.

The Long Xue they knew before might have had enough strength to follow them there.

But this Long Xue, without memories, without purpose, had probably not resisted the illusions.

Shen Yu was the first to sit on one of the cushions, opening his eyes as he murmured.

"Her being alive is what matters."

No one replied, but they all thought the same.

Then, Shen Yu fully sat on the cushion, legs crossed.

Kyrian did the same shortly after.

Mo Tianhai, Mo Xia, and Wu Jian followed, sitting on the cushions in silence.

Seeing this, the other cultivators nearby hesitated for a moment, but after noticing no changes, they decided to follow and ended up copying the gesture.

Soon, the thirty survivors were sitting in a cultivation position, forming a perfect circle around the crystal.

And then, when the last finally sat down…

The crystal lit up.

The blue light emanating from it intensified, shining throughout the hall.

The air vibrated, and without warning, the crystal moved.

It flew in a straight line, stopping right in front of one of the cultivators.

A young man with a gray robe, one of the only survivors who did not belong to the three major sects nearby.

He looked around, confused, pointing at himself as if asking whether he was truly the chosen one.

The crystal floated firmly before him.

The young man hesitated but eventually raised his right hand and touched the smooth surface.

As soon as his fingers touched the crystal, his expression changed completely.

Kyrian clearly saw it. The young man's eyes shifted, as if he had suddenly understood something.

He held the crystal with both hands and closed his eyes, his entire body becoming rigid.

The crystal then began to glow.

First, faintly. Then stronger, and then even stronger.

The blue light became so intense it seemed like it was almost piercing through his skin.

His body trembled. Sweat formed on his forehead.

His face grew tense, as if he were making a colossal effort to endure.

It continued like that for a long three minutes.

Until finally, he opened his hands and let the crystal float down lightly, breathing heavily and gasping.

Despite the exhaustion, a strange smile appeared on his lips.

"Looks like I failed…" the young man said with a weak voice.

The word echoed through the silent hall.

Before anyone could comment or ask what had happened, blue runes lit up under his feet.

He raised his gaze, startled. It looked like he would be expelled.

But before he could disappear from the tower…

The blue energy of the symbols was distorted.

A red force took its place.

The blue circle darkened, becoming crimson.

The energy shifted from pure Qi to a heavy and oppressive blood Qi.

And the young man disappeared in a red flash.

There was no scream, no sound, he simply vanished from the hall.

The hall fell into absolute silence for a few seconds.

For everyone, there was now no doubt. They had all clearly seen it more than once.

The tower was not just guiding the tests. The tower was somehow divided.

Two opposing forces were fighting for control there.

Both wanted to test those young cultivators.

The crystal then vibrated a second time.

And flew straight toward the next person. This time, it stopped before someone familiar.

Yan Hui, from the Scarlet Sun Sect.

He, without hesitation, extended his hand and touched the crystal.

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