As Li Tieyi’s voice rang out, Li Xuan and Li Mingkai both immediately stood up.
Although Li Xuan and Li Mingkai had expended some energy during the physical trial, by the time they had their conversation, they had both recovered to their peak condition.
“I wonder what form this second stage, the soul trial, will take,” Li Xuan said softly, listening to Li Tieyi’s words.
Li Mingkai pouted at this. “Although our Li family is the host of this Heavenly Extremity Divine Ranking competition, the details of the competition format were decided by my father and the other nine family heads together.”
“My father has never told me the specifics. However, Brother Li need not worry. As long as one obtains over twenty points in these four stages, entering the finals is not too difficult.”
Li Xuan nodded slightly at this. Based on this competition format, the number of people who would ultimately enter the finals would likely not be the four hundred previously imagined.
If there were overlapping participants, it would be considered a lot if two hundred people managed to reach the finals.
After all, Li Xuan himself could guarantee that he would be within the top hundred in all four stages. Among the other contestants, there were bound to be those with similar confidence. Therefore, obtaining twenty points would be simple for Li Xuan.
Boom!
Just then, a rumbling sound suddenly echoed. Li Xuan and Li Mingkai both turned their heads in the direction of the sound. A giant stone, threezhang in size, instantly landed on the plaza.
“It’s actually the Soul World Monument!” Li Mingkai exclaimed in surprise.
Li Xuan frowned slightly, clearly not familiar with the Soul World Monument. However, judging by its name, it seemed to be an artifact for testing the soul.
“Brother Li, this Soul World Monument is a gem for detecting the soul obtained by the Heavenly Pavilion. As long as one probes their soul into it, its strength can be measured.”
“Furthermore, cultivating the soul beneath this Soul World Monument can cleanse and refine it. However, this Soul World Monument is the treasure of the Heavenly Pavilion. I didn’t expect my father and the others to borrow it.”
Seeing Li Xuan’s frown, Li Mingkai quickly explained.
“It’s actually the treasure of the Heavenly Pavilion?! It seems that the relationship between your six great families and four hidden sects and the Heavenly Pavilion is quite good. Otherwise, why would the Heavenly Pavilion lend such a supreme treasure? Joining them would probably be quite easy.”
A hint of surprise flickered in Li Xuan’s eyes. He had heard about the Heavenly Pavilion in tea houses and wine shops before.
The Heavenly Pavilion was the largest commercial enterprise on the Hun Tian Continent, operating auctions and selling all sorts of heavenly treasures, spirit weapons, and elixirs.
Moreover, the information network of the Heavenly Pavilion was the most formidable on the Hun Tian Continent. For any major event, it would generally be transmitted to the main pavilion within an hour. This was also because almost every city had a branch of the Heavenly Pavilion.
The Heavenly Pavilion was divided into the Earth Pavilion and the Heaven Pavilion. Those spirit masters who could enter the Heaven Pavilion were all symbols of status and strength. Although the Heavenly Pavilion was a commercial enterprise, its strength should not be underestimated.
While it might not be comparable to any of the six great families or four hidden sects, the Heavenly Pavilion maintained good relationships with various forces and naturally received protection from them.
“Brother Li is absolutely correct. According to my father, they did indeed approach the Heavenly Pavilion about joining. However, the Heavenly Pavilion’s principle is very clear: they do not interfere in any matters between spirit masters, and thus this matter was put on hold.”
“Brother Li, it’s already been a while. Let’s go too.” Li Mingkai nodded at this, then shifted his gaze and spoke to Li Xuan.
Li Xuan nodded. During his conversation with Li Mingkai, Li Tieyi had already announced the content of the soul trial.
All contestants would be tested in groups of one thousand. The resulting test scores would be announced simultaneously. The test itself was very simple: everyone just needed to project their soul into the Soul World Monument.
During the time Li Xuan and Li Mingkai were talking, six groups of contestants had already completed their tests.
Among these six thousand people, the strongest soul belonged to a peak Breaking Mortal stage contestant who had reached the Soul Manifestation realm.
The Soul World Monument, capable of testing a thousand people at once, truly lived up to its reputation as the treasure of the Heavenly Pavilion.
Li Xuan recalled that in the past, various forces would only test the souls of their disciples one by one using soul stones, and even then, the quality of those stones was quite low.
Not to mention, this Soul World Monument could also provide an amplification effect for cultivating the soul.
“I wonder how far those few fellows have cultivated their souls. If I lose to them, my father will likely throw me into that Soul Pit again.”
Watching another group of contestants undergoing the test, Li Mingkai nervously glanced at the heirs of the other nine families in the same group. His demeanor clearly indicated a certain degree of fear towards the so-called Soul Pit.
Li Xuan smiled at this. The Soul Pit that Li Mingkai mentioned must be a place specially provided by the Li family for their disciples to cultivate their souls. Li Mingkai naturally possessed soul cultivation divine arts, but the grade of these arts was unknown.
“Brother Li, it’s our turn!” Li Mingkai said.
As beams of light shot out from mid-air, the contestants participating in the test revealed the levels of their souls.
Li Xuan took a look. Among the contestants in this group, the highest grade was only in the Solidification realm, and that was from an advanced Breaking Mortal stage cultivator.
Upon hearing Li Mingkai’s words, Li Xuan immediately nodded. Then, with a movement of his body, he walked towards the Soul World Monument with Li Mingkai.
“Begin the test,” Li Tieyi said to the crowd, looking at Li Mingkai with a hint of anticipation.
As Li Tieyi finished speaking, everyone, including Li Xuan, moved their minds, and their souls rapidly projected into the Soul World Monument.
Boom!
Accompanied by a rumbling sound, over a thousand beams of light instantly erupted from the Soul World Monument. The multicolored light made the Luoyang plaza extremely dazzling.
Among them, sixteen purple light pillars were particularly conspicuous. With the appearance of these sixteen purple light pillars, the onlookers on the observation deck and the many contestants revealed expressions of shock.
It was known that although souls were divided into eight levels, the stages of refining impurities, refining essence, and refining the mortal were merely different degrees of white.
Starting from the Void Entry stage, they appeared in green, blue, and purple, and then crimson. Purple was the color corresponding to the Soul Manifestation level.
Sixteen purple light pillars meant that sixteen contestants had cultivated their souls to the Manifestation level.
In addition, there were as many as twenty-seven blue light pillars. In the previous seven groups of tests, only one or two contestants had reached this level.
Li Xuan looked at the beams of light shooting into the sky with some surprise, his gaze following these pillars to each person.
Besides Li Xuan and five mid-stage Annihilating Mortal realm experts, the other ten purple light pillars belonged to the heirs of the six great families and four hidden sects.
Li Xuan glanced at Li Mingkai beside him; a purple light pillar was clearly displayed above him.
“I didn’t expect that activating the soul at the Manifestation level would only display the Manifestation level. This way, it counts as hiding some of my capabilities.”
Li Xuan nodded inwardly. The people on the Hun Tian Continent were not simple.