Against the Gods (Web Novel)

Chapter 951 - Final Examination

“Oh?” Seeing Yun Che, Ji Hanfeng was also stunned.

“This brat… how did this happen? He actually came out of there this quickly?” Li Mingcheng’s expression looked like he had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

“This is indeed unusual,” Ji Hanfeng looked at Li Mingcheng’s reaction and said as if he was deep in thought, “Junior Brother Mingcheng, you seem to be taking notice of this brat. Could the person that you mentioned earlier be him?”

“Mn, it was indeed him. This probably seems ridiculous to Senior Brother Hanfeng,” Li Mingcheng answered with a shrug.

“Hahahaha,” Ji Hanfeng actually laughed and said, “That is quite interesting. Did he upset you by trying to curry favor with you but instead flew into a rage out of embarrassment when he failed to do so?”

“Senior Brother Hanfeng probably wouldn’t believe it even if I told you,” Li Mingcheng smirked. “This brat was even more ‘capable’ than we expected but he was probably just relying on Mu Bingyun’s influence. Hmph, nevermind. He is, after all, just a useless buffoon. It is really not worth wasting Senior Brother Hanfeng’s and my time talking about him. After the examination, if I am willing to, I can squash him dead whenever I want.”

“You should still be cautious.” Even though he said the word “cautious,” Ji Hanfeng’s tone was filled with spite. “After all he was brought back from the lower realms by an Ice Phoenix Palace Master.”

“Heh, Senior Brother Hanfeng made a funny joke,” Li Mingcheng laughed coldly in disdain. “It is true that Mu Bingyun brought him here, but I don’t think a dignified Ice Phoenix Palace Master would specially defend trash with brain problems who hasn’t even stepped into the divine way. The reason she brought back this trash, I’m guessing…” Li Mingcheng instantly suppressed his voice to the lowest, “This brat has a pretty face that can seduce women. That Mu Bingyun knew that she does not have much time left to live but she actually got over it and brought back a pretty boy to please her.”

“Hahahahahaha…” Ji Hanfeng started laughing crazily, “Junior Brother Mingcheng is indeed sharp. If Main Hall Master heard this, she would definitely be delighted, hahahaha.”

“Heh, now I am actually extremely curious how he managed to place among the one thousand people.”

“Who cares?” Ji Hanfeng curled his lips and said, “There are no rules against using any profound artifacts or items during the second round of examination. There are countless ways to cheat. But so what even if he passed it? He came at the bottom, just see him as another toy. Junior Brother Mingcheng, the last round of examination coming up next is the main event and you need to give it all you’ve got. After all, the Jadefallen Ice Soul Pellet is a sacred medicine that even I, your Senior Brother, wouldn’t be able to obtain even if I asked for it. If it was perfectly refined, not only can it increase one’s profound strength greatly in a short amount of time, it can deeply refine one’s blood and marrow and it will be tremendously beneficial to you in the future when you cultivate the Ice Phoenix God Investiture Canon.”

“That is a matter of course.” Li Mingcheng acted like he was determined to win and he lowered his voice once again, “The reason my aunt delayed my examination until this year was because of this ‘Jadefallen Ice Soul Pellet.’ Based on this group of people, no one is qualified to take it away from me”

On the other hand, Mu Sushan had his attention locked on Yun Che the moment he appeared and said softly while deep in thought, “Looks like he really isn’t as simple as it looks on the surface.”

“Eh? Senior Sushan, what did you say?” Mu Xiaolan lifted her head and asked.

“The Yun Che you brought here passed the second round of examination,” Mu Sushan said. “Passing Freezing Snow Hall’s second round of examination without the strength of the divine way… This seems to have never happened in the history of the Snow Song Realm before.”

“Ah? Did you say that Yun Che… passed the examination?” Mu Xiaolan was stunned by what she heard and she almost thought that there was something wrong with her ears. She unconsciously lifted her head, saw the Yun Che standing outside of the profound formation and her jaw immediately dropped.

It was also at this moment that the one thousandth profound practitioner who passed the examination got out of the profound formation as the last white light flickered. At that instant, the light from the examination profound formation completely dispersed and about nine thousand silhouettes appeared in the formation, most collapsed on the ground with pale faces.

The Snowstorm Realm closing also meant that they failed this examination. They would have to wait at least five years to participate in the examination again.

“The second round of examination has ended. Congratulations to those who passed the examination for now.” Ji Hanfeng walked forward and spoke without haste, then he looked towards those who were in the formation. “As for you all, hmph, you can all leave now. Train more and come back in five years!”

After speaking, he reached his palms out and another profound formation appeared at the same spot sending all those who didn’t pass the examination instantly out of the Freezing Snow Hall.

“Yun Che… you… you actually passed the examination?” Mu Xiaolan walked towards Yun Che as she stared at him with her face filled with surprise.

“You don’t seem to be happy that I passed,” Yun Che said unhappily.

“It doesn’t matter if I’m happy or not!” Mu Xiaolan approached Yun Che quickly and said cautiously, “How exactly did you do it? Those who participated in this examination all have the strength of the divine way. Even the weakest one is a few dozen time or even a few hundred times stronger than you! How could you have passed! Did you… use some kind of method to cheat?”

“...” Yun Che pressed his forehead, “Mn, you probably guessed right.”

“Hmph! I knew it!” The simple Mu Xiaolan didn’t catch what Yun Che really meant, “Could master have told you about the details of Freezing Snow Hall’s examination back in the Profound Sky Continent and give you some sort of profound stone that can travel through the Snowstorm Realm? Hmph, no wonder you were daring enough to participate in Freezing Snow Hall’s examination.”

“Yes yes yes, you guessed it all right,” Yun Che curled his mouth and said.

A total of a thousand people passed the second round of examination and Yun Che was the only one completely out of place. Most everyone’s eyes were focused on Yun Che, some of them were confused and some of them were whispering.

Ji Hanfeng started speaking at this moment, “To be able to pass the second round of examination, this proves your strength on some level but don’t celebrate too early, because you all have only crossed over a bar that’s not too high and not too low. The third round of examination that is coming up is what really decides your destinies.”

Ji Hanfeng’s words made the atmosphere condense all of a sudden and the excitement on every one of the profound practitioners disappeared completely, a deep nervousness taking its place instead. Passing the second round of examination merely meant that they were slightly closer to Freezing Snow Hall but what happened next would really decided their fate… Whether they could enter the Freezing Snow Hall or not, would be two completely different destinies.

Ninety percent of those who passed the examination would be eliminated in the final examination! It was indeed extremely cruel.

“The final examination is called the ‘Ice Profound Realm.’” Ji Hanfeng’s eyes were cold and stern, “This round of examination will be easier than the second round in comparison, because the thing it tests is the most important part of all of you… and that is your true strength!”

“In the Ice Profound Realm, you all will be attacked by strong profound beasts. The longer you all stay in there, the more profound beasts you all will encounter! And since the space is restricted, you can only fight. There is nowhere to run! As for how you can pass the Ice Profound Realm’s examination, I believe you all already understand…”

Ji Hanfeng reached out his hand and said, “It is to hang in there as long as possible! The last one hundred people who leave Ice Profound Realm will pass the final examination and become my Freezing Snow Hall’s disciples! Furthermore, the person who can persevere the longest will receive the ‘Jadefallen Ice Soul Pellet’!”

Heading the name of ‘Jadefallen Ice Soul Pellet’ from Ji Hanfeng’s mouth, more than half of the profound practitioners still couldn’t control themselves, their watering mouths forced them to swallow.

“The examination in the Snowstorm Realm teleported your physical bodies to the actual Snowstorm Realm and there were no limitations on any use of profound artifacts, so perhaps some people would use some type of teleportation profound stone to cheat… Oh no, no, no, it wouldn’t be called cheating, because since there are no rules against it. It can also be said to be allowed.”

When Ji Hanfeng said these words, he deliberately gave Yun Che a glance. “After all, the second round of testing was only to filter out the unnecessary people. Round three is what really determines the result. Even if some trash used some sort of item to pass the second examination, it is impossible for them to pass the final examination. They will also have wasted a precious profound artifact that has the power to interfere with the Snowstorm Realm all for nothing, tsk tsk. Therefore, historically, our Freezing Snow Hall does not even bother to ban these useless ‘cheats.’”

“As for the final examination, no one should wish to seize the chance to cheat.” Ji Hanfeng started laughing coldly, “Because what’s entering the Ice Profound Realm isn’t your physical bodies but your 'projection’! Your strength and willpower will be completely projected, so you all can give up on the thought of using any outside items… including your weapons and contracted profound beasts! The only thing you can rely on will be your true power!”

“In the Ice Profound Realm, once you have died, you will be teleported out immediately and there will be no second chances. But don’t you all worry, the only thing that dies in the Ice Profound Realm is your ‘projection.’ No matter how brutally you die in there, you won’t really die, there won’t even be a scratch. But, if any of you are afraid to die, you can yell ‘give up’. Speak these two words and you will leave the Ice Profound Realm immediately.”

“In other words… if you want to pass the the Ice Profound Realm, you want to do your best to die slower in there, do you all understand!!?”

“I understand!” Li Mingcheng responded first with a light smile that was confident in winning. “Senior Brother Hanfeng, I am already ready and can start anytime. I only hope that the profound beasts in the Ice Profound Realm don’t disappoint me too much.”

“Very good.” Ji Hanfeng nodded his head. He reached out his arm and the third profound formation was activated at the same spot again. Only this time, it was letting out a dark blue profound light. “Now, all of you who passed the second examination stand on the center of the profound formation. The final examination that will determine your destinies… will start very soon!”

Yun Che basically understood what was going to happen in this third round of examination. But in the first day that he arrived in the Snow Song Realm, he didn’t find out about the details of the examination like the other examinees. The key point was that in the second examination, he could still determine what rank he was at based on the other examinees’ auras. However in this final examination, each person’s “projection” would seem to get their own individual space. They could not see the existences of the other examinees, it would be impossible to interfere with each other and so he wouldn’t be able to determine what rank he held based on the time.

If he held on in there for too long and accidently got a rank near the front, it would definitely cause him trouble.

But if he deliberately lost too much and fell out of the one hundredth ranking, he would not be able to enter Freezing Snow Hall and his idea of gaining face for Mu Bingyun would vanish like bubbles.

Yun Che didn’t immediately walk into the profound formation, and instead asked quietly, “Hey, if you want to pass the examination in the Ice Profound Realm, how long would you usually have to hang on in there?”

“How would I know? I entered Ice Phoenix Palace directly, so I never participated in Freezing Snow Hall’s examination,” Mu Xiaolan said proudly, then rolled her eyes at him. “Why did you ask this? You heard just now, everyone knew that you must’ve have cheated in the Snowstorm Realm and in the Ice Profound Realm, it is absolutely… absolutely… absolutely impossible to cheat.”

“I’m just asking,” Yun Che mumbled softly. This little girl seriously didn’t know anything aside from knowing how to annoy people…

“Based on the past results, to pass the examination in the Ice Profound Realm, fifteen minutes is the basic baseline,” Mu Sushan who was next to Mu Xiaolan suddenly said. “And those impressive geniuses could probably persist for close to thirty minutes. I wish you good luck.”

Yun Che turned his head to look at Mu Sushan and nodded in slight surprise, “Thank you senior, for your pointers.”

After speaking, he turned around and headed toward the profound formation.

At the same time, the corner of Mu Sushan’s mouth moved slightly and his eyes flashed with an unusual mysteriousness.