The Romantic Cultivator

Ji Yuan's jaws nearly dropped to the ground when he saw how pathetic the mortal cultivators were when they were screaming back to the safe zone.

He tried to comfort them, "It is alright. Just rest here until you're ready to take the trial. Well I suppose that the rest of the group is on their way to the mountain peak, am I right?"

A woman screamed hilariously, "THEY ARE ALL DEAD! WE ARE THE ONLY SURVIVORS…"

Ji Yuan blinked his eyes, "What the heck? What is going on here? You're all safe here. Tell me what has happened? And is that all that is left here?"

He could only count around three hundred of them.

Out of five thousands, there were only three hundred survivors?!

Ji Yuan could not believe what he was seeing after a mere half a day had just passed.

He had heard a lot of firecrackers and thought that they were just celebrating their first voyager as a reincarnated cultivator.

"All of you, wait here."

He had to make sure what he was hearing first.

When he had sped to the scene ahead, he was completely stunned to find thousands of dead corpses. Literally more than four thousand dead mortal cultivators could be seen in pieces all over the place.

And the culprits seemed to be some easy to win second and third rank desolate monsters.

He totally had no idea what was happening.

Many of the desolate monsters were feeding on the dead mortal cultivator's weapons.

Ji Yuan soon saw that these desolate monsters were licking on some black powdery stuff and they were licking with great delight.

He blinked with astonishment, "Why are they feeding these desolate monsters with their weapons? I ask them to fight these desolate monsters and not to feed them. What the hell is going on here?!"

He had suddenly realized he was screwed; this easy trial had now become a nightmare trial.

Soon he was back to the safe zone again as he stared at the hundreds of wailing mortal cultivators who were all shivering with fear and quite a few of them had lost their limbs or had severe injuries.

He pointed at a mortal cultivator who looked more sane than the rest and asked bitterly, "Now tell me, what is going on here?!"

"Great Cultivation God Ji Yuan…"

The 'more sane' mortal cultivator was actually sobbing and shivering but he managed to explain to Ji Yuan what had happened.

Ji Yuan was stunned that there was an internal strife that he cursed out loud, "Didn't I say that whoever reaches the top can become a cultivator in the Celestial Realm? When did I ever say you have to compete to be the first?"

"In cultivation, system and comic stories, the first to reach the goal always gain the most power…"

"The first to reach holds power over the rest…"

"A hidden cheat may be revealed for the first…"

When Ji Yuan had heard all their explanations, he had almost vomited blood but luckily, he was now a spirit entity so he managed to suppress his anger.

He said bitterly, "There is no cheats whatever so. Welcome to the brutal world of cultivation where hard work may not pay off."

Everyone: …

Everyone: …

Everyone: …

"What is that black weapon?" Ji Yuan pointed at a firearm. "Can you show me how it is supposed to work?"

The mortal cultivator with the firearm pressed the trigger with trembling fingers and there was a loud resonating bang.

Ji Yuan could sniff the strong black powdery smell even in spirit form; his nose has always been very sharp.

"This is…"

He was suddenly frowning, "This is a weapon from your world?! This is completely a garbage weapon! How do you even channel your profound strength into this weapon? You can't! You just press this trigger! No one uses a crossbow in the Celestial Realm for the same very reason!"

"Also, this weapon is damn loud! Do you want to attract all the desolate monsters from miles around to your group?"

"Moreover, this black powdery stuff attracts the desolate monsters and they feed upon it. Do you know the desolate beasts can pick this scent from miles away? Who's the idiot that invent this weapon to be used with this black powdery stuff?!"

Then he saw someone using a composite bow and he started to rebuke him, "No one uses a bow in the Celestial Realm too. Even though you can channel your profound energies to the arrow by pulling it with your profound strength but arrows have to be made of celestium. Do you know how rare celestium is in the Celestial Realm? They are what precious swords are made of. Do you think that you are a rich cultivator? Moreover at the lower cultivation level, the efficiency rate of your profound might is terrible. Better wait until you're at the fourth realm level to use a bow!"

The poor mortal cultivator sobbed, "I'm a hunter in my past life and I am best in using the bow…"

Ji Yuan was actually venting out his frustrations and he went on to rebuke several more mortal cultivators for their terrible choice of weapons.

But eventually he had calmed down to say, "I want you all to regroup again and to go up to the mountain peak again. Now go!"

"I'm not going…"

"I shall stay here forever…"

"No way I'm going back to the terrifying forest…"

"That lizard is too terrifying…"

"It looks like a bird though…"

"I'm hungry…"

"I'm exhausted…"

"My injuries are too severe…"

"I'm scare…"

"I am not going anywhere…"

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

"If they are not going anywhere, how the heck am I supposed to pass this trial?!"

Fairy Anyang heard his soft curses and she was smiling, "If they're not going anywhere then so are you. You will be forced to stay put here until this trial is over or until the end of the trials of the Empyrean Warrior Labyrinth."

Xiang Li was gasping with horror, "Oh no then won't my Big Brother be screwed? Most importantly, no more bang, bang because we're all struck here!"

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan: …

Ji Yuan rolled his eyes immediately as he panicky shouted to everyone, "Listen up all of you! I will help you all to overcome this trial. This is because I have a kind soul. As the Trial Spirit here, I'm not supposed to aid you directly but I can give you advice on how to overcome this trial. With my aid, you will surely be able to overcome the trial!"

How's this? They should be delighted and cheering to the top of their voices now.

Dead silence.

No reaction…

Ji Yuan: …

All the mortal cultivators were shaking their heads with fear and many were even biting their fingernails.

No one was excited about entering the forest again and no one was excited about being a cultivator anymore.

This group had only escaped because they were at the furthest point away from the desolate monsters but even then, they could still remember all the dismembered bodies that were flying all over the place.

Ji Yuan smiled bitterly, "How about we have something to eat first?"

Immediately the eyes of many of the cultivators lit up as they nodded eagerly;

"We are hungry…"

"Where is the food?"

"I am really thirsty…"

"We can ask the Trial Spirit…"

Ji Yuan had an ugly face;

They expect me to feed them?!

He quickly forced out a smile, "Haha. We shall settle your hunger first. Next, we shall talk about the trial again…"

But he was actually smiling most bitterly; with three hundred, they are not gonna survive even a single encounter with a fourth rank desolate beast. Moreover I don't think that they can even reach the foot of the mountain in the first place…

How the heck can a solid group of five thousand cultivators got their asses all wiped out by a couple of low level desolate beasts?!

Did he just make a new record in the Celestial Realm?

This was a huge blow to his reputation...

Worst; his bang, bang days are literally over now...

He silently resolved; either they all have to die in this place or at least one of them have to overcome this trial.