Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

While the next closest location the stars showed was a yellow spot, Alex and the group decided to head for a red spot instead.

The closest red spot, according to the map they had, would take about five minutes to reach on a Divine-grade ship, as it was decently far away. It wasn’t until they were halfway there that the stars even began showing any red color on them.

They finally arrived where the trial was being held and found a massive white platform nearly three hundred meters in length. Several people were sitting atop the platform already, seemingly stuck deep in cultivation.

Surrounding them were a surprisingly low number of people compared to every other place Alex and his group had been to.

”Is this place already used up or what?” Liz asked, looking around. ”Where are all the people?”

Alex shrugged. He put away the ship and slowly floated down until he was standing before the platform. He looked around for any sort of text on banners that explained the purpose of the trial, but nothing of the sort was written anywhere.

He looked at his star, and it showed no sign of registering at all despite how close he was. Did he have to wait perhaps? Or was the platform itself responsible for registering him?

He looked to his left and saw a man who stood with his arms crossed, as though waiting for something. Alex walked up to him.

”Greetings, friend. Would it be alright if we asked you what this place is?” Alex asked.

The man turned with not much of an expression on his face, except for a bored look. ”What do you want to know?” he asked simply.

”What is this platform for? How does one register?” Alex asked.

”I’m not sure,” the man answered rather nonchalantly. ”All we’ve managed to figure out is that only certain people can enter. And those who have managed to enter have not come out.”

Alex raised an eyebrow. ”it’s restricted to certain people?” he asked, turning back toward the platform. ”Were you rejected by any chance?”

”I was,” the man said with a sigh.

”What are you doing here then?” Liz asked from the side.

The man looked at Liz for a second too long before slowly giving an embarrassed smile. ”I’m waiting for my friend inside.”

”What do we do?” Helen asked. ”We don’t know what it is about inside. Should we wait for people to come out first?”

Alex thought for a bit and shrugged. ”Let’s just go in and see what it is about. I don’t think there is much danger beyond just rejection, is there?”

”Maybe,” Helen said.

”I’ll check first, if you young ladies are afraid,” Battlesage said and walked up to the platform.

He barely faltered in his stride as he passed through the outer region of the barrier and walked in.

There was no rejection.

The man standing next to Alex showed a somewhat jealous expression, as though he wished he was like that man too.

Battlesage turned around and tried to say something, but no sound made its way out. When he realized no one could understand what he was saying, he simply gestured for them to walk in, doing his best to tell them there was no threat.

Alex walked up first, seeing if he would be rejected by the formation by any chance. He walked onto the platform as well, and nothing came out to block him.

As soon as he entered, a voice spoke in his mind.

”You will now be tested for something you have. Please cultivate and wait for the result.”

Alex could hardly tell what exactly he was being tested for, but it didn’t feel like it was anything intrusive. He turned around and gestured for the rest of his family to walk in.

Liz walked up first before Helen and Ronron, stepping onto the platform. Before she could lift her other leg, however, a repulsive force pushed her out of the platform, sending her stumbling backward.

Ronron quickly grabbed her in support.

Alex’s eyes narrowed in worry. ”Are you okay?” he asked, but the women couldn’t hear him.

Liz said something outside and gave a frustrated look. Helen gave a worried look before slowly approaching the platform herself. She took a step in, waited, and then took the next step.

The platform didn’t throw her back like it did to Liz.

She was accepted.

”What is this about?” Helen asked. ”Why was I selected but not your aunt?”

”I don’t know, Mother. I’m trying to figure that out myself,” Alex said.

”Quite strange, isn’t it?” Helen said as she walked up to him.

The voice spoke in her mind as well, but she ignored it for a moment, looking back at Ronron.

Ronron slowly took a step in as well, but it immediately became clear to her that she could not step in. She pulled her leg back before the platform could throw it back for her.

Standing outside, she gave a confused look.

”What do I do?” she asked.

Alex could barely understand her words by reading her lips.

He gave a shrug. ”Wait outside for us.”

Ronron made a gesture of waiting right there and gave a thumbs up before crossing her arms.

Alex nodded. He didn’t feel any physical barrier surrounding the platform, so Ronron wasn’t that far away from him. The chances of anyone attacking her were low, but even if they did try, he could interfere easily.

As such, he sat down on the platform and began cultivating just as the formation had asked of him.

As he slowly cultivated, he managed to sense something very faint happening within his body. The formation had its aura inside of him at the moment, but as to whether it was doing something or simply observing was unclear.

It surely wasn’t simply testing cultivation, as then it would have no reason to reject the other two. And neither was it separating them based on their cultivation base.

That left behind only so many other possibilities. Going through them one by one, Alex was bound to find out the truth sooner or later.