Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

The news was so sudden that many people failed to realize that they had been implicated by it even as the pressure vanished from around them, a new barrier forming around the seventy-meter mark.

Many people were left dumbstruck at the news. Everyone had believed that the progression of how much distance was being disqualified was linear. Most believed that it would go from ten to twenty to thirty to forty to finally fifty, until all one hundred and fifty meters of the distance would be cut off.

But now it turned out things were different. Very few people seemed unfazed by the news, as though they had predicted this number from the start.

”What... what’s going on?” Ronron asked as she stared at over five hundred people behind her that had failed out of nowhere. From the first and second hour to the third hour, the difference was massive. She could not have expected this many people to fail in a single hour.

”We came to the wrong conclusion,” Alex said as he realized what had happened.

”What?” Ronron asked, turning to look at him.

”The numbers double. They aren’t increasing by ten. They’re doubling,” he told her.

Ronron took a moment to think about what she was being told. When she did, her eyes slowly widened in panic.

”So it went from ten meters to twenty to now forty. Does that mean it will go to eighty next?” she asked.

Alex nodded. ”That is very possible,” he said.

Ronron quickly added those numbers. ”But that’s... that’s one hundred and fifty meters in total.”

Alex nodded again. ”I believe this may be the final hour.”

It was unbelievable how quickly everything had changed. From thinking they had plenty more time just minutes ago to now thinking they were at the end of the challenge.

”One more hour,” Ronron said with a serious look on her face and stared at the last ten meters remaining. ”I’m going to at least get all ten stars.”

With determination, she pushed herself and began walking forward.

Of their group, Liz was the first to give up. The moment she crossed the hundred-meter mark, she was done. The pain she felt in that moment was unbearable for her, so she didn’t want to continue anymore at all. The next ten meters would bring her two more stars in total, and that just didn’t seem worth it to her at all.

Battlesage pushed himself far ahead just past the hundred-and-thirty-meter mark as well, but it was clear to anyone who paid attention to his speed that he wasn’t going to continue for much longer either. The chances of him reaching one hundred and forty meters were nonexistent, so the only thing that remained was for him to realize that and give up as well.

Helen pushed herself more than anyone, trying to get to the hundred-and-ten-meter mark. Even though she could handle pain much better than the other two girls, it was still quite strong for someone so weak like her.

People below the Immortal Transcendent realm failed to even reach the ninety-meter mark, so the three of them had shown great performance by that time.

Half an hour passed, and Ronron finally crossed the hundred-meter mark before nearly collapsing. She caught herself before she fell and stood tall.

”Phew! I did it,” she said with a proud look on her face.

Liz turned to her from the side and gave a pained smile. ”You did well,” she said. ”Now don’t push yourself any further. It’s okay to give up.”

Ronron nodded. She had planned as much. She turned toward Alex, who stood still.

”There’s no need to stay here for me, Father,” Ronron said. ”You should go ahead. There isn’t much time.”

Alex looked at the two. ”Will you two be fine?” he asked.

”Yes,” Liz said. ”Go.”

Being told as much, Alex nodded and stepped away from them. He easily strode forward, completely ignoring the pain that was beginning to build up in his mind. In seconds, he crossed the next ten meters, arriving by his mother’s side just as she crossed the hundred-and-ten-meter mark.

He lent her an arm as he arrived, keeping his mother from falling.

”You did well, Mother,” Alex said with a rather proud tone in his voice.

Helen stood tall after a moment, her breathing ragged, and a pained look on her face. Even through that, she smiled.

”Yes,” she said, rather satisfied with the result. ”I did.”

”Can you do ten more?” Alex asked her, but Helen immediately shook her head.

”I don’t think I can do that without dropping unconscious halfway through.”

”Well, in that case, don’t push yourself anymore. You should go be with Ronron and Aunt,” Alex said.

Helen looked back. ”Will I still get all the stars if I go back now?” she asked.

Alex wasn’t sure about that, but he believed she did. ”Didn’t the soul say that you get stars based on how far you can go, not how far you are by the time you are disqualified?” he asked. ”You should get the stars. Even if you don’t, it’s only two stars. I think what you’ve managed to do today is more than enough to warrant a loss of just two stars.”

Helen thought for a moment and shook her head. ”It’s only half an hour more. I’ll just stay here.”

Alex didn’t argue with that. ”I see. In that case, I will continue.”

Helen nodded and looked toward the front. Three people had already crossed the hundred-and-forty-meter mark, with two going beyond the hundred-and-forty-five-meter mark.

”Can you beat them after starting so late?” Helen asked with a curious look on her face.

Alex turned to the front as well. ”I don’t know, but I can try,” he said.

Helen nodded and patted him on his shoulder. ”If you can do it, do it.”

Alex smiled. ”I will do it then. I’ll be back in a bit.”

He stepped forward and made his way to the center of the formation.