I Can Devour Spirits

Once he crossed this step, he would be standing on the altar!

Yet a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes. The near-death agony of standing on the previous eighth step gave him some pause.

Standing on the altar would allow him to directly progress to being an Outer Disciple. This was still tempting for him, as he had crossed the red line, thus exempting him from the second test.

But there’s still the final test—who knows what could happen?

Duan Rong thought for a while and decided to give it a try.

His right foot touched the altar.

With just his right foot on it, his body leaning slightly forward, an enormous wave of pain surged upon him, drowning Duan Rong in an instant.

Clenching his teeth to endure, sweat broke out on his forehead, sliding off the tip of his nose and chin.

Duan Rong’s expression turned vicious; he had not yet felt the true terror of death.

He knew he had not yet reached his limit.

He sensed it. The altar was within his reach.

Duan Rong raised his head, straightening his body.

The heel of his left foot, resting on the eighth stone step, was already slightly lifted, and as his heel rose, his body began to lean forward.

At this moment, Duan Rong suddenly noticed Jiang Hanyan, sitting cross-legged in the center of the altar playing the zither, abruptly open her eyes wide, staring at him in a daze.

In that instant, Jiang Hanyan no longer played the zither. Her slender hands, like petrified, were frozen in the motion of strumming the strings, suspended over the instrument.

The look in Jiang Hanyan’s eyes was fanatical and enchanting.

It was her first true loss of composure!

Duan Rong needed only to take that final half-step, and he would be standing on the altar!

The first person in a hundred and eighty years!

In Jiang Hanyan’s eyes as she looked at Duan Rong, a certain fervor welled up.

This fervor came from that idealized version of herself buried deep in her heart.

She didn’t know how many times she had fantasized about stepping onto the altar and becoming the next legend after Sect Leader Chu Qiushan.

She always had this ambition!

At this moment, looking at Duan Rong, the suppressed lowliness in her heart surged!

Though also born into a wealthy family, pampered from a young age, her mother was but a concubine, often humiliated and beaten by the principal wife over minor faults.

Jiang Hanyan grew up in such an environment!

Later, practicing martial arts, her talent gradually revealed itself, and she became the direct disciple of Taiyi Sect Elder Lin Youjian.

It was then that her pride pushed down the lowliness of her youth.

Yet that deep-seated mark always lingered at her heart’s core. Whenever her pride was breached, that lowliness would resurface, once again enveloping her.

Duan Rong, witnessing Jiang Hanyan’s loss of composure, suddenly felt a heavy sense of caution.

Though initially, when Zhu He traveled with the wind, landing at the peak of the lone mountain, Duan Rong was still standing at the gorge’s entrance with Xiao Yu and the others, the lone peak obscured by the enormous Divine Statue to the east, and Duan Rong couldn’t see Zhu He descend.

But shortly after, Jiang Hanyan leapt out from the southeast, landing in the center of the altar, and this Duan Rong did witness.

Atop that lone peak stood none other than the elders of the Taiyi Sect. A woman capable of leaping down from the peak clearly revealed her identity.

Moreover, the zither music she played was a kind of Divine Soul Technique.

All these confirmed that this woman was likely a Core Disciple of the sect.

But why would a Core Disciple lose her cool over a Registered Disciple’s test to step onto the altar?

Eyes wide with astonishment, her expression changed, her entire being like stone?

For a Core Disciple to react so dramatically indicated that stepping onto the altar was far more significant than simply becoming an Outer Disciple.

Imagine, why would a Core Disciple care about a Registered Disciple skipping two tests to advance directly to an Outer Disciple?

Duan Rong again looked toward the lone peak in the southeast.

He gently lowered the heel of his slightly raised left foot.

He now understood why those elders were atop that lone peak. They weren’t there to watch a Registered Disciple ascend to an Outer Disciple. They were there to see if anyone could ascend the altar steps, or even stand upon the altar.

What did stepping onto the altar truly mean? To startle a Core Disciple so intensely, as if petrified?! To gather great Dongming Realm powers at the peak to witness?!

Duan Rong quickly realized it was a sort of talent test!

That Core Disciple was shocked because she knew the kind of talent stepping onto the altar represented!

Duan Rong’s mind again echoed with Xiao Zongting’s words in Xianggu County.

”Martial Arts, with Spiritual Power as the core!”

But, at that moment, Duan Rong gave up.

He knew that taking that half-step would shock the world!

His genius name would spread throughout the sect!

But it’s lonely at the top!

He bore many secrets! To stop here might be the most prudent choice.

He wanted to become a genius so others would find him valuable and nurture him.

But he didn’t want to be a genius who even shocked the sect’s Core Disciples.

Who knew what that meant? Could he handle it?

Would the powerful Dongming Realm entities begin to interfere with his life? He knew little about their abilities. Could he truly cope?

Still nestled within his Consciousness Sea was the Origin Blood Core of the Filthy Blood Divine Skill.

The reverse side of overnight success might well be complete ruin.

At this moment, retreating might just present endless possibilities.