Chapter 434: Challenging The Trials Again! Deathblade's Thoughts

A Will Eternal

“Twelve hours....” Bai Xiaochun thought as he sped across Sky Quarter Rainbow. As of this moment, his veins of steel were pulsing, and he seemed ready to risk his life and fight to the death!

He couldn’t just let Big Fatty Zhang die, nor any of his other friends. He knew that the cultivation world was a brutal place, and that he was relatively powerless to alter the course of major events, but he still couldn’t give up. Back when war had been on the cusp of breaking out between the Spirit and Blood Stream Sects, he hadn’t given up. Back during the fight between the River-Defying Sect and the Sky River Court, he hadn’t given up. Back during the fighting at the Mountain of Legacy Seals, he hadn’t given up.

And neither would he give up now!

That was his way of walking the path of immortal cultivation. That was his decision. That was what was important to him!

Bai Xiaochun drew upon all the power of his cultivation base to shoot at top speed toward the teleportation portal. Then, he sped through Myriad Star Rainbow toward the Starry Sky Dao Polarity Superstars trials.

From the moment he busted open the door of Big Fatty Zhang’s immortal's cave to the moment he reached the entrance of the trials, only two incense sticks’ worth of time had passed. Currently, a few hundred cultivators were gathered there. Many of them spent a lot of time at the entrance, watching the performances of others in the hopes of improving their own chances of success.

There was quite a din of conversation in the area, but as soon as Bai Xiaochun appeared, he was noticed by some of the gathered cultivators. After all, his previous charge all the way to the 400s had been an unusual event that drew a lot of attention.

“Bai Xiaochun!!”

“He's back! How long has it been?”

“I’ve heard of this guy. People said he was really irritated at his last performance, and that the next time he challenged the trials, he would definitely rise in the rankings!” Everyone began to look over at Bai Xiaochun, which would normally cause him to slow down and relish the praise. But he wasn’t in the mood for that now. His expression was grim, and he even radiated a murderous aura as he shot past the crowds and into the entrance, not pausing for a moment!

When challenging the Starry Sky Dao Polarity Superstars trials, one had to start all over from the beginning. That was a standard rule that no one could change. Regardless of the fact that Bai Xiaochun’s star was high up on the cyan portion of the rainbow, he still had to start from the first trial.

His vision swam, and when things became clear again, a blast of heat hit his face. Without pause, he leapt off of the cliff and dropped down toward the sea of lava.

As soon as he touched the surface of the lava, his eyes glittered, and he unleashed all of the speed he was capable of. Rumbling sounds echoed out as he shot forward, causing huge waves to roll out on the sea of lava. He almost seemed to be running along a flat surface, which, combined with his murderous aura, caused all the other trial-takers in the area to gasp.

Meanwhile, some in the crowd outside were already spending merit points to watch Bai Xiaochun’s performance. Of those, most had expected him to do the same thing he had last time, and swim through the lava. Therefore, the scene playing out now cause their hearts to seize with shock, and almost immediately, people began to cry out in shock. That in turn caused more people to start watching him challenge the trials.

“He’s doing something different from the first time. He’s actually running on top of the lava!”

“Heavens! It was shocking enough when Gongsun Wan’er killed her way across, but seeing Bai Xiaochun run on the surface of the sea is equally astonishing!”

As everyone outside cried out in shock, Bai Xiaochun proceeded forward with a grim expression on his face, not reducing his speed at all, and in fact, accelerating. He only used a bit more time than it takes half an incense stick to burn to cross the entire sea of lava, step onto the far shore, and enter the second trial!

In the second trial, the stone golems were still fighting fiercely. Boulders rained from the sky, and fierce winds swept about. However, Bai Xiaochun didn’t stop for even a moment!

None of the obstacles in the challenge seemed to affect him at all, and all of them actually crumbled before even touching him!

However, that almost didn’t count for anything compared to the most shocking development of all. To the astonishment of the crowd, the two enormous stone golems actually stopped fighting when they noticed Bai Xiaochun!

“Get me through this place!” Bai Xiaochun said, calling upon the power of the Living Mountain Incantation. Although he didn’t summon his own stone golem, the aura of the incantation itself was enough that the stone golems could sense it. To them, it felt very familiar, almost as if something or someone was communicating with them.

As soon as Bai Xiaochun asked for help getting through the trial, it was to the utter astonishment of the crowds that one of the stone golems actually reached down toward Bai Xiaochun, not to attack him, but to grab him and throw him through the air toward the exit.

Explosive rumblings sounds could be heard as Bai Xiaochun was propelled by the full power of the stone golem, transforming into something like a shooting star that pierced through the air of the second trial and right into the teleportation portal leading to the third trial!

He had passed through the first and second trials in less time than it takes an incense stick to burn!

Everyone on the outside was going mad with astonishment.

“Heavens! This... this Bai Xiaochun....”

“He was actually holding back last time!!”

By now, the cultivators outside were starting to send messages to their friends, causing more and more cultivators to pay attention to the Starry Sky Dao Polarity Superstars trial.

Meanwhile, Bai Xiaochun was already in the third trial, the one that featured the enormous blacksmith and ironworks. Currently, the enormous sword that was the path to the exit was being beaten by the blacksmith with his hammer.

Just like before, Bai Xiaochun didn’t hesitate for a moment. Instead of trying to make his way across the sword, he dove right down into the frigid sea below!

This time, he didn’t absorb any frigid qi, but instead, drew upon his own frigid qi to freeze everything in the area. Then, just like he had done with the sea of lava, he began speeding across the surface.

Something different happened in this trial, though. Almost as soon as the huge blacksmith noticed Bai Xiaochun in the frigid sea, his expression twisted with rage as he recalled what had occurred last time.

Roaring, he reached down with his huge hand to grab Bai Xiaochun.

As the hand bore down, Bai Xiaochun’s murderous aura spiked, and instead of dodging, he drew upon his Undying Live Forever Technique, and especially the fleshly body power in the Undying Tendons of his left leg. Then, just before the hand grabbed him, he managed to kick off of it, causing incredible rumbling sounds to echo out. Blood sprayed out of his mouth from the force, but he managed to make use of it to accelerate, and fly at top speed toward the exit.

As for the hand, it stopped in place, the veins stretching out from the point of the kick’s impact apparently having been sealed. The hand was temporarily locked in place, causing the blacksmith to roar in rage. Then he slowly clenched his hand into a fist, causing many of the veins to burst before he regained motion.

However, in that short period of time, Bai Xiaochun disappeared into the exit. Again, he didn’t even use the time it takes an incense stick to burn!

As of this moment, he was in the fourth trial!

The green trial had the bridge of lightning. However, Bai Xiaochun didn’t appear to be fazed by the lightning at all, and instantly proceeded forward with incredible speed. Lightning slammed into him, but he didn’t slow down at all. No matter how the lightning inundated him, his speed wasn’t reduced, and in less time than it takes an incense stick to burn, he was at the end of the trial.

When he disappeared into the exit, the people in the audience looked on in stunned silence.

“He only used two incense sticks’ worth of time to pass the first four trials. Heavens....”

“How much was he holding back last time? This speed is unbelievable!”

“He’s crushing the trials even more than Gongsun Wan’er. This is crazy!”

“He’s heading into the cyan trial now. Last time, that was where he stopped....”

Everyone seemed to think that there was something strange going on with Bai Xiaochun, but didn’t put too much thought into it. They were all very curious to see how he fared in the cyan trial.

The cyan trial was a world of vengeful souls and endless gravestones. As soon as Bai Xiaochun appeared, cyan smoke rose up, and countless terrifying souls appeared. Staring at Bai Xiaochun, they let loose heaven-shaking, earth-shattering howls.

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Translator: Deathblade. (Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, Pinterest)

Editor: GNE. Memes: Logan. Meme archives: Tocsin. Chinese language consultant: ASI a.k.a. Beerblade. Transcendent Patrons: Daoist Elder N, BLE, ttre208. AWE Glossary. Xianxia-inspired T-shirts.

This is another slightly shorter chapter, coming in around the 1,600 level instead of 2,000

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