Chapter 86 The 1st Trial: The Road of Temptation
Chapter 86 The 1st Trial: The Road of Temptation
Chapter 86: Chapter 86 The 1st Trial: The Road of Temptation
The stone gate slowly opened.
BOOM!
When it finally stopped, an enormous passage stretched out before the cultivators, so wide that thousands of people could have walked side by side.
Beyond the gate lay a road.
It was extremely long, covered in ancient stone slabs, with towering walls rising on both sides. There were no turns, no side passages, and no alternate routes. It stretched straight into the distance, vanishing into a golden haze.
The entire platform fell silent.
Then the ancient voice rang out once more.
"The 1st trial shall now begin."
The cultivators held their breath.
"The 1st trial is the Trial of Perseverance. All of you shall be chased by a beast for 3 days."
A wave of noise swept through the crowd.
"3 days?!"
"Chased by a beast?!"
The voice continued without pause.
"Those with enough perseverance to endure shall pass and proceed to the next trial. Those who fall shall be eliminated."
The cultivators looked at one another.
The voice spoke again.
"Once all of you have stepped onto the road, the beast shall begin its pursuit. Its name is the Primordial Devouring Beast."
The name alone made several cultivators shiver.
For a few moments, nobody moved.
Everyone stared at the endless road ahead.
Then, one after another, the cultivators began stepping through the gate.
The 10 Lin Clan youngsters walked in together.
Lin Chen glanced around once more at the crowd.
"Stay together. Once it starts, we don’t separate."
"Understood," the other 9 replied.
As the last cultivator stepped onto the road, the ground trembled.
Far behind them, in the darkness of the gate, something moved.
Then a deafening roar erupted.
ROOOAAARRR!
A gigantic beast burst out from the passage, its enormous body covered in dark scales and its crimson eyes glowing with terrifying killing intent.
Its aura swept across the entire road.
Peak Tribulation Transcendence Realm!
For a brief moment, the entire crowd fell silent.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
"Peak Tribulation Transcendence Realm?!"
"ARE THEY TRYING TO KILL US?!"
The Primordial Devouring Beast didn’t give them time to complain.
It charged toward the gathered cultivators.
BOOM!
Its enormous claws struck the ground, sending cracks racing across the stone beneath its feet.
"RUN!"
Someone screamed.
In the next instant, every cultivator turned and sprinted along the road.
Nobody wanted to remain behind.
Nobody wanted to discover what would happen if the beast caught them.
The 10 Lin Clan youngsters ran together, maintaining their formation as they followed the crowd.
Lin Chen glanced briefly over his shoulder.
The enormous beast was rapidly closing the distance.
"Don’t separate! Maintain your formation and keep moving forward!"
"Understood!"
The other 9 youngsters responded immediately.
Even though they had undergone intense training inside the Time Tower, none of them was foolish enough to underestimate a creature at Peak Tribulation Transcendence Realm.
Behind them, the beast released another deafening roar.
The sound echoed throughout the passage, making countless cultivators tremble.
Some of the weaker participants were already struggling to maintain their speed.
"Why is it so fast?!"
"We just started! How are we supposed to survive 3 days of this?!"
"Stop talking and RUN!"
The cultivators continued rushing forward.
The beast showed no sign of slowing down.
---
After running for some time, the cultivators began noticing objects scattered along both sides of the road.
Spirit stones.
Medicinal herbs.
Spiritual fruits.
Ancient jade boxes.
Even what appeared to be abandoned storage rings.
The objects looked as though they had remained untouched since the Primordial Era.
Some of the spiritual fruits glowed with golden light, while others released colorful mist. Several medicinal grasses possessed such rich spiritual energy that even experienced alchemists would have been tempted to stop and examine them.
One independent cultivator stared at a cluster of crimson fruits as he ran.
"Those are Crimson Blood Fruits!"
Another cultivator nearby looked toward a patch of medicinal grass.
"Nine-Star Spirit Grass! And there’s so much of it!"
Their eyes shone with excitement.
However, the terrifying roar behind them quickly reminded them of their predicament.
Nobody dared to stop.
Not while that enormous beast was chasing them.
At the front of the crowd, the Lin Clan youngsters barely spared the treasures a glance.
Lin Mo looked at a patch of medicinal herbs growing beside the road and clicked his tongue.
"Those herbs aren’t even worth bringing home."
Lin Qing glanced at him.
"Then why are you looking at them?"
"I’m simply observing."
"Observe the road ahead instead."
Lin Mo immediately turned his attention forward.
"That’s what I was doing."
Lin Zhen chuckled.
"Of course you were."
The others laughed briefly as they continued running.
To them, these resources were hardly impressive.
Their Ancestor had always provided them with abundant cultivation resources, precious pills, rare medicinal herbs, and treasures they would never have imagined possessing before joining the Lin Clan.
Compared with what Lin Hao regularly gave them, the objects scattered along the road simply weren’t worth risking their lives for.
What was the point of stopping for a few spirit stones or medicinal herbs when their Ancestor had already given them so much?
Lin Chen shook his head slightly.
"Keep moving. We have no reason to waste time here."
The other 9 youngsters readily agreed.
They continued forward without hesitation.
Elsewhere in the crowd, the successors of the Forbidden Families and Forbidden Sects also showed little interest in most of the scattered treasures.
Some glanced at the medicinal herbs before dismissing them.
Others didn’t even bother looking.
Their respective forces possessed extensive collections of cultivation resources, and the items scattered along the road were generally beneath their standards.
Nevertheless, a few examined the objects more carefully as they ran, curious about why so many resources had been abandoned in such an ancient place.
The independent cultivators, however, found it much harder to ignore them.
Many came from smaller families or possessed limited resources. Some had spent years searching for medicinal herbs that were now lying openly before them.
Every additional step they took away from the treasures felt like a painful loss.
Still, the beast behind them gave them no opportunity to act on their desires.
For now, survival came first.
---
Time passed as the cultivators continued running.
The straight road seemed almost endless.
No matter how far they travelled, the distant end remained hidden beyond the golden haze.
Behind them, the Primordial Devouring Beast continued its relentless pursuit.
Its enormous body moved with frightening speed, and its roars repeatedly shook the passage.
Occasionally, some cultivators glanced backward and nearly lost their courage at the sight of the creature.
"Why isn’t it slowing down?!"
"We’ve been running for so long!"
"Does this thing never get tired?!"
Nobody had an answer.
The cultivators could only grit their teeth and continue forward.
Even the proud successors of the major forces had abandoned any thoughts of preserving their dignity. At this moment, surviving the trial was more important than looking impressive before their rivals.
The Lin Clan youngsters continued running together.
Although they were not panicking, they remained alert to their surroundings.
Lin Jue occasionally examined the stone road for unusual markings, while Lin Yu paid attention to changes in the spiritual energy around them.
Lin Qing watched the others carefully, ensuring that nobody fell behind.
Lin Chen remained at the front, leading the group forward.
Then, after what felt like an extremely long pursuit, something unexpected happened.
The beast stopped.
Its enormous claws settled onto the stone road, and its terrifying roar gradually faded.
The cultivators who noticed the change couldn’t help looking backward.
"What happened?"
"Why did it stop?"
"Is it preparing some kind of attack?"
Nobody dared to relax.
The beast stood motionless for a short while, its crimson eyes fixed on the fleeing cultivators.
The sudden silence was almost more frightening than its earlier roars.
Nevertheless, the cultivators continued running.
They had no intention of turning around to investigate.
---
During the brief lull, some independent cultivators began looking at the treasures they had passed.
The piles of spirit stones still glittered beneath the golden light.
The spiritual fruits still released their alluring fragrances.
The medicinal herbs still appeared fresh and untouched, as though they had been waiting for someone to discover them.
One young independent cultivator swallowed nervously.
He had noticed a particularly beautiful spiritual fruit earlier. Its golden surface was covered in faint patterns, and its rich spiritual energy suggested that it could be an extraordinary treasure.
He glanced over his shoulder.
The beast was still standing in the distance.
Then he looked at the fruit again.
If I can take it, I might obtain an opportunity that would otherwise be impossible for someone like me.
His heart began to race.
He knew stopping was dangerous.
But the beast was no longer moving.
Perhaps he could grab the fruit and catch up with the others before the creature resumed its pursuit.
The thought became increasingly tempting.
Finally, he made his decision.
"Just one. I’ll only take one!"
He abruptly slowed down, then turned and rushed toward the golden fruit.
A few cultivators nearby noticed him.
"What is that fool doing?!"
"Get back here!"
The young man ignored their warnings.
He reached the fruit and stretched out his hand.
The instant his fingers touched it, a strange light flashed beneath his feet.
His expression changed.
"Wait—!"
A hidden formation activated.
BOOM!
A burst of energy engulfed his body.
Before he could react, the young cultivator disappeared from the road.
The surrounding cultivators stared in shock.
"What just happened?!"
"Where did he go?!"
"Was that a trap?!"
Nobody could explain what they had witnessed.
The golden fruit remained where it had been, still shining temptingly.
A second independent cultivator, who had been watching from a short distance away, clenched his teeth.
Perhaps he triggered a defensive formation by touching that particular fruit. Maybe the spirit stones are safe.
His gaze shifted toward a nearby pile of ancient spirit stones.
There were dozens of them, each radiating rich spiritual energy.
He hesitated.
The beast was still stationary.
The treasures were right there.
And if he returned empty-handed, he might never encounter such an opportunity again.
Finally, greed overcame his caution.
He turned toward the spirit stones and rushed forward.
"Just a few!"
He bent down and reached for the nearest stone.
A faint glow appeared beneath his feet.
His eyes widened.
"No—!"
Another burst of energy erupted.
The cultivator vanished instantly.
The second disappearance sent a wave of fear through everyone who had witnessed it.
Then the ancient voice rang out across the road.
"2 participants have been eliminated."
The cultivators froze.
Neither of them had been struck by the beast.
Neither had fought another cultivator.
They had simply tried to take the treasures.
"What kind of place is this?!"
"Those treasures are traps!"
"Don’t touch anything! Just keep running!"
The warning spread rapidly through the crowd.
Even those who had been tempted by the scattered resources immediately abandoned the thought of stopping.
At the front, the Lin Clan youngsters continued running without looking back.
They had never intended to collect anything in the first place.
Lin Mo glanced briefly toward the distant commotion.
"Looks like someone couldn’t resist."
Lin Qing shook her head.
"With that beast chasing us, they still chose to stop for a few treasures."
Lin Jue’s expression remained calm.
"Greed can make people ignore dangers they would normally recognize."
Lin Chen nodded.
"Don’t concern yourselves with them. Keep moving."
The youngsters immediately focused on the road ahead.
None of them knew exactly what had happened to the 2 cultivators, but they understood that stopping was dangerous.
Behind them, the Primordial Devouring Beast suddenly raised its head.
A deafening roar erupted from its throat.
ROOOAAARRR!
The beast charged forward once more.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Its enormous footsteps shook the passage as it resumed its pursuit.
The cultivators who heard the roar felt their hearts nearly stop.
"It’s coming again!"
"RUN!"
The entire group accelerated.
The straight road stretched endlessly before them, while countless treasures continued to glitter along its edges.
Some looked more valuable than the ones they had already passed.
Others radiated spiritual energy so rich that even a casual glance was enough to stir desire.
But after witnessing the sudden disappearances of 2 independent cultivators, nobody dared to reach for them.
At the front, the 10 Lin Clan youngsters maintained their formation and continued running.
Behind them, the Primordial Devouring Beast pursued the fleeing cultivators without slowing down.
The first day of the trial had barely begun.
And already, 2 participants had been eliminated.
End of Chapter 86