"Are you sure you want to take the entrance trial? Once it starts, you can't quit. Whether you live or die is up to fate," the Inspector Elder reminded him.
Mo Qi nodded, and the Elder said no more.
He stepped aside, revealing the gate behind him.
The gate was irregularly shaped, about ten feet high and eight feet wide. It was jet-black all over, with a bumpy, uneven surface, clearly not crafted by human hands.
"The first trial tests your Spirit Root Talent. Place your hand on the gate and release the True Essence in your body into your palm," the Elder said in a deep voice.
Mo Qi did as he was told and placed his hand on the gate. It was ice-cold to the touch and its surface was very rough. A piece of information automatically appeared in his mind.
"Obsidian. A companion mineral to Spirit Stones, with an extremely low chance of formation. It is highly sensitive to the purity of Spiritual Energy. Dense, hard, and incapable of Spirit Communication. It can be activated by a Secret Technique to produce miraculous effects."
This was a special ability granted to Mo Qi by the Chaos Scripture, allowing him to identify all things in creation.
'What a find. The Void Sect clearly doesn't recognize its value, using Obsidian to test Spirit Root Talent. What a colossal waste of a priceless treasure.'
Obsidian was dense, hard, and a companion mineral to Spirit Stones. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it indestructible. By all rights, it should be an incredibly rare Artifact Refining Material.
However, it was simply incapable of Spirit Communication. Although it was sensitive to Spiritual Energy, it couldn't absorb it.
As a result, it was impossible to refine, let alone use in combat.
Not everyone possessed the Chaos Scripture and knew that Obsidian could be activated with a Secret Technique.
Mo Qi made a mental note. 'If I get the chance, I have to get my hands on this piece of Obsidian.'
"What do you guys think? How many points will Chef Mo get in this trial?"
"I heard his talent is lacking. Probably ten points or less."
Hearing the disciples' discussion, Fang Min sneered, "Ten points? That trash can't even sense Spiritual Energy. Even if he forcefully consumes an Elixir to gather a shred of True Essence, he won't get more than five points."
Wang Hao was perfectly at ease. He patted Fang Min's hand and said, "Calm down. Just let this dancing clown hop around a little longer. He'll be crying by the time he gets to the later trials."
Mo Qi didn't hear the crowd's discussion. His current situation was a bit awkward.
In cultivating the Creation Golden Body Technique, the first step required the Nine Transformations into Spirit.
He had already successfully completed the First Transformation Spirit Communication and could sense and absorb Spiritual Energy. The problem was, any Spiritual Energy he absorbed into his body would directly fuse with his flesh and blood.
His meridians were blocked, so there was nowhere to store the Spiritual Energy.
To open his Dantian, he had to first complete the Nine Transformations into Spirit.
In other words, he couldn't even perform the most basic task for a Cultivator—condensing True Essence. How could he possibly release it into his palm?
He kept his palm on the Obsidian for a long time, but it showed no reaction at all.
"Ahem, uh, Elder, I forfeit this trial."
The crowd erupted in an uproar. No one expected that after all that time, Mo Qi would choke out such a sentence.
Even Wang Hao and Fang Min, who wanted to see him make a fool of himself, were stunned. They had thought Mo Qi's score would be terrible, maybe even just one or two points, but they never imagined he would forfeit. Forfeiting meant zero points.
It was hard to say if anyone would follow, but Mo Qi had certainly set a precedent. In the several thousand years since the Void Sect's founding, he was the first challenger to score a zero for talent.
"Hahaha, is this idiot really brainless? Is he grandstanding? People can die in the entrance trial! I'd love to see the look on his face in the later stages." Wang Hao laughed so hard he was almost in tears.
A smile touched Fang Min's lips. She couldn't help but feel relieved that she had never truly fallen for Mo Qi.
'A reckless fool who doesn't know his own place. An idiot who was deceived for ten years and still hasn't come to his senses. For him, death would be a release.'
The Inspector Elder's expression turned very ugly. Although Mo Qi's life and death had nothing to do with him, for someone with zero talent and not even a shred of True Essence in his body to participate in the entrance trial was simply making a fool of him and wasting his time.
"Hmph, get in there!" The Elder waved his large sleeve, the Obsidian Gate opened, and Mo Qi was thrown inside by a huge force, landing within the gate.
BOOM!
The Obsidian Gate closed again.
"So, do you still have faith in this kid?" On the second floor, Liu Hong asked with a smile, chewing on some dried meat.
Liu Ruyan nodded without hesitation. "Although I don't know why Brother Mo is doing this, I believe in him."
"You're crazy!" For the first time, Liu Hong spat out the dried meat in his mouth, his expression serious. "Ruyan, let Grandpa be clear with you. I won't lift a finger even if that kid dies in there. It was useless for you to call me over."
Liu Ruyan's brow furrowed slightly. Just as she was about to speak, Liu Hong cut her off.
"Girl, Grandpa knows you like that kid. Grandpa isn't a stick-in-the-mud. Before, when he was a mortal, I didn't say much or stand in your way. I just wanted you to be happy."
"But now that he has chosen to step onto the Martial Dao, he must adapt to the rules of the Martial Dao, prove himself, and prove that he has the ability and qualifications to protect you in the Martial Arts World."
"You should understand that once you enter the path of martial arts, your life is not your own. If he can't even survive on his own, I will never agree to you two being together."
"You can think of this as Grandpa's test and requirement for his grandson-in-law."
Liu Hong's words made Liu Ruyan both shy and angry. Blushing, she chided, "You shameless old man, talking nonsense! I'm ignoring you now, hmph."
At this moment, a light screen appeared above the main hall, showing Mo Qi's performance in the second trial inside.
The second trial tested one's physical foundation. It required lifting a square tripod cauldron and climbing steps with varying levels of gravity.
There were ten such cauldrons, ranging from one thousand to ten thousand pounds, with each successive one increasing in weight by a thousand pounds.
There were ten steps. From bottom to top, they represented one to ten times the force of gravity.
The scoring for this trial was simple: lift the two-thousand-pound cauldron and climb the steps. Each step was worth four points.
In other words, you only needed to reach the fifth step, the one with five times gravity, to get the full score of twenty points for this trial.
The Inspector Elder was still fuming, and since he didn't believe Mo Qi could pass the trial in the end, he didn't bother to explain the rules to him.
Mo Qi had seen Uncle Niu attempt the trial before. Although he didn't know the specific details, he knew this part involved lifting a square tripod cauldron and climbing steps.
Obviously, the heavier the cauldron he lifted and the higher the step he climbed, the better his final score would be.
Looking at the Square Tripod Cauldrons arranged neatly from smallest to largest, Mo Qi walked directly to the biggest one, the one that weighed ten thousand pounds.
When the people outside saw this, they all laughed.
"He's not actually thinking of lifting the ten-thousand-pound Square Tripod Cauldron, is he?"
Wang Hao was amused. Forget a servant who had only practiced a Basic Cultivation Technique, even Official Disciples like them, who had their bodies tempered with all sorts of Treasure Medicines from a young age to achieve a perfect Refined Body, would find it difficult to reach a strength of ten thousand pounds with physical power alone.
"He's probably been driven mad," Fang Min said mockingly. When she did the trial, she had lifted the two-thousand-pound cauldron and only made it to the third step, earning twelve points.
Even so, her performance had drawn gasps of amazement.
But just then, on the light screen, Mo Qi placed his hands under the Square Tripod Cauldron, tensed his core slightly, and easily lifted the ten-thousand-pound cauldron over his head.
And with a single hand!
PFFT~
Outside, the Inspector Elder, who had just managed to calm his anger, spat out the mouthful of tea he hadn't yet swallowed, his eyes wide as saucers.
"This... This has to be fake, right?!"
Although it was hard to believe, he had personally placed every one of the cauldrons in the hall. There couldn't be a mistake.
The mocking smiles on Wang Hao's and Fang Min's faces froze.
"This is impossible! He hasn't even condensed True Essence, so how could he have done any Body Refining? And lifting ten thousand pounds with one hand? What kind of joke is this!"
"Elder, did you make a mistake? Did you mix in a fake cauldron?"
Faced with Wang Hao's accusation, the Inspector Elder's face darkened. "Wang Hao, watch your mouth. I'll let it slide this time for your grandfather's sake. If there's a next time, believe me when I say this Elder will cripple you!"
Wang Hao was startled. Knowing he had spoken out of turn, he hurriedly apologized.
The Inspector Elder before him was no weaker than his own grandfather. If he truly angered him, not even his grandfather could protect him.
But he still refused to believe Mo Qi could be that strong. It wasn't just Wang Hao; though the other observing disciples said nothing, they were all doubtful in their hearts.
"Hmph. I have served as the Inspector Elder for a hundred years and have never made a single mistake. If you don't believe it, you can inspect them yourselves after the trial is over," the Inspector Elder said coldly.
"We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare! We naturally believe in the Elder's fairness and impartiality," many of the disciples cried out.
"Look! What is he trying to do?" someone exclaimed, pointing at the light screen. Everyone's attention was suddenly drawn back to Mo Qi.
Mo Qi, holding the cauldron with one hand, stood at the bottom of the steps, rotating his ankles, twisting his waist, and even doing a few deep squats from time to time.
Everyone was dumbfounded. 'Is he showing off?'
Just as everyone was wondering, Mo Qi took a deep breath, squatted down slightly, and bent his back into a coiled posture, ready to spring.
"He's not thinking of jumping up, is he?" someone joked.
"Hah! If he can really jump to the tenth step, I'll eat that cauldron."
The words had barely left his mouth when a loud bang came from the light screen.
THUD!
Mo Qi shattered the ground with a single stomp. Dust and rocks flew, revealing a bottomless crater as he shot upwards like an arrow released from a bow.
In that moment, Mo Qi no longer seemed human, but more like a giant beast from the primordial wilderness.
He passed the first step... the second... the third...
In the blink of an eye, he landed steadily on the tenth step!
This time, however, he had switched to holding the cauldron with both hands.
Although his face was flushed and veins bulged on his body from the exertion, he stood as steady as a mountain, unyielding.
The ten-times gravity didn't just make the cauldron feel like one hundred thousand pounds; it also placed immense pressure on his own body, including his internal organs.
Without True Essence protecting their bodies, many Cultivators would find it incredibly difficult to even stand there, let alone lift a cauldron.
Dead silence. Absolute dead silence.
Everyone was frozen in a stupor. 'Is he even human?'
If the cauldron could be fake, and the gravity could be faked, then the terrifying image of Mo Qi shattering the earth with a stomp and leaping into the air could not be.
Lifting a ten-thousand-pound Square Tripod Cauldron and leaping up the steps to the ten-times gravity platform—there were no tricks. He had done it with pure strength!
Except for Wang Hao and Fang Min, a deep sense of admiration arose in the hearts of the other disciples. The person who said he would eat the cauldron fled the hall as if on wings, too ashamed to show his face.
Even Liu Hong on the second floor was stunned. He was so caught off guard that the piece of dried meat got stuck in his throat, and he nearly passed out.
"You knew all along?" he asked, looking at the perfectly calm Liu Ruyan.
Liu Ruyan didn't answer. Instead, her eyes shone as she stared at the light screen. "Brother Mo is the best."
A sharp glint flashed through Liu Hong's eyes. It was impossible to know what he was thinking.
"Are you hiding something from me?" Wang Hao asked, looking at Fang Min with cold eyes.
Fang Min shook her head in panic, hurriedly saying, "No! I had no idea that trash's strength was so terrifying! He never showed it in front of me."
Wang Hao knew Fang Min wouldn't dare lie to him, and his expression softened slightly.
'Hmph, so what if he's strong? He's still going to die!'
Without a shred of doubt, Mo Qi earned a full score of twenty points for this trial.
He stood on the tenth step with his eyes closed, holding the cauldron, and didn't come down for a long time.
He discovered that after being tempered by the ten-times gravity, his body was actually showing signs of breaking through to the second transformation.
The second of the Nine Transformations into Spirit was the Live Fetus.
When a person is born and leaves the mother's body, they come into contact with the mortal world. As they grow and develop, the body's various functions gradually become fixed.
This is why one must start practicing martial arts and cultivating the Dao from a young age. After a certain age, once the body is set, many things become difficult to change.
The Second-Turned Live Fetus reactivated Mo Qi's bodily functions, giving him the same malleability as an infant.
The Spiritual Energy accumulated in his body had long been sufficient; all he was missing was a bit of external pressure.
The ten-thousand-pound Square Tripod Cauldron and the ten-times gravity had provided the perfect conditions, allowing him to smoothly break through to the second transformation.
Mo Qi could feel that although his strength hadn't increased, his body and consciousness felt unprecedentedly light and nimble. It was a feeling of sudden enlightenment.