Rumble~
The ceaseless rumbling accompanied the appearance of four doors merging into reality, with each having a different word etched on the top: heaven, earth, profound and yellow.
Zhuo Fan passed by each of them, “Each door is a sealed array and also your test. Between heaven and earth, heaven and man combine to form body, mind and soul. It changes and mutates into endless variations. Each of the arrays here is made of a blend of three types, trapping, killing and bewildering, an ever shifting space. You simply need to pass any one of these tests and you will become an elite in the Labor Office and will be absolved from the suffering of Asura Circle.”
“You mean they’re all the same? Why four then?” Tie Ying asked, puzzled.
Zhuo Fan smiled, “Good question. Making all four doors the same would’ve been a pointless act. The yellow door is the simplest. With heaven, earth, profound and yellow targeting different aspects, the difficulty rises from yellow to heaven. Just like how there’s outer disciples, inner disciples and elites. They’re arrays of 5th grade and 6th grade, with the heaven door being a 7th grade array!”
Sss~
Everyone gasped, even Tie Ying had a perpetual frown.
[Outstanding, Labor Office has someone that can set up 7th grade arrays.]
Everyone knew any array below 7th grade was moot for Ethereal Stage, meaning even Ethereal Stage experts had to take some time in breaking a 7th grade array. And this was a cultivation the elders and venerables had, yet this guy has set it up just to test disciples.
Zhuo Fan beamed, “The four doors target different aspects. As you can see, I’m not here to test your strength but potential. Since you just have to stick with me for a bit and strength would come by itself.”
Tie Ying had to admit, he had started to admire Zhuo Fan, even if just a bit.
Moving past his integrity, just the fact that he had done more than those oldies ever could spoke volumes. With the Labor Office being dirt poor, testing these people like the outer and inner disciples was not possible.
Though no one could guarantee that giving the same treatment to these people would result in breaking their limits through dozens of trials to become better than outer disciples.
Hence, the test for potential!
While those oldies were fixated on strength alone when it came to the competitions, forgoing the potential of the disciples. To say nothing of the buried talents dumped in the Labor Office.
Or more like they didn’t care, only looking to get a firm grip on their power while doing as little as possible.
And since the Labor Office could join the grand competition where outer and inner disciples would participate, they would threaten the oldies’ gains.
So they always pushed on the Labor Office, wasting it into the ground to strengthen their authority.
But this one man before them wanted to unearth the rough and glittering gold within and challenge those oldies by taking food from right under their noses.
Tie Ying squinted, [This will all blow up in smokes without someone backing this single disciple no matter how strong this guy is. He alone can’t take on the inner sect.]
[Someone’s out to change the status quo in the sect! And this guy is his right hand, stirring up chaos in the Labor Office.]
“Great!”
Tie Ying shouted in excitement.
That got the others’ attention. [What’s up with him?]
Zhuo Fan had an odd look, [Did he lose it?]
Tie Ying walked over with steady steps before Zhuo Fan, “I know your plan and I’ll join! It’s high time for the Demon Scheming Sect to change.”
“You have to prove yourself to me first!” Zhuo Fan’s eyes flashed, [We have a thinker in our midst, one that is fueled by rage and hatred for what those oldies did to him.]
Tie Ying pointed at the earth door, “Before I do, answer me this. Will you take me with you once I come out of it?”
“I will. But I must warn you, there’s a killing array inside. Having been locked up for three years, your strength must’ve waned. For your sake, choose the profound door.” Zhuo Fan gave a friendly reminder.
Everyone was tense, [We can die in there?]
All faltered back.
Tie Ying couldn’t care less, laughing, “Live as geniuses or die as heroes. I’d rather die than not live my life to the fullest!”
Tie Ying was the first to enter the earth door. It followed with loud rumbling coming from within, rattling the fear in the people’s hearts and making them shrink back even further.
“The kid has a nice personality and will achieve great things.” Elder Yuan rubbed his beard.
Zhuo Fan smiled, “Those oldies’ trash is another man’s gold. But let’s wait after he comes out alive and not jump the gun.”
“Master, didn’t we come out of that 7th grade array? This array is only 6th grade. How hard can it be?” Kui Gang asked.
Zhuo Fan mocked, “Those arrays you used were designed for your cultivation. 7th grade but far weaker. While the earth door has trapping, killing and bewildering arrays blending together to achieve a multiplicative effect. You’re welcome to try the heaven door if you don’t believe me. I promise you there’ll be nothing left of you!”
“Uh, I’d rather not…” Kui Gang faltered and looked bitterly at Yue’er.
Yue’er only smiled.
Whoosh!
A dark figure shot inside the heaven door before anyone took notice.
Terrible grating sounds followed that shook the nerves of the people to their core.
“Who the hell is so suicidal to take on the hardest door?” Someone shouted.
Zhuo Fan eyed the gate and muttered, “Gui Hu?”
“Ha-ha-ha, he is Grand Elder’s disciple, of great talent and immense ability. Now that he’s in the Labor Office, he’s on our side!” Elder Yuan praised.
Zhuo Fan nodded, “He is bold and capable. I’d train him even without you needing to point it out. Though I can’t say if he’ll stick with me or go back to Grand Elder in the end. Anyway, all of this is for Double Dragon Gathering.”
“Ha-ha-ha, yeah, the bigger picture!” Elder Yuan nodded.
Everyone else entered a period of waiting as the heaven and earth doors rumbled on and with each sound, crumbled their bravery.
They were waiting to see their fate. If not even the top inner and outer disciples could survive, they stood no chance at all.
Boom~
Booming sounds and sharp energies flew all around in the pensive silence.
For six hours, there’d been no sign of movement from within. The other disciples’ hearts were stuck in their throats, [Elite Labor Office is fine and all, but it’s too deadly.]
At dawn break, with the two disciples still within the arrays, the rest fell into despair.
Crack!
The sound of slow steps coming from the heaven door announced someone’s arrival. It was faint and weary, revealing Gui Hu as he approached.
He was gasping and exhausted, on the verge of collapse.
The others cried out, [Just what’s in there to make a 7th layer of Radiant Stage expert so wretched?]
[He’s on the point of dying.]
Followed by a louder sound, a bloody figure came out from the earth door, but his eyes flashed with savagery.
One could practically hear hearts dropping, some opting to leave in sorrow rather than brave such deadly trials.
Seeing their spirits crushed, their bravery fall flat and their courage going limp, Zhuo Fan declared, “Gui Hu has passed the heaven door and received a 7th grade demonic treasure and four 7th grade pills. Tie Ying passed the earth door and received a 6th grade demonic treasure and three 6th grade pills.”
Yue’er and Kui Gang presented their rewards.
Ugh!
All looked flabbergasted at the glittering items…
