Chapter 61: Heart Demon Trial

All the Elders, his aunt, and Grand Elder Elaenor had already arrived. Meanwhile, the Azure Battleground was filled with an even larger audience than the previous day.

Yesterday’s unprecedented achievement by Veyron had been broadcast throughout the entire sect, attracting the attention of countless disciples. As a result, even more Inner and Core disciples had gathered to witness the selection.

Even several Elders who had some free time had come to watch.

After all, the trials weren’t normally broadcast throughout the sect. Yesterday’s first trial had been a special exception, granted permission to broadcast because of Veyron’s extraordinary performance. The remaining trials wouldn’t receive the same treatment.

Returning to the present, all the remaining participants were standing in the arena as Elder Leo stepped forward.

With his voice amplified through Spirit Energy, he addressed the audience.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have successfully completed our first trial, and I must say, it was quite a spectacle to witness! Today, we will be conducting the second and third trials."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"As you can all see, only around fifty participants remain after the first trial. And I assure you, that number will decrease even further!"

Elder Leo turned toward the participants.

Hearing his words, several of them gulped nervously, while others looked at him with firm and determined expressions.

"So, are you ready to give it your all?"

"YESSS!"

All the participants shouted in unison, their voices echoing throughout the arena. The audience responded with an even louder round of cheers.

"Excellent! That’s the determination we want to see!" Elder Leo said with a satisfied smile.

He then continued, "Now, let’s move on to our second trial..."

Elder Leo turned toward the platform beside him, drawing everyone’s attention. The audience gradually fell silent, eager to learn about the next challenge.

Although the second trial followed a familiar format that had been used in previous years, that didn’t make it any less difficult.

The Sect could also make certain adjustments to the trials, keeping the participants from becoming too comfortable with what they already knew.

Before long, everyone’s attention settled on a massive raised platform.

It was large enough to accommodate more than five hundred individuals at once, and a visible Spirit Formation surrounded it, its faint glow attracting curious glances from the audience.

Seeing the arrangement, many spectators began making their own guesses about the nature of the trial. Elder Leo waited until everyone had settled down before explaining.

"As you can see, the second trial is quite simple in principle, yet extremely difficult to complete."

"This trial is called the Heart Demon Trial. I’m sure most of you have already guessed its nature from the name, but allow me to explain the rules once again. It might sound simple at first, but I assure you, this trial is even more difficult than the first one."

Veyron and the other participants listened attentively to Elder Leo.

He understood why Elder Leo had emphasized the difficulty of this trial. A cultivator needed a certain level of intelligence and experience to understand the true implications of such a challenge.

An inexperienced or foolish cultivator might underestimate it, believing that overcoming an illusion was nothing particularly difficult.

Elder Leo continued. "The first trial tested your willpower, physical endurance, cultivation strength, mental fortitude, and determination."

"However, this second trial is different. It will test only your mental fortitude, willpower, determination, and resolve. Your cultivation strength and physical constitution will be of absolutely no help here!"

Hearing this, several participants became visibly nervous, while a few remained relatively calm.

Some of them had already experienced similar trials in the past. They knew exactly how difficult such challenges could be, and some had even failed them before.

However, there were also a few who understood the deeper implications of Elder Leo’s words.

Veyron was among them. Elder Leo continued explaining the rules.

"This trial will test your mental fortitude and willpower. Once you sit on the designated platform, which is surrounded by a special Spirit Formation, your consciousness will be drawn into a world of illusions. There, you will have to confront your deepest fears, greatest regrets, and inner demons."

"The illusions will manifest according to your individual memories and subconscious, forcing you to face the things you fear most."

"Some of you might experience the loss of your loved ones. Others might be forced to relive their greatest failures, while some may find themselves trapped in endless nightmares."

He paused briefly, allowing everyone to absorb his words. "To pass this trial, you must overcome your inner demons and break free from the illusion within the allotted time."

"Those who surrender to their fears, lose themselves within the illusion, or fail to escape before the time limit will be eliminated!"

The participants exchanged glances, and the atmosphere gradually became heavier.

After all, this was merely an Inner Court Disciple Selection. Yet, the Sect was subjecting them to a trial that could force them to confront their deepest psychological wounds.

Of course, the Azure Sky Sect wasn’t completely unreasonable.

The sect wanted to select disciples with exceptional talent, strong minds, and unwavering hearts. However, it didn’t intend to subject these young cultivators to truly unbearable experiences.

The Spirit Formation would regulate the intensity of their illusions, keeping them within an acceptable limit. Elder Leo then revealed another important detail.

"There’s one more thing. The participant who overcomes their fears and opens their eyes first will be declared the winner of this trial!"

"And if anyone manages to break the existing record of ten minutes, they will receive an additional medallion!"

As soon as Veyron heard the word medallion, his eyes immediately lit up. A bright smile appeared on his face.

Of course, he still hadn’t received the medallion from the first trial. That reward would be distributed after the selection was completed.

But now there was another opportunity to obtain one! He was naturally interested.

Meanwhile, Naomi, who was standing nearby, noticed his expression. She clenched her fists slightly, her competitive spirit burning.

This time, she’ll definitely beat him!

Max Strom remained relatively calm and silent. However, beneath his composed expression, he had already made up his mind to outperform Veyron this time.

As for Thomas Glaze, he was equally determined.

He knew that he was somewhat lacking compared to Max and Naomi in terms of cultivation talent, but this trial was different. Physical strength and cultivation weren’t the deciding factors here.

He intended to give it everything he had and prove himself.

"There’s one more thing you must understand. Knowing that you’re entering an illusion won’t protect you from getting trapped in it.

The moment your consciousness enters the formation, you’ll find yourself completely immersed in that world. You’ll have to overcome the illusion and find a way to break free!"

Elder Leo paused briefly before adding another warning.

"And for those of you thinking that you don’t have any Heart Demons, don’t be mistaken. The formation will create one for you based on your subconscious. Whatever you experience will feel completely real, even if it has never happened before!"

**

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