Chapter 490 488: Passing the Test

"That damn brat has a death wish. Does he really think he can pass the test?"

The broad-foreheaded man stared at Luo Tian, his face full of malice.

Originally, he could have quickly obtained the Void Chain Pearl, been the first to arrive at the Ghost's Tears Waterfall, and attracted the attention of the higher-ups.

But thanks to Luo Tian, he had been forced to find another Void Chain Pearl, wasting a considerable amount of time.

Yue Linfei arrived at the same time as the broad-foreheaded man. When she saw Luo Tian beneath the Ghost's Tears Waterfall, a look of shock surfaced on her pristine face.

'He was actually faster than me!'

Yue Linfei found Luo Tian more and more mysterious and unfathomable. She couldn't see through him at all.

Suddenly, beneath the Ghost's Tears Waterfall, a man sitting on the first stone turned deathly pale and let out a pained groan.

He had sat down before Luo Tian and Senior Sister Lin and was approaching the one-incense-stick-time benchmark.

PTHOO!

A few moments later, the man abruptly spat out a mouthful of blood before the waterfall's force overwhelmed him, washing him away.

The man was swept into the river, where he remained unconscious. He was quickly carried away.

"Luo Tian, Auditor Disciples have to stay under the Ghost's Tears Waterfall for an extra half-incense stick of time. You will soon share his fate."

The broad-foreheaded man sneered.

'In his opinion, there's no need for me to even lift a finger. There's no way Luo Tian can pass this test.'

...

Soon, Luo Tian had been under the Ghost's Tears Waterfall for half an incense stick's time.

He was still cultivating.

His Primordial Pool had stabilized considerably, and his foundation grew more solid.

Meanwhile, Senior Sister Lin, seated next to him, was starting to look unwell. Her lovely brow was furrowed in distress.

At that moment, a storm raged in Senior Sister Lin's mind, filled with the wails of ghosts and howls of wolves. Negative emotions began to bubble up uncontrollably.

'The mere Ghost's Tears Waterfall won't stop me!'

Senior Sister Lin screamed inwardly, gritting her teeth and holding on!

As time passed, an icy chill spread through Senior Sister Lin's body, and her face grew exceptionally pale.

Senior Sister Lin even began to recall painful memories from her past. Her spirits plummeted, replaced by grief, indignation, and even a surge of despair.

'It's all an illusion! It's all fake!'

Senior Sister Lin chanted to herself.

Finally, one incense stick's time had passed.

Senior Sister Lin opened her eyes and hurriedly left the Ghost's Tears Waterfall, her face etched with lingering fear.

But then she saw that Luo Tian was still under the waterfall.

She had started the Ghost's Tears Waterfall trial at the exact same time as Luo Tian.

After one incense stick's time, she was utterly exhausted and spiritually weak. If she had stayed even a moment longer, she couldn't guarantee she would have been able to endure.

Yet Luo Tian, with his mere Earth Element Realm Fifth Layer Cultivation, had not only lasted for an entire incense stick's time but also seemed far more at ease than she had been.

Senior Sister Lin felt as if she had been dealt an invisible blow.

Not far away, the broad-foreheaded man's expression was grave, even a little chagrined.

'He's actually lasted a full incense stick's time!'

Judging from Luo Tian's condition, lasting another half-incense stick didn't seem like it would be a problem.

In other words, Luo Tian had a very high chance of passing the test!

'Unacceptable!'

With a silent curse, the broad-foreheaded man immediately flew toward the Ghost's Tears Waterfall, landing on the spot Senior Sister Lin had just vacated.

Luo Tian was just a few meters to his left. The broad-foreheaded man could see Luo Tian's condition clearly, and it was even better than he'd anticipated.

'Luo Tian, whatever miserable end befalls you, don't blame me. You have only yourself to blame for offending He Yunkong.'

The broad-foreheaded man muttered to himself.

The next moment, dark cyan True Essence surged from his body, radiating a dense Yin Qi.

The broad-foreheaded man controlled the Yin Qi within his True Essence, directing it to pour down on Luo Tian!

This dense Yin Qi, combined with the Yin Ghost aura from the Ghost's Tears Waterfall, became vastly more threatening!

'Even an ordinary cultivator at the Earth Element Realm Ninth Layer would be in peril facing this, let alone someone like you at the mere Earth Element Realm Fifth Layer.'

The broad-foreheaded man sneered triumphantly.

"Hmm?"

Luo Tian's body trembled slightly. He felt a potent Yin Qi invade him, affecting both his body and his Soul.

'It's him!'

Luo Tian cracked his eyes open and saw the broad-foreheaded man.

He had no grudge against the man, yet the other had targeted him time and again!

"Heh heh, Luo Tian, we meet again!"

the broad-foreheaded man laughed.

"Stop this foolishness, or you will live to regret it!"

Luo Tian's expression was glacial.

He was at a critical point in the trial; he would not tolerate this malicious sabotage!

"Heh, and how are you going to make me regret it? I'd love to see you try."

The broad-foreheaded man looked completely fearless.

'No matter what Luo Tian tried, he could retaliate in kind. In a battle of attrition, he believed he had the upper hand.'

...

「On the cliff above.」

The Sect's upper echelons were watching the situation unfolding below at the Ghost's Tears Waterfall.

Previously, most of them had guessed that Luo Tian hadn't found a Void Chain Pearl and was just there to look at the Ghost's Tears Waterfall.

But when Luo Tian appeared beneath the Ghost's Tears Waterfall and produced a Void Chain Pearl, that theory was utterly shattered.

Then, Luo Tian's ability to successfully endure for a full incense stick's time under the Ghost's Tears Waterfall shocked even more people.

Some of the Auditor Disciples were deeply shaken and began cheering for Luo Tian in their hearts.

Yan Yufeng's face was grim.

Luo Tian's astonishing performance only deepened his worries.

"Master, rest assured, the person I arranged has already made a move. Luo Tian will not pass the assessment!"

He Yunkong sent via voice transmission.

Yan Yufeng gave a faint nod. He, too, could see that the broad-foreheaded man was deliberately interfering with Luo Tian.

Everyone else present could see it as well.

The rules of the trial were lax. As long as it didn't escalate into a life-or-death battle beneath the Ghost's Tears Waterfall, minor interferences were permitted.

"Luo Tian..."

Worry was written all over Xia Bingyue's cold, beautiful face.

Her current cultivation was at the Peak of Earth Element Realm Fifth Layer, so her chances of securing a spot were slim. Thus, she hadn't registered for the trial.

She couldn't understand why an older disciple at the Earth Element Realm Eighth Layer would try to sabotage Luo Tian.

This was the Ghost's Tears Waterfall, after all. An accident there could have lifelong consequences.

...

「Beneath the Ghost's Tears Waterfall.」

The broad-foreheaded man grew even more brazen, acting openly now. He released a massive amount of Yin Qi from his palm, sending it to corrode Luo Tian!

"Stop, how could you..."

Yue Linfei cried out, seeing what was happening.

"Heh, Junior Sister Linfei, this is on your Senior Brother's orders."

The broad-foreheaded man gave an awkward laugh.

"What? Senior Brother... he would actually use such methods to harm Junior Luo!"

Yue Linfei couldn't believe that the normally gentle and refined He Yunkong would resort to something like this.

Suddenly! Luo Tian fixed his gaze on the broad-foreheaded man. A strange, ghostly light flickered in the depths of his pupils, enough to make one's blood run cold.

The broad-foreheaded man faintly heard a series of ethereal, indistinct notes, like a Demon's whisper, that lingered in his ears and refused to fade.

This bizarre sound grew louder and more chaotic, as if a thousand people were murmuring inside his head.

Veins bulged on the broad-foreheaded man's forehead, and his expression turned sullen.

The disruptive techniques he was using against Luo Tian also faltered.

"You?"

The broad-foreheaded man glared at Luo Tian, certain that it was he who was using an Evil Technique to affect him.

Luo Tian didn't respond. The ghostly light in his eyes intensified, resembling a black hole from Hell, threatening to suck a person's very soul inside.

"AAAGH!"

The broad-foreheaded man felt a splitting headache and let out a sudden scream, his eyes turning bloodshot!

The Demon Thought Technique could amplify negative emotions, exploit mental weaknesses, and even summon a Heart Demon!

What's more, both the Ghost Mist Forest and the Ghost's Tears Waterfall had the effect of eroding one's Spiritual Will and interfering with their senses.

In such an environment, Luo Tian's Demon Thought Technique had succeeded with incredible ease.

Even though the broad-foreheaded man reacted quickly, he couldn't break free!

"AAAGH! One day, I'll become the Head True Disciple of the Tai Yuan Sect and crush all of you under my boot!"

The broad-foreheaded man roared like a madman!

This scene startled many of the onlookers.

Yue Linfei's expression was one of shock. 'What's wrong with him? He was just talking to me a moment ago.'

The crowd quickly composed themselves; it wasn't a completely unexpected sight.

The Ghost Mist Forest and the Ghost's Tears Waterfall were known to cause mental instability, hallucinations, and even Qigong Deviation.

Luo Tian immediately ceased using the Demon Thought Technique. He threw a single, indifferent glance at the broad-foreheaded man before closing his eyes again.

「On the cliff above.」

The Tai Yuan Sect's upper echelons and the other disciples all fixed their gazes on the broad-foreheaded man.

A shadow fell over Yan Yufeng's face.

'With that man's strength, how could he be reduced to this state by the Ghost Mist Forest and the Ghost's Tears Waterfall?!' He Yunkong looked astonished.

"He Yunkong! Especially you, with that smug, pretty-boy face of yours! When I become the Head True Disciple, you won't even be fit to carry my shoes!"

the broad-foreheaded man roared on.

The corner of He Yunkong's mouth twitched, his expression turning frigid.

'Not only has he botched the job... but I've also been publicly humiliated for no reason.'

...

SPLASH!

The broad-foreheaded man stumbled out from behind the Ghost's Tears Waterfall, screaming and flailing like a madman, until he was finally carried away.

Only after being carried out of the Ghost Mist Forest did the broad-foreheaded man gradually regain his senses.

He saw He Yunkong.

"Senior Brother He, how did I..."

The broad-foreheaded man still hadn't figured out what had happened.

"Before the trial, I said I wanted to watch Luo Tian get carried out. Quite the stunt you pulled, getting yourself carried out instead."

He Yunkong's face was a mask of fury.

"Senior Brother He, I..."

The broad-foreheaded man seemed to remember something, and his face filled with terror.

"Useless trash!"

He Yunkong struck out with his palm. Caught completely off guard, the broad-foreheaded man was sent flying twenty or thirty meters from the stretcher. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and passed out again.

He glanced over at Luo Tian, still beneath the Ghost's Tears Waterfall in the distance. His fists clenched, and a cold light flashed in his eyes.

'Luo Tian, you got lucky this time!'

He Yunkong turned and left.

Luo Tian, still under the waterfall, could no longer focus on his Cultivation. He now needed all his concentration to resist the effects of the Ghost's Tears Waterfall.

At a certain moment, the ball of faint blue, ethereal light in Luo Tian's mind suddenly expanded, its color growing deeper and more vibrant.

'My Creation Technique has broken through to Third-Layer Great Success.'

A look of surprise crossed Luo Tian's face.

With his Creation Technique at Third-Layer Great Success, his Spiritual Will became far more condensed and powerful. He suspected that even an ordinary cultivator at the Earth Element Realm Ninth Layer couldn't compare to him now.

The mental and spiritual pressure from the Ghost's Tears Waterfall instantly lessened.

Luo Tian easily endured for the required time and successfully passed the trial.

'Overall, this trial wasn't that difficult. Even with that broad-foreheaded man deliberately targeting me, I handled it with ease. Not only that, but I also made some significant gains.'

He opened his eyes, rose to his feet, and walked out from under the waterfall.

Just then, Luo Tian noticed several disciples waiting ahead, all staring at him with expressions of utter disbelief.

"Luo Tian, you passed the trial?"

Qi Yuntian walked out of the Ghost Mist Forest.

His cultivation was now at the Peak of Earth Element Realm Sixth Layer, and it had taken him a great deal of effort just to find a single Void Chain Pearl.

But by the time he rushed to the Ghost's Tears Waterfall, Luo Tian had already passed the trial.