Forced to become a pure and innocent female pharmacist in order to cultivate immortality.

"Thank you for saving me, Junior Sister. I'm so glad I ran into you. I only saw the smoke from afar and came here to try my luck," Tantai Mingyue said with a wry smile.

After expressing her gratitude, she began to eat the meat in large bites. All she wanted to do now was fill her stomach; she could talk about anything else later.

There shouldn't be any major problems with Lin Aoxue's side, but we still need to be wary of other trial participants.

Starting from the second day, the number of eliminations increased exponentially, especially among the trial participants in the snowfields and deserts. In a short time, over a thousand people were eliminated. Some people survived the night, but when they woke up the next morning, they were still dead.

This survival trial is truly agonizing.

Chapter 357 The Trial of Slaughter (6500 words)

After finishing the wolf meat, Tantai Mingyue sighed with satisfaction.

"Ah! I never thought I'd be in such a sorry state. This survival trial is the most unsolvable of these levels; it requires an extremely high level of luck."

Lin Aoxue nodded in agreement. To be honest, compared to this kind of trial that tests luck and brains, those trials that can be passed by force and comprehension are simply child's play, too easy.

She also felt that this level was definitely the most torturous trial among the nine levels.

In fact, apart from Ye Liuyun and those experienced cultivators, almost everyone felt that this level was the most difficult. The difficulty lay in the fact that it was an unfamiliar territory for them, and they could not control their own destiny.

If you have no experience and rely entirely on luck and experimentation, you're bound to end up confused and disoriented.

However, this hurdle also made most of the proud and arrogant young cultivators realize their shortcomings, and many young cultivators in the cultivation world are like this.

Having grown up in luxury and never experienced hardship, they've had a smooth and successful life, making them feel fearless and inferior to everyone. Now, this ordeal has shattered the self-esteem of many of them.

Actually, this is for the best. It's better to lose so-called dignity here than to die at the hands of others later because of one's arrogance and ignorance.

In fact, the Taishang Ganying Sect had already discussed the necessity of this survival trial when arranging the trial program.

The reason it was ultimately preserved was because of a saying by the Heavenly Ancestor: "When one has sufficient aptitude and cultivation, the mind is more important."

They hold this trial, calling it a grand gathering of the cultivation world in the Southern Ridge, but it's more like they're choosing the next generation of successors for their Supreme Response Sect.

Ancestor Tianyi and Tianjian were not actually native cultivators of the Northern Region. They entered the Supreme Response Sect through the Southern Ridge Grand Gathering and then took charge of the sect.

"Given this situation, I think we should be close to finishing by tomorrow. This stage is completely different from the others," Lin Aoxue said helplessly.

Tantai Mingyue nodded, but then she glanced at Lin Aoxue, as she had something she wanted to say to her.

She felt that today might be a good opportunity; otherwise, she might not have another chance to spend time alone with him later.

“Um, Junior Sister Lin, there’s a question I’ve been wanting to ask you. You’re always with Junior Sister Ye, so I haven’t been able to bring it up, but I’d like to take this opportunity to ask you.” After a moment of silence, Tantai Mingyue suddenly spoke up.

Upon hearing this, Lin Aoxue immediately showed a speechless expression. She knew that Tantai Mingyue would not give up.

"If you, Senior Sister Tantai, want to ask about matters between men and women, then I think you should refrain from asking. I know you were a man before, Senior Sister Tantai, but I must say that I am a normal woman and have no special fetishes." Lin Aoxue's words shut down what Tantai Mingyue was about to say.

Just kidding. She's a woman with dating experience, so how could she not understand what Tantai Mingyue was trying to say? Rather than waiting for her to say it and making things awkward for both of them, it's better to stop here.

"This? Alright, I understand. It can only be said that it is fate. Junior Sister Lin and I are destined to be together but not to be together." Tantai Mingyue sighed heavily.

This time, things were made clear. Tantai Mingyue was also a favored child of heaven. Although she had become a woman, the change of gender did not shake her will.

She had always felt that gender wasn't that important for a cultivator, but if it was related to emotions, then it could be very important.

"Then, I have another question. Are you and Junior Sister Ye really sisters? Or is one of you the one who experienced the events that happened in the Black Wind Mountains?" Tantai Mingyue asked again.

Actually, she had previously suspected that Lin Aoxue might be a man, but she didn't mind, since she viewed Lin Aoxue through a male lens.

Since it can't be done now, let's bring up some questions that have been puzzling her.

Actually, this isn't really a taboo subject. After all, the Black Wind Mountains incident has already confused the gender of the Southern Ridge humans, so no one will bother to find out whether you were male or female before.

"Huh? This? Senior Sister Tantai, do you think I'm not like a woman?" Lin Aoxue was inexplicably annoyed.

"Ah? This, don't misunderstand. I just feel that when you and Junior Sister Ye stand together, there's always a sense of contrast and incongruity. How should I put it? They're supposed to be sisters, but the light in their eyes is more like love." Tantai Mingyue quickly explained.

Lin Aoxue was about to roll her eyes.

"Doesn't this just mean that I'm not as womanly as Liu Yun? How can I compare to her? Sigh!" Lin Aoxue felt a bit confused.

After thinking for a moment, she answered.

“There is indeed one of us who was a man before, but as for who it is, I don’t think Senior Sister Tantai needs to be so hung up on it. If you meet someone you truly like in the future, you won’t be bothered by her past.”

This answer is definitely better than simply telling Tantai Mingyue that Ye Liuyun is her husband.

Tantai Mingyue was taken aback, then thought about it again.

"Eh? That makes sense. Okay, I won't ask anymore. I hope we can get through today safely." Tantai Mingyue smiled with relief.

This girl is incredibly charming in every word and action. No wonder so many female disciples in the Cloud Sect like her, and even quite a few male disciples are willing to pursue her.

It can only be said that when a person's charm reaches its peak, it becomes a genderless power.

This guy's good looks are probably unmatched in the entire cultivation world of Nanling.

As time passed, the survival trial soon came to an end; eliminating only 10,000 people would naturally be faster.

Around afternoon, everyone heard the voice of the Moon Fairy.

"The fourth trial, the survival trial, has ended. The 40,000 survivors will enter the next trial, called the killing trial. This trial will eliminate 20,000 people. The 40,000 people will be randomly assigned to 40 different battlefields in groups of 1,000. Only half of the people in each battlefield can pass the trial. Except for the use of evil methods prohibited by the cultivation world, there are no restrictions."

Upon hearing this, the trial participants who were struggling in other living spaces all breathed a sigh of relief.

"Damn it, finally we're leaving this godforsaken place. I never want to come back to this place again." Some people cursed as they were teleported away.

But Ye Liuyun is the only one on the island.

"No way! I haven't had enough fun yet. How can it end so soon? You guys are so useless. You eliminated 10,000 people in just two days. What kind of nonsense is this?" Ye Liuyun said unhappily.

Liu Zhen and Su Xiangxue, standing to the side, were both amused and exasperated. They wanted to say, "Only you would treat this place like a vacation; neither of us wants to play this kind of game."

"Alright, Junior Sister Ye, we'll see you later. Thank you for taking care of me." Su Xiangxue greeted her with a smile.

Liu Zhen also expressed his gratitude, and then the three of them were sent away by the power of the rules here.

Since the trial spaces are created by arrays and restrictions, and are controlled by human rules, they do not experience fatigue or death within them.

This can be considered a step forward in cultivation civilization. There was no such guarantee in the previous session. In the previous Nanling Grand Gathering, quite a few cultivators died unexpectedly. That's why Fang Mingyu said there was a risk of death when Ye Liuyun and the others came out of Yunzong.

However, this time the risk of death is not in the competition, but in the invasion by the Reverse Immortal Alliance.

The fifth level: the Trial of Slaughter.

Within the magnificent palace complex, a chilling atmosphere permeated the air. It resembled an underground palace, dimly lit, with only candlelight on the surrounding walls illuminating the various passages and side halls.

The atmosphere here was oppressive; bright red blood was everywhere on the ground, and the air reeked of blood.

Ye Liuyun's figure appeared out of thin air in a passage, and she immediately smelled an unpleasant odor.

"Such a strong smell of blood. Is this just the beginning? Or is it just for decoration, like in a game?" Ye Liuyun looked at the blood at his feet and felt it was just like the real thing.

This trial can also be described as a narrow encounter. This palace is interconnected, and if you bump into each other in the passage, a battle is inevitable.

The area where Lin Aoxue was located was a floating island area, and they were randomly assigned to different floating islands, with a maximum of two people on each floating island.

Forty battlefields, each with a different situation.

"Huh?" Lin Aoxue glanced around, then turned around to look behind her. The disheveled state she had in the fourth level was gone, and she had returned to her original appearance.

However, the anger accumulated in the fourth level made many cultivators want to vent it properly in this level.

"Hahaha, interesting. You, the one with the Heavenly Qualification, are you a disciple of one of the four major sects in the Southern Region? State your name. I am Manlong from the Eight Desolate Supreme Palace." Behind Lin Aoxue stood an extremely burly young man.

This guy was estimated to be close to four meters tall, with an enormous size, and exuded an aura like that of a wild beast.

This guy is probably going to put a lot of pressure on Lin Aoxue again, because he is a half-step Four Extremes expert, not just a Dao Palace peak expert.

"Such a powerful aura, half-step to the fourth level? This little girl seems to be in big trouble. I think she will give up fighting her immediately." The higher-ups of the Supreme Response Sect all felt that the opponent Lin Aoxue encountered was too powerful and difficult to deal with.

Or perhaps they lacked confidence in Lin Aoxue.

However, Lin Aoxue seemed to be in a bad mood, mainly because she felt too frustrated in the previous level and wanted to have a good fight.

"Yun Zong, Lin Aoxue, I'd like to learn from your superior skills, fellow Daoist." Lin Aoxue drew her Xuan-rank weapon, unleashing the full power of her Dao Palace, pushing herself to her peak at this moment. Most importantly, Lin Aoxue's aura suddenly increased again.

It seems she has progressed from the early stage of Foundation Establishment to the middle stage.

"Has she broken through to a higher realm? Strange, why does this woman, who has only broken through a minor realm, seem to have a much stronger aura? And while others have only one Dao Palace, how come she has a whole cluster of Dao Palaces? Damn it, is this the special feature of Heavenly-level talent? And this terrifying phantom." Manlong was originally full of confidence, but after seeing the power fluctuations that Lin Aoxue unleashed, he lost some of his confidence.

Not only that, after becoming fully armed, Lin Aoxue used another secret technique.

"Secret Technique: Three Flowers Gather at the Top, First Transformation: Human Spirit Transformation." Lin Aoxue formed a hand seal, and three flowers of different colors emanated from the top of her head.

One of the flowers emitted an eerie glow, and then Lin Aoxue's power fluctuations suddenly doubled.

It's no joke that Lin Aoxue's basic realm power has doubled.

This is one of the secret techniques of the Cloud Sect, which enhances combat power. If the three flowers are gathered together, it can increase combat power three times, but it puts a great burden on the body.

"A secret technique to enhance power? This little girl is only at the Foundation Establishment stage, but she has quite a few tricks up her sleeve." The crowd watching the show in the main hall was taken aback.

Lin Aoxue made her move, charging towards the Savage Dragon with a whoosh.

Although this savage dragon was intimidated by Lin Aoxue's ethereal transformation, it was different from the others.

Lin Aoxue's sword, carrying a terrifying sword light, fell towards the Savage Dragon, but the Savage Dragon simply swung its sword and deflected Lin Aoxue's attack, and its arm was completely unharmed.

"Such a tough body? This guy? Could he be a cultivator who specializes in physical cultivation, just like Liu Yun?" Lin Aoxue was stunned when she saw her attack being deflected.

The savage dragon smiled confidently, then raised its other large hand and slammed it down towards Lin Aoxue.

The oppressive force of that slap was extremely strong, far beyond the oppressive force of someone at the Dao Palace realm.

Lin Aoxue dodged immediately. From this attack, it was clear that her opponent's defense was extremely strong. She could only rely on her speed to fight back.

"Hehe, Manlong is the strongest in terms of physical body among the new generation of disciples of our Eight Desolate Supreme Hall. Moreover, she has a pure earth spiritual root and a thick earth spiritual body. The difference in their cultivation levels is so great. This little girl is too arrogant. It seems she is going to lose." The Hall Master of the Eight Desolate Supreme Hall laughed triumphantly.

They all knew that Lin Aoxue was already considered a disciple of the Supreme Response Sect, and eliminating her in public would be a slap in the face to the Supreme Response Sect.

However, they also knew that even if Lin Aoxue was eliminated, it wouldn't have any impact.

It's not shameful to lose a half-step Four Extremes attack during the Foundation Establishment stage.

"It's not shameful for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to lose to a Half-Step Four Extremes cultivator. It would be truly shameful if your esteemed disciple were to lose by accident," Elder Tianmu retorted with a smile.

When Song Qingtian heard this, he thought it was a complete joke.

"Haha? Fellow Daoist Tianmu, I must say something about what you just said. Do you dare to make a bet with me?" Song Qingtian stood up and said with an arrogant expression.

Tianmu was taken aback.

"A bet? What kind of bet?"

"Simple, let's bet on who wins between the two of them. If Manlong loses, I think this little girl has a pure wind spirit root. I have a top-grade wind-attribute Xuan weapon sword here, the Wind Breath Sword. If I lose the bet, I'll give the sword to this little girl," Song Qingtian said with a smile.

A top-grade mystic artifact. Even in the Northern Region, this thing is no ordinary item. It's not bad to use it as a stake.

Tianmu thought for a moment, then asked a question in return.

"If I lose, what do you want, Lord Song?"

Song Qingtian chuckled.

“It’s simple. If you lose, when it comes time to select outstanding disciples, you must let my Eight Desolate Supreme Palace choose one first. But don’t worry, I definitely won’t accept the disciple you’ve already decided on,” Song Qingtian chuckled.

Tianmu was taken aback. Their chosen disciples were clearly Lin Aoxue, plus a few more with Earth-level aptitude. As for Yellow-level aptitude, their Supreme Induction Sect hadn't said it was mandatory.

They don't lack yellow-level players.

Tianmu glanced at Ancestor Tianyi, who did not refuse and nodded.

They couldn't possibly take in too many outstanding disciples anyway, so they were just doing the Eight Desolate Supreme Palace a favor, since they didn't suffer much loss.

"Alright, Palace Master Song, you can forget about Lin Aoxue and the other few with Earth-level aptitude. As for the other aptitudes below Yellow-level, you can choose whatever you like, we won't stop you," Tianmu said with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Song Qingtian laughed heartily.

"Then it's settled. Everyone here, as well as our friends from the Holy Land, should have heard this. You can't go back on your word when the time comes." Song Qingtian said this, then sat down again and continued watching the battle.

Looking at Lin Aoxue's side, the battle there was extremely dangerous. This savage dragon was like a monster, rampaging and crashing around, and any casual strike made the ground of the floating island tremble.

Cracks appeared on their floating island.

Lin Aoxue used her speed to dodge attack after attack, but her attacks failed to break through the dragon's defenses, not even scratching it.

"Damn it, my attack power is not enough, the gap is too big. Secret Technique: Three Flowers Gather at the Top, Earth Spirit Transformation." Lin Aoxue created a large distance and released the secret technique again, which doubled her basic strength once more.

This time, her strength has doubled on top of the Human Spirit Transformation. Lin Aoxue's basic combat power should have reached the Nascent Soul stage. With the added boost from her Feathered Immortal Body, her combat power has instantly soared to a level that can shake the Savage Dragon.

Lin Aoxue unleashed a horizontal sword strike from a distance, the destructive sword light forcing even the Savage Dragon to take it a little more seriously.

The dragon raised its hand and punched the sword light fiercely.