Chapter 1027: Who Is the Ant
His gaze swept across the patterns and carved lines on the walls of the great hall, and he found that whether they were strokes, lines, or palm prints, all were extremely profound. These stone walls preserved the essence left behind when personal disciples of Martial Emperors like Hou Qinglin sparred with each other.
"How wondrous. Looking at these images actually gives a sense of aesthetic pleasure," Lin Feng exclaimed in admiration. Essence—whether strokes or lines, they were all remnants of essence, making one feel comfortable at a single glance, as if about to sink into them, as if wanting to study and practice everything.
Sitting cross-legged, this time Lin Feng did not choose to cultivate some powerful divine ability. Instead, he released his martial soul, allowing the entire scene to imprint into it. In an instant, within that desolate martial soul world, it seemed as if countless phantom figures were flickering continuously, unleashing terrifyingly powerful divine abilities.
Some were Void Fingers, others were Reincarnation Light; at times, a golden Buddha body suppressed everything, and at other times, divine thought power was vast as an abyss. One thrilling scene after another appeared in Lin Feng's mind, as if restoring a virtual tableau—the scenes of those personal disciples of Martial Emperors using the formidable divine abilities on the walls.
"This martial soul is too marvelous," Lin Feng's heart grew more and more shaken. This martial soul, for the first time, he discovered it could restore powerful treasures, outlining the mysterious power within them—like the Demon Sealing Power of the Demon Sealing Stele—and could also restore Sacred Marks, presenting the mysterious trajectories of Sacred Marks as clear images imprinted into the martial soul.
Now, Lin Feng also discovered that the martial soul could restore entire scenes, as if naturally deriving and evolving the scenarios of those experts unleashing these powerful attacks.
"Every technique is a stroke of genius, utilizing the momentum of heaven and earth, omnipotent. Too strong." Lin Feng stared at the illusory scenes derived by his martial soul, marveling.
However, just as Lin Feng was immersed in it, a sudden noise interrupted his focus, pulling him out of that wondrous state. It turned out that the martial soul had derived the situations when the powers on the walls were unleashed, and the mysterious sensation had made him deeply engrossed, as if only a moment had passed, but in reality, an hour had already gone by.
"Everyone is whispering among themselves, yet you alone can still cultivate in peace," Qiu Yuexin said, somehow already beside Lin Feng, smiling at him. This guy seemed to have forgotten the outside world entirely, completely immersed in his own cultivation realm, not even noticing Yang Zilan and the others staring at him like tigers eyeing their prey.
"Too absorbed. I didn't expect an hour to have passed already," Lin Feng said with a wry smile, shaking his head. He really hadn't anticipated this situation. His initial plan was to use this martial soul to cultivate another divine ability.
"You were deeply immersed, but what if someone wanted to harm you? What would you do then?" Qiu Yuexin said, at a loss for words. At this moment, Yang Zilan and the others were still occasionally casting icy glares in their direction. Besides Yang Zilan's group, there were others doing the same. They did not want Lin Feng, who had stepped onto the Nine Heavens, to ultimately become a personal disciple of a Martial Emperor, relying on his performance of crossing the Nine Heavens to obtain the best cultivation palace.
Just then, a figure flickered into the great hall. This figure was naturally Azure Forest Reincarnation Sword, Hou Qinglin.
"Two hours have passed," Hou Qinglin said to the crowd. "I gave you two hours to comprehend and cultivate one divine ability to its peak. Next, I will have you fight using this cultivated technique. You are not allowed to use any other techniques or powers, nor are you allowed to use the power of your martial soul. In short, aside from the divine power you have cultivated here, no other divine techniques are permitted."
Hearing this, the crowd's eyes narrowed. Only allowed to use the techniques cultivated here? Hou Qinglin's round of assessment was testing everyone's martial dao comprehension.
"The martial soul is one's own means. Why can't it be used?" someone asked. The power of the martial soul was one's innate talent. Many here came from large family forces and possessed powerful martial souls, so they naturally hoped to use their martial soul's power in battle.
"Relying too much on the martial soul—how can one continuously step up the ladder of the strong on their own? No matter how powerful the martial soul, there will come times when it is useless. For example, when you climbed the Nine Heavens, in the end, you relied on your own strength and great potential. Moreover, if one has a powerful martial soul and relies on it too much in daily life, they will only know how to use the martial soul's power in battle, causing their own martial dao comprehension to degenerate. Such people, even if they can be proud for a time, will ultimately have limited achievements. On the Heavenly Terrace, we do not need such disciples—merely temporary geniuses, but in reality, nothing but waste."
Hou Qinglin said indifferently, causing many to lower their heads in shame, feeling very embarrassed. What Hou Qinglin said was correct: relying too much on the power of the martial soul, to the point of only knowing the martial soul in battle, is harmful and useless to martial dao. Such people might consider themselves geniuses, but in Hou Qinglin's eyes, they were merely waste.
"Alright, now, whoever you consider an ant, go to their side. As long as you can knock them down, I will eliminate them," Hou Qinglin said lightly. Instantly, many people's eyes stiffened. How could this be? Was Hou Qinglin really not considering those with weaker cultivation? Wouldn't they inevitably be eliminated?
Many figures flickered, moving to stand before those with weaker cultivation, cold sneers on their faces. These ants in their eyes were about to be eliminated by them, becoming their stepping stones.
Yang Zilan and her group instantly appeared before Lin Feng and Qiu Yuexin, their faces carrying icy smiles.
"The selection of Martial Emperor's personal disciples is indeed fair. Ant-like weaklings are destined to be eliminated," Yang Zilan said to Lin Feng with a cold smile. It seemed that the Martial Emperor's selection still favored the powerful. This way, Lin Feng was doomed to tragedy.
She wanted to see how Lin Feng, at the Fourth Layer of Heavenly Martial Realm, could fight against her.
"Have you all chosen your ants?" Hou Qinglin said to the crowd. The people looked up, and those with stronger cultivation now wore broad smiles on their faces. "Yes!"
"Very good. Then now, enter the Void Grand Illusion Realm!" A smile also appeared at the corner of Hou Qinglin's mouth, and then a terrifying radiance suddenly burst from his hand, enveloping the crowd in the hall, instantly covering the entire vast hall.
The pupils of the crowd sharply contracted. They felt the surrounding scene rapidly transform. Now, they were no longer standing in a great hall but had appeared in another space.
An icy snow mountain turned the entire world white, with snowflakes drifting in the void. This was a mountain range. Some stood on the peaks, some hovered in the snowy void, and others stood amidst the vast snowy mountains. All these people were the same crowd from the great hall.
"Another space—we've been shifted to another space!" The crowd's minds trembled violently. In just an instant, they had arrived in a different space.
"Here, no one will die. Anyone who is killed will appear outside this illusion, but it also means they are eliminated and will no longer be eligible to become a personal disciple of a Martial Emperor!"
A voice rolled out through the void. It was Hou Qinglin's voice. In this space, no one would die!
"It seems you've been spared your life!" Yang Zilan stood on a snow mountain, with Yang Ziye and Jiang Ning beside her. In front of her in the void were Lin Feng and Qiu Yuexin. She had wanted to kill them both here, but it seemed she couldn't.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you: here, everyone's cultivation will be the same, all suppressed to the First Layer of Heavenly Martial Realm. Those who regarded others as ants, use your strength to prove your words. And those who were treated as ants, use your pride to tell those who looked down on you: this is a fair world. Now, let me see who is the real ant!"
As Hou Qinglin's words fell, a brilliant smile appeared on Lin Feng's face.
Watching Yang Zilan's gradually changing expression, he felt an indescribable comfort throughout his body. Here, it was a fair world. Here, everyone's cultivation was the same: First Layer of Heavenly Martial Realm!
Who, is the ant!
PS: Damn, so tiring. Persevere, persevere. The flowers have stopped. Brothers, it's the last day, and I'm still holding on. What about you?