Primordial Divine Emperor-Chapter 47: A Different Sect Initiation Ceremony
Compared to the shock brought by what they had previously heard and seen, when the prodigies and exceptional talents of the Ten Cities saw the densely packed new disciples on the Martial Arts Arena of Divine Sword Peak, it was so overwhelming that they got goosebumps.
Ten enormous arks slowly descended onto the Martial Arts Arena, with Ye Xiaofan and others disembarking one by one under the guidance of senior brothers of the Divine Sword Sect.
Only after everyone was standing at the center of the Martial Arts Arena did the ten arks slowly rise again, flying toward a certain mountain peak of the Divine Sword Sect, where numerous arks were floating. It seemed to be the Spirit Peak that the Divine Sword Sect used specifically for parking various large flying magical artifacts.
Standing at the center of the Martial Arts Arena, the prodigies and exceptional talents of the Ten Cities were truly the focus of all attention.
Surrounded by a sea of new disciples watching them, it was evident that since the Ten Cities were outside the most barren Hundred Broken Mountain Range, Ye Xiaofan and others were the latest batch of new disciples to arrive at the Divine Sword Sect.
Countless prodigies and exceptional talents, like a vast ocean, were staring at the prodigies and exceptional talents from Star Moon City and other Ten Cities, as the latter did the same to them.
Even Ye Xiaofan felt a bit suffocated by this formation; within that densely packed army of prodigies, terrifying auras spread across the heavens and the earth, capturing the soul.
At this moment, including Nangong Jianchen, Shangguan Wan’er, and Jian Zhu, all the prodigies and exceptional talents of the Ten Cities realized how insignificant they were compared to the outside world.
Not only was there a huge disparity in numbers, but even the auras were worlds apart.
"Follow these senior brothers; each region has its designated area, and you will head over there for now. The induction ceremony will begin shortly." Mu Yan’s words were followed by a few senior brothers from the Divine Sword Sect leading Ye Xiaofan and others toward the edge of the Martial Arts Arena.
Ultimately, the prodigies of the Ten Cities were led to a corner at the very back of the Martial Arts Arena on Divine Sword Peak.
It was evident that they were, overall, the batch of new disciples with the poorest qualifications, far inferior to those who had arrived earlier with impressive formations.
This instantly weighed heavily on the previously excited hearts of the prodigies and exceptional talents of the Ten Cities.
They originally thought that upon entering the Divine Sword Sect, they could receive special attention with their talents, but now it seemed otherwise.
This place was a cradle gathering ground for exceptional talents. In the Ten Cities region, they were peerless prodigies adored by all.
Yet here, they suddenly dimmed, as if their halo was no longer present and didn’t even qualify to stand at the forefront of the crowd.
The arrival of the prodigies and exceptional talents of the Ten Cities also meant that the last batch of new disciples had fully entered the Divine Sword Sect.
Immediately, a melodious bell toll echoed through the numerous peaks of the Divine Sword Sect, reverberating within the sect for a long time.
"The induction ceremony has begun. I wonder what kind of grand spectacle it will be this year."
All at once, the previously relatively quiet Divine Sword Sect became an uproar; the voices boomed, and numerous elder disciples who were cultivating awakened, with crowds swarming atop various Spirit Peaks.
These elder disciples seemed very concerned about the state of the new disciples, as these junior brothers might well become their greatest competitors in the future.
With the resounding bell, an aged figure descended from the sky, stepping into the void from the Divine Peak that pierced directly into the sky above Divine Sword Peak.
The elder’s hair was white as snow, with the demeanor of an immortal and an aura that was unfathomable, his robe gently fluttering in the breeze.
"Greetings to the Grand Elder."
The elder’s appearance instantly prompted countless disciples of the sect to bow in respect, prompting the immense gathering of new disciples to mimic their actions and bow: "Greetings to the Grand Elder."
The person was none other than the Grand Elder of Divine Sword Peak, not the Grand Elder of the entire Divine Sword Sect.
In Divine Sword Sect, the hierarchical structure is strict, with every mountain peak having its own Grand Elder, while the true Grand Elder of the Divine Sword Sect oversees the entire Elder Council. For such an induction ceremony, it is sufficient for a peak’s elder to preside over it.
However, this elder, although merely the Grand Elder of Divine Sword Peak, still possessed a supremely high status.
The elder arrived above the Martial Arts Arena on Divine Sword Peak, casting his gaze over all the new disciples and nodding slightly.
Meanwhile, Mu Yan and several other elders also stepped into the air, arriving before the elder and saluting slightly: "Grand Elder."
"Yes, well done, take a rest." The Grand Elder of Divine Sword Peak said impassively, in a tone that was nearly commanding.
"Yes." Upon hearing this, Mu Yan and the others all bowed and left, each flying toward their respective Divine Peaks.
Ning Canghai appeared the most eager, quickly departing toward Divine Sword Peak after bidding farewell to the Grand Elder, as if there were urgent matters to attend to.
After the departure of the elders from various peaks, the Grand Elder of Divine Sword Peak withdrew his gaze, looking down on the expanse of new disciples below.
"I am the current Grand Elder of Divine Sword Peak. Children, welcome to officially becoming a member of the Divine Sword Sect. Now, I hereby announce that the annual induction ceremony of the Divine Sword Sect officially begins."
As the Grand Elder of Divine Sword Peak finished speaking, just when Ye Xiaofan and the others were curious about what the induction ceremony would entail.
Suddenly.
A terrifying aura erupted from the Grand Elder of Divine Sword Peak, vast and boundless like a starry river.
Immediately, the elder raised his palm and suddenly pressed down.
In an instant, boom——!
The terrifying secret power poured down like the collapse of the heavens, heavily pressing down on the dark mass of people below.
A large number of elite youths were caught off guard and directly pressed to the ground by this force, unable to stand and even losing the ability to rise.
Even Ye Xiaofan was nearly overwhelmed, but fortunately, he reacted quickly, instantly mobilizing the Spiritual Liquid within his Profound Sea to counter it.
"Isn’t this supposed to be the entrance ceremony? What does this mean?" In just a moment, one of the prodigies, with cold sweat on their forehead, struggled to speak, barely holding on.
Hearing this, someone immediately explained.
"This is the ceremony for joining the sect, meant to test our cultivation, perseverance, and potential for soul strength enhancement. The longer you can stand, the greater your potential."
"Everyone must hold on; at this moment, members of all the peaks are watching us, which will indirectly decide which peak we will go to for cultivation."
"Hold on, don’t disgrace the Ten Cities."
Upon hearing this, everyone fought with all their might, yet as time passed, more new disciples continued to fall.
The secret power unleashed by the Grand Elder of Divine Sword Peak wasn’t just about suppression; it seemed to have the effect of destroying one’s will, making people feel endless exhaustion and want to fall into a deep sleep, mixed with a hint of the Power of the Soul.
At a certain moment, the Grand Elder of Divine Sword Peak’s palm trembled slightly again, further intensifying the released force.
In an instant, countless elite youths could no longer withstand it and began falling like dominoes, leaving less than a tenth still struggling to hold on.
Even Ye Xiaofan, Nangong Jianchen, and others felt unprecedented pressure, and sweat gradually dripped from their foreheads.
However, the Grand Elder of Divine Sword Peak had no intention of stopping, continuously increasing the intensity.
A quarter-hour later.
The vast martial arts arena was filled with cries of anguish, with only sparse figures still standing, yet trembling violently.
Ye Xiaofan involuntarily glanced around; out of the more than a thousand prodigies from the Ten Cities, only a few dozen remained gritting their teeth and holding on.
As for the other areas, although the numbers were far greater, they too had reduced by over ninety-nine percent.
The originally crowded martial arts arena of Divine Sword Peak now seemed much emptier.
Ye Xiaofan roughly estimated that the number of elite youths newly recruited by Divine Sword Sect this year was around eighty to ninety thousand, but now less than two thousand were still standing in the arena. Some slightly weaker individuals had even fainted.
Yet even so, people continued to fall, and those who fell were immediately removed by senior brothers of Divine Sword Sect who had been prepared early on.
Time passed slowly, and after another quarter-hour, those still able to stand reduced to less than a thousand.
Of the elite youths from the Ten Cities, only Ye Xiaofan, Nangong Jianchen, Shangguan Wan’Er, Jian Zhu, and two other peerless prodigies at the peak of the Tenth Realm remained.
To the surprise of several, Ye Xiaotian, who was only at the peak of the Eighth Layer, had actually endured, although he appeared to be the most strained among them; he hadn’t fallen and even went so far as to dig his nails into his palms to use the pain to keep himself alert.
Soon, even the two peerless prodigies at the peak of the Tenth Realm couldn’t hold on any longer, seemingly reaching their limits, and fell one after the other. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
As time continued to pass, more and more senior disciples watched with bated breath, and on some Holy Peaks, even holy lights appeared.
Ye Xiaofan knew that the peerless demon fiends on the Thirty-Six Holy Peaks were also watching this spectacle, as were figures from the Seventy-Two Small Peaks, One Hundred and Eight Grotto Heaven Blessed Lands, and Three Hundred and Sixty Celestial Pride Mansions.
At this point, even the prodigies still standing were gasping for breath, and some were trembling violently.
Ye Xiaofan was likewise restless, dry-mouthed, and when he glanced back at Nangong Jianchen and others, it was clear none of them were feeling well.
In the void, the elder, with the aura of an immortal and snow-white hair, slightly pressed his hand while his gaze focused on Ye Xiaofan, seemingly paying special attention.
It couldn’t be helped; as the successor of the Sword Saint, even the Grand Elder of Divine Sword Peak would subconsciously take note.
When he saw that the youth chosen by Sword Saint Dugu Nan was still standing strong, the elder gently stroked his beard and nodded slightly, a rare expression of approval flashing in his aged eyes.
