The Shining Star Above The Heaven-Chapter 990: The First Test
On the next day, the registration was already closed. Many were still not registered, which left them disappointed, and Aldrian was firm with his schedule.
Those who managed to register felt glad that they were on time, but they could not feel relieved yet, as there was still a test ahead. They had heard that Aldrian would only accept hundreds of troops, so they knew that the competition would be fierce.
Today, everyone who had already registered was asked to gather outside the cities they registered to and wait for the test to start. Those who did not register or join the competition could only watch from afar, wanting to know what would happen next.
After waiting for an hour, a giant head projection suddenly appeared from the core region of the Eternal Sanctuary Forest. The projection showed Aldrian’s face, and the moment everyone saw him, they shouted in unison,
"To the brightest star and eternal light, we greet Your Majesty, the Great Emperor!"
They then kowtowed to him.
"Rise," Aldrian’s voice resounded across the forest region.
The people rose and looked toward the projection.
"First, thank you for coming and for registering yourselves for this recruitment. I truly appreciate your enthusiasm, with millions of you registered," Aldrian spoke.
"But unfortunately, what I am looking for at this moment is more than your enthusiasm. What I am looking for from you is your commitment, your spirit, your will, and your strength. I want to see your determination to join me, to become my troops, to join the first knight order that I have created. The Divine Vanguard."
Many put on determined expressions upon hearing that. They believed that they had already prepared themselves for whatever Aldrian would throw at them.
"I will take the best of the best, and they will become my spear that I can depend on without having to step in myself. But make no mistake, the best of the best here is not solely in terms of how high your cultivation is, or how genius or talented you are."
"The ones who will join me will be those who are truly determined and have strong will. I guarantee you that the test after this will give even geniuses a high chance to fail. I do not care if those who successfully join have low cultivation, trash talent, or are not geniuses. Once you enter the Divine Vanguard, I can change you into geniuses and powerful cultivators that meet my standards."
Many became more determined, while others sighed in relief. That was because many of them were not quite confident when comparing themselves to cultivators with much higher cultivation.
They were still thinking about how the test would be conducted and wondered whether they would have a chance to join Aldrian’s troops when those strong cultivators were also participating in the test.
Now, at least, they felt relieved. From Aldrian’s announcement, the test would be fair, and they would also have a chance to join his troops.
"Now, for the first test—"
Suddenly, the ground near the participants trembled, and a platform rose not far from them. Outside each city, a large circular platform could now be seen, one that could contain even hundreds of thousands of people upon it.
The platform had seven stairs to reach the top, and each stair was a hundred meters wide and two meters in height. The stairs circled the platform, allowing anyone to reach the top from any direction.
The participants looked at the platform as Aldrian continued.
"This is what I call the Platform of Worthiness. The test will be held only in this place, and those who successfully pass all the tests will join the Divine Vanguard."
"For the first test, it is quite simple. What you have to do is reach the top of the platform through the stairs. The stairs themselves are called the Seven Deadly Sins Stairs, starting from pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth."
"It will give you an illusion that you have to pass if you want to reach the top of the platform. Inside the illusion, you have to look for a way out to break the illusion."
"If you fail this test, you will be instantly thrown to the side of the platform. Do not even think about stepping on the stairs again. I will know if anyone steps on the stairs again after they fail."
The others understood and looked toward the stairs. They knew that the test would not be simple, and they wondered what the Seven Deadly Sins Stairs would show them. Hearing the name alone already gave them an idea of what they would have to anticipate later.
They prepared themselves, determined not to be swayed by a mere illusion!
"Alright, I think all of you are ready. Then I declare that the test starts... now!" Aldrian declared.
Millions of participants spread across many cities instantly rushed toward the platforms near them.
Once the participants stepped onto the first stair, they suddenly stopped. Their eyes turned blank, looking soulless. There was no one moving the moment they stepped on the stairs.
However, a few minutes later, some participants suddenly showed signs on their faces, as if they wanted to move their facial muscles. A moment later, they were suddenly thrown off the stairs, which left them shocked as they looked around their surroundings.
Their expressions showed confusion, their breathing was erratic, and they looked disoriented, as if they had suddenly appeared in an unknown place.
However, after realizing where they were, they released a sigh. The spectators who saw them did not know whether it was a sigh of disappointment or a sigh of relief, but they were curious about what those participants had seen in their illusion.
Aldrian, who was observing the test from his throne, sensed that in this short amount of time, tens of thousands had already failed.
It was as expected, as the illusions were strong, and these people would not even remember that they had entered an illusion.
He even dared to say that the illusion was borderline creating a new reality. The strength of the illusion also adjusted to each individual who stepped onto the stairs.
No matter if those entering the illusion were Emperor stage cultivators, they would experience the same sensation as everyone else.
The illusion also had a hypnotic effect that could make them forget their own character and try to trap them within the role shaped by the illusion.
The only ones who could pass were those with strong will, those who did not forget who they were and what they came for.
As the name suggested, the Seven Deadly Sins Stairs tested their will against those seven temptations.
The moment the participants stepped onto the first stair, they were given an illusion that tested their will and how they controlled their pride.
If they drowned in their own pride, they would instantly fail.
After more than a minute, finally, someone was able to step onto the next stair, which made Aldrian focus at this participant. The participant was male and had Middle Marquess stage cultivation. He was taking the test in the northernmost city of the forest region.
Aldrian was quite impressed that he could pass the first illusion in such a short time. Soon, however, he was not the only one who managed to pass the first stair, as some of the other participants also finally continued to the second stair.
Before long, thousands reached the second stair, while thousands of others failed. Those who failed could only sigh in disappointment and did not try to trick Aldrian by stepping onto the stairs once again.
Besides not wanting to challenge Aldrian’s warning, they had already experienced the illusion on the first stair. The illusion was so strong that it truly made them forget themselves, making them think that they were living inside the illusion, with pride consuming them.
The sensation was incredibly real and terrifying.
Another thirty minutes passed, and finally, the first person to step onto the third stair appeared. This participant was a different person from the one who first stepped onto the second stair. The participant was a woman with Low Duke stage cultivation.
Soon, others joined her on the third stair, and the number of failed participants continued to increase.
The onlookers watched the participants on the third stair with anticipation, wondering who would be the first to step onto the next stair.
However, as time passed, some of the participants standing on the third stair suddenly had their crotches wet before being thrown off the stairs. They were shocked and looked around their surroundings before finally realizing that their pants were wet as they looked down at their crotches.
Their eyes widened as they tried to hide the wet spots or make them disappear in their own ways, filled with embarrassment. No matter whether they were male or female, they showed the same sign upon failure.
The spectators who witnessed this felt that it was as expected, knowing which sin was being tested on the third stair.
Lust.
However, to think that even these participants ejaculated in real life showed just how strong the illusion truly was.
No one mocked the failed participants, as the onlookers also did not dare to underestimate the test given by Aldrian.
Time continued to pass, and three hours later, the number of those who had failed had already surpassed a million. Even at this point, not a single person had stepped onto the top of the platform, though all of the stairs had already been stepped on by participants.
The spectators had already heard testimonies from some of the participants who failed, describing what they experienced inside the illusion. This gave them a better understanding of what the participants had faced within it.
After another hour passed, someone finally reached the top of the platform.
