Midday passed, and thousands of bodies lay fallen on the ground below the cliff. Within the Celestial Abyss City, the first test had concluded, and a few thousand surviving youths were waiting in an open area. Everyone stared at each other coldly.
There were all kinds of races and rare talents here. They had all almost uniformly traveled the road of slaughter and assassination. Those young people who walked this path had accumulated a formidable aura of death, and they even used it to help enhance their cultivation progress. Thus, all of them had a twisted mind and only desired to kill others recklessly.
In this city, everyone was a potential enemy. As long as someone killed others, they could not only improve their cultivation method and strength but also obtain a massive amount of resources in their spatial rings.
"It's a welcoming environment," commented Zane, looking satisfied.
They blended into the surroundings and were almost not noticed. They really looked a lot like the hundreds of Ogres that were there. But inevitably, a cultivator observing from afar or a more experienced youth could notice a small figure sitting on Zane's shoulder.
Mira was covered with a layer of soul energy that made her imperceptible to the less attentive. She was sitting there because Zane and Gael had to have physical contact to transfer Qi to her. There was no rule preventing her from being with them. On the contrary, several beings were in groups.
The difference was that either they were groups of young people who would be tested together, or it was a young person surrounded by several of the opposite sex with slave marks. It was obvious that these would enter the Vital Yin Sect.
Mira looked around, attentive and curious. There were many different races of various sizes and peculiarities. But what caught her attention the most were those young people surrounded by the opposite sex. It wasn't just men with women; there were many women with several enslaved men.
Observing the surroundings, Gael reflected mentally, 'Master the Infernal Law and create the symbol of the God of Evil. We already have a good understanding of this Infernal Law; it is impossible to master naturally. The symbol of the god of evil is mandatory to accumulate and comprehend it.'
Zane snorted, showing little interest, 'This symbol is the mark that someone is a disciple of an evil sect. Much information is missing, but we just need to be recruited, and everything will be sorted.'
An hour passed, and several evil cultivators descended from the sky in formation. There were three groups with five members each, with one cultivator in the center of each group emanating a denser aura, indicating their leadership. Each group wore black or red clothes with symbols on their chests representing which sect they belonged to.
Soon, the cultivator representing the Corrupt Yin Vital Sect stepped forward. "How unfortunate, there are much fewer people than usual. And none of them has broken through the first realm."
After a sigh, a sinister smile appeared on his face. "Well, let's get on with it. Everyone can die quickly; I still have a lot to do."
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The evil cultivator raised his hand, and hundreds of runes covered the large group of young people. Intense light illuminated and quickly dazzled their vision. When the world returned to normal, they were in another place.
Zane and Gael immediately recognized the location. It was beneath the ground, under the cliff. The entire city had a formation on the ground used for teleportation. However, only the largest sect had control over everything because this place was a special point for everyone.
"This is where it will be decided who will be approved or killed; this is the Abyss Prison," he said without much emotion.
He then waved his hand quickly, and a gray glow circulated in the surroundings. Suddenly, on the wall in front, a subtle glow began to light up.
There, a light revealed a 5-meter-high stone plaque. It looked like stone, but it also gave the impression of being metal. Looking at it, anyone could sense a faint Law, so dense that several trembled upon feeling it.
"This stone tablet is called the 'Tablet of the Evil God.' Every time a martial artist enters the Abyss Prison, they receive a ranking and a qualification that will appear on the plaque. The name remains for 5,000 years."
"There are four levels, from worst to best: Common, Demon, Asura, or Evil God."
"Those who are approved can choose which sect to join. And their ranking will determine their importance. Don't expect too much, though. Almost everyone is at the common level. One or two will be at the Demon level. Every ten thousand years, an Asura emerges. As for Evil God, it has only existed three times in history."
"Not that it will matter much since everyone must die at some point. But the one who lasts an hour inside the prison will be approved," the bored cultivator concluded.
Everyone looked at him, stunned. They were extremely talented and experienced. Could this test be something as simple as that?
The corrupt cultivator laughed sadistically and spoke in a bloodthirsty tone. "This prison is a training ground frequently used by cultivators of the sects. Every day, half of them die training inside."
Everyone was shocked, and a cold sweat ran down their backs. The idea that it was something simple immediately evaporated from their minds.
"The prison is an underworld created under the blessings of the infernal laws, spanning several kilometers but divided into seven circular areas. The test will be conducted in the first outer area, which is the largest of them, known as the 'First Prison.'"
"Within this prison reside terrible infernal beasts, scattered everywhere. By defeating them, you will have the opportunity, with the help of the totem, to absorb their laws," he whispered, a sinister smile appearing on his face. "The totem that each of you possesses contains a small formation intended to create the symbol of the Evil God in the future. Additionally, it can detect the dense accumulation of infernal laws nearby."
His words were promptly understood by everyone. Killing the infernal beasts was just one method; however, eliminating competitors and absorbing their gains seemed to be a safer and more effective approach.
"If you can return alive within an hour and absorb just a bit of the laws, you will have passed the test. The quantity of laws inside the totem will determine your ranking, and this will have a significant impact on the future."
"To conclude, you will be led to distant areas according to the predominant race in your bodies. The reason will be revealed upon entry. I have said all that was necessary. You may proceed." He abruptly concluded, not giving anyone much time to reflect, and a gray aura quickly enveloped everyone.
Everyone took a deep breath, mentally stabilizing themselves for the imminent life-or-death challenge. Zane and Gael gently placed Mira on the ground and held her small hands, quickly realizing that she wasn't afraid but rather extremely excited.
"Common level should be enough. It's better for us to grasp these laws without attracting too much attention. Let's eliminate some of these beasts, hide, and wait until the end," Gael commented softly. Zane didn't respond, appearing to understand the point. They were still weak and lacked substantial knowledge of these laws. In this place, being weak was a sin that placed them dangerously close to death.
The gray Qi completely enveloped them, and then they disappeared. A few seconds later, the three opened their eyes and realized they were in a vast plain. Everything around was covered in a crimson mist, limiting visibility to just a few meters.
In the next instant, an oppressive feeling compressed their gigantic bodies, as if their meridians were about to burst. Sharp pain manifested in their bodies, but the resulting pain from the soul being pressured was even more intense. However, neither Zane nor Gael showed great concern; they just observed with curiosity the infernal laws violently penetrating their beings.
Physical strength, the circulation of Qi in the meridians, perception—everything was suppressed to the point of making them mere mortals again. However, it was then that they noticed a tremor coming from the right hand.
Upon looking, Zane had a small shock seeing Mira, whose eyes were bleeding, losing consciousness; even her heart, once firm and excited, stopped beating suddenly. For those extremely weak, entering this domain was not only dangerous but potentially fatal.