"Mercy is essential in the face of danger," Damei Shitai emphasized, her tone serious and commanding. "The Monument Sea is treacherous, and we must not let greed cloud our judgment. It is important to know our limits and proceed with caution."

She continued, "Regarding how to conduct this enlightenment ceremony in the Monument Sea, I believe you are all well aware. Therefore, I will not dwell on it any further."

With a nod from the other elders, Damei Shitai declared, "Open the Monument Sea!"

The elders simultaneously formed hand seals and released a powerful force that shattered the air, causing ripples in the void. Five dark passages were revealed, leading into the depths of the Monument Sea.

At the same time, the ancient bell in the hall chimed for the eleventh time.

"These matters have been discussed before, but today, for the sake of your safety, I must reiterate," Damei Shitai continued with a solemn expression. "Enlightenment in the Monument Sea requires three things: mental fortitude, keen perception, and innate understanding. One cannot succeed without all three."

She explained the layout of the Monument Sea, its six layers corresponding to different types of monuments, each increasing in difficulty and containing remnants of the former inhabitants' martial intent.

"The higher one climbs, the stronger the martial intent within the monuments. Those who become ensnared by this intent and fail to break free risk losing themselves entirely," she warned.

"Keen perception is necessary to identify monuments suitable for one's level of understanding, while innate understanding determines one's ability to comprehend the teachings within," she elaborated.

"And finally, even if one fails, there is no need for despair. Merely participating in this ceremony is a significant opportunity, as the environment within the Monument Sea accelerates the flow of true energy, aiding in cultivation," Damei Shitai concluded, her words carrying weight and importance.

She reminded them of the rewards for successful enlightenment and urged them to prioritize their safety above all else.

With a final declaration, the disciples of the Empty Void Sect silently entered one of the passages leading into the Monument Sea. Shuro followed behind Hua Xin, preparing to enter the sea under the guise of a substitute.

However, Damei Shitai's voice stopped him in his tracks. "Shuro, hold on."

Turning to face her, Shuro listened as she reminded him of the rules regarding substitutes. Only officially recognized disciples who failed to reach the second level or perished could enter the Monument Sea as substitutes.

Shuro sighed inwardly, realizing he had been misled. He had been determined to enter the Monument Sea, but now he understood the risks involved.

"I do not understand why you are so insistent on entering the Monument Sea," Damei Shitai remarked, her tone questioning. "I have already warned you of its dangers."

"I have this aspiration, and I merely seek to give it a try," Shuro replied succinctly, without hesitation.

After carefully considering Shuro's request, Damei Shitai spoke, "Very well. If any disciple is unfortunately eliminated, you may enter the Monument Sea as the first substitute."

Filled with gratitude, Shuro bowed deeply to Damei Shitai, saying, "Thank you, Shitai."

"You are quite opportunistic, young man. In the past two days, this is the first time you have shown respect to me," Damei Shitai remarked, her tone stern. "Since you have not officially entered our sect, you are not yet considered a formal disciple of the Empty Void Sect. When you become an official disciple, you must learn to control your impulsive nature."

With that, Damei Shitai walked away.

Following the disciples of the Empty Void Sect, the disciples from the other four major sects also entered their respective passages. As they were about to enter the passages, Diego turned back, casting a resentful glance at Shuro. Only after the disciples from the five major sects had entered the Monument Sea did the lower-ranking disciples ascend the platform and enter in an orderly manner.

Soon, only the leaders of each sect, the guardians of the ancient temple, and substitutes like Shuro remained on the platform. Only the five major sects were entitled to have substitutes, and there were not many of them.

The atmosphere on the platform grew quiet.

At the end of the passages, darkness enveloped everything like the night. Although the disciples were safely transported into the Monument Sea, the strange clouds overhead obscured their view, making it impossible to see what was happening inside. All they could do was wait silently for the outcome.

The substitutes from the five major sects seemed to recognize each other, exchanging greetings and discussing quietly.

Shuro closed his eyes and listened covertly to their conversation.

"Alas, the possibility of us substitutes entering the Monument Sea is becoming increasingly slim."

"Hmm? What do you mean, Brother Liu?"

"Didn't your senior brothers from the Great Zen Sect return from the Monument Sea last year without sharing any insights with you?"

"That's true."

"After so many years, the knowledge of various sects has become quite familiar to each other. To obtain new techniques and methods, apart from waiting for a grandmaster to create them or exploring ancient domains, there's only the Monument Sea of the Nine-Dragon Sovereign. That's why it's highly valued this time."

"I see. It seems like every sect is in the same situation. I suppose all of you underwent specialized mental trials before coming here?"

"I thought only our Empty Void Sect conducted mental trials. It seems it's the same for everyone. This is quite unexpected."

Shuro opened his eyes, furrowing his brows. He was just a few steps away from his ultimate goal, yet he could only wait here, and the opportunity to enter the Monument Sea was slim. It was hard for Shuro to accept.

Even until now, memories of the Nine-Dragon Sovereign had not resurfaced, making the artifact even more mysterious.

Suddenly, the pleasant sound of bells rang out, jingling and clanging.

The elders of each sect looked alarmed, gazing at the bells in their sleeves. Each elder held a different number of bells; for example, Andrea held fifteen bells, representing the fifteen disciples of the Kunting Mountain who entered the Monument Sea. Damei Shitai had only eleven, representing the eleven quotas for the Empty Void Sect's Monument Sea participation.

After the brief ringing, all the bells shattered, falling to the ground.

The platform fell silent.

"The rest of you, mourn for your losses," the temple guardian said calmly.

These bells were linked to the disciples' waist tokens; when a person died, their token broke, causing the bell to shatter.

Many sect elders' expressions showed shock and sorrow. Several substitute disciples even had tears in their eyes, clearly not mentally prepared to face death on their first trip out of the sect.

"This is impossible. They just entered the Monument Sea. Why did they perish so quickly?" a Great Zen Sect elder questioned.

"And so many of them perished at once. What do you think?" the female elder of the Snowflake Sect asked in confusion.

Their reactions were notably calm compared to the leaders of smaller sects.

"Is it possible that after the joint mental trials, the disciples' mental fortitude collectively increased, causing the intensity of the Monument Sea's aura to rise as well?" Damei Shitai analyzed.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

"It's possible," Andrea sighed. "If that's the case, then it's truly a case of 'the gain does not outweigh the loss.'"

"Look! The clouds are dispersing!"

As exclamations arose, everyone turned to look, stunned, even the temple guardians showing surprise. The dense purple clouds that had shrouded the Monument Sea were gradually dissipating, revealing its true appearance.

This was the first time in the history of the Monument Sea that such a phenomenon had occurred.

A massive circular mountain range emerged, with six tiers of monument platforms, each with sixteen steps, totaling ninety-six steps and ninety-six monuments. Each monument was formidable, exuding a ferocious and bloody aura, resembling towering swords, both majestic and terrifying.

With cultivation reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, everyone's vision was at least ten times sharper than that of an ordinary person. At this moment, everyone saw the disciples in the Monument Sea.

In the plaza beneath the Monument Sea, lay dozens of fresh corpses, almost all of them bleeding from their seven orifices. The majority were disciples from lower-ranking sects, with a few from the five major sects.

The remaining disciples, after the initial panic, steadied their mental fortitude and began climbing the steep black stone steps.

As Shuro surveyed the scene, he recognized two familiar faces among the dead disciples: one from the Black Dragon Peak, who had stood behind Luis the night before, and the other wore a red crown, likely from the Scarlet Cloud Peak. Shuro didn't even know his name.

"They are also among the first to be eliminated. Although it's somewhat sudden, I believe the disciples will become more cautious after this," the Great Zen Sect elder commented.

"Indeed. Although this time's Monument Sea seems a bit peculiar, I believe the disciples' performance will not be lacking," Andrea remarked.

"In the past thousand years, only forty-three monuments of the ninety-six monuments of the strong have been enlightened. In the last decade, only two have been enlightened. I hope that this time, we can achieve some gains," Damei Shitai said calmly, her tone as composed as ever, indistinguishable from the other elders.

"Can I enter the Monument Sea, Damei?" Shuro stepped forward.

"From what you've witnessed just now, do you still want to persist?" Damei Shitai asked.

Not only her, but the other elders, including the substitute disciples, all turned their gaze to Shuro. The substitute disciples were eager before, but after the tragedy, they had quieted down.

"To seek fortune amidst danger, one must experience life and death to achieve the Dao. Without experiencing life and death, one cannot reach the peak of the Dao," Shuro said.

Even those substitute disciples who had shown signs of retreat couldn't help but be moved by Shuro's words.

"But the Dao is also ruthless. Those disciples died, and you witnessed our reaction. It's not that we lack compassion, but that the immortal path is like this," Damei Shitai said in a calm tone, her voice transmitting directly to Shuro's mind.

Shuro smiled without confirming or denying.

The malevolent aura that attacks the hearts of cultivators has existed since ancient times. Most of it is condensed from the residual thoughts of strong cultivators after experiencing countless killings. Even after death, it is difficult to disperse. Some come from naturally born fiendish creatures, carrying the malevolent aura from birth.

In Nine-Dragon Sovereign's memories, beneath a waterfall in the Tianhe Abyss of the Tianchen Continent, there existed a clan of giant slaying immortals from before the Great Annihilation. To seek refuge, every generation of their clan would use secret bloodline techniques to reduce their size when they were born. After thousands of years of reproduction, they finally assimilated into ordinary humans. They often sent out their experts to either live among immortal courts or join low-grade sects to gather information from the outside world.

Nine-Dragon Sovereign went to the Abyss to kill tens of thousands of the giant slaying immortals to collect their malevolent auras in order to refine the Feiying Heavenly Palace, capable of carrying millions of celestial soldiers.

Glancing deeply at Shuro, Damei Shitai spoke, "Since you are so determined, there is no reason for us to stop you. However, as you are entering midway, without undergoing the trial of the heart, you should stay here and observe, learn from the experience. Enter the Monument Sea half an hour later."

"Thank you, Damei." Shuro nodded, pleased with Damei Shitai's arrangement.

Thinking about the treasures that were about to be revealed, Shuro's mood lifted.

"I didn't expect that the first to step onto the first level would be a disciple of the Longshan Sect. Longshan Sect has indeed produced a good talent this year," one of the elders sighed.

The Longshan Sect had just been promoted to the Ninth Grade ten years ago. Any sect that reached this grade could participate in major events in the immortal world. The Longshan Sect's sect master personally led the team this time, and with his Nascent Soul cultivation, he was looking at the figure in the Monument Sea, leading the way.

As he spoke, the figure suddenly stopped moving, frozen in place.

The congratulatory remarks from the cultivators gradually ceased, and their gazes turned pitying.

Under the trembling gaze of the Longshan Sect's sect master, Zhao Yang, the only talent in the sect, had his seven orifices bleeding, his spiritual essence shattered, and he collapsed on the path to the steps.

Seeing Zhao Yang's tragic state, many of the disciples who had already reached the first level hesitated. About one-tenth of them stopped climbing and entered the area of stone monuments to seek enlightenment.

The disciples who continued to climb became slower and slower, with some pausing for a long time after every three steps, sitting down to meditate and adjust their state of mind.

Before reaching the second level, another ten people fell, all disciples from low-grade sects.

Among this group of people, about half chose to stop in the area of iron monuments and seek enlightenment there.

From the second level onwards, it became even more difficult. Even Yue Qun, who was leading the group, had to stop every three steps and meditate with crossed legs until his state of mind stabilized before he could continue climbing.

"Look at Yue Qun. His approach is the most correct. Although he started slowly, he is steadily progressing, advancing step by step. Once he feels restless, he stops to meditate until his state of mind stabilizes before continuing to climb."

The Grand Zen Master of the Great Zen Sect spoke to a substitute disciple who was about to go to the Monument Sea.

Half an hour passed, and as more and more people fell or withdrew, almost all the substitute disciples from the five major sects were given the opportunity to enter the Monument Sea, which was unexpected for them.

"How's it going? Have you made any progress in your cultivation?" a Daoist from an eighth-grade sect asked one of the disciples who had returned after breaking their waist token.

"In less than half an hour, I felt like I had cultivated for half a year in terms of the increase in true essence," the disciple replied, unable to hide his regret. "Unfortunately, I couldn't comprehend the Dao teachings in the stone monuments."

"There are ninety-six strong individuals and ninety-six monuments. In the past thousand years, only forty-three have been deciphered. So, there's no need to blame yourself. Most of the people who have returned still haven't comprehended the tombstones," the elder reassured with a smile.

By this time, nearly two hundred disciples were attempting to comprehend the Monument Sea. Thirty-six had fallen, eighty-four had returned, fifty-two were meditating in front of the stone monuments on the first three levels, and only twenty-four were continuing to climb beyond the third level.

These twenty-four people all came from the five major sects:

- Six from the Kunting Mountain,

- Five from the Grand Zen Sect,

- Five from the Immeasurable Cave Mansion,

- Four from the Snowdrift Sect,

- Four from the Void Mountain Sect, including Hua Xin, Luis, Alan, and Berta.

"I felt like there were ten thousand ants crawling into my heart when I reached the first level. I saw ten thousand people dying in front of me, and ten thousand mocking voices echoed in my ears. When I reached the second level, I felt like the world was full of demons and monsters, with oceans of blood and mountains of corpses. Below me was a cliff of ten thousand feet, and every half step I took would shatter my bones. My legs went weak, and I could only crush my waist token... They actually made it through the third level. How strong are they!" exclaimed a disciple who had just returned, wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

Another disciple sighed, "Although the pressure is immense, it is beneficial for cultivation. I felt like I had gained a year and a half of power after completing the second level. The higher I went, the faster my power increased. I really envy them."

"To make it through the third level surpasses the average level of the past thousand years. Among these twenty-four people, many are likely to become prominent figures this year."

"That's right. Only Yue Qun and Diego from the ten young masters came this year, ranking seventh and tenth, respectively. After the Monument Sea Enlightenment Conference ends, their rankings may rise even further. I heard that their master, the Heavenly Eagle Immortal Sword Andrea, once reached the thirteenth step of the fourth level, ranking among the top three hundred in the past thousand years."

"I see. No wonder Andrea broke through the Nascent Soul stage before the age of fifty. The more steps climbed, the higher the future achievements. It's true indeed."

"Indeed. But there are exceptions."

Listening to the discussions of the disciples from the eighth and ninth-grade sects, the disciples from the five major sects remained calm on the surface but secretly felt pleased, especially the disciples from the Kunting Mountain Sect.

The Monument Sea Enlightenment Conference, although aimed at "enlightenment," had only seen forty-three tombstones deciphered in the past thousand years. On average, it would take twenty years to decipher one tombstone, indicating the immense difficulty. Instead of being for "enlightenment," it was more of a tradition, a trial of deathly experience.

For disciples from low-grade sects and ordinary disciples of the five major sects, the pursuit was to gain something, such as improvement in power and cultivation level. However, elite disciples from the five major immortal sects, such as Yue Qun, Diego, and Hua Xin, pursued not only the tempering of their state of mind and enhancement of their power but also aimed to enter the Monument Sea ranking.

It took about half an hour to climb from the bottom to the third level, but it took another half an hour to go from the third level to the fourth level. Every step was as heavy as a thousand catties, and climbing each step consumed more time and effort than the previous one or even two levels.

At this moment, the twenty-four people gradually began to pull away from each other.

Yue Qun walked alone, leading the first group. Behind him was the second group, with disciples from the Kunting Mountain Sect taking the lead. The three people in the third group were all disciples of the Void Mountain Sect, namely Luis, Alan, and Berta.

In this way, the gap between the five major sects became clear.

The Dangmo Abbess looked expressionless, but suddenly her hand trembled, and she saw Berta abruptly halt. Not only the Dangmo Abbess but also the other disciples of the Void Mountain Sect looked tense. On the other hand, the disciples from the other four major sects showed expressions of joy.

At this critical moment, Berta gritted her teeth and used all her remaining strength to crush her waist token.

She exited at the third layer, ninth step.

At the third layer, tenth step, Alan decisively crushed his waist token and turned back to the ancient hall.

At the third layer, twelfth step, Luis, gazing at the figures beyond the dense fog, suddenly shook violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood while simultaneously crushing his waist token.

Sighs of lamentation echoed in the ancient hall. Before reaching the fourth layer, the Void Mountain Sect lost three disciples in a row, leaving only Hua Xin hanging on in the second group from the bottom.

Looking at the disordered breath and pale faces of Luis and the others, the Dangmo Abbess calmly said, "It's good that you've returned."

"Fortunately, we still have Senior Brother Hua to hold on, or else we would lose all face," Alan sighed.

"I have to admit, Senior Brother Hua's steadfast state of mind surpasses mine," Luis murmured to himself.

On the Monument Sea path, Yue Qun was the first to cross the fourth layer, eliciting bursts of exclamations. Anyone who passed the fourth layer would be considered a genius in the history of the Southern Immortal Realm and would likely rank among the top five thousand. Like Andrea of the past, who ranked among the top three hundred with his achievement of the thirteenth step of the fourth layer, only three steps away from the fifth layer.

In the history of the Southern Immortal Realm, tens of thousands of Nascent Soul stage disciples participated in the Monument Sea Enlightenment. Being able to rank among the top five thousand was a great honor.

Seemingly inspired by Yue Qun, the second group increased their pace simultaneously and soon crossed the fourth layer.

The elders leading the teams from the five major sects showed expressions of joy.

But then, a change occurred!

Diego, who was fifth from the bottom, suddenly retracted the foot he had just stepped out, standing straight like a nail and blocking the path of the person behind him. Behind him was Hua Xin.

Hua Xin struggled to lift one foot but was caught off guard by Diego's sudden halt. He bumped into Diego with full force. Diego, facing away from the direction of the ancient hall, smirked maliciously as he discreetly struck Hua Xin's waist ribs.

Amid the exclamations of the disciples from the Void Mountain Sect, Hua Xin was sent flying backward. In mid-air, Hua Xin's eyes showed frustration and sadness. Hesitating for a moment, he crushed his waist token.

Fourth layer, first step, Hua Xin failed.

"You guys are despicable!" Berta was the first to speak out, pointing at the disciples of the Kunting Mountain Sect and cursing loudly.

The other disciples of the Void Mountain Sect also glared at each other, cursing angrily.

"Unable to match our skills, are you only able to find excuses because your own strength is lacking?"

"Hmph, a bunch of incompetent fools. It's clearly Hua Xin's fault for not being vigilant enough!"

The disciples of the Kunting Mountain Sect retorted without showing weakness.

A flash of light appeared in the passage ahead, and Hua Xin, exhausted, appeared.