The three-day period passed in the blink of an eye.
In the hour of Chen on the fourth day, disciples from all sects gathered at the central plaza, the atmosphere solemn.
Compared to three days ago, the despondency in the eyes of the disciples from the Sword Heart Sect, Wuji Sect, and other teams had been completely swept away. Their auras were steady and their gazes sharp, clearly having adjusted from their previous losses and ready to wash away their shame and shine in the second round's team battle.
Over by the Sword Heart Sect, Li Nanyi stood with his arms crossed, his gaze like a knife as it swept over the Five Elements Dao Sect's side. His meaning was clear: Just you wait! This time, we'll use real skill! Let's see what other tricks you can pull!
Ji Yanzhi of the Wuji Sect also stood tall and straight, a fierce determination on his face. It was obvious he had spent the last three days working hard and reflecting.
Duan Xianxing leaned toward Li Nanzhu's ear and whispered a complaint, "Tsk, look at how capable they think they are, acting all high and mighty. Three days ago, their faces were as dark as the bottom of a pot."
Li Nanzhu shook her head slightly. "They must have made some preparations during these three days. We cannot underestimate them." At the same time, she was secretly on guard. After all, having learned their lesson in the first round, these powerful sects would never let their guard down again. The second round was bound to be even more difficult.
At that moment, Bu Qingwei's figure reappeared on the high platform.
His calm gaze swept over the ten teams below, all ready for action. The whispering in the plaza fell silent instantly, and everyone's attention focused on him.
"The time has come," Bu Qingwei's voice rang clearly in everyone's ears. "After three days of rest and refinement of the rules, the second round of the team battle for this Sect Competition begins now!"
With a wave of his sleeve, everyone felt the scenery before them warp and shift.
Ten brilliant pillars of light suddenly lit up in the void ahead of the plaza!
The pillars of light shot into the sky and then interlaced and extended in mid-air, transforming into ten rainbow bridges spanning across the void!
The bridges appeared both real and illusory, emitting a hazy glow. Below the bridges was a bottomless abyss shrouded in mist, inspiring awe and fear in those who looked upon it.
"The second round is called—the Heart-Probing Illusion Bridge!" Bu Qingwei's voice was like a resonant bell as he began to explain the rules in detail, each word striking heavily in everyone's hearts.
"Rule one: Ten-bridge speed race." He pointed to the ten rainbow bridges. "There are ten teams in total, and each sect must choose a bridge. These bridges are not physical entities; they are condensed from the power of an array. You must walk from the starting point to the finish line. The first team to have all members reach the other side will be the winner of this round!"
"Rule two: Numerous checkpoints."
Bu Qingwei pointed his fingers like a sword and made a stroke in the air. An illusory image of a rainbow bridge was enlarged, clearly showing twelve evenly distributed light points on it. "Each Heart-Probing Bridge is divided into twelve segments, with each segment being a checkpoint. You must break through these twelve checkpoints in succession to reach the end."
At this point, his tone became more serious. "This is the core of this round—the illusion trials!"
"Whenever a team reaches a stage node, the array within the bridge will activate, dragging the divine souls of the five team members into an illusion simultaneously! At that time, your physical bodies will be frozen on the bridge, and only your divine souls will undergo the trial within the illusion!"
"Within the illusion, only by successfully completing the challenge will the bridge ahead solidify, allowing you to proceed to the next checkpoint. However..."
Bu Qingwei's gaze swept over the crowd with a warning. "If the challenge fails, the entire team's divine souls will be forcibly repatriated, and the bridge will retreat three segments back! As one side gains and the other loses, falling one step behind may mean falling behind for good!"
He paused briefly to let the disciples grasp the gravity of the situation before explaining the types of illusions:
"The illusion trials take many forms, but they all follow four main categories:"
"First is the combat trial." Bu Qingwei raised his hand, and a ferocious phantom of an inner demon manifested in the air. "The illusion will present powerful enemies, whether they be inner demons or great demons, requiring you to work together to defeat them. Enemies of this type may not fear ordinary weapons, but they will fear specific techniques, or perhaps they can split into thousands of forms, requiring you to find their true bodies. Brute force alone will not allow you to pass; it requires coordinated cooperation."
"Second is the wisdom puzzle."
The inner demon phantom dissipated, turning into a complex array diagram or profound talisman. "Within this, there will be ancient riddles, or requirements to set up incomplete arrays, or even inquisitions regarding mechanisms. You will need to brainstorm together and see through the mystery within a limited time. This category covers a vast range, even requiring knowledge of the Five Elements overcoming, stellar evolution, and even the human heart and the Heavenly Dao. It is the ultimate test of knowledge and wisdom."
"Third is the collaboration trial."
The array diagram transformed into a complex spiritual machine that required five people to stand in precise positions to activate. "With precision mechanisms, the spiritual energy of all five people must be synchronized without the slightest error to trigger the passage. Or you may be traveling through a fragile environment where steps must be consistent and minds must be as one. If one person falters, the entire team collapses! This stage values mutual understanding above all!"
"Fourth is the heart trial." The spiritual machine vanished, and the scene became a place of dense mist and pervasive illusions.
"This trial is the most dangerous! The illusion will trigger and amplify the fear, greed, and suspicion within your hearts, creating layers of illusions to drive the team members apart. You must hold fast to your Dao heart, trust each other without doubt, and break the demonic obstacles together. You may even need to find the inner demon controlling it from behind the scenes and overcome it through joint effort. If you pass this, your Dao heart will be tempered; if you fail, it may damage your foundation. Remember this!"
After introducing the four types of illusions, Bu Qingwei changed the subject. "Besides clearing stages, this round also involves strategic maneuvers."
An illusory glowing talisman appeared in his palm. "After passing specific checkpoints, a team can obtain a one-time divine sense shock talisman."
The talisman phantom shot toward the image of another bridge, and the next checkpoint node on that bridge immediately turned crimson. "With this talisman, you can designate another team to have the difficulty of their next illusion trial significantly increased! For example, a wisdom puzzle may turn into a fierce battle, and the enemy's power will be even more ferocious."
Then, he conjured the phantom of a pill. "The Heavenly Dao is balanced, and so there is also the spirit-protecting pill as a node reward."
The pill phantom turned into a protective light shield, shielding a checkpoint on one of the bridges. "By taking this pill, you can resist the effect of one divine sense shock talisman. How to utilize these items is also something you need to consider."
Finally, Bu Qingwei concluded, "This round of the competition tests your team's comprehensive strength: combat capability, intellect, coordination, and psychological resilience. At the same time, you must focus on strategy. Deciding when to use a divine sense shock talisman and when to save a spirit-protecting pill will require your own judgment."
His gaze swept over the disciples of all sects. "I hope you will cast aside all distractions, work together with one heart, and show your full potential. Do not fail the expectations of your sects!"
After Bu Qingwei announced the rules, the plaza fell into a brief silence. Although everyone had already known the details through various channels, hearing them in person—especially the dangers of the twelve linked illusions and the out-of-body soul experience—still made many disciples' hearts sink.
However, a more realistic and urgent problem immediately stood before each team—
The selection!
Each sect could only send out five people!
These five people had to cross twelve consecutive illusions of various types!
Combat, wisdom, collaboration, and heart—none could be lacking!
Whom to choose to go on stage was directly related to the success or failure of the entire team!
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