Within seconds after the five members of the Five Elements Dao Sect vanished into the second trial's light gate, the jade-colored light representing their second segment of the Heart-Probing Bridge flared brilliantly. It then materialized from a phantom state into a solid form, completely fixed in place!
"The second trial is cleared!"
"As expected, the Five Elements Dao Sect is the first to pass the second trial!"
"But... isn't this speed a bit slow?"
Voices of discussion broke out across the plaza among the disciples of various sects who had been keeping a close eye on the ten bridges.
Unlike the sect leaders and elders on the high platform, they could not see the specific process of clearing the trials through the water mirrors. They could only judge progress based on the changes in the light of the bridges.
During the first trial, the Five Elements Dao Sect's absurdly fast clearance speed had struck them as heavenly. Compared to that, this second trial was surprisingly 'slow.'
"This second trial felt like it took almost a whole shichen, didn't it?"
"Look, the Mingguang Sect just went in, and the Shenmu Sect is about to step onto their bridge. Strong teams like the Sword Heart Sect, Tianyan Sect, Hehuan Sect, and Water Moon Sect have likely all cleared one trial and are pushing through the second, right? It seems the Five Elements Dao Sect didn't maintain their advantage."
"Look, when the Five Elements Dao Sect's second trial lit up, the sixth-ranked Mingguang Sect had already been in their second trial for a while! Even the light on the Shenmu Sect's second segment has started to flow; they're clearly about to pass too!"
"It’s more than that. The lights on the second trials of top sects like the Sword Heart Sect, Hehuan Sect, and Water Moon Sect are also very bright. They're probably almost at the threshold of clearing it."
"Could the difficulty of the second trial be higher than the first? To think it even took the Five Elements Dao Sect this long?"
"Not necessarily. Perhaps their teamwork had issues. Don't forget, no matter how formidable Li Nanzhu is, there's only one of her. The other teams consist of core direct disciples who have been nurtured by their sects since childhood and have worked together for years. Their level of unspoken understanding is on a different level entirely."
"That makes sense! In the first trial, they might have relied on Li Nanzhu's personal flash of inspiration to solve it quickly. But in the second trial, which requires true teamwork and coordination to overcome challenges, the Five Elements Dao Sect's flaw of clumsy coordination was likely exposed."
"It seems the Heart-Probing Bridge still tests comprehensive strength. No matter how outstanding an individual is, if the team can't keep up, it won't work."
"It’s good enough that they passed, but if they want the top spot, it's looking shaky."
Many disciples began to lean toward this 'coordination gap theory.' After all, it seemed the most logical and explained why the Five Elements Dao Sect's performance had returned to normal or even lagged slightly. This caused the mindset of some disciples, who had been awestruck by the first trial's speed, to undergo a subtle shift once again.
On the high platform, the grand figures who could see everything were naturally well-aware of the truth. Having witnessed the Five Elements Dao Sect's incredible puzzle-solving process and stunning teamwork within the Domain of Silence, their perception of this team had already been turned upside down.
But no one would explain this to the disciples below.
Bu Qingwei merely cast a faint glance at the discussions in the plaza before refocusing on the water mirror.
At this moment, the five members of the Five Elements Dao Sect had already stepped onto the third section of the Heart-Probing Bridge. At the very instant their divine souls were pulled into the third trial's illusion, Cang Dongqing and the others from the Sword Heart Sect, who had just cleared the second trial, suddenly snapped their eyes open!
She flipped her palm, and a dark-red talisman flowing with eerie patterns abruptly appeared!
The aura emitted by this talisman faintly resonated with the light on the third section of the Five Elements Dao Sect's bridge!
This was the special reward she had obtained in the first trial—the divine sense shock talisman!
It could be used at a critical moment to target another team, causing the difficulty of their next trial to spike!
Without a hint of hesitation, a sharp light flashed in Cang Dongqing's eyes. She infused her spiritual energy into her fingertips and flicked the dark-red talisman, shouting clearly, "Go!"
Whoosh!
The dark-red talisman turned into a streak of eerie light, almost too fast for the naked eye to track. It silently sliced through the void and struck the third segment of the Five Elements Dao Sect's bridge with pinpoint accuracy!
Buzz!
The bridge segment struck by the talisman trembled violently!
The original color of the bridge deck deepened abruptly, turning into a heart-shaking dark blood-red!
A more violent, chaotic, and oppressive aura erupted from the bridge. Even the space around the structure showed minute distortions and ripples!
"Is that... the divine sense shock talisman?!"
"The Sword Heart Sect used it against the Five Elements Dao Sect!"
"My god! The difficulty of the third trial is doubled?! The Five Elements Dao Sect just went in and..."
"Now this will be a show!"
The crowd below instantly erupted into a frenzy of exclamations and chatter!
No one expected the Sword Heart Sect to have obtained such a strategic item in the first trial, nor did they expect them to use it against the Five Elements Dao Sect so decisively!
The cries and discussions of the disciples were mostly born of surprise at the Sword Heart Sect's luck and Cang Dongqing's ruthlessness.
"The divine sense shock talisman! To think the Sword Heart Sect got it in the first trial! Their luck is too good!"
"That item appears randomly in any trial, and they got it so quickly!"
"It's normal, though; this is a competition. And judging by the Sword Heart Sect's momentum, they're aiming for first place! Naturally, they'd want to weaken their strongest rival as much as possible."
"The Five Elements Dao Sect stole all the spotlight in the first trial, and now retribution has come. With the third trial's difficulty doubled, let's see how they play!"
"Hehe, things are getting interesting now. No matter how much Li Nanzhu can struggle, can she really flip the heavens under the crushing weight of doubled difficulty?"
"They might not even pass the third trial; they could be stuck there directly!"
Although most disciples remembered the Five Elements Dao Sect's performance in the first trial vividly, they were now more inclined to believe that the sect was in grave danger when faced with the absolute gap in strength and the doubled trial difficulty.
The Sword Heart Sect's move was, in their eyes, an extremely clever tactic. It also displayed the sect's determination to claim the top spot of this round.
The grand figures on the high platform did not think the Five Elements Dao Sect would be defeated so easily, but their expressions grew more solemn.
Immortal Venerable Ling Xiao wore a cold smirk, clearly satisfied with Cang Dongqing's decision. "Competition is a matter of life and death. Being able to seize an opportunity to weaken a rival is a skill in itself. If the Five Elements Dao Sect cannot even withstand this test, they do not deserve to reach the end."
"I wonder what the doubled-difficulty third trial will look like," Liu Changhe muttered. "Can that girl Li Nanzhu give us another surprise?"
Rong Lingmeng's beautiful eyes flickered. "Perhaps... adversity will push her potential even further. Only this time, I'm afraid it won't be so easy."
All eyes focused once again on the central water mirror belonging to the Five Elements Dao Sect.
Within the illusion.
Li Nanzhu and the other four had just entered the range of the third trial. Before they could even see their surroundings clearly, a baleful aura rushed toward them!
What lay before them was not any expected trial scene.
Instead, it was a vast, overwhelming expanse of pure, despairing...
Blackness.
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