Chapter 2926: A Blemish Amidst Perfection

"Cleared... cleared the trial."

There were no earth-shattering exclamations, only bewilderment.

Even now, they still found it hard to believe.

The Ninglan Soul Hall had never been cleared by anyone.

Today, that record was broken!

No one had expected that Ye Yuan, slow as a turtle, would ultimately create a miracle.

He cleared it!

"This is a full clear! How... how did he do it?"

"And he said 'accidentally'... This guy, he's too much!"

"Just now I thought Qin Shitian was incredibly awesome, but compared to Ye Yuan, he's nothing!"

"To witness a full clear with my own eyes, I haven't lived in vain!"

...

Suddenly, the crowd erupted!

Clearing the Soul Control Path was a legendary event!

Some people were even moved to tears.

Witnessing the birth of a miracle was indeed an honor.

This was something they could brag about for a lifetime.

The earlier awkwardness was long gone.

What was there to be embarrassed about?

Many examinees had already taken Ye Yuan as their idol, worshiping him wholeheartedly.

People are like that: when you are on par with them in strength, they envy and are jealous.

But when you reach an unattainable height, those feelings disappear.

All that remains is looking up!

Emperor Dongyang glanced at Ye Yuan, then at Qin Shitian, and let out a long sigh.

The latter felt the gaze and was mortified to the point of death.

The more glorious the moment before, the more awkward the present.

All his glory had become a foil to Ye Yuan's brilliance.

For a genius, nothing was more crushing than this.

"Xichen, if I remember correctly, in the last thirty thousand years, the only one to clear the trial was Sovereign Futian, right?" Emperor Dongyang suddenly said.

Emperor Xichen said excitedly, "Correct! The Wuyu Soul Hall also became one of the Ten Great Soul Halls because of that. I didn't expect we would produce one too!"

Emperor Dongyang sighed again, "What a pity. He passed the tenth stage, but only achieved nine refinements. Compared to Sovereign Futian, he still falls short!"

Xichen said, "Indeed. When Sovereign Futian cleared the Soul Control Path back then, he achieved ten refinements and the Overlord Soul Body! Later, relying on that body, he dominated the era and became a sovereign! Ye Yuan, after all, is still a step behind!"

"A slight difference leads to a vast error! Even with nine refinements, stepping into the sovereign realm is extremely difficult!" Dongyang said with some disappointment.

Without becoming a sovereign, at best he would be on par with them.

Even if he were stronger, he would still be just an Indra, nothing significant.

Only by stepping into the sovereign realm could one truly leap over the dragon gate and soar to the heavens!

Thus, despite Ye Yuan's stunning performance, Emperor Dongyang had lost some interest.

Upon hearing this, the crowd suddenly understood.

So there was such a nuance!

Qin Shitian finally regained a shred of confidence.

Wasn't there still the third trial?

If Ye Yuan could do it, so could he!

Who said that he, Qin Shitian, couldn't turn the tide against the wind?

On the Chilian Battlefield, he had originally been very inconspicuous.

How many times had he found a way out of desperation, how many times had he faced adversity without backing down?

This time, he would not back down either!

He, Qin Shitian, had earned today with his life!

Thinking of this, Qin Shitian suddenly knelt and bowed to Dongyang, saying, "Master, in this third trial, your disciple will definitely turn the tide and reclaim everything I've lost!"

Dongyang the Great Emperor saw an immensely strong resolve in Qin Shitian's eyes.

This resolve had been forged on the Chilian Battlefield.

Qin Shitian had not been broken by Ye Yuan!

On the contrary, Ye Yuan's meteoric rise had only further ignited his fighting spirit!

The corners of Dongyang the Great Emperor's mouth lifted slightly, and he said with a faint smile, "Good, I have high hopes for you! Perhaps Ye Yuan's appearance is a good thing for you!"

Qin Shitian shuddered, immediately understanding Dongyang the Great Emperor's meaning.

In recent years, he had become a bit arrogant!

Especially just now, when he had almost stepped into the Seventh Stage, his life seemed to have reached its peak.

But Ye Yuan's appearance had dealt him a heavy blow and jolted him awake!

As they say, steel is forged through repeated tempering. Dongyang the Great Emperor knew that someone like Qin Shitian might have even greater potential than Ye Yuan!

After all, they were still in the True Imperial Heaven, and anything was possible!

At that moment, Ye Yuan descended gracefully, and many cast admiring glances at him.

But they also knew that there was likely still a battle between Ye Yuan and Qin Shitian.

This battle would probably decide the futures of both!

Seeing the gratified look in Dongyang the Great Emperor's eyes, no one thought he was speaking without reason.

The Hall Master's judgment had always been extremely sharp.

He had picked Qin Shitian out of the Chilian Trio at a glance, and it was certainly not without reason.

Ye Yuan, on the other hand, had no intention of showing off. He had cultivated the "Divine Derivation"; if he couldn't pass this trial, he might as well go find a piece of tofu to smash his head against.

There was simply no comparison between him and Qin Shitian, and he had never regarded him as an opponent.

However, Qin Shitian clearly did not think so.

He had already regarded Ye Yuan as his lifelong enemy.

Seeing Ye Yuan approach, Qin Shitian snorted coldly, "Ye Yuan, don't get cocky! The outcome between us is not yet decided! The third trial, the Soul-Refining Furnace, will be our decisive battleground! This time, I will utterly defeat you! And you will be the stepping stone on my path to dominance!"

Ye Yuan looked utterly bewildered. I passed the trial without showing off, and now you come to show off again?

Who said I wanted to settle things with you?

From start to finish, it's just you putting on a show by yourself, isn't it?

"Oh, dominance? That sounds impressive! Keep it up!" Ye Yuan said indifferently.

Qin Shitian was momentarily choked, as if his fist had struck cotton.

If Ye Yuan had confronted him head-on, he would have been even more spirited.

But what was this?

...

The Soul-Refining Furnace was a Chaotic Heavenly Treasure of boundless power!

Of course, the Soul-Refining Furnace in the Soul-Refining Hall was merely a projection of it.

This third trial, the Soul-Refining Furnace, required the soul clansmen to enter and undergo the tempering of forty-nine types of Dao Fire!

These forty-nine types of Dao Fire grew stronger with each one!

Enduring the test of seven types of Dao Fire was considered passing.

As before, this trial was both a test and an opportunity.

The tempering of Dao Fire caused great harm to the soul body.

But true gold fears no fire; being tempered and reborn in the Dao Fire was the greatest significance of this trial.

Some had transformed in the Soul-Refining Furnace, reborn from the flames, reaching their peak.

After the first two trials, only ninety-seven people remained for the third!

Passing the third trial meant becoming a true disciple of the Soul-Refining Hall.

However, this third trial was also the most dangerous.

Because in this trial, one could not withdraw!

Only after enduring seven types of Dao Fire would the Soul-Refining Furnace reopen, allowing the examinees to come out.

Success or death!

"I remind you, the Dao Fires in the Soul-Refining Furnace are no ordinary Dao Fires! These forty-nine types of Dao Fire are all Chaotic Flames! Our soul clan has gathered them at great cost! Of course, the true forms of these Dao Fires are in the real Soul-Refining Furnace. But even so, you must not underestimate them. Now, those who wish to withdraw may still do so! Otherwise, once you enter the Soul-Refining Furnace, you can only come out after passing the trial!" Dongyang the Great Emperor said calmly.