Outside the Outer Court of the Alchemy Institute, the long staircase is a symbol of the Institute’s status and a test.
Above the starting point of the staircase, a burning incense stick hovers. Only one-third remains before it’s completely burned.
Yet, on the staircase, two figures, one in white and one in red, are rushing upward at incredible speed...
At the bottom of the staircase, tens of thousands of people stare in disbelief at the scene before them, unable to trust their eyes!
Where are the so-called incompetent ones?!
Where are the ones who supposedly couldn’t take a few steps?!
Where is the so-called intimidation through status?!
Where is the amusement we were promised?!
Even Feng Ping is extremely shocked at this moment, his eyes wide open. Just now, he was mocking their overconfidence in his heart, but now, with their wind-like speed and ease as though walking on flat ground, it felt like a slap in the face, making his cheeks burn with pain.
The silence among the crowd is so intense that a pin drop could be heard.
Zhao Nanxing stands among them, feeling refreshed and as if he can hear the continuous sound of face slapping in his ears.
Moments ago, this crowd had looked down so much on his fellow disciples, mocking and sneering at them. Now, their faces hurt just as much as their remarks had!
The two figures, with a slight lead of one over the other, dashed into the mist at the top of the stairs. Then, they appeared once again within view, rapidly approaching the bottom of the staircase.
The incense still hanging in the air had just a small portion left.
The speed of the two accelerated even more; the red silhouette seemed to be slightly faster.
In fact, the difference between the two was less than two feet.
Finally, the red figure stood at the starting point first.
As soon as she steadied herself, the white figure stopped beside her. The two exchanged smiles, and at that moment, a breeze blew off the last bit of incense ash floating in the air.
The incense had burned out.
Mu Qingge and Mei Zizhong had returned to the starting point before the incense finished burning.
’How is this possible!’ Feng Ping stared at the two of them in shock, feeling a tightness in his chest, something stuck in his throat, unable to utter a word.
He didn’t want to believe the scene before him, but it was an undeniable fact!
It wasn’t just him who was shocked; thousands were shocked as well.
The crowded square of thousands fell silent. Their shock wasn’t as profound as Feng Ping’s. They hadn’t personally experienced the difficulty of the staircase. But Feng Ping, he knew that even for himself, making a round trip within one incense stick’s time was very difficult.
The institute had actually given him the timeframe of two incense sticks.
But there was an ambiguous instruction given: ’Do as you see fit.’
Therefore, he took the liberty to change it from two incense sticks to one.
He originally thought that this first hurdle could chase away these two who dared to challenge the rules and exploit shortcuts. Unexpectedly, they delivered such a shocking blow.
"This..."
"Am I seeing things?"
"Could it be a fake staircase?"
The crowd slowly regained their senses.
Someone, skeptical of how hard the staircase was to climb, stealthily approached it out of curiosity. As he set foot on the staircase and took the first step, a strong repelling force met him head-on, making it nearly impossible to breathe.
His face turned red, and he bit his teeth, forcing himself to take another step.
As soon as his foot landed on the second layer of the staircase, he felt a massive impact on his Spiritual Sense, causing him to spit blood and his body to fly back out.
His body traced an arc in the air, plummeting to the ground.
The onlookers hurriedly backed away, creating an open space. He crashed heavily to the ground, and all that was heard was the sound of bones cracking.
His attempt, and its result, made tens of thousands anxious to enter the Alchemy Institute inhale sharply.
The surroundings became even quieter.
The crowd only heard Feng Ping coldly snort and disdainfully say, "Overestimating himself."
Quickly, some Protectors from the Alchemy Institute stepped forward to carry the person away. Naturally, he had no chance of further assessment. Anyone who could only reach the second layer of steps could not possibly pass the test.
However, his actions made the crowd realize that the staircase was truly bizarre and not easy to ascend. Mu Qingge and Mei Zizhong each managed the feat with ease and speed, something not everyone could do.
With this comparison, the crowd’s perspective on Mu Qingge and Mei Zizhong shifted.
They couldn’t help but wonder, were these two who could easily and quickly run on the stairs really just incompetent and privileged individuals?
The air went silent.
"Ahem." Mu Qingge gently cleared her throat, breaking the silence around.
Her voice caught Feng Ping’s attention, his not yet fully concealed surprised gaze instinctively landed on her.
Mu Qingge smiled slightly and asked, "May I ask if this counts as passing the first test?"
Her tone held no arrogance, only calm composure. She seemed entirely unaware of the shock she and Mei Zizhong had brought upon everyone else.
Feng Ping’s eyes became cold.
This result was something he had not anticipated.
However, being able to complete the staircase within the set time doesn’t guarantee them entrance to the Inner Courtyard!
The Inner Courtyard of the Alchemy Institute is a sacred place, not something just any cat or dog can enter!
A hint of malice flashed in Feng Ping’s eyes; reluctantly, he said, "Consider it passed." Then he quickly added, "But don’t get too full of yourselves; you just barely made it through the first trial. The remaining two will only be more difficult."



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