Tempest

Tempest . . .

Within the treacherous confines of the Sage Devil Gorge, a tempest of conflict and chaos was brewing, painting a vivid tableau of trials and tribulations.

Beside a serene lake, a formidable fifth-level ascendant, bearing the coveted title of a core disciple of the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect, scanned his surroundings with a chilling glint in his eyes. He had pinpointed a participant, a mere light in the distance, and was primed to descend upon them, ready to initiate the hunt.

Yet, in the midst of this pursuit, a sudden twist in fate gave him pause. Out of the blue, not one, but three additional points of light appeared on the horizon, converging toward him with unwavering determination. As the trio drew closer, it became evident that they had sensed his presence and were headed straight for him.

"Are they joining forces?" The core disciple's face contorted with a mixture of surprise and confusion. A gust of wind heralded the arrival of the trio, and before him stood three formidable figures. At the center, a young man with blood-red demonic pupils fixed his intense gaze upon him. Standing at an imposing height of 100 meters, he exuded an overwhelming aura of battle. Clad in formidable armor, he appeared as if he could conquer entire realms.

"Damn it!"

The core disciple's expression shifted drastically. He realized that these three individuals were charging straight at him, and his attempts to flee were met with frustration as their speed continued to increase exponentially. A massive palm imprint loomed, accompanied by the sharp cries of divine falcons soaring through the air. Under this relentless pressure, the core disciple's complexion paled as he turned to face his pursuers. To his horror, two sources of destructive energy hurtled towards him, resulting in a thunderous explosion. His body disintegrated on the spot, succumbing to the merciless assault.

Another fifth-level ascendant, alerted by the commotion, arrived just in time to witness the gruesome spectacle. His heart raced as he beheld Qin Wentian, who then addressed him with an offer. "In this perilous place, they can track our movements and methodically hunt us down. Your survival suggests you possess considerable strength. The core disciple who targeted you earlier has been dealt with, and I no longer intend to remain passive. I wish to take the fight to them, to hunt down the disciples instead. Will you join us?"

The participant's expression fluctuated with uncertainty. Over the past few days, he had encountered numerous hunters, and only his own strength had kept him alive. The imposing figure before him appeared to wield overwhelming power, capable of initiating attacks against the disciples. Aligning with this group could significantly improve his chances of surviving the test.

"I'm in," he declared, nodding in agreement. Qin Wentian motioned for them to move forward, and the quartet ascended into the skies, forging ahead on their new path. Along the way, they crossed paths with an external disciple of the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect. Witnessing the four participants together, the external disciple attempted to flee but met a swift end at the hands of Qin Wentian's resounding slap.

And so, a punitive tempest was unleashed. No longer content to be prey, they emerged as the hunters, turning the tables in this grueling test. The survival of the fittest became their mantra as they roamed the Sage Devil Gorge, actively seeking out disciples to conquer, rather than passively awaiting their own fate.

Many days passed, and the relentless hunt orchestrated by the disciples persisted, thinning their ranks. However, the tempest they had ignited continued to rage.

In this moment, an elite disciple, a formidable fifth-level ascendant, gazed intently at a location not far from him. There, a congregation of twenty pinpoints of light had gathered. This could mean only one thing—twenty fifth-level ascendant participants had assembled in that vicinity.

A sense of impending trouble loomed large as these participants convened, causing a ripple of unease. The situation had taken a dire turn, and it was imperative to gather all the elite disciples to thwart the burgeoning threat posed by this formidable group. Failure to do so could result in all twenty participants passing the selection test, undermining the Eastern Immortal Sacred Sect's original intent. As the overseers of this trial, the elite disciples had a duty to intervene.

With a swift and determined hand, he produced a summoning artifact and released a beam of light into the skies. However, even as the ray streaked through the air, the twenty participants were already closing in on him.

"Hmph," the elite disciple sneered dismissively, curious to see what these individuals were plotting. With his strength, he felt invincible, confident that no matter how many adversaries he faced, none could impede his escape.

In the blink of an eye, the twenty participants materialized before him, their auras ominously potent, akin to a fierce tempest ready to consume all in its path.

"HALT!" The elite disciple's roar reverberated through the space, its force like tidal waves crashing against the shore. Yet, the participants remained unyielding, their colossal leader surging forward, leading the charge.

A sudden "Bzz!" marked the appearance of a third eye in the giant's forehead, causing his mind to spin in confusion. The next moment, a resounding Grand Nihility Palm Imprint hurtled toward him. Roaring with fury, he unleashed a torrent of power, shattering the palm imprint. However, the participants had already descended upon him, their intent unmistakably lethal. Panic gripped the elite disciple as he attempted to retreat, but another massive palm imprint loomed, ensnaring him within its confines.

"Curses!" His complexion contorted in sheer horror as he realized the participants' overwhelming dominance. He felt trapped in a quagmire, unable to escape, while the relentless assailants advanced with murder in their eyes.

With a deafening "BOOM!" that resonated through the heavens, the elite disciple was mercilessly obliterated by the relentless assault of the twenty participants. His lifeless body plummeted to the ground, discarded with no ceremony. The ruthless group wasted no time, pressing on in search of fresh prey.

Following their departure, disciples of the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect began to converge at the scene, drawn by the earlier summons. Their countenances darkened significantly upon witnessing the elite disciple's lifeless form.

Both Xia Hou and Blackpeak arrived, their arrival marked by a tremor of anxiety coursing through Xia Hou. He directed his attention to a fifth-level ascendant disciple and inquired, "How many are there?"

"Twenty," came the response as the disciple watched the direction in which Qin Wentian and his companions had disappeared. Xia Hou's expression turned ashen. The number of elite disciples who had met their demise was unknown, and this recent casualty added to their mounting losses. Was this the wrath of Qin Wentian, retaliating for their earlier transgressions? Xia Hou had marshaled the disciples to target and hunt him down, and now Qin Wentian had rallied participants to hunt the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect's disciples in turn.

Qin Wentian's prowess had reached a point where he could take on multiple adversaries of the same level simultaneously. Leading participants in their counter-hunt made them virtually unstoppable, unless a Sage Child, a fifth-level ascendant, emerged.

"What should we do?" Panic etched across the faces of the disciples. Without a solution, more Eastern Sage Immortal Sect disciples would fall victim to this relentless pursuit, further solidifying their status as the test's supervisors, turned laughingstocks.

Xia Hou's visage twisted with frustration and uncertainty. What could he possibly do to rectify this dire situation?

Qin Wentian's actions had triggered a tempest of chaos within the Sage Devil Gorge. He had initially gathered fifth-level ascendants, a tactic well within the rules, to target disciples of the same level. However, if individuals with higher cultivation bases like Xia Hou intervened, it would be a direct violation of the sect's regulations. Xia Hou couldn't afford to take such a risk, openly challenging the very rules the Eastern Immortal Sacred Sect had established.

In truth, Xia Hou's actions had lit the fuse of Qin Wentian's simmering fury, propelling him onto the path of the hunter. Xia Hou had initiated the chain of events, assembling a coalition to track down and eliminate Qin Wentian. Yet, his efforts had failed, and now Qin Wentian was turning the tables, employing the same method to deal with the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect's disciples.

The only way to halt Qin Wentian's rampage was to gather all fifth-level ascendant disciples and unite them to encircle Qin Wentian's group of twenty participants.

"Gather all the elite disciples and summon every fifth-level ascendant here," Xia Hou declared, his gaze cold and resolute. Those around him nodded, recognizing that this was the only remaining course of action.

As Qin Wentian and his group continued their relentless hunt, their numbers swelled. Qin Wentian reverted to his normal size, as the group's strength grew to the point where he no longer needed to engage in violent confrontations. Among them were numerous formidable experts from all thirteen prefectures, some ranking near the top. These individuals were independent and resistant to submission. When they encountered disciples of equal standing, they didn't hesitate to eliminate them.

As time passed, Qin Wentian realized that he wasn't the only one with this idea. Other participants were also influenced by him, forming their own groups and collaborating to hunt the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect's disciples. The battles within the Sage Devil Gorge grew increasingly savage, with the disciples no longer holding the upper hand.

The Eastern Sage Immortal Sect's disciples also adapted, forming small teams and gradually uniting with others in response to the summons by the elite disciples. The experts from both sides continued to converge as a tempest swept across the vast expanse of the Sage Devil Gorge.

Qin Wentian's group had swelled to over forty members, leaving a trail of Eastern Sage Immortal Sect disciples in their wake. However, they began to notice that locating their adversaries was becoming increasingly difficult. Even disciples of different cultivation levels became scarce.

In the distance, a menacing aura approached. Qin Wentian saw another group of participants, roughly thirty strong, led by Gu Zhantian, the top ranker of the Cloud Prefecture. Gu Zhantian's eyes locked onto Qin Wentian, a simmering hostility in his gaze. Their unsettled score had yet to be resolved, and Gu Zhantian hoped that Qin Wentian wouldn't meet his end in this selection test.

The two groups of experts brushed past each other, each finding their own opponents.

It wasn't just participants at these specific cultivation levels; experts throughout the gorge were joining forces to hunt as well. However, they too faced the challenge of locating Eastern Sage Immortal Sect disciples, and the task grew increasingly daunting.

In another corner of the Sage Devil Gorge, disciples of the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect gathered in groups, arranged according to their cultivation levels. Nine teams stood before Xia Hou, led by elite disciples, as they prepared for the final, decisive battle—a slaughter that would exact a painful toll from those who had disrupted the Sect's plans.