Chapter 2944: How Embarrassing!

Wang Qian's mind was in turmoil!

Going was not right.

Not going was also not right.

He thought that the dwindling numbers meant everyone had died.

Who knew they had all gone to listen to Ye Yuan's sermon!

This Zeng Yu, originally an ant-like existence in his eyes.

But now, looking at his soul form, it was even more solid than his own!

This was too demoralizing.

But his pride would not allow him to bow to Ye Yuan.

Suddenly, his gaze sharpened, and he sneered, "If an ant can comprehend the Morning Bell and Evening Drum, then I, from the Central Soul Domain, favored by the Undying Ancestor, surely can comprehend it too! Without the butcher, must we eat hairy pork?"

Without further ado, Wang Qian sat cross-legged and earnestly recalled every previous collapse of his soul form.

Clang!

The Morning Bell rang again, and Wang Qian's soul form collapsed once more.

This time, it became even harder for him to condense his soul form.

But he refused to believe it!

Time passed bit by bit, and Wang Qian finally endured another round of the Morning Bell and Evening Drum.

His soul form had dimmed to the extreme.

Yet, there was no enlightenment.

The Morning Bell and Evening Drum remained just that!

Each toll was a death sentence for him!

Wang Qian was in despair!

It seemed he really couldn't eat hairy pork.

"Why? Why can Ye Yuan do it, but I cannot?" Wang Qian cried out in despair.

No!

I cannot die here!

With all his strength, he desperately dashed northwest.

...

When Wang Qian appeared before Ye Yuan like a dead dog, Ye Yuan was quite surprised.

He had thought Wang Qian would rather die than surrender, perishing under the Morning Bell and Evening Drum rather than come to him.

"Save... save me!"

Uttering these words, Wang Qian felt so embarrassed!

Feeling the strange gazes around him, his face burned.

He wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

How could someone as proud as him grovel like a dog before his enemy?

In his understanding, this scene should have been reversed.

But now, he was the one begging for Ye Yuan's mercy!

However, he was truly about to die!

On the way here, he had endured two more drumbeats.

His life was indeed tenacious, as he had somehow managed to survive.

"Ye Yuan, save... save me!" Wang Qian shouted shamefully.

Ye Yuan smiled and slowly began to speak, his words resonating with Buddhist chants.

Dozens of people had gathered around Ye Yuan, listening to his sermon.

The others, who had made no further progress, had gone off to seek their own origins.

Ignoring Wang Qian's embarrassment, the others assumed a listening posture.

Wang Qian, in particular, perked up, absorbing every word Ye Yuan said with utmost clarity.

Suddenly, he shuddered!

So the Undying Soul could be understood this way?

The Undying Soul is not truly immortal.

This Undying Soul also requires tempering!

The Morning Bell and Evening Drum are meant to temper the ethereal qi, making it more indestructible!

This method of tempering also opened Wang Qian's eyes.

So that's it!

So that's it!

Why didn't I think of that?

This... this isn't difficult!

That guy must have stumbled upon it by sheer luck!

The truths of the world are often not profound.

A single hint can make everything clear.

Yet, it is often that single hint that is the hardest.

Wang Qian was clever and highly perceptive, but he lacked the ability to see through that one point.

When someone else pointed it out, he didn't think they were remarkable, only that they were lucky.

He never considered that the Seven-Colored Pagoda had been entered by many before.

Over countless years, countless people had entered, yet no one had ever seen through that point.

In this alone, Ye Yuan surpassed countless others!

Wang Qian was merely one of those countless people.

Thus, his soul form began to strengthen again.

At this moment, Ye Yuan's soul form had become extremely solid.

The Morning Bell rang again, but Ye Yuan's soul form stood unmoved, showing no signs of collapse.

Not even a wisp of ethereal qi was generated.

Suddenly, the space trembled.

A spatial gate appeared before everyone!

"It's the gate to the second level!"

"Hmm? That is..."

"Origin fragments! So, when the ethereal soul reaches perfection under the Morning Bell and Evening Drum, the origin fragment appears!"

...

At this moment, a glass-like fragment, colorful and shimmering, appeared before Ye Yuan.

This glass fragment belonged to him!

Many eyes turned green with envy.

Ye Yuan did not stand on ceremony; he smiled and put away the origin fragment.

"Alright, the Morning Bell and Evening Drum have passed. We can enter the second level! Of course, if anyone wishes to continue cultivating, they may stay on the first level."

With that, Ye Yuan stepped directly through the gate to the second level.

Everyone exchanged glances.

But soon, some followed him into the second level.

By now, Wang Qian's soul form had almost fully recovered.

In fact, it was stronger than before!

Without any hesitation, he dashed into the second level.

"Hmph! The Morning Bell and Evening Drum are nothing special. In the second trial, I will definitely not lose to Ye Yuan!" Wang Qian thought disdainfully.

Bai Cuishan's soul form had not yet reached perfection.

After some thought, he decided to stay.

A few others stayed with him, but not many.

...

"Ah! Such a terrifying sea of fire! Is this trial the legendary rebirth through fire?"

"The first level was about tempering the soul. What does this level impart?"

"Oh no, my soul form has grown much stronger, yet it still cannot withstand the power of this sea of fire!"

...

Upon entering the second level, many felt their soul forms on the verge of collapse.

Their soul forms had been greatly strengthened on the first level, yet they still could not resist the power of the flames.

Ye Yuan's soul form was much stronger than theirs, so he felt nothing.

However, he soon fell into deep thought.

What did this second trial impart?

When he was in the Soul Refining Hall, he had entered the Soul Refining Furnace and experienced the tempering of the Dao Fire.

Could this trial be about continuing to temper within these flames?

Ye Yuan was not the only one to think of this; others had clearly thought of it too.

"Hey, I get it! Even the Undying Soul needs constant tempering! If thousands of great Daos cannot refine your soul, that is true immortality! The Undying Ancestor must have reached that level! So be it, bring it on!"

Wang Qian, shedding his dejection from the first trial, smiled confidently and transformed his body into a stream of ethereal qi, plunging into the flames.

Immediately, he felt an endless scorching heat.

A muffled groan came from the ethereal qi.

Clearly, Wang Qian was in great pain.

But he did not care; instead, he carefully felt the scorching heat, intending to use it to strengthen his soul form.

A thoughtful expression appeared on Ye Yuan's face.

Was it really so?