The Shining Star Above The Heaven

Aldrian observed one of the participants in the group and couldn't help but slightly smile. Sylphia, who was also observing the participants, couldn't help but ask him,

"Dear, don't you think it will be difficult for Zander to pass this phase? Since earlier, only those at the peak of each stage could pass this challenge. The gravity itself is truly immense even for them, and yet Zander is only at the middle Earl stage."

Aldrian, still looking at the masked participant who was actually Zander, answered her,

"Yes, he will fail before reaching five minutes. At most, I think he won't even last a minute. As a sword cultivator, he has already trained his feet's strength for speed and his body so he can unleash many powerful sword techniques, but he cannot endure that kind of gravity yet."

Hearing his answer, his family raised their eyebrows. If that was the case, why did he send Zander to join the tournament and even expect him to win his category? Wasn't that asking the impossible? That was what ran through their minds as they looked at Aldrian.

"However, he could do something to ease the weight of gravity, and with that I believe he could stand until the end."

The others looked at him in confusion, which made Aldrian turn his eyes to Sylphia.

"What is the rule of this phase?" he asked, which was answered by her.

"As long as the participants do not fall or their knees touch the ground—" Sylphia suddenly widened her eyes as something clicked in her mind.

"I see, so that's why Sir Orlav said it was to test the participants' strength in both body and mind," she said before turning her eyes back to the participants. This one would be interesting to watch.

Zander, who was already standing inside the gravity field, had taken his stance with a solemn expression. He knew this challenge would be extremely difficult for him, perhaps even impossible. But his master believed he could pass this phase, and that belief gave him the confidence that somehow he could succeed.

He took a deep breath as Orlav's voice resounded.

"Ready? Then I will activate… now!"

The moment he spoke, the gravity field activated, and Zander instantly felt his body nearly crushed under the overwhelming force. His knees even bent and almost touched the ground.

"Nghh!" he grunted under his mask from the sudden pressure, as if his body would be crushed in that instant. Fortunately, he had already prepared his stance as best as he could, and he circulated his energy inside his body to the maximum to withstand the gravity. He tried to straighten himself again, but the force was far too much for him.

'No… no… I can't fall here, I can't fall here! Master has already trusted me, I cannot fail!' he thought as panic welled up inside him. But the gravity kept pushing him down, his knee drawing closer and closer to the ground. Zander truly felt that he could not hold on, as this kind of gravity was impossible for someone at his level to endure.

Still, he keep remembered that his master believed he could pass this trial and somehow overcome this heavy phase. There had to be a reason his master thought he could succeed in what seemed like an impossible challenge!

'Think, think, Zander… what is it that I can use to endure this gravity for five minutes?' Zander thought desperately as the crushing weight pressed down on him.

By this time, people had already begun to take note that someone at the middle Earl stage was still standing, while several others at his level had already collapsed the moment the gravity was activated. Their interest grew, but Zander didn't care in the slightest. His mind was consumed with finding a way forward.

Yet no solution came to him, and frustration gnawed at him as he gritted his teeth.

'If only I could cut the gravity…' Suddenly, his thoughts froze as something clicked inside his mind. He quickly recalled the rules of this phase and remembered that there was no requirement for how they had to endure the gravity for five minutes. In that instant, he discovered the loophole, and a faint smile formed beneath his mask.

'So that's why Sir Orlav said it was to test the strength of body and mind.'

Moments later, several participants near Zander felt a sharp, pricking sensation on their skin, causing them to glance at him in the midst of their struggle against the crushing weight. At first, they had no idea what this masked participant intended, but then their eyes widened slightly, despite the heaviness pressing on them, as they sensed something absurd.

Orlav and the other staff also felt something exuding from Zander, and a subtle smile appeared on their faces. It was as if their expressions said, Finally, someone gets it. Yet what they sensed from Zander also left them astonished.

Even the spectators, who also felt the sudden change in Zander, were struck with astonishment.

They had already seen Zander nearly fall, and most thought he would. But when they sensed the aura exuding from him, they saw him slowly straighten his body, struggling to stand tall once more. The fact that someone at the middle Earl stage could endure this long already left them astonished, but what truly shocked them was—

"Is this… sword intent?" one of the spectators asked in disbelief.

"This is indeed sword intent, albeit a weak one. But how could someone at the Earl stage have already comprehended sword intent?! And why is that figure unleashing it here?" another exclaimed.

"He is unleashing his sword intent to ease the weight of the gravity," a person nearby, who appeared to be a sword cultivator, answered. "His sword intent is protecting him from the laws of gravity. In other words, that figure's sword intent is cutting the gravity itself. Can't you see how he managed to stand again after releasing it?"

Hearing this explanation, the others were even more astonished, and their gazes returned to the masked figure. Was that truly permitted? Many turned their eyes toward Orlav, only to see that he had no intention of stopping the participant. Suddenly, a realization dawned on them.

"I see, so that's how it is… this phase is not only to test our brawn but our brains as well. There are no rules forbidding them from using their own techniques to endure the gravity, as long as they can stand for five minutes," one spectator said.

"This could also be a way for this phase to ensure that not only those at the peak of each stage can pass, but also give a chance to those at lower cultivation levels. Truly a genius idea, to prevent only the higher cultivations from advancing," another commented.

As this line of thinking spread among the crowd, it also took root in the minds of the participants. For those who had already passed, a sense of being tricked surfaced, while for those who had failed, regret weighed even heavier. They had not thought that far ahead, and now the realization stung. If only their minds had been sharper, perhaps they would not have failed so early!

The Earl category participants still enduring the gravity also reached this conclusion. Those who were already at their limit decided to unleash their own elemental laws.

Those who had comprehended the fire laws unleashed flames to cover their bodies, hoping to ease the burden as if trying to burn the gravity itself. Those who had grasped the wind laws used gusts of wind to propel their bodies upward, preventing themselves from collapsing.

The ones who had mastered the earth laws rooted their feet firmly into the ground to keep themselves standing straight. Many other methods were attempted as well, each participant struggling to find a way to lessen the crushing weight of the gravity.

Watching their efforts, Orlav smiled faintly but thought to himself,

'Good… but that still won't be easy.'

True to his thoughts, after three minutes had passed, those who relied on their elemental techniques began to collapse one after another. They looked far more exhausted than the others, a staff quickly rushed in to treat them with energy replacement pills.

'You also have to assess your energy consumption. If you recklessly use your energy, you'll drain your energy dry,' Orlav thought. To maintain control of their elemental laws, they had to constantly feed energy into them for minutes.

It was different from when they unleashed a technique, where they released a certain amount of energy at once and could easily measure their expenditure.

In this case, they had to keep releasing their energy continuously, which was far more exhausting. Because of the heavy gravity, they were forced to use a large quantity of energy just to maintain their techniques for several minutes, and that was something incredibly difficult to endure.

They had to carefully manage their energy, or else they would collapse, not from the gravity itself, but from being drained dry.

As time passed, the number of collapsed participants grew even greater than in the previous categories, which left many spectators astonished. By this point, fewer than a thousand Earl stage participants remained before the five-minute mark was finally reached.

The moment the five minutes ended, Zander instantly retracted his sword intent, and immediately fell. Staff rushed to bring him out of the gravity field and administer treatment.

Though Zander felt exhausted both mentally and physically, he glanced toward Aldrian's direction. Seeing Aldrian smiling at him made him smile as well. He had not unleashed the full extent of his sword intent, keeping his true power hidden for later. But at the very least, it had been enough to ease the gravity to a level he could endure.

To maintain sword intent, he did not need to unleash a large amount of energy, but he did have to maintain constant concentration.

Sword intent was different from elemental laws, as it came from a sword cultivator's comprehension. Using it did not consume nearly as much energy as sustaining an elemental technique.

Zander then looked at the ones still standing within the gravity field, and he felt a sense of amazement. Yet, without realizing it, he himself had already drawn the attention of many, who now regarded him as a rare genius of his generation.