I have an Apocalypse City
Chapter 1170 - Chapter 1170 Chapter 1172 Talent_1

Chapter 1170: Chapter 1172 Talent_1 Chapter 1170: Chapter 1172 Talent_1 At this moment, Song Jian had already seen the cluster of buildings on the mountain peak. The colossal palace stood before him like a celestial abode, and with only two to three thousand stone steps remaining, Song Jian could reach the summit. With his strength, he could definitely muster the energy to ascend in one go.

However, just as he was brimming with confidence and about to take the next step, he suddenly received a system prompt:

System: “Your body is being invaded by an unknown force, losing 1 Vitality Point per second. When your Vitality Points fall to only 2 remaining, the remaining vitality will be locked, and the assessment task will fail!”

Seeing the continuous “-1” figures floating above his head, Song Jian exclaimed in surprise, “What, there’s such a mechanism? If the first assessment is this harsh, it’s hard to imagine how Duan Jian and the others managed to pass the assessment back then!”

One should know that Song Jian’s physical condition could match that of someone at level 100 with ordinary Tier 3 Combat Power. If even he couldn’t pass the assessment, he believed that it would be impossible for anyone to pass, unless it was someone who had nearly stepped into the Legendary Tier, who might have a chance of succeeding in the assessment.

But those at the pinnacle of Tier 3 Combat Power, who had nearly touched the Legendary realm, were all individuals who had clearly seen their own path forward. How could they possibly come to the Imperial Sword Sect to become an ordinary disciple?

“Even the Ancient Sword Sect couldn’t possibly have all disciples with the qualifications of Tier 3 Combat Power at their peak. What merits does the Imperial Sword Sect have to set such a difficult assessment?” Song Jian couldn’t help but complain in his heart.

Originally wanting to conceal his own strength a bit, Song Jian could no longer afford to hide it. He immediately quickened his pace, dashing towards the mountaintop.

Having lost the attribute enhancements from his equipment, Song Jian’s Vitality Points had fallen to just over six thousand. Although that was still a lot higher than an ordinary player, at this rate of losing vitality, he had little more than one hundred minutes, not even two full hours. Yet in front of him were over two thousand stone steps to climb, and in the end, the pressure on his body would exceed ten tons. Under the constant loss of vitality and burdened with ten tons of pressure, even Song Jian had no confidence he could complete the assessment!

Seeing Song Jian’s sudden increase in speed, several elders in front of the Imperial Sword Sect’s great hall at the mountaintop revealed a hint of a smile.

An elder with silver-white hair simply tied back chuckled, “This little rascal still wants to hide his strength, hmph, with a little trick from me, he’s forced to show his true colors! However, with his potential, he could totally cultivate the Qinglian Sword Manual, he’s a promising seedling. We from Qinglian Peak shall take him!”

“Humph, you old relic, why should he go to your Qinglian Peak?” Another elder sneered, “He is a disciple found by Duan Jian, and Duan Jian is from our Immeasurable Peak. Naturally, this disciple should belong to our Immeasurable Peak too. With his potential, cultivating the Immeasurable Sword Manual is most fitting!”

“Cough cough, haven’t you noticed that there’s a force being nurtured within him? It’s like a seed, breaking through the soil and displaying remarkable resilience. He’s perfectly suited for the Spring and Autumn Sword Manual. I’m willing to give him three days of access to the Sword Spirit Pool. Perhaps he might comprehend the Spring and Autumn Sword Physique. You lot, don’t delay this disciple’s future,” another elder said loudly.

“Hahaha, Master Guan, of all the elders, you’re the most cunning. Do you think the privilege of three days in the Sword Spirit Pool will be enough to lure away this disciple named Song Jian? Keep dreaming!” another middle-aged man in silver armor laughed boisterously, “This God-favored individual has vitality as fluid as mercury, and his killing intent reaches the skies like the smoke of a wolf, making him the most suitable heir for our Battle Sword Peak. As the peak master of Battle Sword Peak, I’m willing to take him as my personal disciple and pass on all my knowledge to him. Perhaps our Imperial Sword Sect might then witness the birth of a battle immortal, reminiscent of the Ancient Sword Sect’s battle immortal who once slew gods!”

“It’s just a slightly stronger youth. Why are you all fighting over him so heatedly, to the point of losing your composure? What would the younger generation think if they saw us, would it not be laughable?” An old man holding a whisk, with a crescent moon on his brow, suggested peacemaking.

“Gu Yue, don’t play the good old man here. If there weren’t a disciple among these youngsters with the Ancient Moon Sword Physique, would you be speaking so calmly and indifferently? You would have rolled up your sleeves and joined the fray by now!” Another elder couldn’t help but speak loudly in a tone full of contempt.

“Humph, Gu Yue, don’t get cocky just because you’ve snagged a bargain. Be careful, or this old man will snatch away that disciple with the Ancient Moon Sword Physique from you. You should know that our Shattered Star Peak’s Moon Concealing Sword Manual is no less than your Gu Yue Peak’s Ancient Moon Sword Manual!” a nearby elder said, eyeing Gu Yue fiercely.

“You, you are all being unreasonable. I am acting in good faith here!” Gu Yue’s face turned red with embarrassment, and he swept his sleeves toward the crowd in an expression that suggested he wouldn’t lower himself to their level, before taking two steps forward.

Several elder peak masters bickered for a long time until the sect master of the Imperial Sword Sect, Duan Xingliu, spoke, “Enough, the disciple is about to reach the summit. It’s disgraceful to see you quarreling like this. Where do you leave the dignity of our Imperial Sword Sect? When he arrives, you will rely on your own abilities. Do not coerce him; let him make his own choice.”

Once the sect master had spoken, the others naturally had nothing more to say. All ceased their quarreling and waited for Song Jian to reach the summit!

At this moment, Song Jian’s body was coursing with Sword Qi, depleting his energy greatly. Even the talent skill “Thick-skinned” in his skill bar was pulsating like a beating heart, with golden light throbbing as if it was about to undergo a transformation at any moment!

But Song Jian was no longer paying attention to all this. His body was drenched in sweat like rain, his ears were buzzing, and his consciousness seemed on the verge of collapse with a blank mind, focusing solely on climbing higher and higher with no other thoughts.

Gasp for breath, Song Jian’s body was bent at a ninety-degree angle, as if he was carrying a massive mountain on his back. Climbing each step required all of his strength.

At this point, Song Jian’s Vitality Points had fallen to less than two thousand, still dropping at a rate of one point per second. As his Vitality Points continued to plummet, his physical strength seemed to be waning as well, with his legs feeling as though they were filled with lead, nearly entirely dependent on his will to lift them.

Faint strains of celestial music began to ring in Song Jian’s ears. Suddenly, a small burst of Sword Qi erupted within his completely drained dantian and surged towards his legs. This was almost like squeezing the last bit of potential from his body to provide the power needed to climb upward.

Just then, a dazzling golden light burst forth from his body. The original golden light that lasted only two or three seconds slowly morphed into a purplish-red, followed by a purple-golden color. The splendid purple-golden light almost enveloped Song Jian completely.

The talent skill “Thick-skinned” in his skill bar began to blur slowly. The skill that had already reached the MAX level underwent another transformation, astonishingly turning into a Legendary Tier talent skill!

At this moment, Song Jian was only three hundred steps away from the mountaintop. This transformation made everyone standing at the end of the steps light up.

“Such talent, such talent! A disciple who can break through on the Ascent to Heaven Stairs is one in a ten thousand!” Sect Master Duan Xingliu couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

“If such a talented disciple is snatched by another main peak, it would be a complete waste!” Duan Xingliu thought to himself, while also making up his mind.

…

PS: Thank you “Uncle So Sleepy” for the tip of 100 starting coins~