Talisman Emperor

The atmosphere at the bank of Heart Reflection Lake was tense and perfectly silent.

The gazes of everyone stared fixedly at Zhen Lu, Zhao Mengli, Ji Xuanbing, and the other seven experts. For the sake of being able to seize the opportunity to traverse the lake at the first possible moment, they didn't dare be careless in the slightest.

Swish!

Amidst this deathly silent atmosphere, a disciple wasn't able to restrain himself, and he leaped into the lake before Zhao Mengli stepped onto the Dao Sharpening Stone.

But unfortunately, a circle of ripples spread out as soon as his feet touched the lake, and it struck his figure to the point it became unsteady. Before he could even struggle for a moment, he fell directly into the lake, and he was swept away by a shapeless force and vanished from the lake.

Someone laughed coldly. "Impatient and unable to realize the limits of his ability. How can a Dao Heart like this possible traverse the test of this Heart Reflection Lake? He deserves to be eliminated."

On the Dao Platform, all the great figures of Dao Emperor Academy had calm expressions when they saw this scene, and they remained silent. Obviously, they'd expected that such an incident would occur.

After all, in the third round of the tests of the past, such rash actions had occurred frequently, and it had become a common sight to them.

Right at this moment, Zhao Mengli's figure flashed, and she was the first to step foot onto a Dao Sharpening Stone.

Swoosh!

At the same time, Chen Xi's figure moved. He's stepped into the lake at practically the exact same moment that Zhao Mengli had just stepped onto the Dao Sharpening Stone.

There were another ten plus experts that moved at the same time that Chen Xi had, but their speed couldn't compare to Chen Xi. So when they saw someone had stepped onto the lake before them, they hurriedly stopped themselves while shaking their heads and sighing without end.

When he stepped into the lake, Chen Xi had a very strange feeling. This Darksoul Water was unlike ordinary water, it was sticky like a swamp and extremely heavy. Moreover, it emanated an extremely cold and bone piercing energy.

At the instant his body touched the lake water, Chen Xi instantly sensed a strange force suddenly appear within his body and strike his Dao Heart. This sort of energy was like a trickling stream at the beginning, and then surged like a river.

All of this caused Chen Xi to have the misconception that his Dao Heart was surrounded by an ocean while all-pervasive attacks were colliding with his Dao Heart from all directions. It caused his entire body to feel uncomfortable as if someone had grabbed his heart and was fiercely crushing it.

Chen Xi took a deep breath. A tiny figure suddenly surged into appearance atop his Dao Heart, and this figure's appearance was exactly like his own. It wore green clothes and held a sword, and a light slash of the sword completely crushed all these attacks.

This tiny figure was exactly Chen Xi's Heart Soul. It was an object of the soul that was only condensed when the Heart Energy had attained an extremely high level, and it represented that one's Dao Heart was tough, formidable, and filled with spirit.

Everyone on the bank sighed without end when they saw Chen Xi had steadied himself, and they knew that they'd lost a chance. They could only wait for Chen Xi to ascend onto a Dao Sharpening Stone before another person on this direction could step foot onto the lake.

Otherwise, the consequences would be exactly similar to that person who suffered the tragic fate of elimination earlier.

However, to the surprise and bewilderment of everyone else. Right when Chen Xi had steadied himself on the lake, there were actually a few people that followed closely behind him, and they seemed to intend to enter the lake right after him.

The person in the lead was completely enveloped in black gauze clothes, and it was a woman with a cold and aloof bearing. Shockingly, it was Yin Miaomiao.

Chen Xi was stunned. He clearly noticed that this group of people led by Yin Miaomiao looked at him with gazes filled with hostility. But there weren't any members of the Zuoqiu Clan amongst them.

He frowned before shooting a glance at the clansmen of the Zuoqiu Clan on the banks, and he saw all of them had their arms crossed before their chest while laughing coldly and the space between their brows carried expressions of complacency and ruthlessness. Chen Xi instantly understood that Yin Miaomiao and the others had definitely been ordered to do anything they could in order to stop him from passing through the third round of the test!

No one had expected that such an incident would occur.

Practically everyone had noticed that the appearance of Yin Miaomiao and the others was aimed at Chen Xi!

Everyone was surprised and bewildered, and it was extremely difficult for them to understand such actions.

They're right under the gazes of the great figures from Dao Emperor Academy. Could it be that these fellows aren't worried about suffering punishment? Even if such actions aren't considered breaking the rules, it would definitely arouse the displeasure of all those great figures.

After that, when they saw the wisp of resolution that Yin Miaomiao and the others carried, most of the people present faintly understood that they obviously didn't intend to pass the test, so they naturally wouldn't care about whether they were able to enter Dao Emperor Academy or not.

What ruthless methods!

The test has already been carried out to such an extent, yet the Zuoqiu Clan was actually able to pay such a price and are willing to sacrifice a few experts that might enter Dao Emperor Academy in order to obstruct Chen Xi from smoothly passing through the test. This is really a bold move. Some people that were in the know had guessed the secrets behind this, and they were extremely shocked in their hearts.

On the other hand, many great figures on the Dao Platform frowned when they saw such a scene, and their gazes shot towards the middle aged man that sat by Zhou Zhili's side.

The middle aged man wore embroidered robes, had fair skin, and a wealthy looking appearance. He was like a rich master of a family that lived a luxurious life. His expression remained unchanged when he saw the scene in the distance, and he slowly took a sip from the teacup in his hand and seemed to be extremely calm and relaxed.

He was the Outer Court's Vice Dean, Zuoqiu Hong. He was in charge of punishment and passing sentences, so his authority was extremely great while his status was merely inferior to the Dean of the Outer Court, Zhou Zhili.

The other great figures frowned when they saw Zuoqiu Hong's reaction, and they didn't say anything in the end.

On the other hand, Zhou Zhili who sat at the center maintained a calm expression.

"What're all of you trying to do? Stop!" At the bank of the lake, Mu Xiaoliu couldn't help but shout loudly and indignantly when he saw this scene.

"How despicable! How shameful!"

"Shameless bastard! Chen Xi isn't someone all of you can harm! Fuck off!"

Even the nearby disciples shouted out loudly as they couldn't bear to watch such a scene occur. Some even charged over to stop these people, yet their actions were a bit too slow and were utterly unable to stop these people.

Amidst these roars of rage, Yin Miaomiao had led the other five disciples and stepped foot onto the lake.

Someone was anxious to the point of cursing when he saw this. "Bastard! Scum! A figure like Chen Xi is bound to become another blazing sun in the Immortal Dimension, yet he's going to be destroyed at all of you hands now. All of you…deserve death!"

The others sighed helplessly as well, especially those disciples who had no enmity with Chen Xi, they couldn't help but feel pity and extreme rage.

Swish!

As soon as they stepped foot onto the lake, Yin Miaomiao and the others didn't even wait to stabilize themselves before suddenly waving their hands to give raise to enormous waves in the lake. They seemed as if they wanted to drag Chen Xi down with them even if they were eliminated.

Earlier, Zhao Mengli and the others had moved slowly and didn't dare make any movements when they stepped into the lake because they were deeply afraid of causing some ripples. Yet now, Yin Miaomiao and the others had caused surging waves as soon as they entered the lake, and that scene caused many disciples on the banks of the lake to be unable to bear to watch and closed their eyes.

Because that was Darksoul Water!

Merely the impact from ripples were extremely strenuous to resist, let alone layer upon layer of surging waves?

When the surging waves were about to sweep onto Chen Xi, Chen Xi suddenly spoke with a voice that sounded like a thunderclap and spat out only two words. "Fuck off!"

After that, a shapeless force surged around Chen Xi's body. It transformed into a violent gale that suddenly swept towards the surroundings, and not only did it completely shatter the attacks of the Darksoul Water, it even continued spreading towards the surroundings and caused layer upon layer of surging waves.

Rumble!

These waves smashed onto Yin Miaomiao and the others.

The six of them seemed as if they were struck by a shapeless sledgehammer, and an enormous bang resounded from each one of them as they let out shrill cries. In the next moment, all the other five excluding Yin Miaomiao were swept away by the force of the lake and were eliminated.

From the beginning until the end, they didn't even have the strength to struggle!

The reason Yin Miaomiao wasn't eliminated was because Chen Xi had grabbed onto her!

Everyone exploded into an uproar as they looked at this scene with disbelief, and they almost thought they were seeing things.

Because that was Darksoul Water that contained a shapeless force that specialized in attacking the Dao Heart. Merely a single ripple was strenuous and difficult to resist, and no attacks were capable of destroying it. But Chen Xi wasn't just unafraid of the attack from these ripples, he even crushed layer upon layer of surging waves!

"That seems to be the might of…the Heart Soul!" The pupils of all the great figures on the Dao Platform constricted while they were extremely shocked in their hearts. Even the two existences at the Half-step Immortal King Realm, Wang Daolu and Zhou Zhili, were slightly stunned while a wisp of surprise flashed within their eyes.

Obviously, they'd never expected that Chen Xi would be able to advance into the third realm of the four realms of Heart Energy, the Heart Soul realm, while at the initial-stage of the Mysterious Immortal Realm.

"A very good young man." Zhou Zhili spoke and judged. This was also the first time he'd spoken since the test began.

Amongst the people present, only Zuoqiu Hong's hand that held onto the teacup tightened while his face stiffened, and he'd lost the composed and relaxed appearance he had earlier.

As for the other clansmen of the Zuoqiu Clan, all of them were dumbstruck and seemed as if they'd seen a ghost.

At this moment, Chen Xi's entire body emanated a shapeless force, causing his figure to seem extremely mighty like a mountain. The force of the Heart Soul spread out towards the surroundings and dealt with the ripples within the lake. He was like a rock in the water that remained without moving no matter how the water surged.

On the other hand, Yin Miaomiao was shivering while her throat was choked by him. The gaze she shot at Chen Xi was filled with resentment and frustration, and she didn't know why he saved her.

"I kept you here only because I wanted to ask you something. Are you worthy of your Yin Clan's Ancestors by being the lackeys of the Zuoqiu Clan? Are you worthy of the inheritance in the Dao of Talismans from Oracle Mountain?" Chen Xi spoke calmly via voice transmission, and his expression was indifferent and emotionless.

Yin Miaomiao's pretty face instantly turned ghastly pale and dreary.

Bang!

Chen Xi couldn't be bothered to waste any more time on her. He tossed her into the lake, and then a wave swept her away.

The people in the vicinity didn't feel that his actions were undue when they saw this. They were only curious about exactly what Chen Xi had said to Yin Miaomiao via voice transmission and why her expression became so pale and dejected at the last moment.

Before everyone could recover from their shock, a wave of swishing resounded.

After that, under the focus of numerous shocked gazes, Chen Xi moved on the lake as if he was walking on level ground, and he revealed a calm and composed expression. Everywhere he passed, waves surged, yet were unable to touch him, and his clothes fluttered as he rode the waves forward.

In practically only the time for a few breaths of air, he'd traversed the distance of 3km and arrived on a Dao Sharpening Stone at the center of the lake!

Everyone was shocked, and the surroundings were perfectly silent.