Chapter 91: Xia Jiuxuan, You Are Not Worthy

Some of them also grew uneasy.

“Sir, if you send our soul shadows into that cauldron, will it damage our true souls?” one person asked aloud.

The middle-aged man in purple smiled. “Of course not. These so-called shadows are merely false souls conjured by this cauldron together with my power. They have no true connection to your real souls.”

“Then may I ask, sir, how much real combat strength can our soul shadows display?” someone inquired.

The man in purple pondered for a moment, then said, “That depends on the strength of your souls. In principle, the stronger the soul, the more power the shadow can inherit. The strongest among you may be on par with your true body.”

After hearing this, everyone understood and at last relaxed.

The middle-aged man in purple added, “Everyone, the purpose of this event is mainly to test the strength of your souls. Once your soul shadows enter, you must give it your all and strive to earn as many points as possible.”

“Of course!”

“I possess the bloodline of a divine beast. I wonder whether my soul shadow can take a true form.”

“This battle is as good as mine!”

Many young geniuses from the secluded sects firmly believed they would win. Their constitutions were exceptional, and their souls likewise carried unusual traits.

In truth, among everyone present, only Summer Nine Profundity appeared to have an ordinary constitution; all the others were of extraordinary make.

The Southern Ten Kingdoms, together with the Thirty-Six Isles and the secluded sects, had a total population exceeding one and a half billion. With such a vast number of people, having this many unusual constitutions was not much at all.

“Hey, look, that kid Summer Nine Profundity is acting all impressive. How about we gang up on him later? Anyone in?”

“We’re in! That brat stole the show. Even if we can’t beat him up in the real world, humiliating him with our soul shadows and forcing him to kneel would still be deliciously satisfying.”

“Right! I can’t stand him either. We’ll deal with him later.”

“What about that Wyndham? I wonder if her soul shadow will be wearing clothes... once we get in, can we, ahem...”

“You animal! You’re thinking about that kind of thing? Get lost. Don’t dirty my goddess!”

“Tch, I was just talking.”

“You’re not even allowed to say it. Whoever dares to act out, I’ll fight him to the death!”

...

Everyone was growing eager. Most wanted to use their soul shadows to bully Summer Nine Profundity. Who told him to be so offensive to the eye?

“All right, everyone, calm your minds, relax your souls, and prepare to begin.”

“Understood!”

Everyone sat down cross-legged.

For these gifted youths, calming themselves was an easy thing.

Immediately afterward, the middle-aged man in purple used his powerful spiritual force to activate the bronze cauldron.

Wisps of ghostly mist drifted out from within.

“Everyone, release the aura of your souls.”

All of them complied.

In an instant, one translucent figure after another hovered before the young men and women.

The middle-aged man in purple silently recited an incantation and, with mysterious power, sent those translucent soul shadows into the bronze cauldron.

“Hm? Why is there one missing?”

The middle-aged man in purple extended his spiritual force, and it landed on Summer Nine Profundity at once.

“Why is it him again!”

Even the man in purple was at a loss for words.

Three contests, and three times Summer Nine Profundity had caused trouble.

Once again, it was Summer Nine Profundity who had failed to form a soul shadow.

Even Summer Nine Profundity himself could not help but let out a faint sigh.

But there was nothing he could do. This so-called Soul Gathering Cauldron was merely a top-grade spirit artifact. It simply did not possess the ability to simulate Summer Nine Profundity’s soul shadow.

“Summer Nine Profundity, you’re at it again!” Winton Longsky thought he had found his chance and glared coldly at Summer Nine Profundity, shouting at him.

Summer Nine Profundity sneered. “What now? Looking for trouble with me again? Want another bowing lesson?”

“You!”

Winton Longsky pointed at him from afar, his face flushed red with fury.

The man in purple raised a hand to signal Winton Longsky to be quiet, then said, “Summer Nine Profundity, I don’t care whether you were playing tricks or not. Since you cannot enter the cauldron, I can only count you as zero points. Do you accept this?”

Summer Nine Profundity immediately shrugged and said indifferently, “Zero it is. Anyway, our team is destined to come first.”

He was not speaking nonsense.

He could not get in, but Wyndham had.

Wyndham was a reincarnated cultivator rebuilding her path from the beginning, so her soul shadow was bound to be much stronger than everyone else’s. Moreover, within the soul shadow, the techniques she could use would no longer be restricted.

It was easy to imagine how miserably the so-called geniuses inside would die.

The middle-aged man in purple shook his head. “Your reliance is that Wyndham, is it not? Let me tell you: do not delude yourself. If you cannot personally earn a certain number of points through the soul-shadow trial, every sect will refuse to let you become a spokesperson.”

“?”

Summer Nine Profundity frowned.

“Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

The middle-aged man in purple said slowly, “Even if I had told you in advance, the result would be the same, because your inability to condense a soul shadow proves that your soul is too weak.”

Hearing this, Winton Longsky was overjoyed.

This brat had been cast aside!

Excellent. Once Summer Nine Profundity is eliminated, he must be killed no matter what!

Even if he breaks a taboo of the mortal martial region, at worst he can return to the sect and face a few days of confinement.

Under normal circumstances, experts from the outside world were not permitted to enter the mortal martial region. But this time, the great top-tier sects had already reached an agreement with the emperors of the mortal nations and promised not to use force there.

That was why they could choose an uninhabited island for the contest to select a spokesperson.

But even under those circumstances, if they killed some nobody, would those emperors really pursue the matter? After all, they were figures from great sects beyond the mortal world; there would be times to rely on them in the future.

At this moment, Summer Nine Profundity stood silent.

He did not care about some damned spokesperson identity. He only wanted to enter that so-called secret realm beyond the heavens.

“I will definitely go to the secret realm. Among all your sects beyond the world, whoever chooses me, I guarantee he will not be disappointed.”

He said this to the man in purple.

“Hahaha.”

The middle-aged man in purple burst out laughing.

He looked at Summer Nine Profundity as though looking at a pitiful creature and said, “Summer Nine Profundity, I am not trying to discourage you. Your constitution is ordinary, like trash, and your soul is weak. On what basis do you say such grand words?”

Summer Nine Profundity’s face hardened, but he did not argue.

Seeing his expression, the middle-aged man in purple gave a soft snort. “You seem unconvinced? Then I might as well tell you: that secret realm is anything but ordinary. Once inside, no matter how high your cultivation level is, it will be completely stripped away, and you will have to begin cultivating from the very start.

“So unless you possess monstrous talent for cultivation and an extraordinary constitution with immense resistance to pressure, going there is certain death. I advise you to put away the thought of entering that realm as soon as possible.

“Let me put it bluntly: you are not worthy.”

With that, the middle-aged man in purple flew away on his own and no longer paid Summer Nine Profundity any mind.

Summer Nine Profundity stood rigidly in place.

“I guarantee you, you will regret this.”

He spoke to the man in purple, but the man did not even spare him another glance.