The cultivators following behind Qin Tang noticed the distant scene, and a collective shiver of dread ran through them.
"What fools. We told them that they’d encountered an Oddity, yet they still tried to run. They truly don't know how to spell the word 'death'."
"I recognized one of them, Foundation Establishment cultivator Sun Kairong. His Dao Techniques were quite formidable. I never imagined he'd die so quietly, without a sound."
"Strange. When they died, why weren’t there the usual phenomena in the sky?"
"Fellow Daoist, is this your first time hearing of Oddities? Where an Oddity holds sway, it establishes its own rules. Most common knowledge becomes useless. That's why we must be even more cautious."
"Thank you for the guidance, Fellow Daoist."
They walked on, communicating via divine sense, their expressions a mixture of unease and grim understanding.
Before long, Qin Tang led them into a large, imposing structure.
A straight, central corridor ran down its middle. On either side of this corridor were rows of small, separate cubicles.
Each room was sparsely furnished, devoid of any decoration. They contained only five simple wooden beds.
"Alright, everyone will rest here tonight. Assemble in the plaza first thing in the morning!" Qin Tang turned and addressed the group.
Having said that, he shook his head and walked out.
"Oh, and remember to sleep early!"
His voice drifted over faintly after his figure had already vanished.
With the unsettling presence of the Oddity gone, the cultivators finally allowed themselves to relax slightly.
Most chose to room with those they were familiar with.
Sikong Yi and Baili Chen, naturally, chose to room together.
Li Fan didn't join them, selecting a room close by instead.
Two others were already inside.
These two knew each other and were in the midst of a silent conversation via divine sense.
Li Fan didn't bother with greetings.
He lay down directly on a bed, operating the Xuanhuang Heart Refinement Sutra. The distracting thoughts in his mind vanished.
In no time at all, he sank into a deep, heavy sleep.
The two who were still conversing stared at him in stunned confusion.
Then, as if remembering something, their faces abruptly turned deathly pale, and a wave of belated fear washed over them.
They immediately stopped communicating and frantically tried to force themselves to fall asleep.
But not everyone was perceptive enough to grasp what was coming.
Many were still excitedly discussing the day's events with their companions, speculating about the potential treasures that might be hidden within the newfound ruins of Cloudwater Palace.
Their excitement made sleep difficult, if not impossible.
Time trickled by.
Suddenly, every source of light within the large building was extinguished at once.
In the utter darkness, Qin Tang's voice echoed, soft and eerie.
"Haiya, this new batch isn't very obedient.
"I did say to get to sleep early. How come there are still so many people not resting?
"It would be a shame if you are too tired for tomorrow morning's trial.
"Since you can't sleep, let me give you a hand."
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Horrifying, wet sounds punctuated the darkness, one after another.
No one could tell how many cultivators met their end, dying without a chance to scream.
It was only then that everyone present understood: Qin Tang's earlier reminder to “sleep early" hadn't been a suggestion or a joke. It had been a warning.
But it was too late now.
The cultivators' presences winked out, one by one, disappearing from their divine sense.
Some tried to cry out, to wake those who had managed to fall asleep. But their voices were cut off the instant they made a sound.
Slaughter and death spread through the darkness.
In this horrifying atmosphere, some of the cultivators who were still awake finally snapped.
Their auras surged as they prepared to unleash their full power, ready to fight the white-robed Qin Tang to the death.
Qin Tang snorted coldly, seeming genuinely annoyed.
Blue lights flashed, then vanished.
And just like that, these would-be rebels were extinguished without so much as a ripple.
After killing them, Qin Tang's mood seemed to improve slightly.
"Ah, this duty is so tiresome. If the sect leader and my martial brothers and sisters hadn't all vanished, there'd be no need for me to handle this.
"Boring. So boring. I'd rather go drink!"
His words were disjointed, his actions whimsical and unpredictable.
As his voice faded into the distance, the surviving cultivators inside the building collectively let out a sigh of relief.
But no one could guarantee when Qin Tang might return. So, they all tried to seize the chance to fall asleep.
But there was a problem, something those who often suffered from insomnia understood all too well:
If you have no mental burdens, you can fall asleep almost as soon as you decide to. But the opposite is also true: if you fixate on the need to sleep and force yourself to do it, chances are you'll jolt awake the moment you're about to drift off.
Add to that the fact that many of these cultivators had long since replaced sleep with secluded meditation, and they had effectively lost the ability to sleep altogether.
So, even knowing that staying awake meant death, many still failed to fall asleep.
Seeing that Qin Tang could return at any moment, they had no other choice.
Resenting their past selves for not learning a hypnotism arcane art or two, they opted to knock themselves unconscious, hoping to bluff their way through.
Unfortunately, in Qin Tang's eyes, being asleep and unconscious were clearly two very different states.
And so, when he returned in the latter half of the night, another wave of bloodshed followed.
When Li Fan awoke the next morning, he was met with a building littered with corpses.
As he had expected, Jiao Xiuyuan had failed to survive the night.
His body lay still, head separated from his torso.
Li Fan naturally felt no pity for him.
Without delay, Li Fan headed straight for yesterday's plaza.
Having learned from the previous night's lesson, the remaining cultivators didn't wander elsewhere, instead gathering obediently in the plaza.
The crowd was sparse; fewer than two-thirds had survived.
The trial hadn't even officially begun, yet so many had already fallen. Thus, the survivors were deeply pessimistic about what was to come, their expressions grim.
Li Fan knew this was only the beginning. In the end, less than one-tenth of this first group to enter Cloudwater Palace would make it out alive.
In the crowd, Li Fan also spotted the figures of Sikong Yi and Baili Chen.
His gaze swept over them without lingering.
He waited quietly for Qin Tang to arrive.
It wasn't long before Qin Tang appeared before the crowd once more.
He held a gourd of wine, taking deep swigs from it as he walked.
"Excellent wine!" Qin Tang exclaimed with gusto before turning his attention to the survivors in the plaza.
His gaze swept over the surviving cultivators.
"Good. It seems everyone has gathered. Then let us formally begin the first trial."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if recalling something.
"My master once said that when it comes to seeking immortality and the Dao, three things matter most: talent, temperament, and fortune.
"My master believed talent was the most important of the three, but I disagree. I believe temperament is paramount."
"Thus, the three trials I've prepared all relate to temperament."
Qin Tang spoke slowly as he led the group into a pavilion.
The structure had three floors.
The first level, where they stood, contained hundreds of bookshelves.
Each shelf was packed with books.
The crowd read the titles from afar: Cloudflight Illusion Manual, Swift Thunder Escape, Verdant Wood Revival Technique ...
Every single book was clearly a cultivation technique.
Instantly, everyone’s breathing grew ragged.