Li Shuang paid no mind to the opinions of others. She concentrated on her perception for a while, and a faint understanding began to form in her mind.
She had a feeling that if she continuously maintained this state of perfect evasion, it wouldn't be long before she could advance to the second level.
After realizing this, Li Shuang continued to use her powerful spiritual sense to forcibly alter the trajectory of the Profound Iron Hammers.
Even if she stood still, she wouldn't be harmed in the slightest.
Just like that... a quick pass?
For some reason, Li Shuang felt a slight hesitation.
She calmly watched the rapidly moving Profound Iron Hammers. Suddenly, she grew curious.
Since the Thousand Machine Hammer Array was called an array, it must have its own rules.
But looking at its operation, apart from the rotation, there seemed to be no other discernible pattern.
Another heavy hammer struck, and Li Shuang once again used her spiritual power to change its trajectory.
Suddenly, her heart stirred.
As the green lotus lifted the heavy hammer, she vaguely saw a strange rune on the hammer flash.
Li Shuang's gaze sharpened, almost thinking she had seen wrong.
She composed herself, and when the next heavy hammer arrived, her observation was even more meticulous. This time, she clearly saw the rune flash.
Li Shuang immediately fell into deep thought.
On the central pillar that reached the sky, countless profound runes were carved. These runes were deep and vast, completely beyond the comprehension of cultivators at Li Shuang's level.
A portion of these runes was also contained on the Profound Iron Hammers. Although this was only a small part, and likely the most superficial part, these runes were still beyond Li Shuang's grasp.
However, with each collision between the green lotus and the heavy hammer, Li Shuang's spiritual sense seemed to establish a subtle connection with the runes on the hammer, creating an indescribable feeling.
But! This method of establishing a connection was slow! Too slow!
In this first stage, cultivators could only stay for a maximum of three days.
What good were three days?
The time was too short! The speed was too slow! She simply didn't have enough time to discover the true mysteries of the runes!
Li Shuang's expression slowly grew serious. Did she... have any other methods?
In Wanfa City.
Huge water screens hung in various corners of the city.
The crowd stood before the screens, joining in the excitement.
"Here it comes, here it comes, the City Lord's first question is here. The question is: Who will receive the highest score in the first stage? The score will be personally given by the City Lord. Those who guess correctly will share the prize pool points."
"This is interesting. Highest score? What exactly determines the score? The City Lord didn't say."
"Are you questioning the City Lord? All interpretation rights belong to the City Lord. The City Lord is naturally absolutely fair and will certainly not favor anyone."
"In the past, that was indeed the case. But this time, isn't there a Li..."
"Shut up, are you tired of living! The City Lord cultivates the Dao of rules, and rules are heaven. How could she break the rules for a Li?"
"I spoke wrongly!"
"It's a good thing the City Lord never bothers with these things. If you met a strong person who was petty, you'd already be a corpse."
The crowd chatted in low voices for a while, and soon, they looked at the flashing names and fell into contemplation.
The City Lord was absolutely just and fair. Even if Li was the daughter of an old acquaintance, she would not receive any favoritism.
In this situation...
The person most likely to receive a high score was still You Lan.
Now, a separate interface appeared in Wanfa Eye, allowing them to choose a contestant to bet on.
Each person could only bet once, and each bet required ten points.
Moreover.
The betting channel would close five hours after the first stage began.
The crowd watched the water screen while pondering.
Not long after, You Lan, as expected, did not disappoint and was the first to reach the second level.
After that, one after another of the familiar geniuses ascended to the second level.
The highest score might not be the fastest speed; it could also be related to the method of passing.
Although most people chose You Lan, some who wanted to take a gamble chose others.
As for Li Shuang...
Initially, everyone had some expectations for her performance, but that expectation vanished after she was unable to reach the second level for so long.
The betting points under Li Shuang's name were a stark zero!
In the City Lord's Mansion.
In the void.
The City Lord sipped her tea, watching the little ones on the Spiritual Sense Golden Altar with great interest.
Over the years, she had used the Wanfa Eye to cultivate one genius after another.
But what she truly needed were not ordinary, mediocre geniuses; what she wanted were peerless powerhouses who could stand by her side and fight alongside her!
The Land of Absolute Despair had been very quiet for the past hundred years, leading many human high-ranking officials to believe that these demonic creatures had completely settled down.
But in reality?
Perhaps not!
The City Lord felt that the demonic creatures in the City of Absolute Despair were probably brewing a shocking conspiracy.
There were only a few strong human cultivators who could delve deep into the Land of Absolute Despair. Even one less would be a catastrophe for the entire human race.
And these demonic creatures would continuously generate.
If one day, the true demons in the City of Absolute Despair swarmed out, the human race might face utter destruction.
There were still too few true top-tier human powerhouses!
The City Lord gazed steadily at You Lan.
You Lan from the Demonic Heaven Sect was a good prospect. But... she was still far from enough.
Others were still a distance behind You Lan, let alone being able to meet her expectations.
The City Lord couldn't help but sigh softly.
When would the human race finally produce someone who could stand by her side? If there was such a person among them, and they joined forces, perhaps there would truly be a day when the Land of Absolute Despair could be eradicated.
As for now.
She could only struggle to hold on.
The City Lord's gaze swept over Li Shuang.
Clearly, Li Shuang, like the other geniuses, had also discovered the secret to reaching the second level.
She would likely join You Lan and the others soon.
The City Lord's expression was calm, not showing any surprise.
With Li Shuang's spiritual sense strength, accomplishing such a feat was very easy.
She would only be slightly behind others because it was her first time.
Li could also be considered a candidate for a seed.
The City Lord casually evaluated, about to shift her gaze.
Suddenly, in the water screen.
Li Shuang's actions changed!
The City Lord's pupils slightly constricted.
Wait, she's...
In the water screen, Li Shuang actually gave up dodging and also gave up changing the trajectory of the heavy hammers.
She did nothing, allowing the Profound Iron Hammers to collide with her spiritual body!