As soon as these words were spoken, everyone felt as if struck by a thunderclap.
But in the next moment, they began to doubt themselves. They didn't know what cultivation was like until they started, and it truly was a bottomless pit.
During the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, spirit stones might have played a relatively significant role, but once they reached Golden Core, spirit stones had only a negligible effect on their strength improvement.
In fact, without the assistance of spirit stones, it would take them a year to go from Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, and perhaps ten years from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core.
This was the case even for geniuses, let alone those with mediocre or lower talents.
Becoming an Immortal Emperor in three years...
Chu Yang continued, "Don't you feel despair? Don't you feel like there's no hope at all?"
The crowd remained silent.
Chu Yang let out a cold laugh and said, "Ridiculous! I have faith in you, but you don't have faith in yourselves? If you want time, I can give you a chance to enter the Time Secret Realm. If you want techniques, I'll give you a chance to enter the Technique Pavilion. If you want trials, you can enter the Monster Beast Secret Realm to fight! There will be more opportunities and more things later! What are you afraid of?"
Everyone's faces flushed red, but compared to their previous despair, a glimmer of hope had appeared.
"You all possess incredibly powerful innate talent, talent that even in the cultivation world would be considered the cream of the crop! Bai Daochang's Innate Dao Physique is practically a guarantee of becoming an immortal! Li Qingyun, as a Son of the Great Dao, is someone even Immortal Emperors would vie to take as a disciple!"
"The rest of you either have extremely strong bloodlines or possess monstrous physiques. With your talents, in the cultivation world, many would ascend to become Immortal Emperors! If others can do it, why can't you?"
"True powerhouses always possess an invincible heart! No matter how powerful the enemy, they firmly believe that with their own efforts, with their own fists, they can forcefully knock them to the ground! Cultivation is inherently defying the heavens. If heaven doesn't give it to you, you take it yourself! What's a mere extraterrestrial evil race to fear?"
Everyone was stunned by Chu Yang's presence. They had started to doubt themselves, but as they listened, they felt as if they were quite formidable themselves!
Wang Teng excitedly stood up and said, "Well said! What extraterrestrial evil race? I'll smack them down one by one and kill them all!"
Chu Yang looked at Wang Teng speechlessly and said, "I know you're excited, but please sit down first!"
Wang Teng gave an awkward laugh and weakly sat back down.
Chu Yang continued, "I'm showing you this scene to give you a belief, to let you know what you are fighting for, and why you are cultivating!"
"This is a beautiful world. For some, they may have the great aspiration to save the world. For others, they may simply want to protect their family or friends. Whatever your intention, there is only one way to achieve it, and that is to shatter those extraterrestrial evil races who try to invade us!"
"What I've told you today, keep it in your hearts, and then do as you normally would. Don't put too much pressure on yourselves, after all..." Chu Yang smiled confidently and said, "If the sky falls, I'm still here!"
"I'm still here."
This final sentence was more reassuring than all the words Chu Yang had spoken before.
Since Chu Yang's appearance, he had carried a very mysterious aura.
No one knew his current strength. After he had demonstrated his Golden Core stage prowess last time, they thought he was a Golden Core expert, but the aura he displayed now was worlds apart from the Golden Core stage.
Moreover, he could open those magical secret realms and produce so many good things, so Chu Yang's status in their minds was now exceptionally high.
After Chu Yang's maneuver of first applying pressure and then soothing their emotions, the spirits of everyone instantly changed.
A certain belief flickered in their eyes. The calm and collected old Daoist suddenly felt a surge of passion.
Chu Yang raised his hands to signal them down: "Alright, alright! Take a deep breath! Relax. Tomorrow, the trials will begin. Although you are outstanding students, don't think that you are the only candidates for Immortal Emperor. Behind you, there are thousands upon thousands of people with lower talents trying to overtake you!"
After speaking, Chu Yang waved to the bewildered Xue Qianwei: "Let's go, Miss Xue!"
Xue Qianwei scratched her head, then trotted after Chu Yang as they left.
Only a few geniuses remained, exchanging bitter glances with each other.
"He's pressuring us while telling us to relax, how hateful! So hateful!" Qin Xiaoxiao said aggrievedly, wiping away her tears.
After seeing the scene Chu Yang had shown them earlier, Qin Xiaoxiao had been frightened to tears by the bloody visuals.
Although others' eyes burned with fire, the atmosphere remained somewhat somber.
Wang Teng clenched his fists and said fiercely, "I'm going to win first place in the trial!"
Meng Zibin sneered, "What nonsense are you spouting? Is first place won with words?"
"Just wait until the end of the trial and look up to me!"
Bai Nianchen also stood with his hands behind his back and said indifferently, "Since such a great calamity has befallen us, this poor Daoist will naturally strive for every opportunity. This first place, this poor Daoist will also compete for."
Luo Xiaowei crossed his arms, ambition filling his eyes: "The glory of the Sword Cultivation Ancestor begins with tomorrow's trial!"
Li Qingyun conjured a green lotus in his hand and said calmly, "Then everyone is an opponent."
Qin Xiaoxiao looked at Li Qingyun, then at the murderous crowd, and meekly said, "I... I want to compete too..."
Everyone stared at her with curious eyes.
Qin Xiaoxiao's face flushed red, and she lowered her head: "(´;︵;`)"
Weak, pathetic, and helpless...
Chu Yang didn't know if giving them such immense pressure so early was good or bad, but he felt that if they couldn't withstand this much pressure, how could they ever ascend to become Immortal Emperors in the future?
However, listening to the sounds coming from that direction, it seemed to be having a good effect. Their fighting spirit had been ignited, and at the very least, they wouldn't have any intention of giving up.
"Hey, hey, hey! What did you show them? You made that little girl cry!" Xue Qianwei asked curiously.
"Didn't you understand the conversation just now? I showed them a scene of the extraterrestrial evil races invading Blue Star in three years."
"Haha! That Qin Xiaoxiao is so weak! She cried over that!"
Chu Yang said meaningfully, "So, you're very brave, huh?"
Boss Xue confidently patted her chest: "Just kidding! I'm super brave, okay?"
"..."
A few moments later...
The super brave Boss Xue collapsed, having fainted from fright...