After the brief speech from Station Head Ferro, every participants approached the big red structure which was even touching the cloud. At first they were disorderly but under the suppressing eyes of the ten mask elders, they quickly organized into rows of twelve lines.
Every one knew it was a great chance but taking for granted without any care for other will simply be disrespectful and courting death.
William was not in hurry. He stood in the back along with his four retainers.
"Let's wait. The pagoda will not disappear if we take the trial a bit later." He said.
"I agree," this time it was the silent Wilson who spoke. He explained, "There is roughly over ten thousand participants here. And this happened in every time this trial happen after every decade."
Hearing that Silver grinned, "Good, prince Wilson, this time you really did your homework. I wrongly thought that you have no intention of joining this trip. I'm wrong for beating you." Then she lightly slapped over his back.
Wilson frowned and screamed in his heart, Yes you are right. I never plan to join this trip and you forcefully pull me into this trip. Now I've change my heart. I believe your current skills and strength has something to do with Prince Seventh. Otherwise, how can a snorty little brat beat me in a dual. After these two weeks of trip I understand something Prince William was not as simple as I assumed. Who say he is a cripple in cultivation? With my current understanding Seventh Prince was simply unfathomable.
This was also the similar thought crossing through Ashley's mind. She was also defeated in a duel with Silver and after this trip she learned it must also be something to do with the prince which was regarded as the Cripple.
The group glanced at William with a burning eyes.
"What?" he said.
"Nothing," they replied.
"Nothing? They are just jealous. Ignore these fools." Silver said.
Even though they were not in a hurry to join the trial, they walked to an elevated spot and watched the show.
The first group of youths entered the ground floor of the pagoda which was covered with green screen.
When they entered a virtual screen appear in the air not far from the pagoda.
Their names and aged were for everyone to see with where they were currently in First floor.
A screamed chimed and a youth was blasted out of the pagoda. He laid over the dusty ground messily.
Instead of pitying his sorry state, the masked elder sneered, "Your bone age clear says 25 years. Hmph! This is what you get fort ignoring the rule."
He turned to the crowd and added, "Those who are over 20 years old I advise you to give up in joining the trial. Otherwise, you might die this time. That is clearly a warning from the Pagoda. If you ignore it then, hehe…"
Those youths who were clearly over-aged panicked and decided to give up in joining the trial.
William on the other hand didn't care at all as he was currently sixteen years of age.
After a few minutes half of the youths who had entered the Pagoda also expelled out.
"Clearly they all fail in first floor," a youth outside spoke.
Another added, "Sure, sure, it is just the start. Only the lucky few will ascend the second floor. And the third floor, I believe no one will be able to."
"Oh, really. Why is it so?" asked the youth beside him.
The other youth responded with a tone of lecturing a villager, "My friend, this was not the first time the Trial of fate happened here. I'm speaking out of statistics after studying all the results of the previous Trials. Plus, those who were able to ascend the second floor have the chance of becoming a future king. Actually, the king of this kingdom of Hornbill, his majesty also able to ascend the Second floor of this pagoda."
William and his team also watched the show quietly. They'd already come prepare. So, they knew the trial was very hard. Only the geniuses of the generation could ascend the floors.
William had another thought considering the request from his father the king to acquired the Horn Bulldroc from the Seventh floor.
'Here, in the eastern barren land, no one had ever successfully ascend the third floor. How did his father know about the horn which was on the Seventh Floor.' This thought kept coming to him and thought that it was not so simple.
"Yeah, why is that old fart want me to acquire something which was impossible to begin with." He muttered and came to realize that it was the other way around.
That means he might have ascend at least the Seventh Floor during his trial. But he somehow missed the reward of horn because other might had ascend faster than him.
Whatever? There is no point in over-thinking.
Almost all of the participant began to walk out one after another.
Only a person's name was still on the virtual screen.
Sally Saltimore, age: 14 yrs old.
Suddenly, her name tagged with 2nd floor.
"What?!"
"Someone really succeed in ascending,"
"She must be a genius."
Everyone was all curious as they continued to watch on the screen.
And for those participants who had expelled began to curse and began to blame on luck and gods.
But it was not the end as the name began to ascend more and entered the 3rd floor.
The crowd thundered with astonishment. This was the first thing that had happened in the history of this place. They wanted to see the person herself.
Tower Head Ferro also looked at the screen with interest for the first time.
One of the masked elder spoke, "Alright, the next batch of people can go inside."
The first half of the participants had ended their trial and the next half was all ready to go in.
There was hope in their eyes as they also believed they could ascend like the only person on the virtual screen.