I tricked you into thinking you had the makings of an emperor, but you actually did it?

Shen Ming was not greatly affected and put the Star Moon Spirit Water into his storage bag.

The others turned their attention straight ahead, eagerly anticipating the second challenge.

"Second Challenge: The Dragon Soars Without Regret!"

The Kowloon City Lord's voice resounded throughout the entire venue.

The hearts of everyone on the lake suddenly raced, and an inexplicable emotion gripped their throats.

The person at the front took a few steps back, staring wide-eyed.

The once clear lake water gradually turned dark and almost black, forming eerie ripples. It seemed as if some enormous creature was slowly surging and stirring the water.

Suddenly, two bright lights shone underwater.

"Dragon! It's a dragon!"

The people on the lake were too close to see clearly, but the people on the nine large islands discovered a colossal creature beneath their feet.

A gigantic dragon head is faintly visible!

The dragon scales shimmered with a cold metallic luster under the faint light.

The two beams of light were the huge dragon's eyes slowly opening, like two burning suns and moons, their gaze seemingly able to penetrate one's soul.

"Kanglong" refers to a dragon that flies to the horizon and cannot return, implying that everything will decline when it reaches its peak, and that action will lead to regret.

"The dragon soars high without regret" means that you must remain steadfast in your resolve, withstand the dragon's might, and reach the other side.

Everyone could clearly feel the impact of the dragon's might, and they couldn't imagine the pressure the people on the lake were under.

Some people were already sweating profusely and pale-faced before they even started.

Li Tianxing and the other outstanding individuals all had their brows furrowed, as if they were resisting immense pressure.

Just then, Ji Xuan burst into laughter and strode forward with his head held high.

His true dragon bloodline power allowed him to navigate the three trials with ease.

Longwei had very little impression of him, and was even training his mind.

"I, Ji Xuan, have no regrets in my life!"

Ji Xuan took the lead, walking ahead of everyone else without stopping.

Suddenly, a ripple appeared on the lake's surface, an invisible impact that questioned Ji Xuan's heart.

Ji Xuan was taken aback, and immediately thought of the Xuan Emperor he had encountered at the Floating Pagoda.

If only back then...

As soon as this thought arose, Ji Xuan felt incredibly heavy, and his feet hesitated to take a step.

Don’t forget it!

Ji Xuan gritted his teeth and cast aside his regret.

He comes from a first-class family and received comprehensive training from a young age, including mental training.

When people encounter setbacks and difficulties, they try to find great wisdom to extricate themselves and follow the truth to guide their conduct and actions.

However, the Ji family believed that there was no absolute truth in the world, and that one should only focus on the present moment.

This helped Ji Xuan take a step forward and continue moving forward.

Looking back, he saw others still struggling and secretly felt smug.

People soon discovered a pattern: the speed at which people moved on the lake was linked to their ranking.

Those who didn't make it onto the Hidden Dragon List even stood still.

"This is a tricky one. In martial arts training, talent is important, but so is mindset. People who doubt themselves are often unable to devote themselves wholeheartedly."

"A strong mindset requires gradual accumulation and development; talent and mindset complement each other."

The two cultivators at the Sovereign Realm were discussing something that resounded throughout the venue; judging from their accents, they were not cultivators from the Northern Region.

Hearing such praise, the people of Kowloon City, as the host, couldn't help but feel proud.

"Hey! Someone's about to overtake Ji Xuan!"

They saw a mysterious person wearing a dragon-head mask walking quickly across the lake.

Shen Ming's face behind the mask was full of doubt. The reason he lingered for a while was because he did not sense the dragon's might.

Dragon's might? Where did this dragon's might come from? He thought something had gone wrong.

As for the impact on his mindset, Shen Ming was completely unaffected.

His life motto is to follow his heart and never torment himself.

Soon, Shen Ming caught up with Ji Xuan and was about to overtake him.

Ji Xuan didn't notice at first, but he caught a glimpse of a figure popping out from the right and was startled.

"This is definitely the young lord of Kowloon City!"

Ji Xuan was convinced of this. Even he had to withstand a certain amount of dragon's might, yet this person could move with incredible speed, which was illogical.

It must be a special arrangement by Kowloon City to create momentum for this young city lord.

Azure dragon mask, Azure dragon battle armor—isn't that obvious enough?

Ji Xuan's expression softened. He could accept this arrangement, after all, the other party was the host.

And so, the two of them walked past the dragon's head, one after the other.

"First place in two consecutive rounds! Who is this person?!"

While everyone was still marveling at how Shen Ming had passed through the Dragon Gate, they saw him pass through the second trial with such ease, and their curiosity reached its peak.

Xuan Yuan could barely contain his smile and exclaimed, "I really don't know what kind of power can cultivate such a genius!"

Chongxu Daoist and Gongzi Xin exchanged glances, both feeling that something was off about their old friend today.

Could it be that he suffered some kind of trauma, causing a drastic change in his mind?!

The Su family patriarch, Su Yun, smiled knowingly, confirming his thoughts.

At this moment, the dragon's head beneath the lake disappeared, and the lake returned to its clear state.

Many who failed and were struggling in place suddenly realized what was happening, looking unwilling but still continuing to move forward.

Passing the three challenges is a bonus; failing to pass them won't eliminate you from the competition, but you won't receive a reward.

Those who succeed will receive corresponding treasures based on their performance.

Next up is the final challenge.

At this moment, they were still 100 meters away from the Denglong Platform.

"The third challenge: Flying Dragon in the Sky!"

"The Lord of Kowloon City shouted loudly."

As soon as he finished speaking, all the lake water within a hundred meters of Denglongtai disappeared, turning into a bottomless abyss.

Shen Ming and the others were like standing on the edge of a cliff, with the lake water in front of them changing direction and flowing downwards.

This time, the Kowloon City Lord didn't need to explain; everyone knew the content of the third trial.

It flew over 100 meters, like a flying dragon, and landed on the Dragon Ascension Platform.

You could see that many people breathed a sigh of relief; what they feared was a test of their mental fortitude like what had just happened.

Li Tianxing of the Xuanming Sect took the lead, soaring into the air like a roc spreading its wings, and flew towards the Dragon Ascension Platform.

A distance of 100 meters is difficult for a Yuantai Realm martial artist, but it's nothing to mention for a prodigy like Li Tianxing.

Suddenly, a massive dragon claw emerged from below, covered in jet-black scales that gleamed with a cold, hard sheen. The sharp claws compressed the air violently, creating visible shockwaves that spread outwards like surging waves.

Li Tianxing, unsteady in mid-air, wasn't too panicked, realizing it wouldn't be that simple.

Feeling the terrifying power of the dragon claw, he did not resist it. Instead, he used a secret movement technique in the sky to dodge the claw and landed on the Dragon Ascension Platform.

This set an example for others who followed, all of whom chose to avoid the dragon's claws and reach the Dragon Ascension Platform.

"Dragon-Slaying Hand!"

Ji Xuan was the only exception; he was determined to steal the show today, performing his ultimate skill in mid-air.

The two dragon claws collided in the sky!

Ji Xuan forcefully slapped the dragon claw back and then landed steadily on the Dragon Ascension Platform.

Then, he looked at Shen Ming, who was wearing a mask.

“Kowloon City can’t do anything about this, I want to see what they can do!” Ji Xuanxin said.