As Jinshi finished speaking, the atmosphere on the platform instantly tightened. Around the stone staircase, countless golden giant mice suddenly burst forth with strange glimmers in their eyes, their steady gaze fixed firmly on the entrance of the staircase. Their golden fur began to rise slightly, standing upright like that of a hedgehog. Facing this well-organized army of golden mice, no one dared to venture in at will—no one knew exactly how many there were, and most of the attendees were well aware of the mice's sonic attacks, which proved truly difficult to withstand. During the previous battle for the Heavenly Mountain Blood Pool, these creatures had caused many strong contenders serious hardships. "You have just one hour," Jin Gu said calmly, seeing the quiet crowd, "Those who fail to reach the summit within that time will still be deemed unsuccessful." Hearing this, many people's faces also grew slightly pale. After a moment, two figures finally stepped forward from the crowd, exchanged a glance, and then bowed formally to Jin Gu, speaking in a steady tone: "Huyá of Huagǔ Sect, Huyán of Huyán City." Jin Gu nodded. The Huagǔ Sect was not far from the Tianmù Mountain Range and had a certain reputation, though naturally, compared to a power like Fenglei Pavilion, it was still considerably less prominent. The two individuals' strength levels were precisely around four-star and five-star Battle Emperors—excellent in other regions, but here, they could only be considered average. After bowing to Jin Gu, a deep, slightly pale aura of solid battle energy surged forth from their bodies, fully enveloping both of them. As soon as the energy began to rise, the two figures suddenly stomped the ground hard, their bodies flashing like lightning, darting swiftly toward the stone staircase. From their demeanor, it was clear they intended to charge straight through the so-called mouse tide sound wave array in one powerful surge. Their speed was indeed remarkable—within a single flash, they had surged nearly a hundred meters forward. At that very instant, the golden-mouthing mice densely clustered around the stone steps suddenly arched their fur upright, their long, sharp-toothed mouths fully opening. The sound waves surged in overwhelming force, propelling them nearly ten meters forward. Both figures stiffened once more, and this time, blood erupted from their mouths in spurts. Their bodies, struck heavily, launched backward and landed heavily on the platform, spewing out another mouthful of blood under the watchful eyes of the onlookers. Several people on the platform sighed in惋惜, acknowledging how troublesome the sound wave array truly was. "Failure," Jin Gu shook his head slowly. Upon hearing this, the two from Huaguo Sect nodded in resignation, struggling to rise and stand stiffly by the side, unwilling to give up. They now hoped that no more than eight individuals would successfully pass through the sound wave array—only then would they still have a chance. "Any others?" Jin Gu scanned the field, then spoke again. With these words, another silence spread across the platform. Xiao Yan, Feng Miss, Tang Ying, and the others remained silent, though time was pressing—they didn’t feel the need to act immediately. After all, chopping wood doesn’t require sharpening the axe right away; by observing the sonic array more closely, they might find a better chance of success. As the silence deepened, four more figures stepped forward, clearly determined to make a direct assault through sheer numbers. … Standing at the back of the platform, Xiao Yan watched the waves of challengers who had advanced only to fall back in defeat. His eyes grew slightly serious—this Sonic Array seemed more difficult than he had anticipated. Among the earlier challengers, several were skilled in Sonic Combat Techniques, yet their sonic waves not only failed to penetrate the Array but were instead overwhelmed by the collision of opposing sonic forces, sending them gasping and flying out, bloodied from the impact. Though this individual had fallen, he had been the farthest among all the challengers. Had it not been for the sheer intensity of the sonic waves unleashed by the Gold-Eating Mice, which his own techniques could not withstand, he might have successfully passed through. As the challenges continued, the strength of those stepping forward grew stronger, and the duration they maintained within the Sonic Array steadily increased. This progress stirred excitement among many—though they might not personally succeed, they now saw tangible hope emerging. Another contestant fell out, and Xiao Yan couldn't help but gently rub his chin. This one's strength was roughly at the level of a Seven-Star Sovereign, similar to the one he had faced earlier. Yet even at a distance of over a hundred meters from the summit, he was knocked back by the sonic waves. As this contestant fell, a wave of sighs rose from the platform. Then, a graceful seven-colored figure stepped forward slowly. As one of the main attractions of the event, Feng's movement immediately drew the attention of the entire audience. With her standing among the field's strongest, many spectators now held their breath—should she fail to pass through the sonic array, it would indeed be unlikely that many others would succeed. Upon seeing Feng step forward, the usually relaxed expression on Jin Shi's face brightened with interest. He had heard of her reputation before—being regarded as one of the most promising heirs of the Fenglei Pavilion. Without any real talent, few would believe it. As for how she will perform today, he was also quite interested. "Miss Feng Qing'er of Fenglei Pavilion has the honor to meet Master Jinshi. Before departing, my master asked me to extend his greetings to Master Jinshi," said the young lady, smiling warmly at Jinshi as she approached the stone staircase. Before the stone staircase, after a few formal exchanges with Master Lei, Feng Qing'er fell silent, her gaze shifting toward the staircase stretching all the way to the summit. She glanced at the dense clusters of golden-mouthing mice flanking the path, her delicate features now showing a touch of seriousness. A brilliant silver glow surged from within her and swiftly enveloped her entirely. The sharp sonic waves also instantly transformed into ripples, spreading out rapidly. Upon touching Feng Qing'er's body, the waves caused her to tremble slightly, then surged forward with astonishing speed, leaving several fleeting silhouettes in the sky before shattering into fragments at the next instant. This incredible velocity immediately caused many people on the platform to gasp in astonishment. From their perspective, it seemed as though even the sonic waves themselves could not keep up with Feng Qing'er, only managing to follow closely and successively shatter each of her trailing forms. Jin Shi, his eyes slightly narrowed, could not help but nod in admiration—this woman's speed was truly formidable; perhaps even the Wind-Thunder Pavilion's famed "Three Thousand Thunder Motions" had reached their peak. "Shhh—" At the far end of the winding stone staircase, a gust of wind broke through, and then Feng Qing'er leapt gracefully, landing with poised elegance upon a patch of green stone. From her elevated position, she gazed down upon the group gathered halfway up the mountain. As a gentle breeze swept past, her long hair swayed gently, exuding a regal grace reminiscent of a queen. "Feng Qing'er has successfully passed the trial," Jin Shi said, his gaze slowly returning, his usually calm voice now carrying a subtle warmth. This young woman—though she stood among the finest of the Shiji Mouse Clan's rising generation—was truly surpassing even them. Indeed, the Fenglei Pavilion truly had a promising future. Feng Qing'er's first successful passage had stirred the platform, prompting the others to grow increasingly eager. Especially Tang Ying, Wang Chen, and Mu Qinglun, who, as members of the Si Fang Pavilion, naturally wished not to fall behind the leaders from the Fenglei Pavilion. Watching the growing excitement among the crowd, Xiao Yan smiled, his eyes drifting upward to meet Feng Qing'er's. He absorbed fully the subtle challenge reflected in her gaze. "Wait here with me—I'll take you on a journey." Xiao Yan turned slightly, smiled at Na Lan Yanran, and then, without waiting for her response, turned and walked straight toward the stone staircase. Staring at the slender silhouette retreating into the distance, Na Lan Yanran paused, then clenched her silver teeth firmly and quickly followed. After all, if Xiao Yan had already made such a request, she might as well go with him—even if they ultimately failed. And, in truth, she had an unexpected sense of confidence in him.