"Thirty-eight feet!"
"Forty feet!"
….
Meanwhile, within the Divine Lake, approximately two hundred and thirty individuals were still descending towards the lake's depths.
Orion relished in the sensation of his body being revitalized as the Divine Lake enveloped his skin, leaving him feeling invigorated.
As he had anticipated, submerging himself in the Divine Lake felt much like immersing in the ancestral essence of the tree nymph, with the only difference being that his body experienced a gentle, soothing massage as numerous subtle vibrations emanated from both outside and within him.
Stretching his arms wide as he continued to comfortably hold his breath, Orion turned his head to glance at the extremely elderly pixie who had accompanied him into the Divine Lake.
He couldn't help but wonder how the old man would rescue him if something were to go awry before he began to ponder about reconciling with the resentful pixies after the trial. He then shifted his attention to the other participants following behind him.
Observing that there were still a few hundred individuals lagging far behind, appearing on the verge of collapse as they painstakingly progressed through the Divine lake, Orion cast his gaze to the side. He noticed two more participants being hauled out of the Divine Lake by the Guardians just as their bodies teetered on the brink of succumbing to the Divine Lake's intense pressure.
Turning his gaze away, Orion fixed his eyes on the few individuals ahead of him who were swiftly swimming towards his position.
As expected, the foremost figure was Princess Crystalia, with Flintor following closely behind.
Upon scanning the area further, he spotted Iris, who was swimming alongside the rest of the group, making their way to this depth despite the challenge.
Simultaneously, as Orion observed them in their descent into the Divine Lake, they were also observing him, their eyes widening as they watched him glide through the lake, seemingly impervious to the crushing pressure they were all experiencing.
In fact, some began to entertain the fleeting idea that Orion might possess an artefact or technique to endure the Divine Lake's unnatural pressure.
However, this idea was swiftly dismissed as they remembered his identity, focusing once more on their descent into the Divine lake's depths.
'Is he waiting for us?' Princess Crystalia pondered, her brow furrowing.
Her curiosity heightened as Orion came to a halt and turned to face them while floating within the intense pressure of the Divine Lake. Realizing this trial allowed multiple participants, she understood that Orion was patiently waiting for them to catch up.
Thinking about it, even though she felt relieved that Orion was considerate enough to check on their progress, a trace of annoyance lingered in Princess Crystalia's heart as she witnessed the vast difference in their performance.
Suppressing the intense frustration within her, she cast a brief, meaningful glance backwards at Flintor before redirecting her focus downward and accelerating her movements.
Flintor was surprised by the Princess's sudden burst of speed as he tried to understand her unspoken intentions. Nevertheless, he clenched his teeth, pushed through the mounting pressure, and staved off the intruding headache before matching her accelerated pace.
Watching the Princess and her personal guard suddenly accelerate their descent, those behind them gritted their teeth in frustration. They immediately increased their swimming pace in an attempt to catch up.
Even Iris, who was at the rear and struggling against the urge to vomit blood due to the violent turmoil within her body, clenched her teeth and propelled herself downward with perseverance.
Observing over a hundred participants intensify their speed alongside Princess Crystalia and Flintor, Orion couldn't help but raise his brows in surprise.
He was somewhat impressed by their determination, evident in their bulging veins and flushed expressions, as they pushed themselves to their limits.
Regardless, there was nothing he could do but continue swimming downward until they reached the trial, whatever it might be.
Meanwhile, while Orion enjoyed his time within the Divine Lake, casually descending further and further, approximately one hundred and twenty-nine individuals had already been brought out of the pool.
The Princess of the Garden's voice continued to resound loudly in the air.
"Two hundred and twenty-five feet!"
"Three hundred feet!"
After an hour had passed and more depths were announced, the Princess of the Garden focused her attention downward.
She narrowed her eyes as though she was unable to see through the Divine Lake in front of her and examined the lake's bottom. She uttered, "Five hundred feet!" before sealing her lips, signifying to the onlookers that the participants had now reached the bottom of the Divine Lake and were about to commence the real trial.
Everyone understood the meaning, and they held their breath even tighter as their bodies tensed exponentially in anticipation of the trial's outcome. Even Queen Selene clenched her fist until it began to bleed.
No matter what, this trial had to be completed so they could finally escape this mountain.
...
Beneath the Divine Lake...
As Orion's feet touched the lake's bottom, he cast a brief glance at the pixie who had barely managed to keep up. He couldn't help but snort inwardly at the pixie's performance and then shifted his focus to Princess Crystalia, who had also just reached the lake's bottom.
Their gazes met, and without the need for words, they slowly began to survey their surroundings.
Their eyes briefly flitted over numerous plants and fruits at the bottom of the Divine Lake, searching for anything odd or strange that might be related to the trial.
Then Orion's attention was drawn to something peculiar. He spotted a huge hole in the distance and immediately gestured to Princess Crystalia, pointing her in the direction of the hole.
Her eyes widened with surprise, followed by an expression of relief that spread across her face.
Since they had no prior information about the trial, Princess Crystalia had expected that it would take at least an hour, if not more, to locate the trial or anything related to it.
