As the prospective disciples crossed the mountain passes, from the initial 270 million, only roughly 300,000 persisted. And even among them, many were doomed to collapse. But collapsing didn't mean defeat. Those who could challenge the shackles of their hearts and rise through the trial still held a shot at success. Naturally, if achieving that was simple, they wouldn't have fallen, to begin with.
Still, many managed to power through. And even as the formation's pressure on their Dao Hearts increased, all persisted. Those 300,000 were indeed all endowed with tremendous willpower, and the determination to charge at ten thousand legions. But in many, imperfections lingered.