Chapter 9: The Final Assessment, Hunting the Demonic Beasts

In just a brief quarter of an hour, this temporarily formed trial team has already reached seven members

"That is truly wonderful. With Brother Yan's addition, our chances of passing the trial this time have greatly increased!" Xue Zhan said happily. Although the young men and women participating in the trial came from all corners of the world, only two of them managed to ascend the eighteen steps of the Heavenly Ladder in the second round, one of whom was Yan Li. Therefore, upon learning that the assessment for the third round involved slaying a first-level demon beast, he began to consider forming a team. After entering the forest and persuading two others to join his team, he happened to see Yan Li not far away, so he hurriedly brought his two teammates to catch up. What surprised him was that a genius youth like Yan Li should be quite proud; he did not expect that upon his invitation, the other party would readily agree. Naturally, this made him feel a greater sense of closeness to Yan Li.

Upon hearing this, the crowd could not help but show a serious expression. On the Tianhuang Continent, in addition to humans, there are numerous demon beasts. Demon beasts are classified into nine levels, with level one demon beasts being equivalent to martial artists at the peak of Qi Refinement.

A night has passed, and the voices of several youths discussing can be heard nearby, "What do you think the third assessment will be?"

Yan Li and Zhao exchanged smiles, yet it imparted a feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze to both of them. Yan Li, the reincarnation of Li Li in this world, belonged to the royal family, and every word and action of his had undergone special training

I have met the two Lin brothers

"What brings you here...?" Yan Li's gaze swept over the other party, and with the wisdom and experience he had accumulated over three lifetimes, he faintly understood the other party's intentions

The Great Wilderness Palace has shown great generosity by using crescent-shaped rice to entertain all those participating in the assessment

Suddenly, a trace of seriousness flashed across Yan Li's face as he gazed at a thicket of thorns several meters away. Perhaps due to the fusion of three souls, his sensing ability was particularly strong

Yan Lihuan's scattered gaze gradually converged, filled with determination. He exhaled a breath of turbid air towards the sky, shook his head, and roared inwardly: "Ziyue, wait for me. Once I have mastered my cultivation, I will traverse the entire Tianhuang Continent to find you!"

Who knows! Every year, in the entrance assessment, apart from the second stage of ascending the heavenly ladder being fixed, the first and third stages are not the same!

After having breakfast, everyone received a message from the Great Wilderness Palace, instructing them to gather at the Training Square

Upon hearing that there are actually Level 2 and Level 3 monsters in the Trial Forest, many people's faces turned pale, and their expressions grew increasingly serious

... ...

Yan Li did not bring the Wufeng Sword to the trial; instead, he carried an ordinary long sword made of high-quality steel on his back

Because Yan Li made a splash in the second round, both Yao Ling and Situ Xue were quite enthusiastic towards him. Within just a short quarter of an hour of acquaintance, the two girls called him "Brother Li" with great delight, which made the proud Ling Yu feel rather uncomfortable

The sun rises in the east

The young man in black straightened his posture and said to Yan Li in a friendly manner: "My name is Xue Zhan, and I would like to invite you to join our team to slay the demon beasts."

This time, the young man in purple did not keep everyone waiting for long; he appeared on the circular platform in the center of the training square in just a quarter of an hour

Lin Wu has met Brother Yan

After a night of rest, the servant disciples of the Great Wilderness Palace brought food. However, due to their concern for today's assessment, most of the young men and women hastily consumed a little to get it over with

Everyone be careful, there are monsters!

Let us set off

The only grain that contains more vitality than crescent moon rice is the spiritual rice that Yan Li once consumed. Spiritual rice requires special cultivation and has an extremely low yield, therefore, only the imperial royal family, major aristocratic families, and core disciples of various sects are able to enjoy it

A voice came from behind, and Yan Li turned around to see a black-clad youth of about fifteen years old, followed by two similarly aged youths in green attire.

The youths participating in the assessment are mostly at the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refinement, while those at the seventh or eighth level are rare, and those who have achieved the Great Perfection of Qi Refinement are even scarcer

The Great Wasteland Continent, the foremost sect of the Great Cloud Empire, the Great Wasteland Palace

Brother Yan, these two are Lin Wu and Lin Wen; they are biological brothers!" Xue Zhan said while introducing the other two to Yan Li.

Later, three individuals joined: one young man named Ling Yu, and two young women named Yao Ling and Situ Xue

The young man in purple issued a command, and the group of youths surged in.

As for Situ Xue, she seems to react a bit slowly, giving off a sense of natural dullness

Cheers erupted from the mouths of the passing young men and women. This time, the young man in purple did not intervene. After a while, when the cheers subsided, he spoke aloud: "Tonight, you will rest on the mountain for the night, and tomorrow you will continue to participate in the third round of the assessment"

The third round of the introductory assessment is about to begin, and many young individuals are showing eager anticipation; however, more of them are still filled with apprehension.

During his previous life of cultivation, he had also entered this trial forest, where he had slain several third-level demon beasts. Later, as his strength increased, he looked down upon entering it again

Take food as an example, ordinary people primarily consume corn as their staple, while small families and the wealthy rely on crescent rice as their main food. Crescent rice differs from ordinary corn; in addition to being sufficient to satiate hunger with a small amount, it also contains a subtle essence of vitality, which can strengthen the body and promote health with prolonged consumption

Some join, while others decline

It was not until the resounding voice of the young man in purple echoed that Yan Li came to his senses. He secretly made up his mind, "Regardless of whether Ziyue has entered the Great Wilderness Palace, he must find her!"

The young man in purple was quite satisfied with everyone's performance, and his voice continued to resonate, reaching the ears of each individual. "Next, you will enter the Trial Forest to slay a Level 1 demon beast and obtain its demon core. You have a time limit of twelve hours. Those who meet the requirements within the stipulated time will be able to become outer disciples of my Great Wilderness Palace."

I now announce that a total of 8,324 individuals have passed the second round of assessment

Indeed

After speaking, the young man in purple floated away. Subsequently, several hundred outer disciples dressed in green appeared, leading everyone to settle in a group of courtyards.

That night, Yan Li was sleepless throughout, his gaze unfocused, and the figure of Long Ziyue kept appearing in his mind

The Great Wilderness Mountain Range is the foremost mountain range of the Great Cloud Empire, stretching across tens of thousands of miles. Even the leading sect, the Great Wilderness Palace, has only developed a mere one-thousandth of it, while the majority remains desolate. It is said that deep within the Great Wilderness Mountain Range, there exists a presence that can rival the martial artists of the Imperial Realm

Please wait a moment, my friend

Having adjusted her mood, Yan Li glanced at the rice porridge sent by the servant, took a sip, and found it quite pleasant

I now announce the content of the third level of the entrance assessment. At this point, he paused slightly, and for a moment, the young individuals could not help but perk up their ears.

Soon, more than 8,000 young men and women participating in the assessment gathered at the training square, appearing significantly fewer in number compared to yesterday

The voice of the young man in purple once again resounded: "Remember, there are also Level 2 and Level 3 monsters in the Trial Forest, so it is best for you not to venture too deep; otherwise, if you lose your life, you cannot blame anyone. Let us begin!"

Let us begin

Under the leadership of the young man in purple, more than 8,000 youths participating in the assessment arrived at a forest filled with towering giant trees, where the Great Wilderness Palace was built atop the Great Wilderness Mountain Range

Unlike other youths, Yan Li appeared relaxed, for he knew that the words of the young man in purple were merely meant to intimidate. Those second and third level demon beasts resided deep within the trial forest and generally would not appear in the outer areas

He integrated the memories of the other party, naturally retaining their movements and postures

Therefore, it is exceedingly difficult to slay a first-level demon beast relying solely on one's own strength

Lin Wen has met Brother Yan

On the martial-dominated Tianhuang Continent, the differentiation of levels is particularly pronounced

Unbeknownst to them, the group had already ventured dozens of miles into the Trial Forest, and the figures of other youths were no longer visible around them. After all, the Trial Forest was vast, and with 8,000 people entering it, it was akin to a small stream flowing into the ocean

This trial forest has been arranged with a vital energy formation by the master arrayists of the Great Wilderness Palace, nurturing a portion of low-level demon beasts within it for the low-level disciples to undergo their trials

The four exchanged simple pleasantries before continuing their journey into the Trial Forest. During this time, Xue Zhan extended invitations to a portion of the youths.

Upon hearing this, Yan Li smiled and nodded slightly, confirming that his guess was indeed correct, "My name is Yan Li, and I can join you."

Level 1 Demon Beast

Yao Ling is a charming young girl. Although she is only fourteen years old, due to her martial arts training, she possesses all the attributes a girl should have, and even some that she should not.