There were only three days until the quarterly assessment, and the rules for the assessment had been announced much earlier.
The rules were very simple. Each student had to act alone and kill a real Magi Brute expert!
Those who failed would be eliminated.
Those who ranked low would also be eliminated.
The ranking would be decided in a simple way: the less time a student took to kill the Magi Brute expert, the higher they would be ranked. On the contrary, the longer it took, the lower their ranking.
After the quarterly assessment, ten out of the remaining twenty campgrounds would be removed and the number of students eliminated was based on the quarterly assessment results.
……
The atmosphere in Blood Kill Camp had turned very tense as everyone was anxiously preparing for the upcoming quarterly assessment.
The Magi Brute expert that they would have to kill alone in the quarterly assessment was a brute warrior with a strength comparable to a Spirit Dipper cultivator. Even top students such as Shi Yu, Ning Meng, Qi Can and Gong Ming were under enormous pressure.
According to the cultivation levels, only Spirit Dipper cultivators and above could compete with brute warriors!However, all the students in Blood Kill Camp were at the True Martial Stage. It was easy to imagine how much pressure they would feel having to fight a brute warrior.
“Fortunately, although it’s a solo fight, we can use our points to exchange for aeth tools and armaments for the battle. As long as we give it our all, it shouldn’t be that difficult to kill a brute warrior.” Shi Yu said thoughtfully in the canteen.
“The most important thing is that the brute warriors that Blood Kill Camp has prepared for us definitely won’t be that strong. Otherwise, even true Spirit Dipper cultivators will struggle to kill them, let alone us.”
Li Qiu, who was next to him, nodded.
Brute warriors had strength comparable to the Spirit Dipper Stage but because they were different cultivation levels, they were ranked differently.
First-level brute warriors were equivalent to Human Spirit Dipper cultivators, second-level brute warriors were equivalent to Earth Spirit Dipper cultivators, and third-level brute warriors were equivalent to Heaven Spirit Dipper cultivators.
In the Blood Kill Camp’s quarterly assessment, the opponents prepared for the students would all be first-level brute warriors. Otherwise, even top students such as Shi Yu, Ning Meng, Qi Can and Gong Ming would no doubt lose.
“Hmph, Little White Face, are you afraid?” Ning Meng said disdainfully.
“If you know yourself and your enemy, you can win hundreds of battles without a single loss.” Shi Yu smiled pensively. “I'm not like you. You only know how to kill recklessly and have only courage but no brains!”
“F* your grandma!” Ning Meng slammed the table and fumed, “What do you mean by having only courage and no brains? Are you saying that I’m stupid?”
“You said it, not me.”
“You dare to say it but don’t dare to admit it? Little White Face, you’re so cowardly!”
“Whether or not I’m cowardly is none of your business!”
These two were like oil and water and would fight whenever they saw each other. The students in the 39th Campground had long grown used to it.
If Lin Xun was here, he might have been able to resolve the situation but he wasn’t there, leaving Li Qiu, sandwiched between the two. He pretended to not hear anything and continued to eat with a bitter smile.
……
Rune battle realm—Thousand Heavy Wave Sea.
While Shi Yu and Ning Meng were smack talking each other, Lin Xun was standing atop a mountain peak in the center of a vast ocean.
Waterfalls roared down like white dragons from the mountain and produced thunder-like rumbles. It stirred up thousands of waves in the sea and created a spectacular scene.
Lin Xun gasped for breath. The long wet hair and clothes sticking to his body made him look even more discomposed.
He stood atop the mountain as waves surged around his feet. The sky was high and the ocean was deep. Although he was exhausted and was aching with pain, lofty feelings were rising in his heart.
He had succeeded!
He had finally passed the Thousand Heavy Wave Sea level after nearly three months at Blood Kill Camp.
Standing at the edge of the mountain peak, Lin Xun surveyed the surroundings. He felt the joy of overlooking the world as everything under his feet felt smaller than usual.
As emotions swirled in Lin Xun’s heart, he heard a cold voice devoid of emotions—
“Dao Seeker, you have successfully passed the second level of the Great Azure Cloud Path on the 72nd attempt.”
Buzz!
A cryptic undulation washed over Lin Xun and he felt his vision beginning to blur and fade like bubbles.
By the time he regained his vision, he had returned to the Great Azure Cloud Path of the Omega Secret Realm. At the end of the path stood the Omega Door that seemed to have been standing there since ancient times.
“Dao Seeker, an average score will be rewarded with the first part of the Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture and the first part of the Heavenly Yuan Blade Art.”
Two spheres of light floated into the air.
Lin Xun was stunned. He had already guessed that a reward would follow but he didn't expect the reward to be differentiated by his score!
An average score is rewarded with two sets of cultivation arts, then what special reward would be given to an outstanding score?
Lin Xun suddenly felt a little regretful. He would have strived for an outstanding result if he had known earlier!
Unfortunately, Lin Xun couldn’t change anything. He could only treat this experience as a lesson and not make the same mistake again.
Lin Xun stretched out his hand and gently caressed the two spheres of light. Instantly, a gush of mysterious and obscure cultivation mantras flooded his mind like a tide.
The Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture was a secret cultivation art. The darkness of the mystery grotto was connected to the mystery of all things. The devouring of nature formed the ten directions to return to the great wilderness. The wilderness was the ancient, the ancient was the source, and the source housed the body of cultivation, giving birth to wonders.
In short, it was a mysterious cultivation art for practicing aeth power. Using the body as a vessel, a cultivator could pry into everything in the world as well as understand the mystery of cultivation. A cultivator could swallow the spirits of heavens, refine them into their body, and produce unbelievable wonders.
Although it was only the first part, according to the mantra itself, its cultivation methods could help a cultivator reach the Heaven Ascension Stage!
The Heaven Ascension Stage was the fourth stage of the five great cultivation stages and was extremely obscure and difficult. However, the Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture had records about the Heaven Ascension Stage. This fact alone showed how remarkable this cultivation art was.
It was hard to imagine what sort of mysterious and remarkable cultivation methods were recorded in the second part of the Mystery Grotto Devour Wilderness Scripture.
The first part of the Heavenly Yuan Blade Art was a blade art divided into Stars Gathering, Moon Catching, and Burning Sun.
Each move was extremely powerful and profound. But given Lin Xun’s current power of understanding, he wouldn’t be able to comprehend much!
This terrified him. This blade art is too incredible. Although I have obtained the blade art, I can’t wrap my head around it. It’s so mystical like a heavenly book.
Lin Xun suddenly remembered that the Little Divine Meditation Art was also divided into three realms: Star Cycle, Moon Phases and Sun Illumination and was a spirit tempering art.
The three great moves of the first part of the Heavenly Yuan Blade Art are called Stars Gathering, Moon Catching and Burning Sun and it is a type of combat art.
The two seem completely different but they both involve the sun, moon and stars. Could there be some kind of connection between them?
Lin Xun wasn’t certain.
“Dao Seeker, the Omega Secret Realm will open again in one year. The third level of the Great Azure Cloud Path is called Hundred Battle.”
The icy voice rang again, reverberating throughout the vast Omega Secret Realm, making it impossible to locate where the voice came from.
“There will be three chances to pass. If you fail after all three chances, the Omega Secret Realm will fall into a sealed state until an opportunity comes by to open again in one thousand years…”
As the voice faded, everything before Lin Xun darkened and a familiar feeling of dizziness flooded his consciousness. Instantly, he left the Omega Secret Realm.
……
Old Mo’s warehouse.
Xiaoman rested her chin in her palm while her bright eyes were staring at Lin Xun, who was sitting cross-legged. A trace of puzzlement came to her sexy and beautiful face.
Lin Xun was right in front of her but she couldn’t detect his presence with her perception. It was impossible to locate any traces of the boy.
This is too strange? Could the kid be practicing some special arts?
Xiaoman looked bewildered. She couldn’t be certain because she had never heard of any cultivation art that had such an effect.
Suddenly, Lin Xun’s body quivered and his eyes snapped open. Xiaoman’s beautiful face was right in front of him, almost touching his face. Her bright, star-like eyes were misty and her breath was as sweet-smelling as an orchid. He couldn’t help but jump up. “Big Sister, what are you doing?”
He looked startled.
Xiaoman patted his forehead and giggled, “Don't worry, your big sister isn’t the kind of woman who would throw herself into someone’s arms!”
Sighing, Lin Xun stood up straight. He found that wisps of bizarre power were surging all over his body and tempering his physique at an unimaginable speed. He felt like he was floating into the air and walking on the clouds.
This was one of the benefits of passing the Thousand Heavy Wave Sea. It had an incredible effect on tempering physique.
“You seem to have become stronger again.” Xiaoman raised her eyebrows and looked at Lin Xun in surprise.
She could feel that Lin Xun’s bearing had subtly changed again and he seemed to have become more ethereal. His every gesture and movement gave off an indescribable charm.
“Isn't this better?” Lin Xun laughed. “The quarterly assessment is in three days. I just wish I could become even stronger.”
Xiaoman shot a glare at him. “Don’t talk nonsense. Let’s get down to business. Given your current strength, it will be difficult to deal with a first-level brute warrior. What is your plan?”
Lin Xun said without hesitation. “I definitely can’t fight force with force. I will have to prepare some aeth tools and will be armed to the teeth.”
Xiaoman nodded and said, “From what I know, the other students have the same plan as you. Many students have gone to the supply warehouse to exchange for aeth tools in the past few days. You better hurry and prepare, otherwise all the good stuff will be gone.”
Lin Xun smiled. “Leave those things to them. I will prepare something else.”
Xiaoman exclaimed, “What?”
Lin Xun shifted his gaze to Old Mo, who was busy working, and grinned. “With a rune master like Old Mo around, I can have whatever aeth tool I want. Isn’t it easy?”
Xiaoman chuckled and stared at Lin Xun with her bright eyes. “Cunning! I didn’t know that you’re that kind of person!”
Lin Xun rubbed his nose and said seriously, “It’s not cheating right? I have helped Old Mo a lot. He will feel bad if he doesn’t help me.”
Seeing Lin Xun being so bold and righteous when asking for help, Xiaoman couldn’t help but giggle out loud. Her expression could melt any man’s heart.