Profound Heaven Soul Sovereign

This meant that besides searching for Crystal Stones and resisting the inherent dangers of the Endless Mountain Range, the new students would also have to face being plundered by senior students—and even competition amongst themselves.

The expressions of many new students turned grim. With things like this, was there any chance for them to get any Crystal Stones?

Lu Jun raised his hand, and streaks of white light suddenly landed in each student’s palm, one for every person.

Ye Xuan looked down and saw that the white light was a milky-white talisman.

"In this region, experts from the academy will be stationed at various intervals to stand guard. If you encounter life-threatening danger, you need only crush the white talisman. Before long, an academy instructor will arrive to rescue you and escort you out of the assessment area. However, any Crystal Stones you possess must be handed over and returned to the region, and you will simultaneously lose your eligibility to join the inner academy."

"Of course, when the assessment period ends in half a month, you must all crush the talismans in your hands. The instructors will then know your locations and bring you all out. That will be the time when we tally the Crystal Stones you’ve collected."

"Don’t think these Crystal Stones are merely your ticket into the inner academy. After the assessment ends, we will distribute rewards based on the number of Crystal Stones you possess."

"To give you an idea of the rewards, let me offer a simple example. If someone possesses ten Crystal Stones, they can receive a reward equivalent to a Tier Seven Spirit Medicine or a Sixth Grade Pill. Furthermore, it can be *any* type of Tier Seven Spirit Medicine or Sixth Grade Pill, as long as our Gale Light Academy has it in stock."

"In addition to Pills, the Crystal Stones can also be exchanged for cultivation manuals, Profound Soldiers, and all other manner of treasures."

As Lu Jun’s calm voice faded, everyone gasped. In the next moment, their eyes burned with fervor.

Ten Crystal Stones were equivalent to a Tier Seven Spirit Medicine. That meant a single Crystal Stone was worth a Tier Six Spirit Medicine or a Fifth Grade Pill.

But the most crucial part was Lu Jun’s final sentence.

For the students present, an ordinary Tier Six Spirit Medicine or a Fifth Grade Pill wasn’t necessarily a huge draw. But being able to choose *any* kind was a different story entirely, to say nothing of being able to exchange them for Profound Soldiers and cultivation manuals.

For a moment, the hearts of countless students burned with fiery determination, yet their expressions were also incredibly grave. One could only imagine what a brutal competition this would be.

"Now, enter the mountain forest and begin your search. Remember, the area for this survival assessment is the ten thousand-li mountain range before you. All fifty Crystal Stones are within this region."

"Go!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

As Lu Jun finished speaking, the students exchanged glances before darting into the mountain range ahead and vanishing from sight.

"I wonder how many students will pass the assessment this time," Qingfeng said, shaking his head slightly.

"It’s hard to say. The survival assessment is always the most difficult trial, filled with too many variables. For these new students, the greatest challenge isn’t finding the Crystal Stones, but keeping them out of the seniors’ hands."

"Let’s go. The senior students should be on the move by now. We should get to our designated posts to prevent any major accidents."

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

As they spoke, Lu Jun and the others transformed into streaks of light and vanished into the forest.

「At this moment, in a part of the mountain range several thousand li away.」

Two old men with unfathomably deep auras stood there. Arrayed around them were ten young men and women, each with an extraordinary presence.

Every one of these ten radiated a dense aura, as profound as an abyss, as inescapable as hell.

"Elder Qi, when does this inner academy assessment finally begin? I’m getting impatient. I want to meet my dear junior brothers and sisters," a young man in green robes said, a wicked smirk on his lips and a rakish air about him.

"Zhan Jun, rest assured," another youth with a dark complexion said, a hint of excitement in his expression. "It’s rare to get a turn to participate in the survival assessment. I guarantee you’ll have your fun this time."

"I heard there was a huge fight in the outer academy not long ago. A few experts from the Profound Mystery Sect were chasing one of our new students and actually started brawling right on Gale Light Academy grounds, even destroying a lot of buildings. Apparently, that new student is in this assessment. I’d really like to see what kind of person he is."

"That guy’s name is Xuan Ye, right? A freshman who just enrolled this year and has already turned the outer academy upside down. If I get my hands on him, I’ll be sure to teach him a proper lesson."

"Hmph. And that Profound Mystery Sect... daring to cause a scene at Gale Light Academy. It’s a pity the inner and outer academies are separate. Otherwise, how could those people from the Profound Mystery Sect have possibly left in one piece?"

These ten were clearly inner academy disciples of Gale Light Academy, and they were the senior students participating in this survival assessment. Every one of them was haughty and spoke with domineering arrogance.

As they were talking, a Token suddenly appeared in one of the elder’s hands. He glanced down at it, his eyes lighting up.

"Alright. The survival assessment has begun. You may now proceed on your own."

The two elders glanced at each other, and as the words left their lips, they vanished in an instant.

"Let’s go!"

"The hunt is on!"

Amid a chorus of excited cries, the ten figures shot into the forest from different directions.

Back where the new students had entered the woods, Ye Xuan and Dongfang Zisi were moving swiftly through the mountain forest.

The entire forest was suffused with an ancient aura. Towering trees stood in dense groves, and the faint roars of various beasts echoed from the distance.

After learning the rules of the survival assessment, many new students who knew one another naturally formed groups. After all, aside from the dangers of the mountain range itself, they also had to contend with the senior students.

"Xuan Ye, since the instructors have placed fifty Crystal Stones, they certainly wouldn’t have put them in easily accessible places. By my estimation, they’ve most likely placed the Crystal Stones in Demon Beast lairs or other dangerous spots," Dongfang Zisi said as they sped through the forest.

Ye Xuan nodded. His thoughts were, in fact, quite similar to Dongfang Zisi’s.

’If I were an academy instructor, I’d choose places like that too.’

’Fifty Crystal Stones are out there. If I can get just ten, I can obtain a Tier Seven, Lord Level Spirit Medicine from Gale Light Academy. That settles it. I need to get at least ten Crystal Stones in this survival assessment.’ As Ye Xuan thought this, he rapidly sent out his Soul Sense.

WHOOSH!

Ye Xuan’s formidable Soul Sense instantly spread out over a hundred li in the mountain forest. Everything within that hundred-li radius appeared with perfect clarity in his mind.

’There’s a Tier Five Gray Wolf over there!’

A Tier Five Gray Wolf had appeared within his senses.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ye Xuan changed direction and shot toward the Tier Five Gray Wolf’s location.

’What is Xuan Ye doing?’ Dongfang Zisi wondered, but she followed him nonetheless.

A moment later, the Tier Five Gray Wolf appeared in Ye Xuan’s line of sight.

BOOM! CRASH!

To the current Ye Xuan, a Tier Five Gray Wolf was no threat at all. Moments later, the wolf, now covered in wounds, was pinned to the ground by Ye Xuan, unable to move a muscle.

Ye Xuan placed his right hand on the Gray Wolf’s head. The power of his Devouring Martial Soul subtly entered the wolf’s body as he simultaneously cast the Beast Taming Skill. In a mere instant, the Gray Wolf was completely under Ye Xuan’s control.

He released his hand, and the Tier Five Gray Wolf tucked its tail between its legs and scurried away.

"Xuan Ye, you’re not going to kill it?" Dongfang Zisi asked, stunned.

She didn’t understand his actions. Just now, while they were traveling, Ye Xuan had suddenly sought out this Gray Wolf and subdued it, only to let it go in the end.

"Let’s go."

Ye Xuan offered no explanation, simply leaping up and heading deeper into the mountains.

Dongfang Zisi shook her head, having no choice but to follow closely behind.

When she first started following Ye Xuan, he had told her that she was welcome to join him, but she had to follow his orders without question.

About a quarter of an hour later, Ye Xuan arrived in front of a massive cave.

A foul, gusting wind blew out from the cave, carrying with it a faint demonic aura.

Dongfang Zisi’s eyes lit up. "Xuan Ye, this looks like a Demon Beast’s lair! Judging by the residual aura outside, it’s probably a Tier Six Demon Beast. There might be a Crystal Stone inside. Should we go in?"

Dongfang Zisi was both astonished and thrilled that Ye Xuan had been able to so accurately locate the lair of a Tier Six Demon Beast.

At the mouth of the cave, Ye Xuan took a sniff of the air, and his brow furrowed.

Besides the faint Demon Beast aura, the cave also emanated the faint scent of blood.

’Looks like someone beat me to it.’

Ye Xuan frowned.

’I know that if I want to get a lot of Crystal Stones, my own strength is limited.’

’And when it comes to finding things in this forest, nothing knows it better than the Demon Beasts who live here.’

’That’s why I found and enslaved that Tier Five Gray Wolf—to get information about the surrounding area.’

’The strongest creature in the Gray Wolf’s territory was a Tier Six Horned Scale Python. Since the Gale Light Academy instructors set up this assessment, it was highly probable they’d place a Crystal Stone in its lair. That’s why I hurried here.’

But by the time he arrived at the cave’s entrance, he found that someone had already beaten him to the Horned Scale Python’s lair.

He didn’t enter. Instead, he sent his Soul Sense probing inside and, just as he suspected, discovered several students and the corpse of the Horned Scale Python.

"Hahaha, our luck is really something! Who would’ve thought we’d stumble upon the lair of a Tier Six Demon Beast and find a Crystal Stone just like that?" a young man laughed, holding a Crystal Stone in his hand.

Beside him, three other young men also roared with laughter.

"This Horned Scale Python was terrifying. It’s a good thing the four of us worked together. Otherwise, killing it would have taken a lot more effort."

The group chatted as they started walking out of the cave.

"Xuan Ye, aren’t we going in?"

Dongfang Zisi asked, unable to hide her confusion when she saw Ye Xuan standing motionless at the entrance.

"There are people inside," Ye Xuan said calmly.

"People?"

Dongfang Zisi froze.

When they had arrived at the cave, she had immediately sent her Fourth Grade Profound Sense inside. However, due to the Horned Scale Python’s demonic aura, her Profound Sense hadn’t been able to detect anything at all.