Legendary Beast Cultivator

The next morning, the warm sunlight illuminated Green Hollow City. The merchants had already opened their shops while academy disciples slowly gathered under the academy gates.

Lin Yuan calmly walked through the entrance.

"Morning, Lin Yuan!" Chen Ming waved gracefully from a distance.

Lian Nichang stood beside him.

"Looks like someone cultivated all night," Chen Ming laughed, analysing Lin Yuan. "You seem different."

Lin Yuan simply smiled before answering. "A little progress."

The three walked toward the classroom together. As every disciple had taken their seat, the room buzzed with a cacophony of murmurs.

Suddenly, the wooden doors slowly opened. Every disciple instinctively stood.

"...Headmaster?"

Instead of one of the Four Masters, Lin Cangxuan himself walked into the classroom, his long gray hair swayed gently as he smiled warmly at the young disciples.

"Hahaha..." Lin Cangxuan gestured to the disciples to sit. "Sit down."

The disciples immediately obeyed, and Lin Cangxuan looked around the room before stroking his beard.

"So... Who among you has been causing the most trouble lately?"

Every disciple instinctively glanced toward Chen Ming. Chen Ming immediately pointed at Lin Yuan. "It’s him!"

"You spoke first," Lin Yuan calmly spoke, looking back at Chen Ming.

The classroom burst into laughter, even Lin Cangxuan couldn’t suppress a smile.

"It seems your friendships have become quite lively," Lin Cangxuan appreciated, his fox-like eyes slowly darted across every disciple. "When you first entered this academy, many of you could barely communicate with your own beasts."

"And now... you fight together, endure together, and trust one another," Lin Cangxuan continued after a brief pause, nodding with satisfaction. "The journey these four months has been fruitful."

The laughter slowly faded away, and Lin Cangxuan’s expression became slightly more serious.

"My dear disciples..." the Headmaster called out, "You have completed nearly every lesson this academy was meant to teach."

He paused briefly again. "Only... two final trials remain."

The classroom immediately fell silent, even Chen Ming straightened his posture. Every disciple focused upon the Headmaster as anticipation filled across the room.

"Final trials?"

"What could they be?"

"I am curious now!!!!"

The collective murmurs slowly settled as Lin Cangxuan raised his right hand. The classroom immediately returned to silence.

"Hahaha... I expected that reaction," Lin Cangxuan chuckled, nodding his head. "Listen carefully, because these two final trials will determine whether you possess the qualifications to step beyond Green Hollow City."

His fox-like eyes slowly darted across every disciple.

"These two trials will be held over a period of seven-ten days," Lin Cangxuan continued as every disciple straightened their posture.

"It will be like a vacation..." Chen Ming muttered, his voice low as whisper.

"Upon successfully completing both trials, this academy shall officially recommend every qualified disciple to participate in the entrance examinations of the Sects in Qinglin Continent," As Lin Cangxuan spoke, the room erupted into excited murmurs.

"What?"

"Really?"

"So we finally get the opportunity to grow as the blessed disciples?"

"Exactly," Lin Cangxuan let out a warm smile. "Although the River of Origin chooses the Blessed, talent alone does not determine one’s future. Your actions during these trials... will determine your worth."

Lin Cangxuan slowly walked toward the blackboard. He hung a map on the wall just above the board using a small hook. It scrolled down with a rustling hum which echoed in the silent room.

There was one tall mountain and a slightly smaller one beside it, located hundreds of miles away from Green Hollow City.

"The trials shall be held within the famous Middle-East Peaks," Lin Cangxuan beamed, his finger landing upon the first mountain. "This is Azure Mist Peak."

"The mountain contains a vast ecosystem. There are numerous beasts from Rank one to Rank Three that roam freely. There are medicinal herbs, and rare ores. Also there were ancient trees, and a few toxic things like poisonous marshes." Lin Cangxuan paused for a second before continuing. "However... Rank Four or higher beasts have also built their territories within a few regions. This map will be given to you all with the Higher rank beasts’ regions marked!"

The disciples immediately became serious.

"If your group encounters a Rank Four beast or any danger beyond your ability..." Lin Cangxuan grunted, a serious gaze escaped from his eyes. "...do not act foolishly."

He took out a pouch of fifteen jade tokens. Each token bore the academy emblem engraved upon its surface.

"Every disciple shall receive this Academy Protection Token," Lin Cangxuan explained, raising and showing a token to the disciples. "The moment you crush it, a defensive formation personally created by this academy will trigger and protect you like a shield. It will protect you long enough for an Assistant Master to arrive."

"But..." His expression became stern. "The moment your token activates, your trial ends immediately."

The disciples silently nodded.

"Remember!! Survival is never shameful, but recklessness is shameful," Lin Cangxuan pointed toward five names written beneath the map. "You shall divide yourselves into five groups. Three disciples per group. The groups are left to your own decision, brats."

Lin Cangxuan coughed once.

"But... Each group shall be secretly observed by one Assistant Master."

He began introducing them one after another. "Shen Ruoxi. The Moonwater Deer holder, and a Spirit Beast Realm Peak Stage cultivator. One of the finest healers of our academy. She will always assess your progress. Hahaa! Every master will!"

He pointed toward the next name.

"He Muran. Earth Boar holder, and a Spirit Beast Realm Peak Stage cultivator."

"Qin Yuze. Ice Wolf holder, and also a Spirit Beast Realm Peak Stage cultivator."

"Gu Su Feng. Water Falcon holder, and also a Spirit Beast Realm Peak Stage cultivator."

"And finally... Shen Li Xiaoran, a Dark Ape holder, and also a Spirit Beast Realm Peak Stage cultivator."

Lin Cangxuan smiled faintly, darted his head toward the disciples. "They will never interfere, unless your lives are really in danger."

A few disciples exchanged nervous looks.

"So they’re watching us and our secret protectors..." Chen Ming whispered, nodding his head.

Lin Yuan remained silent, watching the map.

Lin Cangxuan’s finger slowly moved toward the second mountain. Compared to Azure Mist Peak, this mountain appeared much darker and small.

"This is Red Sun Peak." The classroom became quiet once again. "A violent river stream separates these both mountains. The current is too violent for ordinary boats, and there are no bridges or there is no safe crossing. Each group must determine its own method."

"Only after crossing, the second trial will begin,"

Every disciple focused on Lin Cangxuan’s lecture. Lin Cangxuan pointed toward the top of Red Sun Peak. There are three ancient star marks visible to all the disciples.

"These are the three ancient altars," Lin Cangxuan grinned, waving his sleeve once. "No one knows who built them. But some generations of this academy have used them as the final examination."

His voice became unusually solemn. "Each altar contains an ancient inheritance."

"But, only one inheritance may be claimed by each group," Lin Cangxuan observed the feelings of the disciples. The disciples looked confused, and Lin Cangxuan smiled mysteriously. "The altars cannot be broken, cannot be forced open, and they reject brute strength. What they require is pure understanding."

He slowly scrolled back the map while explaining. "The challenge before each altar differs. One shall test wisdom. One shall test trust. And one shall test unshakeable resolve."

Lin Cangxuan paused for a heartbeat. "No Assistant Master may aid you. The decision belongs only to the group of disciples."

"So even if we reach the peak of the Red Sun..." Chen Ming scratched his head. "...we still haven’t finished until we pass the altar?"

"Hahaha!" Lin Cangxuan laughed heartily. "Exactly. The mountain does not reward those who merely arrive. It rewards those who deserve to."

The disciples’ eyes shone with anticipation. Finally, Lin Cangxuan folded the map whole.

"You shall likely require three or four days to cross Azure Mist Peak. The remaining days will determine whether you can conquer Red Sun Peak. The complete journey generally requires seven to nine days," Lin Cangxuan clapped, looking toward every disciple with pride. "Tomorrow morning before sunrise, the academy caravans will transport all of you approximately three hundred miles to the foot of Azure Mist Peak."

"From that moment onward, your fate will depend entirely upon yourselves." A faint smile appeared upon his frantic old face. "My dear disciples... I sincerely hope that every one of you returns."

An eerie silence filled across the classroom. The final examination which will decide the fate of the disciples was about to begin, but Lin Yuan still remained calm compared to others.

’Sigh... My grandnephew is always mysteriously calm, yet that bastard Lin Zhentian has never once praised his own son,’ Lin Cangxuan muttered to himself, his gaze shifting to Lin Yuan. ’Perhaps he only cares about blessed talent, rather than Lin Yuan’s natural wilderness. One day, this fifteen-year-old boy will surely shake both heaven and hell!’

"Okay, the class is dismissed, my dear disciples!" Lin Cangxuan announced, gesturing to the disciples to leave. "Prepare yourself to take a step toward the heavens!"

Listening to the words, the disciples sprawled out of the classroom, and walked towards the academy gate while discussing the trial details that Lin Cangxuan explained.